APS Diplomat Recorder articles from November 2005

APS Diplomat Recorder archives from November 2005

ARAB AFFAIRS - Nov 1 - GCC Urges International Community To Halt Israel's 'Ongoing Aggression'.
November 5, 2005... PM Ariel Sharon demands Palestinian action against "terror", singled out Syria and Iran as its sponsors and says the international community is standing up to "extremist countries" for the first time. In a separate development, the GCC called...

ARAB AFFAIRS - Nov 2 - Talabani Opposes Any US Strike On Syria From Iraq.
November 5, 2005... Iraq's Pres Jalal Talabani says he will oppose the use of Iraqi territory as a launch pad for any US military strike on Syria. Talking to Asharq Al-Awsat, a sister publication of Arab News, he said: I absolutely reject that Iraqi territory be...

ARAB-EUROPEAN RELATIONS - Oct 31 - Brussels To Give Turkey Torture Deadline.
November 5, 2005... The European Commission will give Turkey a two-year deadline to eradicate torture, establish freedom of religion and assert civilian control over the military if it is to succeed at attaining EU membership in about 10 years. In a sign of how...

ARABS-ISRAEL - Nov 1 - Israel Kills Key Militant In Gaza Raid.(Hasan Al Madhoun)
November 5, 2005... An Israeli airstrike near Gaza City kills two wanted Palestinians, including one whom Israel had singled out as a top priority. A missile destroyed the car carrying Hasan Al Madhoun, 32, a senior figure in the Al Aksa Martyrs Brigades who...

EGYPT - Nov 4 - Turnout Will Be Key To Elections - Mubarak.
November 5, 2005... In an interview with Al Ahram, Pres Mubarak says turnout will be the main measure of success for the parliamentary elections kicking off this week. He said: Participation and turnout are key to the success of the elections in the same way they...

IRAN - Oct 30 - Khamenei Comes To PM's Defence.(Ayat Ali Khamenei)
November 5, 2005... The country's supreme leader, Ayat Ali Khamenei, condemns international reaction to last week's speech by Pres Mahmoud Ahmadi-Nejad calling for Israel to be "wiped off the map". In remarks reported by state media, Ayat Khamenei said the...

IRAN - Nov 2 - Iran Nominates Outsider As Oil Minister.
November 5, 2005... Pres Mahmoud Ahmadinejad nominates a little-known conservative politician with no industry experience as oil minister of the world's fourth biggest crude producer. Sadeq Mahsouli, who like Ahmadinejad hails from the Revolutionary Guards, faces...

IRAQ - Oct 30 - Gunmen Shoot Top Iraqi Officials.
November 5, 2005... Two Iraqi government officials are shot in Baghdad, one day after a suicide bomber kills 30 people after luring them to a truck bomb disguised as a date vendor's van. In the latest of almost daily shootings in Baghdad, many of them targeting...

IRAQ - Nov 2 - Baghdad Seeks Return Of Some Former Army Officers.
November 5, 2005... The government calls for the return of junior officers from the disbanded army of Saddam Hussein, openly reversing an American directive issued in 2003. The move is aimed at draining the insurgency of recruits and bolstering the Iraqi security...

PALESTINE - Oct 30 - A Pledge By Islamic Jihad.
November 5, 2005... The Palestinian faction Islamic Jihad says it will stop firing rockets from the Gaza Strip into Israel, which could help end a week of violence. Islamic Jihad made its pledge conditional on a halt in Israeli air raids and other military...

SYRIA - Nov 4 - Syrian Panel Investigating Hariri Killing Appeals For Information From Public.(Rafik Al Hariri)(Brief Article)
November 5, 2005... A Syrian judicial committee investigating the assassination of a former Lebanese PM Hariri calls for the public's help. The panel urged anyone with information related to the Feb 14 bombing to come forth, Syria's official news agency said. The...

ARAB AFFAIRS - Nov 8 - Arab Activists Meet To Discuss Democracy.
November 12, 2005... Arab activists meeting in Bahrain to press for democratic change find themselves caught between battling "dictator" regimes and US-led initiatives for reform. While some activists at a Manama conference insisted that Arab democratic movements...

ARAB-EUROPEAN RELATIONS - Nov 7 - EU Backing For Gaza Mission.(Brief Article)
November 12, 2005... EU foreign ministers on gives their backing to a sensitive new mission to help end the Gaza Strip's isolation from the outside world. At a meeting in Brussels, the ministers agreed in principle that the EU would provide monitors for the border...

ARABS-ISRAEL - Nov 7 - Sharon Rules Out Peace Talks With Syria, Pullout From Golan Heights.
November 12, 2005... Israeli PM Sharon rules out any prospect of peace talks with Syria, saying he is not prepared to pull troops and settlers out of the Golan Heights. Addressing a closed-door meeting of the Defense and Foreign Affairs Committee, Sharon was quoted...

ARAB-US RELATIONS - Nov 8 - US Concern At Saudi Action On Terror.
November 12, 2005... The US Treasury on raises concerns that Saudi Arabia is not being active enough in shutting down sources of financing for terrorist organisations. The Senate judiciary committee heard from a senior official that the Bush administration had...

IRAN - Nov 6 - Tehran Seeks Restart Of Nuclear Talks With Brussels.(Brief Article)
November 12, 2005... The secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council Ali Larijani calls on the EU to resume negotiations over Tehran's controversial nuclear programme, in the strongest sign yet that the Islamic republic is worried about referral to the UN...

IRAN - Nov 9 - Ahmadinejad Suffers Fresh Political Blow.(Mahmoud Ahmadinejad)
November 12, 2005... Pres Mahmoud Ahmadinejad suffers a sharp setback when his nominee for oil minister withdraws in the face of criticism from lawmakers about his wealth and lack of experience. The withdrawal of Sadeq Mahsouli, a former Revolutionary Guards...

IRAQ - Nov 6 - Joint US-Iraqi Operation Sweeps Through Western Iraq.
November 12, 2005... US and Iraqi forces fight insurgents in a town near the border with Syria as part of a military sweep aimed at preventing foreign fighters from entering the country. And in a separate outburst of violence north of Baghdad, masked gunmen opened...

IRAQ - Nov 8 - Two Defence Lawyers In Saddam Trial Shot.(Adil Al Zubeidi, Thamer Hamoud al-Khuzaie )
November 12, 2005... Gunmen shoot two lawyers defending Saddam Hussein's co-defendants in a trial for crimes against humanity, killing one and slightly wounding the other. The attack followed the murder of another defence lawyer who was shot the day after the trial...

ISRAEL - Nov 7 - Sharon Faces Calls For Early Election.(Ariel Sharon)
November 12, 2005... PM Ariel Sharon night faces calls for early elections after rebels in his own Likud party forces him into an embarrassing parliamentary climbdown over the appointment of new ministers to his coalition government. Sharon was forced to withdraw...

ISRAEL - Nov 10 - Peres Ousted As Labour Leader.(Shimon Peres)(Brief Article)
November 12, 2005... 82-year-old elder statesman Shimon Peres, has been removed from leadership of the Labour party by a left-wing challenger in a shock result that is likely to propel the country into early elections. Results of a party primary held on Nov 9...

JORDAN - Nov 9 - Hotels Hit In Suspected Suicide Attacks.
November 12, 2005... Fifty six people are killed and over a hundred injured in three suspected suicide bomb attacks in the Jordanian capital Amman. Iraq's Al Qaeda said it had carried out the attacks. The claim, made in an internet statement, could not be verified,...

SYRIA - Nov 10 - Assad Expects Showdown With UN Despite Co-operation.(Bashar Al Assad )
November 12, 2005... Pres Bashar Al Assad promises to co-operate with a UN inquiry into the killing of a former Lebanese PM Hariri, but said Syria will not sacrifice its own national interest in the process. The young leader, in a defiant speech carried live on...

ARAB AFFAIRS - Nov 14 - Iran Voices Solidarity With Syria.
November 19, 2005... Iranian FM Manouchehr Mottaki voices strong support for Syria in its standoff with the West over a UN inquiry into the assassination of Lebanese former Premier Rafik Hariri as he makes his first official visit to Tehran's main Arab ally....

ARAB AFFAIRS - Nov 16 - Sunni Leaders Demand Iraq Torture Probe.
November 19, 2005... Sunni Arab leaders demand an international investigation into allegations of the torture and abuse of detainees in Iraq, in what may become a major test case of Iraqi leaders' willingness to tackle persistent reports of human rights abuses at...

ARAB-EUROPEAN RELATIONS - Nov 14 - Blair Confirms Support For 2006 Pull-out From Iraq.
November 19, 2005... PM Tony Blair, and defence secretary John Reid, confirm that British troops can withdraw from Iraq by the end of next year. Their statements follow Nov 12 remarks by the Iraqi Pres Jalal Talabani. Blair said: I think it's entirely reasonable...

ARAB-US RELATIONS - Nov 13 - Rice Calls On Palestinians And Israelis To Move Ahead.(Condoleezza Rice)
November 19, 2005... State Sec Condoleezza Rice, making her fourth visit to the Middle East this year, again implores Israel and the Palestinians to resolve their differences, amid mounting signs of frustration in Washington over the lack of progress since Israel...

ARAB-US RELATIONS - Nov 18 - US Backs Role For Iran In Nuclear Fuel Cycle.
November 19, 2005... In a major concession towards Iran's nuclear programme, the US gives its public backing to a proposal by Russia and the EU that will allow the Islamic republic to develop part of the nuclear fuel cycle on its own territory. The shift in US...

EGYPT - Nov 16 - Brotherhood Gains In Egyptian Poll.(Brief Article)
November 19, 2005... The Muslim Brotherhood reaffirms its position as Egypt's main opposition force, more than doubling its seats in parliament in the early stages of legislative elections in spite of independent reports of fraud by the ruling National Democratic...

IRAN - Nov 16 - Rafsanjani hits out at Ahmadi-Nejad.(Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, Mahmoud Ahmadi-Nejad)
November 19, 2005... Former Pres Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, attacks Pres Mahmoud Ahmadi-Nejad for damaging "national unity and solidarity". Rafsanjani's speech to the country's Friday prayer leaders, carried on official news agencies, came two days after Iran's...

IRAQ - Nov 18 - Suicide Bomb Attacks On Iraq Mosques Kill 67.
November 19, 2005... Suicide bombers strike at Shiite Kurdish mosques in eastern Iraq and a hotel used by journalists in Baghdad, as Iraqi leaders begin arriving in Cairo for an Arab League-sponsored conference aimed at reconciling the countries' bitterly divided...

JORDAN - Nov 13 - Woman Confesses To Amman Bombings.
November 19, 2005... An Iraqi woman confesses on Jordanian state-run TV that she tried to blow herself up in an Amman hotel, one of three attacked by Iraqi suicide bombers, including her husband, last week. The woman, Sajida al-Rishawi, was identified as the sister...

JORDAN - Nov 15 - King Abdullah Pledges Tough Line On Terror.
November 19, 2005... King Abdullah reiterates he will not let last week's suicide attacks that killed 57 people in Amman derail much-vaunted political and economic reforms or his pro-western policies. In an interview with foreign newspapers, he rejected accusations...

RUSSIA - Nov 14 - Putin Ally In Prime Position To Take Over.(Vladimir Putin, Dmitry Medvedev)(Brief Article)
November 19, 2005... Pres Vladimir Putin promotes Dmitry Medvedev, his powerful chief of staff, to a top government position in a move observers say initiates the succession process for the presidency. In a rare government reshuffle, Medvedev, who is also the...

ARAB AFFAIRS - Nov 21 - Iraq Conference Ends With Note Of Consensus.
November 26, 2005... Iraqi politicians wrap up an Arab League-sponsored reconciliation conference with a statement of principles calling for the eventual withdrawal of foreign troops, condemning terrorism and affirming a right of "resistance". The statement was a...

ARAB-EUROPEAN RELATIONS - Nov 24 - EU Hits At Israeli Policies In East Jerusalem.
November 26, 2005... The EU severely criticises Israeli policies in east Jerusalem, saying they demonstrate a clear intention to consolidate Israel's annexation of the Arab half of the city. The criticisms are in a report presented to EU foreign ministers but not...

ARABS-ISRAEL - Nov 23 - Israel-Lebanon Tensions Flare.(Brief Article)
November 26, 2005... Tensions between Israel and Lebanon flare up again with an incident at the border and Israeli aircraft dropping leaflets over the capital Beirut and several southern towns. In the pamphlets, the Israelis accused the Hizbollah movement of being...

ARAB-US RELATIONS - Nov 20 - Rumsfeld Fuels Hopes Of Cut In US Forces In Iraq.
November 26, 2005... The US Def Sec Donald Rumsfeld, fuels expectations that the US is contemplating a big reduction in its forces in Iraq next year, following reports that commanders had submitted plans to cut troop numbers to below 100,000. Appearing on several...

EGYPT - Nov 20 - Violence Mars Second Stage Of Egypt Poll.
November 26, 2005... The second round of Egypt's month-long legislative elections turns violent and the opposition Muslim Brotherhood said scores of its supporters had been detained. The elections - held in stages over a month - claimed their first victim when mobs...

IRAN - Nov 20 - Parliament Moves To Block UN Inspections.
November 26, 2005... Iran's conservative Parliament approves the outline of a bill that will bar UN inspectors from visiting its nuclear sites if the agency referred Iran's case to the Security Council for possible punitive measures. The vote comes before the...

IRAQ - Nov 22 - Bomber Kills 17 In Kirkuk.
November 26, 2005... A suicide car bomber attacks a police patrol in the northern city of Kirkuk, killing at least 17 people, and mortars landed near the US ambassador to Iraq during a ceremony in Saddam Hussein's hometown of Tikrit. The attackers in Kirkuk lured...

ISRAEL - Nov 20 - Sharon Loses 8 Labour Ministers.
November 26, 2005... Israel's Labour Party, under its new leader, agree to pull its eight ministers out of the governing coalition with PM Ariel Sharon, hastening the prospect of early elections. Sharon, leading what is likely to be the last meeting of the current...

ISRAEL - Nov 21 - Sharon Quits Likud To Form New Political Party.
November 26, 2005... PM Ariel Sharon quit the rightwing Likud party that he helped to found some 30 years ago and said he would form a new centrist party to fight elections expected within the next four months. Sharon's announcement came shortly after he asked...

PALESTINE - Nov 25 - In Control Of Border With Egypt.
November 26, 2005... The Palestinians takes control of an international frontier for the first time in their history, marking the day as a step on their road to statehood. PA Pres Mahmoud Abbas, said Palestinian control of the Rafah crossing with Egypt, formerly...