APS Diplomat Recorder articles from September 2006

APS Diplomat Recorder archives from September 2006

ARAB EUROPEAN RELATIONS - August 30 - EU will continue nuclear talks with Tehran.
September 2, 2006... The European Union is ready to continue discussions with Iran over its nuclear programme even though a United Nations deadline for Tehran to restrict its nuclear activities expires on Thursday, diplomats have told the Financial Times. On...

ARAB EUROPEAN RELATIONS - August 30 - EU urged to make contact with Hamas.
September 2, 2006... The European Union should establish contact with Hamas, the proscribed Islamist group, the holder of the EU's presidency has proposed. Erkki Tuomioja, Finnish foreign minister, told FT Deutschland, the Financial Times' sister paper, that the EU...

ARAB EUROPEAN RELATIONS - Sept 1 - - EU ready to talk to Syria and Hamas.
September 2, 2006... The European Union on Friday emphasised its new willingness to talk to some of the most controversial groups and countries in the Islamic world, in an attempt to breathe new life into the Middle East peace process. Meeting in Laappeenranta,...

ARABS-ISRAEL - August 30 - Three Palestinians Killed in Israeli Missile Attacks.
September 2, 2006... Three members of the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, the armed wing of Fatah, were killed early yesterday in Israeli missile attacks in the West Bank cities of Nablus and Ramallah, witnesses and medical sources said. They said two of them were killed...

ARABS-ISRAEL - August 30 - Israel 'abused Palestinians under shadow of war'.
September 2, 2006... An Israeli human rights group has accused the country's military of a surge in abuses against Palestinians in the West Bank over the past two months, when media attention was turned to conflicts in Gaza and Lebanon. On Tuesday, Israeli forces...

ARABS-ISRAEL - August 30 - 9 more Palestinians die in Israeli assault.
September 2, 2006... Nine Palestinians were killed Wednesday in Israel's continuing offensive in the Gaza Strip, including a boy, 14, who had gathered with friends to watch the fighting. Since early Sunday, the Israeli Army has been looking for smuggling tunnels...

ARABS-ISRAEL - Sept 2 - Israel 'likely' to reopen talks with PA.(Palestinian Authority)(Brief article)
September 2, 2006... Shimon Peres, vice-prime minister of Israel, told the FT on Friday that Israel was likely to reopen talks with the Palestinian Authority. "We will start negotiations with the Palestinians in the very near future," indicating that it could be at...

ARAB-US RELATIONS - August 31 - U.S. drafts list of sanctions as Iran ignores deadline.
September 2, 2006... With Iran defying a Thursday deadline to halt production of nuclear fuel, the United States and three European allies are assembling a list of sanctions they would seek in the United Nations Security Council, beginning with restrictions on...

IRAN August 29 - Ahmadi-Nejad challenges Bush to TV debate.(Mahmoud Ahmadi-Nejad)
September 2, 2006... Two days ahead of a crucial UN deadline for Iran to suspend uranium enrichment, President Mahmoud Ahmadi-Nejad on Tuesday gave a press conference mixing camaraderie, defiance and homespun philosophy. After challenging George W Bush, the US...

IRAQ - August 27 - Stricter security is curbing violence, says Iraqi PM.
September 2, 2006... Iraq's prime minister said on Sunday that the sectarian bloodshed that has plagued the country for the past six months is now decreasing, the latest of a series of statements by US and Iraqi officials that suggest a new deployment of troops...

IRAQ - August 27 - Suicide bomber attacks Iraq newspaper.
September 2, 2006... A suicide car bomber attacked Iraq's largest newspaper, detonating his vehicle inside its fortified compound in downtown Baghdad on Sunday and killing 2 people and wounding 20 others, the executive editor and government officials said. The...

IRAQ - August 29 - Iraq's parties reach deal on oil-sharing.
September 2, 2006... Iraq's main political factions have hammered out an agreement on the sharing of oil and gas revenues but other contentious issues need to be resolved before a draft hydrocarbon law is completed, a senior Iraqi official said on Tuesday. Barham...

IRAQ - August 30 - Iraq bombs kill more than 40.
September 2, 2006... More than 40 people were killed in bomb attacks in Iraq on Wednesday morning, including 24 at a busy market in Baghdad where insurgents seem intent on defying amajor U.S.-backed security clampdown now in its fourth week. A further 35 people...

ISRAEL - August 29 - Olmert accused over 'fig-leaf' war inquiry.
September 2, 2006... Ehud Olmert, Israeli prime minister, on Tuesday received a mixed reception for his decision to limit the scope of an inquiry into the conduct of the Lebanon war, with some political opponents labelling it a "whitewash". Mr Olmert said on Monday...

ISRAEL - August 30 - Israel rejects UN appeal for lifting of Lebanon blockade.
September 2, 2006... Israel rejected a call from U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan on Wednesday to lift its six-week air-and-sea blockade of Lebanon, saying it would only raise the siege once all elements of a ceasefire were in place. During an hour of talks with...

JORDAN August 28 - Jordan's Lower House Approves New Terror Prevention Law.
September 2, 2006... Jordan's lower house of Parliament yesterday approved with majority of votes a controversial "terrorism prevention" draft law despite warnings by Arab and Jordanian human rights bodies that the bill posed threats to personal and public...

LEBANON - August 30 - Lebanon promises money for houses.
September 2, 2006... Lebanon's prime minister, Fouad Siniora, seeking to regain the political initiative from Hizbollah, has pledged his government will give owners of destroyed property $33,000 each for post-war reconstruction. Mr Siniora also rebuffed escalating...

ARAB EUROPEAN RELATIONS - Aug 29 - EU Will Continue Nuclear Talks With Tehran.
September 2, 2006... The EU is ready to continue discussions with Iran over its nuclear programme even though a UN deadline for Tehran to restrict its nuclear activities expires. On Aug 29, the the UN's nuclear monitor IAEA, will confirm that Tehran has refused to...

ARAB EUROPEAN RELATIONS - Aug 31 - EU Urged To Make Contact With Hamas.
September 2, 2006... The holder of the EU's presidency Finnish FM Erkki Tuomioja, proposes the EU shall establish contact with Hamas and that the EU will have to make an important shift in policy and be prepared to enter discussions with all "relevant" parties if...

ARABS-ISRAEL - Aug 29 - Three Palestinians Killed In Israeli Missile Attacks.
September 2, 2006... Three members of the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, the armed wing of Fatah, are killed in Israeli missile attacks in the West Bank cities of Nablus and Ramallah. They said two of them were killed when an Israeli combat helicopter fired four...

ARABS-ISRAEL - Aug 29 - Israel 'Abused Palestinians Under Shadow Of War'.
September 2, 2006... An Israeli human rights group accuses the country's military of a surge in abuses against Palestinians in the West Bank over the past two months, when media attention is turned to conflicts in Gaza and Lebanon. On Aug 29, Israeli forces killed...

ARABS-ISRAEL - Aug 30 - 9 More Palestinians Die In Israeli Assault.
September 2, 2006... Nine Palestinians are killed in Israel's continuing offensive in the Gaza Strip, including a boy, 14, who had gathered with friends to watch the fighting. Since early Aug 27, the Israeli Army has been looking for smuggling tunnels and...

ARABS-ISRAEL - Sept 1 - Israel 'Likely' To Reopen Talks With PA.
September 2, 2006... Vice-PM of Israel Shimon Peres, tells Israel is likely to reopen talks with the PA. "We will start negotiations with the Palestinians in the very near future", indicating that it could be at beginning of next year. Peres is in favour of the...

ARAB-US RELATIONS - Aug 31 - US Drafts List Of Sanctions As Iran Ignores Deadline.
September 2, 2006... With Iran defying deadline to halt production of nuclear fuel, the US and three European allies are assembling a list of sanctions they will seek in the UN Security Council, beginning with restrictions on imports of nuclear-related equipment...

IRAN - Aug 29 - Ahmadi-Nejad Challenges Bush To TV Debate.
September 2, 2006... Two days ahead of a crucial UN deadline for Iran to suspend uranium enrichment, Pres Mahmoud Ahmadi-Nejad gives a press conference mixing camaraderie, defiance and homespun philosophy. After challenging the US president George W Bush, to a live...

IRAQ - Aug 27 - Stricter Security Is Curbing Violence.
September 2, 2006... Iraq's PM says that the sectarian bloodshed that has plagued the country for the past six months is now decreasing, the latest of a series of statements by US and Iraqi officials that suggest a new deployment of troops into the capital has...

IRAQ - Aug 27 - Suicide Bomber Attacks Iraq Newspaper.
September 2, 2006... A suicide car bomber attacks Iraq's largest newspaper, detonating his vehicle inside its fortified compound in downtown Baghdad and killing 2 people and wounding 20 others, the executive editor and government officials said. The bombing took...

IRAQ - Aug 29 - Iraq's Parties Reach Deal On Oil.
September 2, 2006... Iraq's main political factions have hammered out an agreement on the sharing of oil and gas revenues but other contentious issues need to be resolved before a draft hydrocarbon law is completed. Barham Salih, deputy PM in charge of the economy,...

ISRAEL - Aug 29 - Olmert Accused Over 'Fig-leaf' War Inquiry.(Ehud Olmert)
September 2, 2006... Israeli PM Ehud Olmert, receives a mixed reception for his decision to limit the scope of an inquiry into the conduct of the Lebanon war, with some political opponents labelling it a "whitewash". Olmert said that he had rejected the option of a...

ISRAEL - Aug 30 - Israel Rejects UN Appeal For Lifting Of Lebanon Blockade.
September 2, 2006... Israel rejects a call from UN Sec Gen Kofi Annan to lift its six-week air-and-sea blockade of Lebanon, saying it will only raise the siege once all elements of a ceasefire were in place. During an hour of talks with PM Ehud Olmert, Annan had...

JORDAN - Aug 27 - Jordan's Lower House Approves New Terror Prevention Law.
September 2, 2006... Jordan's lower house of Parliament approves with majority of votes a controversial "terrorism prevention" draft law despite warnings by Arab and Jordanian human rights bodies that the bill posed threats to personal and public freedoms. The vote...

LEBANON - Aug 30 - Lebanon Promises Money For Houses.
September 2, 2006... Lebanon's PM Fouad Siniora, seeking to regain the political initiative from Hizbullah, has pledged his government will give owners of destroyed property $33,000 each for post-war reconstruction. Siniora also rebuffed escalating calls from...

ARAB AFFAIRS - Sept 5 - GCC to Israel: End Lebanon Blockade.
September 9, 2006... The six-member Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) urges the international community to take quick and effective action to lift the Israeli military blockade on Lebanon. The GCC FMs meeting here also emphasised the need for increasing trade exchange...

ARABS-ISRAEL - Sept 7 - Israel To Lift Air And Sea Blockade.
September 9, 2006... The office of PM Ehud Olmert says Israel will lift an air and sea blockade on Lebanon that has been in force since the start of its war with Hizbullah on July 12. Israeli foreign ministry spokesman Mark Regev said: We have enough confidence...

ARABS-ISRAEL - Sept 8 - Olmert lays out his terms for talks on Shebaa Farms.
September 9, 2006... Israel says it is prepared to discuss the status of the occupied Shebaa Farms area if Hizbullah disarms and if the UN rules the territory is Lebanese, as world diplomats stepped up efforts to shore up the cease-fire. Hundreds of Lebanese...

IRAN - Sept 4 - Iran 'Accepts Two-State Answer' In Mideast.
September 9, 2006... Pres Muhammad Khatami, says Iran will accept a Palestinian state "ready to live alongside Israel" if the elected Hamas government freely adopted such an outcome. In an interview with the FT, Khatami, a reformist, distanced himself from the...

IRAQ - Sept 3 - Nuri Kamal al-Maliki Insists Kurds Must Fly Iraqi National Flag.
September 9, 2006... PM Nuri Kamal al -Mailki, declares that the national flag should be flown across the nation, countermanding a Kurdish decree that would ban its being flown in the Kurds' northern self-rule region. The dispute, though mostly symbolic, has the...

IRAQ - Sept 9 - 300 Tribal Leaders Want Saddam Freed.(Saddam Hussain )(Brief article)
September 9, 2006... A coalition of 300 Iraqi tribal leaders demand the release of Saddam Hussain so he could reclaim the presidency and also called for armed resistance against US-led coalition forces. The clan chieftains, who were mostly Sunni Arabs and included...

IRAQ - Sept. 9 - Iraq Seizes Local Al-Qaeda Deputy.
September 9, 2006... Iraq says it arrested the country's second most senior figure in al Qaeda, "severely wounding" an organisation the US military says is spreading sectarian violence that could bring civil war. The announcement came as talks between the US and...

LEBANON - Sept 6 - Lebanon Demands Prisoner Swap.
September 9, 2006... Lebanon's FM Fawzi Salloukh tells reporters in Cairo the two Israeli soldiers held by Hizbullah will not be released unless there are talks with Israel about the exchange of Lebanese prisoners. Israel says the main violation of the UN Security...

PALESTINE - Sept 3 - Haniyeh Denies Deadline For Forming Coalition Govt.(Ismail Haniyeh)
September 9, 2006... Palestinian PM Ismail Haniyeh denies that there is a time limit for the formation of a national unity government adding that discussions were still on. "We are still holding preliminary talks and I cannot say when they will conclude", the PM...

PALESTINE - Sept 5 - Security Force Joins Palestinian Strike Over Pay.
September 9, 2006... Thousands of Palestinian security force members, some firing their weapons into the air, marches on the Palestinian Parliament building in Gaza City as they joined an expanding strike over unpaid wages by the Hamas-led government. Some health...

YEMEN - Contesting Against Saleh Is Unislamic.(Ali Abdullah Saleh)
September 9, 2006... A Yemeni theologian's stance saying it is religiously not permissible to compete with the president and democracy is unislamic, has triggered angry reactions in opposition circles. "To compete with the ruler is an illegitimate act. This is a...

ARAB AFFAIRS - Sept 12 - Tehran Offers Baghdad Assistance On Security.
September 16, 2006... Iran offers to help establish security and stability in Iraq after the Iraqi PM Nuri Kamal al-Maliki, hold talks in Tehran on his first official visit here. Maliki and Iran's Pres Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, gave few details about their talks, except...

ARAB AFFAIRS - Sept 14 - OIC Hammers Out Seven Resolutions.
September 16, 2006... The ministers of information of the 57-member OIC conclude their discussions at the Seventh Session of the Islamic Conference of Information Ministers by adopting seven resolutions recommended by the preparatory meetings with some adjustments....

ARAB-EUROPEAN RELATIONS - Sept 10 - Hopes Rise For EU-Iran Nuclear Deal.
September 16, 2006... European and Iranian negotiators conclude their most positive meeting for over a year, raising the possibility - if not the likelihood - of a deal on Tehran's nuclear programme. Both Javier Solana, the EU's foreign policy chief, and Ali...

ARAB-EUROPEAN RELATIONS - Sept 15 - EU To Hold Talks With PA.(Palestine National Authority)
September 16, 2006... The EU says it will re-open talks with the new Palestinian government, but warns that it will restore direct aid to the PA only after the government commits itself to peace with Israel. But the EU FMs fell short of demanding that the government...

ARABS-ISRAEL - Sept 12 - Israel Frees Hamas Ministers.
September 16, 2006... An Israeli military court orders the release of 21 Hamas officials, including three cabinet ministers, who are imprisoned following the capture of an Israeli soldier in the Gaza Strip in June. Palestinians hope the release of the Hamas men,...

AFGHANISTAN - Sept 10 - Governor Killed In Attack.
September 16, 2006... A suicide bomber assassinates an Afghan provincial governor, as NATO says it killed almost 100 more Taliban fighters in its biggest offensive against the resurgent extremist group. Gov. Hakim Taniwal, a former mines minister who once lectured...

IRAN - Sept 11 - Tehran Sets Conditions To Consider Suspension Of Enrichment.
September 16, 2006... Top Iranian nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani set a list of conditions, including no UN actions against Tehran, in offering to consider a two-month suspension of uranium enrichment. "He had a long list including [a] complete and total halt in...

IRAN - Sept 14 - President Softens Nuclear Tone.
September 16, 2006... Pres Mahmoud Ahmadi-Nejad, says that Tehran is open to compromise on the dispute over the country's nuclear programme, as talks continued between the Islamic republic and the EU. Speaking in Senegal on his way to a non-aligned summit in Cuba...

IRAQ - Sept 11 - Saddam Calls Iraqi Nationalism To His Defence.
September 16, 2006... Saddam Hussein appeals to Iraqi nationalism as his trial resumes in Baghdad. Facing charges relating to his regime's counter- insurgency campaigns in northern Iraq in the late 1980s, the court heard from several witnesses who described chemical...

ISRAEL - Sept 13 - Ousted General Quits.
September 16, 2006... An Israeli general Maj-Gen Udi Adam whose command was criticised during the recent Lebanon war resigns, with the conflict expected to exact further political fallout in Israel. Maj-Gen Udi Adam had been pushed aside as commander of the northern...

PALESTINE - Sept 10 - Deal Reached On Palestinian Unity.
September 16, 2006... The militant Palestinian group Hamas and the more moderate Fatah party agrees to form a government of national unity, bringing a step nearer the possibility of an end to the economic siege in the Palestinian territories. The new coalition...

SYRIA - Sept 12 - Damascus Foils US Embassy Car Bombing.
September 16, 2006... Syria foils a car bomb attack against the US embassy in Damascus, killing three of the four attackers who tried to storm the building in a van loaded with explosives. No Americans were hurt but a member of the Syrian anti-terrorism forces...

ARAB-US RELATIONS - Sept 20 - US Gives Boost To Abbas' Unity Drive.(Mahmoud Abbas)
September 23, 2006... The Palestinian Pres Mahmoud Abbas, receives a significant diplomatic boost to his efforts to form a unity government after the Bush administration makes its second concession in as many days to the European powers over a Middle East crisis....

AFGHANISTAN - Sept 17 - Suicide Bombings Kill 18.
September 23, 2006... Three devastating suicide bomb attacks leave 18 people dead and more than 50 wounded across Afghanistan in one of the country's worst days of violence against civilians. Four Canadian soldiers were killed in southern Afghanistan when a suicide...

EGYPT - Sept 19 - Mubarak's Son Proposes Nuclear Plan.
September 23, 2006... The son of President, Gamal Mubarak, has proposed that his country pursue nuclear energy in a speech to the nation's political elite, drawing strong applause while raising expectations that Mubarak is being positioned to replace his father as...

IRAQ - Sept 18 - Neighbours Back Iraq's Security.
September 23, 2006... Interior ministers of the country's neighbours pledge their support to restore the war-torn country's security and stability and exchange information to combat terrorism. "The meeting decided to enhance cooperation and exchange information to...

IRAQ - Sept 19 - Chief Judge In Saddam Trial Sacked.
September 23, 2006... The chief judge in the trial of Saddam Hussain has been sacked. Abdullah Al Amiri was replaced on the five-member panel by Muhammad Al Uraibiy, who was his deputy in the trail, said a court source. There was no reason given on why Al Amiri was...

JORDAN - Sept 21 - 7 Sentenced To Death For 3 Bombings.
September 23, 2006... A court sentences an Iraqi woman and six other people to death for their roles in the bombing of three hotels that killed 60 people in the Jordanian capital last year. Sajida al-Rishawi, 35, is the only defendant in custody. She confessed, on...

LEBANON - Sept 22 - Hizbullah Leader Vows Not To Disarm.(Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah)
September 23, 2006... The leader of Hizbullah Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, delivers a defiant speech in front of hundreds of thousands of supporters, passionately reiterating that the group will not disarm and claims it still had 20,000 rockets. In his first public...

PALESTINE - Sept 17 - Abbas Freezes Unity Govt Talks With Hamas.(Mahmoud Abbas )
September 23, 2006... Palestinian Pres Mahmoud Abbas freeze talks with Hamas over forming a new unity government in a move that threatens Western aid returning soon to the beleaguered territories. Close aides to the Palestinian leader said the talks were being put...

PALESTINE - Sept 21 - Abbas Says Unity Government Would Recognise Israel.(Mahmoud Abbas)
September 23, 2006... PA Pres Mahmoud Abbas, assures world governments that any national unity government he negotiated with Hamas will recognise Israel's right to exist and renounce violence. "Any future Palestinian government" would honour all past agreements the...

YEMEN - Sept 20 - Saleh Re-Elected President.(Ali Abdullah Saleh )
September 23, 2006... Pres Ali Abdullah Saleh is re-elected with a massive 82% of votes. The veteran politician was elected President for another seven-year term in nationwide elections held earlier in the day. Right from 8 in the morning when the polls opened, long...

ARAB AFFAIRS - Sept 25 - Saudis And Israelis Deny Secret Summit Took Place.
September 30, 2006... Israel and Saudi Arabia issues blunt denials that a new-found relationship has been sealed at a secret summit of their leaders, after the first signs emerged in recent days of an unexpected rapprochement between the two countries....

ARAB-EUROPEAN RELATIONS - Sept 28 - EU Makes 'Progress' With Iran.
September 30, 2006... The EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana, says that "some important progress" has been made over resolving Iran's nuclear ambitions and that more talks will be held next week. "We have had the opportunity of being together for several hours...

ARABS-ISRAEL - Sept 27 - Israeli Military Court Frees Hamas Deputy PM.
September 30, 2006... An Israeli military court frees the top-ranking Hamas official seized in a round-up of the ruling Palestinian party's political leadership but 34 others, including four cabinet ministers, remained in jail. Nasser al-Shaer, deputy PM in the PA...

ARAB-US RELATIONS - Sept 25 - US Forces In Iraq To Exceed 140,000.
September 30, 2006... US officials say that American troop levels in Iraq are likely to remain well above 140,000 for the next few months, although they will not confirm reports that the 3,500-strong First Armoured Division had been ordered to remain in Iraq beyond...

AFGHANISTAN - Sept 26 - Karzai Questions Pakistan Peace Deal.
September 30, 2006... On the eve of a White House effort to address rising Taliban violence in Afghanistan, Pres Hamid Karzai, expressed scepticism about a key agreement to stop potential insurgents from crossing the Pakistani border, saying he will "wait and see"...

AFGHANISTAN - Sept 26 - Taliban Suicide Bomber Kills 18, Including Pilgrims.
September 30, 2006... A Taliban suicide bomber kills 18 people, including several Muslim pilgrims set to travel to Mecca, outside a provincial governor's compound. The attack at the doorstep of Muhammad Daoud Safi, the Helmand governor, comes two weeks after...

IRAQ - Sept 24 - Baghdad Queries Validity Of Kurds' Oil Deals.
September 30, 2006... The country's oil minister Hussein al-Shahristani disputes the validity of deals signed between the Kurdish Regional Government and international oil companies, reportedly saying that the central government is not bound by the investment...

IRAQ - Sept 26 - Saddam Trial Adjourned In Shouts.(Saddam Hussein )
September 30, 2006... The trial of Saddam Hussein on genocide charges adjourns for two weeks after a stormy session during which the chief judge expelled all seven defendants after a shouting match. It was the second straight session in which Saddam was thrown out...

PALESTINE - Sept 25 - Abbas Puts Off Talks With Hamas.(Mahmoud Abbas )
September 30, 2006... Pres Mahmoud Abbas put off talks with Hamas aimed at breaking a stalemate over forming a unity government, in a sign of deep internal divisions. Abbas aides had said the president was expected to travel to Gaza this day for talks with leaders...

SAUDI ARABIA - Sept 24 - No Proof Bin Laden Is Dead.
September 30, 2006... Saudi Arabia says that it has no evidence that Osama bin Laden had died, shedding further doubt on a secret document leaked in France that said Saudi secret services believed the leader of Al Qaeda had died last month. France, the US and...

SYRIA - Sept 28 - Syria Vows To Back Hamas, Hizbullah At All Costs.
September 30, 2006... A govt newspaper Baath says Syria will keep supporting Hamas and Hizbullah despite US threats to impose more sanctions on it. Relations between the US, Israel's chief ally, and Syria have been bad for years, and hit a new low after last year's...