Nur al-Cubicle

A blog on the current crises in the Middle East and news accounts unpublished by the US press. Daily timeline of events in Iraq as collected from stories and dispatches in the French and Italian media: Le Monde (Paris), Il Corriere della Sera (Milan), La Repubblica (Rome), L'Orient-Le Jour (Beirut) and occasionally from El Mundo (Madrid).

Wednesday, February 01, 2006

01 February 2006 Events in Iraq

Tehran. Iranian President Ahmadinejad attacked Mr. Bush, on the day after his State of the Union address. Bush had criticized a small circle of clerical elite which isolates and oppresses its people. The Iranian president lashed out at those who have their hands stained by blood up to their elbows, involved in wars and oppression...in Asia and Africa, killing people by the millions.

Washington. President George W. Bush promised to stay in Iraq until "victory" and dismissed the possibility of a pullout of US troops.

Washington. President Bush's State of the Union address was seen as a sampler of the rhetoric to be used during this year's Republican Congressional electoral campaign.

Ramalllah. Humanitarian organizations in the Occupied Terrorities fear funds will dry up following the victory by Hamas.

Beirut. A Lebanese shepherd, Ibrahim Youssef Rahil, was kidnapped by Israeli troops along with a fisherman. Fawzi Salloukh, the fisherman, was released several hours later. The incident took place at Mazraat Bastara.

New York. Seriously concerned by the outbreak of violence along the Blue Line between Lebanon and Israel, the UN Security Council has extended the mission of UNIFIL, the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon, until 31 July.

Copenhagen. Denmark pursued diplomatic and media efforts to end the crisis kicked off by cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad in the Danish tabloid Jyllands-Posten.

Beirut. Hezbollah chief Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah declares that if the fatwa againt British writer Salman Rushdie had been enforced, no one would have dared to insult the Prophet.

Paris. In solidarity with the Danish tabloid Jyllands-Posten, several European papers printed cartoons of the the Prophet Mohammad, including the French tabloid France Soir.

Rome. The Vatican newspaper, L'Osservatore Romano, commented on the victory of Hamas in Palestine. The Vatican called for new Mideast talks fixing reasonable objectives. The Vatican underscored the impasse of the current situtation and noted that the international community was insufficiently prepared to respond to the Hamas victory at the polls.

Jerusalem. The head of the Churches of the Holy Land, Latin Patriarch Michael Sabbah, said church leaders were ready to cooperate with Hamas while insisting on non-violence and religious freedom.

Baghdad. Several low-intensity bombs went off near Lebanese Army outpots outside the Palestinian refugee camp at Aïn el-Heloué near Saïda.

Baghdad. Another chaotic day in the he trial of Saddam Hussein. After a three-hour wait, the trial of Saddam Hussein resumed after judge Rauf Rasheed Abdel Rahman tried to resolve an procedural imbroglio as Saddam's attorneys boycotted the courtroom session. Meanwhile, three women and two men gave testimony on the Dujail massacre from behind a beige curtain in the courtroom.

Baghdad. A suicide bombing took place in the al-Jadida district of south Baghdad amid a group of day laborers seeking work. Three were killed and sixty wounded.

Cairo. After meeting in Cairo, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Egyptian President Hosni Mubarek have agreed to pressure Hamas into recognizing Israel and to end violence. Mubarek also met with Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni. However, a source says Abbas will not force Hamas to recognize Israel as a pre-condition to forming a government. Earlier in the day, Abbas was in Amman for talks with King Abdullah II.

Damascus. Moussa Abu Marzuk, a Hamas official based in Damascus, announced that the movement was ready for talks with the international community concerning a truce with Israel.

Gaza. Hamas says it will appoint technocrats to key positions to make its government more acceptable to the West.

Gaza. Hamas politician Ismaïl Haniyeh rejected President Bush's demand to disarm the movement. Mr. Haniyeh aslo suggested that the new Palestinian Prime Minister may not be a Hamas member.

Ramallah. Mohammad Dahlan, Minister of Public Affairs, has rejected the idea of a national unity cabinet of Fatah and Hamas ministers.

Vienna. The IAEA board of governors will meet to discuss referring Iran to the UN Security Council for its nuclear activities. To appease Russia, Western powers promised to defer any action before the Security Council until March.

Moscow. Russia has dispatched emissaries to Iran to request that it cooperate with the IAEA.

23:26 Washington. Bush says US will use troops to defend Israel.

20:02 Baghdad. Two Iraq TV women reporters, Reem Zeid and Marwan Khazal, were kidnapped by armed men in the Yarmouk quarter of Baghdad.

19:15 Egypt. Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni hopes Hamas will not be permitted to govern.

18:48 Washington. Bush says yes to peaceful nuclear development in Iraq.

14:51 Baghdad. A homemade bomb destroys pipeline linking a Baghdad refinery to a southern power generation plant.

11:07 Jerusalem. Israeli freezes $30 million in Palestinian Authority funds following the victory of Hamas.

10:54 Cairo. Abu Mazen says Hamas must recognize Israel.

10:01 Iraq. Roadside bombs in Amiriyah and Baquba kill 2 and wound 5.

07:15 Ramallah. Israeli police and colonists clash at the settlement of Amona. Nine illegal habitations will be destroyed.

06:49 Baghdad. Saddam's lawyers demand new judge to replace Kurdish Justice Rauf Rashid Abdel Rahman.

06:16 Baghdad. Eight people killed in a suicide bombing in east Baghdad. Thirty others were injured.

04:02 Washington. The US will cust 75% of its oil imports by 2025.

03:02 Washington. Cindy Sheehan was arrested before she was able to enter the Capitol as in invited guest at the State of the Union Address.

02:15 Washington. Patriot Act extended for one month.

01:44 Washington. Capitol police apologize for the arrest of Cindy Sheehan.

00:37 Copenaghen. Two bomb scares at the offices of the Danish tabloid Jyllands-Posten.

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