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Rice wraps up Mid-East peace push
The US Secretary of State ends her latest peace push saying there is still a good chance of an Israeli-Palestinian deal.
Israel frees jailed Palestinians
Israel releases nearly 200 Palestinian prisoners in a bid to bolster Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas.
Activist boats reach Gaza Strip
Two boats carrying members of a pro-Palestinian group trying to break Israel's blockade of the Gaza Strip reach the territory.
Israel 'to change barrier route'
The Israeli High Court orders that the route of the barrier in the West Bank be changed to give Palestinians more land.
Israel's Livni downbeat on peace
The front-runner to become Israel's next PM, Tzipi Livni, plays down hopes of reaching a Mid-East peace deal this year.
Israel agrees to free two killers
Two Palestinians jailed for taking part in the killing of Israelis are among 199 prisoners to be freed by Israel.
Media criticise Gaza death ruling
Reuters news agency says Israel has made reporting in Gaza "impossible" as it clears a tank crew that killed one of its staff.
Palestinians say farewell to poet
Palestinians attend the funeral of poet Mahmoud Darwish, one of the Arab world's most influential cultural figures.
Israel 'proposes West Bank deal'
Israel offers the Palestinians a deal that would annex 7.3% of the West Bank and all of East Jerusalem, reports say.
Gaza tunnel collapse kills three
The bodies are recovered of three Palestinians who died when a smuggling tunnel under the Gaza-Egypt border collapsed.
Searching for a solution in Gaza
The BBC's Middle East editor looks at how pressure to end the violence in the Gaza Strip has been building.
Jerusalem
The BBC's Martin Asser looks at issues which divide Palestinians and Israelis.
Failed peace talks
In the 40 years since the Middle East war of June 1967, there have been many peace plans and many negotiations.
Borders and settlements
The BBC's Martin Asser looks at the four main obstacles on the road to peace between Israel and its Arab neighbours.
Water
The BBC's Martin Asser looks at issues still dividing Arabs and Israelis.
Refugees
The BBC News website's Martin Asser looks at the issue of Palestinian refugees, one of the main obstacles to peace.
Israel peace lobby
Times have changed since the 1990s when thousands of Israelis demonstrated for peace. Matthew Price continues the BBC News website's series on the obstacles to peace.
Palestinian peace camp
In the latest of a series on attempts to achieve peace in the Middle East and the main obstacles, Martin Patience looks at the Palestinian peace movement.
2008: The year of Palestine?
Will 2008 see the creation of Palestine, or will November's Annapolis peace conference prove another false dawn?
What now for Hamas?
Hamas leaders in Gaza are unsure how to deal with the current Israeli siege, reports Martin Patience from the territory.
Optimism drives Bush peace push
Matthew Price sees a change in George Bush's approach as the US president completes a long Middle East tour.
Palestinian aid: where will it go?
As donors meet in Paris to pledge aid to the Palestinian Authority, BBC Middle East analyst Roger Hardy explains the steps being taken to make sure the money will reach those who need it most.
Q&A: Israeli soldier held in Gaza
Background to the June 2006 capture by Palestinian militants of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit.
The Middle East's asymmetric war
If Hamas rocket-fire continues, argues Jeremy Bowen, expect more military action once the US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice leaves Jerusalem.
Gaza Strip shortages bite hard
The BBC's Aleem Maqbool on the increasing problem of obtaining key supplies in the Gaza Strip.
New type of migrant in Sderot
The BBC's Tim Franks looks at what happens to Israel's Palestinian collaborators once it becomes too dangerous for them to stay on home turf.
Peace talks fail to hearten Gazans
While Israeli-Palestinian peace talks continue, residents of Gaza continue to suffer in Israeli operations against militants.
Israel 'using psychological torture'
An Israeli human rights group accuses Israel of illicitly using relatives of Palestinian detainees to extract information, writes the BBC's Martin Asser.
Druze celebrate across the wire
Syrian Druze in the occupied Golan Heights wave to relatives across the ceasefire line to celebrate a historic uprising, reports Martin Asser.
Palestine village dreams of return
Former residents of the village of Iqrit in pre-1948 Palestine, now in Israel, have fought a 60-year battle to rebuild their homes.
Curse of the Nablus dream house
A Palestinian family's dream house in Nablus has such a good view, the Israeli army likes to use it for an observation post.
Gazans angry and unbowed
As Israel continues its assault on Gaza, the BBC's Martin Patience in Gaza City finds Palestinians there defiant.
Grim mood outside the seminary
Students and residents of Jerusalem say they expected an attack like the one at the Jewish seminary.
Hamas clinging on in West Bank
The Islamic movement Hamas still commands support in the West Bank despite facing a crackdown.
'Wartime' in Israeli border town
For seven years, residents of Sderot, near Israel's Gaza border, have lived under a daily volley of rockets, the BBC's Tim Franks reports.
Gaza economy crushed
The economic blockade is doing long-term damage to the prospects of Gaza's future economy, say business leaders.
Focus on the Gaza Strip
Profile of the strip, including population centres, refugee camps and border crossings.
Sderot anger at school attack
Martin Asser reports from the southern Israeli town of Sderot, target of rocket attacks by Palestinian militants.
The Lebanese crisis explained
BBC Middle East analyst Roger Hardy explains what makes Lebanon such a potentially explosive place.
Quick guide: Hezbollah
Hezbollah - or Party of God - is a powerful political and military organisation of Shia Muslims allied to Syria.
Palestinian rivals: Fatah & Hamas
Side-by-side profiles of the two main political forces in the Palestinian territories.
BBC News | In Depth | Israel and the Palestinians | World Edition
Visit BBC News for up-to-the-minute news, breaking news, video, audio and feature stories. BBC News provides trusted World and UK news as well as local and regional perspectives. Also entertainment, business, science, technology and health news.
Division in the City of David
Imbedded within an Arab neighborhood of 40,000 residents, one of the most popular Jewish tourist sites in Jerusalem continues to grow.
Advancing the "Freedom" Agenda
Did President Bush's eight-day tour through the Middle East lay a foundation for peace or war?
How Does Olmert Hang On?
Ehud Olmert remains prime minister of Israel despite an approval rating in the single digits.
Lieberman Quits Olmert Government
The departure of an important coalition partner puts the Israeli administration on the verge of toppling.
Stone Seal Confirms Biblical Record
An archaeological find in Jerusalem adds more proof of the accuracy of the Bible's account of history.
Remodeling Jerusalem
America is demanding Israel demolish a few dozen unauthorized settlements; meanwhile, Palestinian Arabs have constructed tens of thousands of illegal structures throughout Jerusalem.
U.S.-Egypt Relations Show Signs of Souring
President Bush's short visit in Egypt is another indicator that the U.S.'s once-strong ally in the region is becoming distant.
"The State of Palestine Is Long Overdue"
America's breathtaking betrayal of Israel is becoming clearer by the day.
Jimmy Carter Still Haunting the Peace Process
Even after repeated failures, the former president's policies for peace continue to thrive within policy-making circles.
The Weekend Web
The Swiss cheese state and the death toll that keeps decreasing; plus, was Obama a Muslim? And guess who believes Ehud Olmert is a "strong leader"?
Abbas Not "Moderate" as President Bush Believes
President Bush has lauded Fatah as the solution in the peace process. What are Fatah's true intentions?
President Bush, Benjamin Netanyahu and King David!
What's the significance behind President Bush's meeting in Jerusalem with Israel's former prime minister?
EU Ready to Enter Peace Process
If U.S. efforts to aid the Middle East peace process fail, the EU stands ready to get more involved.
Israel-Egypt Friendship Fracturing Fast
Divisions deepen between Israel and its most important neighbor.
Egypt-Israel Meetings Underpinned by Spirit of Division
Mass weapons smuggling into Gaza show how deeply divided Israel and Egypt really are.
Poll: Israelis, Palestinians Expect Future of Violence
The Annapolis conference has failed to convince many Israelis and Palestinians that peace is on the horizon.
Fatah's Anti-Israel Agenda Further Exposed
The mountain of evidence showing that Fatah is anything but moderate grows.
Israel Government Idle as Hamas Broadcasts From Temple Mount
If there's one thing the Palestinians can depend on from Israel, it's a consistent flow of concessions.
The Jews and the Lost Ten Tribes
An obvious yet overlooked fact of biblical history
Egypt and Israel: the Geographic Reality
How Egypt and Iran's rapprochement will affect the southern Levant--and Israeli national security.
Europe Offers Support to the Palestinian Cause
The EU is showering the Palestinians with aid and offers of troops. Where will this intervention lead?
The Weekend Web
Ahmadinejad's new career move, sleepwalking into a nightmare, Rudd doffs his cloak; plus, why pregnant women don't tip over!
Band of Brothers
A look back at the special relationship Israel once had with the United States and Britain.
Hamas Upgrades Its Rockets
Annapolis: Hitler's Kind of Peace!
The disastrous Annapolis "peace" conference--whose aftershocks will be felt for some time--point to an obvious historical parallel.
theTrumpet.com: Israel
theTrumpet.com -- Understand your world.
Jerusalem Watch: Syria Seeks Missiles From Russia
Plus, if Israel liberates terrorists, why shouldn't Jordan?
Nuclear Syria
More evidence has surfaced in recent months revealing the extent of Syria's nuclear program.
Israel Agrees to Release More Prisoners
Jerusalem Watch: Crackdown in Palestinian Territories
Olmert's latest attempt to create a Palestinian state; the greatest threat facing Jerusalem; plus, look who's violating human rights in the West Bank and Gaza.
Iran's Other Weapon
Tehran's nuclear project makes headlines, but Iran has another deadly weapon ready to go right now.
The Next Key Player in the Peace Process
The Jews and Palestinians need Europe to make peace, an international panel says.
The EU and Israel
President Sarkozy's mooted Mediterranean Union may have seemed a sore point with Germany's chancellor. The reality is it may bring her nation one step closer to achieving a long-cherished goal.
Jerusalem Watch
Bibi meets with Shas spiritual head, Israelis believe they are headed in the wrong direction and a new front opens on the war against terrorism.
Lessons From the Dead Sea
The desolate region serves as a perpetual warning of what once was--and offers hope for a better tomorrow!
Jerusalem: Hamas Fills Void Left by Fleeing Jews
Israel leaves parts of Jerusalem without police or army patrols.
Hezbollah: Stronger Than Ever, Ready to Strike
Iran Celebrates West's Acceptance of Its Nuclear Status
Tehran continues to manipulate the West without giving any ground.
Iran: Filling the Power Void
Everywhere troops withdraw in the Middle East, Iran moves in.
This Week in Jerusalem
Olmert decides to step down, the list of proponents for dividing Jerusalem grows, and protests turn deadly near security fence.
Royal Seal of Prophet Jeremiah's Accuser Found
A bulla discovered in Jerusalem bears the inscription of a prince who served in the court of Judah's last king.
This Week in Jerusalem
Another bulldozer attack and a whirlwind visit by Barack Obama; plus, the Knesset considers lifting constraints on Sabbath-keeping.
Is Obama the Change Israel Can Believe in?
With many Jews still skeptical of his candidacy, the Illinois senator had a lot to prove during his recent visit to Israel.
Jerusalem on Edge
After two bulldozer attacks in three weeks, tensions escalate between Israeli and Arab Jerusalemites.
Israel: A Name Born in Adversity
The legacy of America and the British Commonwealth began with a magnificent act of willpower--and it's ending with a ruinous absence of willpower.
Again: Terrorist Bulldozes Jerusalem
Palestinian attack occurs outside hotel where American presidential hopeful Barack Obama will stay tonight.
Israel: Another Potential Catastrophe
Four years of consecutive drought in Israel has sent its water economy to the brink of catastrophe. Is Israel under a weather curse?
What Happened to the Lion of Judah?
Why has Israel's fierce, lion-like roar been reduced to a harmless purr?
Hezbollah Terrorists Released in Prisoner Swap With Israel
What About Jerusalem?
Wednesday's terrorist attack has some Israelis calling for the division of their capital city.
Berlin Conference Calls for Israel's Destruction
The German Foreign Office asks a man who denies Israel's right to exist for advice.
theTrumpet.com: Israel
theTrumpet.com -- Understand your world.
Rice wraps up Mid-East peace push
The US Secretary of State ends her latest peace push saying there is still a good chance of an Israeli-Palestinian deal.
Israel frees jailed Palestinians
Israel releases nearly 200 Palestinian prisoners in a bid to bolster Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas.
Activist boats reach Gaza Strip
Two boats carrying members of a pro-Palestinian group trying to break Israel's blockade of the Gaza Strip reach the territory.
Israel 'to change barrier route'
The Israeli High Court orders that the route of the barrier in the West Bank be changed to give Palestinians more land.
Israel's Livni downbeat on peace
The front-runner to become Israel's next PM, Tzipi Livni, plays down hopes of reaching a Mid-East peace deal this year.
Israel agrees to free two killers
Two Palestinians jailed for taking part in the killing of Israelis are among 199 prisoners to be freed by Israel.
Media criticise Gaza death ruling
Reuters news agency says Israel has made reporting in Gaza "impossible" as it clears a tank crew that killed one of its staff.
Palestinians say farewell to poet
Palestinians attend the funeral of poet Mahmoud Darwish, one of the Arab world's most influential cultural figures.
Israel 'proposes West Bank deal'
Israel offers the Palestinians a deal that would annex 7.3% of the West Bank and all of East Jerusalem, reports say.
Gaza tunnel collapse kills three
The bodies are recovered of three Palestinians who died when a smuggling tunnel under the Gaza-Egypt border collapsed.
Searching for a solution in Gaza
The BBC's Middle East editor looks at how pressure to end the violence in the Gaza Strip has been building.
Jerusalem
The BBC's Martin Asser looks at issues which divide Palestinians and Israelis.
Failed peace talks
In the 40 years since the Middle East war of June 1967, there have been many peace plans and many negotiations.
Borders and settlements
The BBC's Martin Asser looks at the four main obstacles on the road to peace between Israel and its Arab neighbours.
Water
The BBC's Martin Asser looks at issues still dividing Arabs and Israelis.
Refugees
The BBC News website's Martin Asser looks at the issue of Palestinian refugees, one of the main obstacles to peace.
Israel peace lobby
Times have changed since the 1990s when thousands of Israelis demonstrated for peace. Matthew Price continues the BBC News website's series on the obstacles to peace.
Palestinian peace camp
In the latest of a series on attempts to achieve peace in the Middle East and the main obstacles, Martin Patience looks at the Palestinian peace movement.
2008: The year of Palestine?
Will 2008 see the creation of Palestine, or will November's Annapolis peace conference prove another false dawn?
What now for Hamas?
Hamas leaders in Gaza are unsure how to deal with the current Israeli siege, reports Martin Patience from the territory.
Optimism drives Bush peace push
Matthew Price sees a change in George Bush's approach as the US president completes a long Middle East tour.
Palestinian aid: where will it go?
As donors meet in Paris to pledge aid to the Palestinian Authority, BBC Middle East analyst Roger Hardy explains the steps being taken to make sure the money will reach those who need it most.
Q&A: Israeli soldier held in Gaza
Background to the June 2006 capture by Palestinian militants of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit.
The Middle East's asymmetric war
If Hamas rocket-fire continues, argues Jeremy Bowen, expect more military action once the US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice leaves Jerusalem.
Gaza Strip shortages bite hard
The BBC's Aleem Maqbool on the increasing problem of obtaining key supplies in the Gaza Strip.
New type of migrant in Sderot
The BBC's Tim Franks looks at what happens to Israel's Palestinian collaborators once it becomes too dangerous for them to stay on home turf.
Peace talks fail to hearten Gazans
While Israeli-Palestinian peace talks continue, residents of Gaza continue to suffer in Israeli operations against militants.
Israel 'using psychological torture'
An Israeli human rights group accuses Israel of illicitly using relatives of Palestinian detainees to extract information, writes the BBC's Martin Asser.
Druze celebrate across the wire
Syrian Druze in the occupied Golan Heights wave to relatives across the ceasefire line to celebrate a historic uprising, reports Martin Asser.
Palestine village dreams of return
Former residents of the village of Iqrit in pre-1948 Palestine, now in Israel, have fought a 60-year battle to rebuild their homes.
Curse of the Nablus dream house
A Palestinian family's dream house in Nablus has such a good view, the Israeli army likes to use it for an observation post.
Gazans angry and unbowed
As Israel continues its assault on Gaza, the BBC's Martin Patience in Gaza City finds Palestinians there defiant.
Grim mood outside the seminary
Students and residents of Jerusalem say they expected an attack like the one at the Jewish seminary.
Hamas clinging on in West Bank
The Islamic movement Hamas still commands support in the West Bank despite facing a crackdown.
'Wartime' in Israeli border town
For seven years, residents of Sderot, near Israel's Gaza border, have lived under a daily volley of rockets, the BBC's Tim Franks reports.
Gaza economy crushed
The economic blockade is doing long-term damage to the prospects of Gaza's future economy, say business leaders.
Focus on the Gaza Strip
Profile of the strip, including population centres, refugee camps and border crossings.
Sderot anger at school attack
Martin Asser reports from the southern Israeli town of Sderot, target of rocket attacks by Palestinian militants.
The Lebanese crisis explained
BBC Middle East analyst Roger Hardy explains what makes Lebanon such a potentially explosive place.
Quick guide: Hezbollah
Hezbollah - or Party of God - is a powerful political and military organisation of Shia Muslims allied to Syria.
Palestinian rivals: Fatah & Hamas
Side-by-side profiles of the two main political forces in the Palestinian territories.
BBC News | In Depth | Israel and the Palestinians | World Edition
Visit BBC News for up-to-the-minute news, breaking news, video, audio and feature stories. BBC News provides trusted World and UK news as well as local and regional perspectives. Also entertainment, business, science, technology and health news.
Rice Heads to Middle East to Push for Peace Deal
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice pushes for peace agreement by end of year as Israeli official says it will do all it can to reach peace deal before President George Bush leaves office in January
Iran's Supreme Leader Endorses Ahmadinejad for Second Term
It is first time Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has made such a strong public endorsement of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who faces re-election next year
Palestinians Celebrate Israel's Release of Prisoners
There are 11,000 Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails, including women and children, and Palestinian officials say they all should go free
Rice Arrives in Israel in Bid to Prod Middle East Peace Effort
Condoleezza Rice says it is important to keep making forward progress, rather than trying prematurely to come up with a set of conclusions
Maliki: Iraq, US Agree to No Foreign Troops After 2011
But, US officials insist no deal has been reached
Suicide Bomber Kills 25 People at Iraqi Police Recruitment Center
Most of those killed in Tuesday's attack were young Iraqis applying to join the police force in town of Jalula in Diyala province
Rice: Peace Deal Progress Despite Israeli Settlements
US secretary of state Rice says she told the Israelis that Jewish settlement activity not helpful to peace process
Pentagon Says Iraq Withdrawal Must Be Based on Conditions
Position repeated in response to statement by Iraq's PM calling for full US withdrawal by 2011
Iraq's Talabani Says US Agrees to Troop Pullout Compromise
US officials have said a deal with Iraq is close but there is no final agreement
Israel to Display Dead Sea Scrolls Online
Israel Antiquities Authority announces thousands of scroll fragments will be scanned using non-damaging, high-tech imaging, which will reveal previously illegible portions
VOA News: Middle East
Up to the minute news from Voice of America
Iraq:
Private contractors in Iraq operate in a legal limbo. That may change THE American federal agency that monitors progress in rebuilding Iraq recently gave warning to Congress that proposed changes in Iraqi law could provoke an exodus of private contractors, who remain a crucial part of the American presence in the country. In particular, proposals by Iraq’s government to end the contractors’ immunity from prosecution in Iraqi courts is a contentious aspect of the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) that will, among other things, define the Americans’ legal status in Iraq after the UN mandate ceases, at the Iraqis’ request, at the end of this year. This week American and Iraqi negotiators sounded close to an agreement. But it was still unclear whether contractors’ immunity, let alone a date for America’s troop withdrawal, has been nailed down. If all the privateers in Iraq ran scared of the new law, the American coalition’s manpower would be drastically squeezed. The Congressional Budget Office says that 190,000 people work for contractors in Iraq. Some 38,000 are American, 82,000 hail from elsewhere and 70,000-plus are Iraqi. But the law under which the foreigners operate has been murky. “We should have figured out the laws first and then hired the guys,” says Peter Singer of the Brookings Institution, a Washington think-tank. “We did the opposite.” ...
Algeria:
Islamists linked to al-Qaeda may be reviving their campaign in the Maghreb “THIS looks like Iraq, not Algeria,” declared a distraught witness to the carnage of a bombing that killed 43 police recruits in a town to the east of Algeria’s capital, Algiers, on August 19th. His words were apt. There has been a dramatic rise in attacks by Islamist extremists in the country during the past fortnight, with at least 79 people killed in various incidents across eastern Algeria, most of them in a spate of suicide bombings similar to those that have ravaged Iraq. The targets have been similar too, including police stations, a coast-guard outpost, and a bus transporting Algerian workers for a big Canadian company. The attacks appear to be the work of Algeria’s main remaining Islamist guerrilla group, which in 2006, after contacts with al-Qaeda’s mother organisation, renamed itself al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM). Earlier this month it issued a chilling warning to Algeria’s pro-Western rulers: “We tell the sons of France, the slaves of America and their masters, too, that our finger is on the trigger, and the convoys of martyrs are longing to rampage your bastions in defence of our Islamic nation.” ...
Liberia:
Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, halfway through her first term as president, is doing well IN HER inaugural speech in January 2006, Africa’s first female head of state set out the daunting tasks facing Liberia, citing her determination to heal the awful wounds inflicted during the civil wars of 1989 to 2003 by her various appalling predecessors, including Charles Taylor, now on trial for war crimes at The Hague. Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, a former World Banker, also promised to reduce Liberia’s dire poverty and to consolidate democracy. On the whole, she has made progress—albeit with a lot of help from friends abroad. Liberia is more stable these days, thanks in part to a large force of UN peacekeepers, whose numbers are due to fall from 13,000 to just under 10,000 by the end of 2010. Security is gradually to be taken over by a revamped national police force and a new army, both being recruited and trained by an American firm, DynCorp, which is being paid by the United States. ...
Nigeria:
Doubts persist about Nigeria’s banks THE bright logos of Nigeria’s financial institutions adorn the tallest and poshest office blocks in central Lagos, the country’s commercial capital, testimony to years of impressive growth in banking. But now, after a rocky year, there are worries that some of the optimism may have been overblown. The reform of Nigeria’s creaking, corrupt banking system was one of the big achievements of President Olusegun Obasanjo in his second term in office (2003-07). As part of a policy to squeeze weak or failing banks out of business, in 2005 the Central Bank of Nigeria raised banks’ capital requirements. In a hectic round of consolidation, the number of banks dropped from 89 to 24. Those that remained have had a very good few years, with massive local expansion and sometimes triple-digit growth in their share prices. And with less than a fifth of Nigerians keeping their money in banks and with fast growth led by private companies, there still seems to be plenty of potential for more business. Banks surveyed by a Lagos-based stockbroker, Afrinvest, showed that median before-tax earnings had risen by 141% year-on-year by June. ...
Zambia:
The death of a decent president, Zambia’s Levy Mwanawasa, raises questions about the state of leadership elsewhere in the continent ON PAPER, Levy Mwanawasa should never have been president. He lacked charisma, wit or style—the sort of qualities that propel populists to high office in much of Africa. At rallies even his own supporters were fast bored by the former lawyer’s monotone drawl. His ill-health and slurred speech, the results of a car crash, led to nasty jibes about his mental capacity. When he narrowly won his first, disputed, presidential election in 2001, opponents dubbed him “the cabbage”, deriding him as a stooge for others more powerful. But Mr Mwanawasa, who died this week in France after suffering in June the latest of several strokes, deserves to be remembered more fondly than the showmen who have beggared much of the continent. In the past seven years he made a serious effort to clean up Zambia’s pervasive corruption. At some political risk, he turned against his predecessor and one-time patron, the diminutive Frederick Chiluba, who was charged with 168 counts of theft. Mr Chiluba was convicted of graft in a civil court in London last year. It was a rare success: few African leaders have been held to such account. ...
Saudi Arabia:
Feeding its own people more cheaply WHILE Saudi Arabia sets up its first sovereign wealth fund, ordinary Saudis are more preoccupied with the rising price of food. This is prompting the Saudi government to consider a new direction for foreign investment: buying farms in the poorer parts of the world. Inflation in Saudi Arabia is running in double digits, its highest rate for three decades. Last December, 19 prominent Saudi clerics gave warning that inflation constituted a crisis that would lead to social unrest and crime. Since then, the poorest Saudis have got poorer, with prices going up across the board because of rapid monetary growth. Food and housing costs are rising fastest. ...
Iraq:
The country is awash with oil money but still lacks a proper plan IN THE second quarter of the year, an American military auditor recently reported, Iraq’s oil production averaged over 2.4m barrels a day, the highest level since America invaded Iraq in 2003, and a marked improvement on last year’s average of around 2m b/d (see chart). Rising output, along with the high (if now falling) price of oil, should pump up Iraq’s oil revenues to almost $80 billion this year. That, in turn, has allowed the country’s parliament to boost this year’s budget from $48 billion to $70 billion in a supplementary spending bill approved earlier this month. As security improves, the government has a lot more cash to spend than it did a year ago. Will it make the best of it? For one thing, revenue from oil should go up more sharply still. Iraq produced 3m b/d as recently as October 2001, despite the crippling UN-enforced sanctions at the time. Iraq’s oil minister, Hussein al-Shahristani, has spoken of raising output to 6m b/d. In theory, that is possible. Iraq’s proven reserves, of 115 billion barrels, are the world’s third-largest after Saudi Arabia and Iran. Yet Iraq ranks just 13th in terms of production, suggesting there is plenty of scope to pump more. Russia, for example, produced almost 10m b/d last year from reserves of 80 billion barrels. Only 27 of the 80 or so fields that have been discovered in Iraq have ever been tapped. ...
Zimbabwe:
Negotiations to resolve the country’s crisis are proving as sticky as expected AFTER shaking hands in front of the cameras on July 21st, President Robert Mugabe and Zimbabwe’s main opposition leader, Morgan Tsvangirai, seem barely closer to resolving their differences than they were three weeks ago, when discussions over power-sharing began. Together with Arthur Mutambara, who leads a small opposition group that split off from Mr Tsvangirai’s Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), they have been locked in secretive negotiations under the eye of South Africa’s president, Thabo Mbeki, mandated by the region’s leaders to mediate such talks. But so far Mr Tsvangirai has refused to accept a deal that could leave Mr Mugabe still wielding most of the power. Mr Mbeki, often accused of being too soft on Mr Mugabe, is particularly keen to clinch a deal before the 14-country Southern African Development Community (SADC), the region’s main club, meets in Johannesburg on August 16th. But as The Economist went to press, Mr Mbeki looked unlikely to succeed in time. ...
Syria:
A recent assassination makes Syrian politics look as mysterious as ever THOSE who speak do not know and those who know do not speak. That classic adage of how information flows in a dictatorship has always fitted Syria rather well. But the fog in the Syrian capital, Damascus, has rarely been thicker than now. Take the mysterious death of a top general, Muhammad Suleiman, at a seaside resort earlier this month. Was he shot by a lone sniper from a passing yacht, as first alleged, or killed at closer range, perhaps even by a masked hit squad? Was he targeted because he had fallen out with Syria’s president, Bashar Assad, or because he had angered Israel by funnelling Iranian and Syrian arms to Hizbullah, the Lebanese Shia guerrilla group with which the Israelis fought a messy war in 2006? Or was he killed in revenge for his role in other assassinations, such as the lorry-bomb killing of the Lebanese leader, Rafik Hariri, in 2005, or, contrarily, in the death of Hizbullah’s elusive tactical mastermind, Imad Mughniyeh, whose car blew up last February inside a compound housing Syrian intelligence operatives? ...
Mauritania:
Africa’s reaction to the continent’s latest coup is being carefully watched AFTER a decent election last year, Mauritania was held up as a fine new democracy for Africa. Alas, no more. The latest military putsch, on August 6th, put failed and successful coups in the last three decades into double figures and prompted a flood of international criticism, including suspension of aid and of membership of the African Union (AU). But will such remonstrations make a jot of difference? The hopeful part of the story goes back to 2005, when soldiers including Colonel Muhammad Ould Abdelaziz overthrew Maaouya Ould Taya, a nasty dictator who had been in power for two decades. For once, the soldiers kept their promise to organise fair elections. But Colonel Abdelaziz stayed close to the centre of power, first by persuading Sidi Muhammad Ould Cheikh Abdallahi to compete in the presidential election of 2007, which he won, and then by serving as the head of his presidential guard. ...
Israel:
The issue of Jerusalem’s holiest site may again be dividing Jews THE lead singer, with yarmulke, beard and guitar, appears with a sheep on the cover of the latest record by Lechatchila, a religious-rock group popular among Orthodox young Israelis. “Don’t stare at me,” the lyrics go. “The Temple is sure to be rebuilt right now. We’ve got to prepare, to believe, to make the redemption happen.” For two millennia, ever since the Temple in Jerusalem was destroyed by the Romans, Jews have continued to study, write and indeed sing about the intricate rituals of service and sacrifice, in the belief that one day the Messiah would come and the Temple would be rebuilt. Meanwhile, the faithful were forbidden even to walk on the Holy Mount, let alone worship there. ...
Uganda:
Since peace talks with Uganda’s rebels collapsed, some say war must resume IN MARCH, after nearly two years of on-and-off peace talks, negotiators for Uganda’s Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) announced that their leader, Joseph Kony, an elusive self-styled mystic, was at last ready to emerge from the bush and sign a deal to end one of Africa’s longest wars. For two decades, the conflict had brought misery to a region bordering several countries (see map), left tens of thousands of people in northern Uganda dead, and displaced nearly 2m others. Earlier this year, the date for signing a peace deal approached. But at the last minute Mr Kony called off the event and sacked his negotiators. Now there is a danger the war may resume. It is yet another humiliating setback for those who have advocated talking to a man wanted for war crimes by the International Criminal Court at The Hague. So those who have always argued for taking a tougher stand against the LRA, such as Uganda’s senior soldiers, have the upper hand again. At the end of June, citing the lack of progress towards a peace deal, the leaders of Uganda, Congo and the autonomous region of south Sudan agreed for the first time to co-ordinate military efforts to stamp out the rebellion once and for all. ...
Mauritania:
Why the world likes this coup less than the last one WHILE the rest of Africa seems to be slowly ridding itself of its penchant for coups, Mauritania seems to be perfecting its ability to stage them. Such is the country’s current strike rate that the last two successful coups on the continent have both taken place in this Islamic republic, a vast, sandy country that sees itself as part of both the black and Arab parts of Africa. The latest victim is President Sidi Mohamed Ould Cheikh Abdallahi, who was arrested by his presidential guard and relieved of his duties on August 6th. Not a shot was fired and the news was spread mostly by the president’s distraught daughter, who telephoned journalists as dissidents occupied their house and whisked her father away. According to script, state television and radio went off air, except to declare Mr Abdallahi a “former” president and to reinstate the senior army officers whose sacking had been announced earlier that morning. The coup was led by Mohamed Ould Abdelaziz, the head of the presidential guard and one of the officers Mr Abdallahi had tried to fire. Even before the military dismissals, politics in Mauritania had been in a rotten state. In the space of three months one government had been sacked and another forced to resign. Complaints have ranged from poor management of rising food prices to the lack of transparency over the first lady’s finances. The army was believed to have instigated a mass resignation of the president’s supporters in parliament earlier this week. ...
Rwanda:
Exchanging unpleasantries about the genocide DID France expect—and indeed help—the genocide that killed almost a million people in Rwanda 14 years ago? That is the claim made in a 500-page report published in Rwanda this week, accusing 33 French politicians and army officers, including France’s then-president, Francois Mitterrand, of complicity. But the report must be read with a pinch of salt. It is in part the product of a feud between the two countries. The report was commissioned by Paul Kagame, Rwanda’s president. Some will say it is a response to a French judge’s indictment of nine of Mr Kagame’s allies over the plane crash that killed his predecessor, Juvenal Habyarimana, whose death triggered the start of the massacres. But it is also part of a broader effort by Mr Kagame’s government to entrench its own narrative of the 100-day killing spree and refute revisionist histories that minimise the killings or, in some cases, deny that any genocide took place. ...
The Middle East and America's election:
Weighing up the relative merits of Barack Obama and John McCain SIX months ago, in a mock poll conducted at the US-Islamic World Forum, a gathering of influential Muslims and Americans held every year in the Gulf state of Qatar, Barack Obama won a resounding victory as the preferred choice for the next American president. If one is to believe internet chatter from America’s extreme right, the Illinois senator’s popularity among Muslims in the Middle East might be due to the allegations that he is 43.75% Arab by blood, or that he has been secretly funded by Arabs with ties to terrorism. Then again, it might just be natural that a candidate who has some Muslim ancestry, and who has protested against the widely loathed policies of the Bush administration, would inspire more enthusiasm than a Republican opponent committed to continuing those policies. Oddly enough, however, recent statistical and anecdotal evidence from the region shows that enthusiasm for Mr Obama is less fulsome than might be expected. The lukewarm feelings partly reflect the burgeoning over the past eight years of a more general cynicism towards America. In a global opinion survey taken last spring regarding expectations from a new American president, results from five Muslim countries polled clashed with more optimistic opinions elsewhere; large majorities expected that American policies under any new administration would either not change much, or change for the worse. “Condoleezza Rice and Colin Powell were both black, and they still invaded Iraq,” scoffs a Cairo taxi driver. ...
South Africa:
The African National Congress under Jacob Zuma shows signs of losing its way A LITTLE over half a year after Thabo Mbeki was ousted as president of the ruling African National Congress (ANC), worries are growing about the party’s new leadership and where it may take South Africa after a general election due next year. Arguments still rage over the corruption charges facing the new leader, Jacob Zuma, who is likely to replace Mr Mbeki as the country’s president. An unseemly fight within the ANC across the country is denting people’s confidence in their rulers. Mr Zuma appeared in court this week in a bid to have the charges against him dismissed. Other appeals will probably follow and his trial—if it happens at all—is unlikely to start before the election. Critics accuse Mr Zuma of delaying tactics, but hundreds of supporters, including ANC bigwigs and some cabinet ministers, went to the small town of Pietermaritzburg to support their champion. They want the charges dismissed on the grounds that he is the victim of a political conspiracy and that a fair trial has become impossible. ...
Israel:
A politician hits back against a rampant judiciary THEY are known collectively by their opponents as the “rule-of-law gang”, and for the moment they seem to be in the ascendancy. The gang is the collection of judges, prosecutors, policemen and journalists who last week forced the prime minister, Ehud Olmert, to announce his resignation over allegations of corruption. They wear their sobriquet with pride; the gang members see themselves as having been vindicated, yet again, in their crusade against graft and sleaze in high places. After all, they argue, the fact that Mr Olmert was only the latest of Israel’s four most recent prime ministers to have been involved in criminal inquiries while in office shows how bad things have become. Binyamin Netanyahu (Likud, 1996-99) was questioned about an alleged votes-for-influence conspiracy. Ehud Barak (Labour, 1999-2001) was implicated in election-financing irregularities. And Mr Olmert’s predecessor, Ariel Sharon, was interrogated both about breaking such financing rules and about much more serious allegations of bribery and breach of trust. None of them was actually prosecuted (although Mr Sharon’s son was and subsequently went to prison). Mr Olmert probably will be prosecuted. Indeed, two of his former ministers are already in court: Avraham Hirschson, the finance minister, on charges of theft and fraud, and Tzachi Hanegbi, minister of the environment, who is alleged to have handed out government jobs to political cronies. Thanks in part to the diligence of the gang, that particular practice, long customary in Israeli politics, is being rooted out. ...
Israel:
After months of suspense, Israel’s beleaguered prime minister announces that he will step down, probably in September. What next for his country? FLOUNDERING beneath a welter of investigations into alleged corruption, Israel’s prime minister, Ehud Olmert, announced on July 30th that he would resign as soon as his Kadima party had elected a new leader in late September. The two front-runners to take over are his foreign minister, Tzipi Livni, and his transport minister, Shaul Mofaz. But the operatic slowness of the process means that Mr Olmert may still be running the show into next year. In any event, no matter who grasps Kadima’s helm, a general election may take place in the spring, when the opposition Likud party, led by the hawkish Binyamin Netanyahu, may be favoured to win. Ms Livni or Mr Mofaz may have to haggle long and hard after September to rebuild a viable coalition. Kadima’s partners, emboldened by Mr Olmert’s tribulations, have been brazenly bucking parliamentary discipline; the government has recently lost vote after vote but has staggered along. ...
Nigeria :
How student fraternities turned into powerful and well-armed gangs A YOUNG man whispers a confession: as a university student, he killed six or seven of his peers. He cannot be sure of the number, since his shots were fired in gun battles. He intimidated professors, burned their cars, and helped kidnap—briefly—their children to force them to give good marks to certain students. He did it all as a member of a campus cult. When he renounced his membership, he got death threats and moved to another city, where he lives today. Nigeria’s university system used to be the finest in west Africa, but today’s classes are overcrowded, buildings are crumbling and the curriculum has remained unchanged for years. The cults emerged from the shambles. Having started life as confraternities for the most academic students, they have deteriorated into gang violence. The Exam Ethics Project, a lobby group, says that inter-cult violence killed 115 students and teachers between 1993 and 2003. The real number may be much higher. ...
The Economist: Middle East and Africa
Middle East and Africa
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