2 AUGUST 2006

Burundi

The government said it had foiled a plot to overthrow it involving Alain Mugabarabona of the Forces for National Liberation (FNL) and Damien Ndarisigaranye, an army colonel, among others. On the 21st former president Domitien Ndayizeye was also arrested in connection with the alleged plot (Reuters).

Iraq

Three bomb attacks in Baghdad killed 15 people (CNN.com).

3 AUGUST 2006

Afghanistan

A suicide car bomber in Kandahar killed 21 people (CNN.com).

4 AUGUST 2006

Ukraine, politics

After over four months of political paralysis, Parliament approved a new government consisting of Viktor Yanukovych's PRU, the Socialist Party and the Communist Party, with Yanukovych as Prime Minister. President Viktor Yushchenko, as a condition for acceding to a Yanukovych-led government, required Yanukovych to agree to continue certain pro-Western foreign policy elements including pursuit of EU and WTO membership (AP).

Iraq

There was a pro-Hezbollah demonstration in the Sadr City area of Baghdad attended by 14,000 people, according to the US military (CNN.com).

6-7 AUGUST 2006

Brazil

There were numerous overnight attacks on police and private property in São Paulo. Authorities said they appeared to be the work of the First Command of the Capital (PCC) organized crime group (Reuters).

8 AUGUST 2006

Iraq

Several roadside bombs in Baghdad, some of which were probably targeting police patrols, killed at least 19 civilians (CNN.com).

9 AUGUST 2006

Iraq

Coalition forces said they captured several members of al Qaeda in Iraq in raids in Baghdad and Mosul (CNN.com).

10 AUGUST 2006

Iraq

Jamaat Jund al-Sahaba, or Soldiers of the Prophet's Companions, claimed responsibility for a suicide bomb attack near the Imam Ali Mosque in Najaf that killed at least 35 people (CNN.com).

Britain

Authorities said a terrorist plot to bomb several outgoing airline flights over the Atlantic Ocean had been foiled and that 24 men had been arrested in connection with the plot. Pakistani authorities also said they had made arrests in Pakistan in coordination with the British (CNN.com).

11 AUGUST 2006

Diplomatic affairs, Lebanon

The UN Security Council unanimously approved Resolution 1701, which called for an immediate cessation by Hezbollah of all attacks and by Israel of all “offensive military operations”, for the Lebanese government to make good on its recently expressed intention to deploy 15,000 troops to southern Lebanon and for “the disarmament of all armed groups in Lebanon, so that, pursuant to the Lebanese cabinet decision of 27 July 2006, there will be no weapons or authority in Lebanon other than that of the Lebanese State”.

The resolution authorized an increase in the strength of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) from 2,000 to 15,000, and increased its mandate by charging it to “Accompany and support the Lebanese armed forces as they deploy throughout the South, including along the Blue Line, as Israel withdraws its armed forces from Lebanon...” and to “Assist the Lebanese armed forces in taking steps towards the establishment of the area as referred to in paragraph 8” [no armed third parties, mentioned above]. UNIFIL was authorized “to take all necessary action in areas of deployment of its forces and as it deems within its capabilities, to ensure that its area of operations is not utilized for hostile activities of any kind...” However, in succeeding days Hezbollah said it would not disarm, and on the 23rd UNIFIL commander French Maj. Gen. Alain Pellegrini said, "The Israelis cannot ask UNIFIL to disarm Hezbollah. This is not written in our mandate."

The resolution also called for the unconditional release of the two Israeli soldiers captured on 12 July (www.un.org, CNN.com).

12 AUGUST 2006

Sri Lanka

There were attacks by the LTTE rebels on army positions on the Jaffna peninsula. The army said the LTTE got the worst of the fighting (Reuters).

Iraq

Two bomb attacks in Baghdad killed eight people (CNN.com).

United States

About 5,000 people demonstrated in Washington against US policy in the Middle East (AP).

13 AUGUST 2006

Iraq

Militants attacked the Shiite Zafaraniya district in southeastern Baghdad, killing 63 people and wounding 140.

Iraqi and US troops launched sweeps of the mostly Sunni Amariya district in western Baghdad and the Shiite district of Shula to the north.

The Americans announced the capture of a terrorist cell leader linked to the 17 July attack on Mahmoudiya (CNN.com).

14 AUGUST 2006

Israel / Lebanon

A cease-fire went into effect. Among its terms were that Israel would give the Shebaa Farms area to Lebanon at an unspecified date.

The hostilities killed 1,068 Lebanese and wounded 4,054, according to the Lebanese government (CNN.com). There was also considerable damage to Lebanese infrastructure. Israel has estimated its forces killed 600 Hezbollah fighters; Hezbollah has said 250 of its fighters were killed.1

According to the Israeli government, 159 Israelis were killed, 41 of whom were civilians killed by Hezbollah rocket attacks; over 1,000 were wounded, including 600 civilians. Hezbollah fired 4,000 rockets at Israel, according to the IDF (CNN.com).

15 AUGUST 2006

Iraq

There was a suicide bomb attack on the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) party headquarters in Mosul (CNN.com).

Diplomatic affairs, Haiti

The UN Security Council renewed the peacekeeping mission in Haiti for another six months (Reuters).

16 AUGUST 2006

Mexico

The US Coast Guard captured drug lord Javier Arellano-Felix aboard a recreational fishing boat off the coast of the Baja peninsula near La Paz (CNN.com).

Iraq

Three bomb attacks in Baghdad killed 22 people (CNN.com).

17 AUGUST 2006

Lebanon

Israel said its forces had begun their withdrawal and had turned over half of the area south of the Litani River to the Lebanese army and UNIFIL (CNN.com).

19 AUGUST 2006

Israel, West Bank

Israeli soldiers arrested PA deputy prime minister Nasser Shaer in Ramallah (AP).

20 AUGUST 2006

Iraq

Shiite pilgrims, in Baghdad in large numbers for a religious commemoration, were fired upon by unidentified gunmen; at least 20 were killed and over 300 wounded. Security forces killed six snipers and arrested 19 (CNN.com).

20-22 AUGUST 2006

Democratic Republic of Congo

There were clashes in Kinshasa between supporters of President Joseph Kabila and presidential candidate Jean-Pierre Bemba (CNN.com, Reuters).

21 AUGUST 2006

Diplomatic affairs, Iran

IAEA inspectors were reportedly refused access to a nuclear facility in Natanz, Iran.2

24 AUGUST 2006

Thailand

Police said they had foiled a plot to assassinate Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra with a car bomb. In the following days several members of the army were arrested in connection with the alleged plot (AP).

26-30 AUGUST 2006

Pakistan

On the 26th, tribal leader and former Baluchistan province governor Nawab Akbar Bugti was killed by an apparent attack by security forces on his cave in the Tartari area of the Kohlu district of Baluchistan. In the following days there were riots and violent protests in Quetta and other cities across Baluchistan (AP).

27-28 AUGUST 2006

Iraq

There were sharp clashes between Iraqi army and police units and gunmen in Ad Diwaniyah, a stronghold of the Mehdi Army militia (CNN.com).

Turkey

On the 27th dozens of people were wounded by three bomb blasts in Marmaris and one in Istanbul. The Kurdistan Freedom Falcons, a group linked to the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) rebels, claimed responsibility for the attacks. The next day, a bomb attack in Antalya killed three (CNN.com).

28 AUGUST 2006

Guyana, politics

Parliamentary elections were held. President Bharrat Jagdeo's People's Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) won 54.6% of the vote and 36 of 65 seats in the National Assembly. The People's National Congress/Reform-One Guyana (PNC/R-1G), led by Robert Corbin, won 34% and 22 seats. Turnout was 68.8% (www.rulers.org, IFES).

29 AUGUST 2006

Uganda

A cease-fire went into effect between the government and the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) rebels. Under the terms of the truce, LRA forces were to assemble at two sites in southern Sudan, one each in Eastern Equitoria state and Western Equitoria state. They were to be monitored by teams of Ugandan officials, rebels and African Union-appointed military officers, all of whom were to report to the chief mediator, southern Sudan Vice President Riek Machar. A final accord was to be negotiated in later talks. The International Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants against LRA leader Joseph Kony and three other LRA commanders for atrocities against civilians, but the government has promised to not turn them over in return for an end to the rebellion (AP).

30 AUGUST 2006

Iraq

A string of bombings in and near Baghdad killed dozens of people (CNN.com).

31 AUGUST 2006

Diplomatic affairs, Sudan

The UN Security Council passed a resolution calling for expansion of the United Nations Mission in Sudan (UNMIS) from southern Sudan to the Darfur region. China, Russia and Qatar abstained. The mission would have required permission from Sudan, which opposed it (CNN.com).

Iraq

At least five Katyusha rocket attacks on mostly Shiite neighborhoods in Baghdad killed 44 people and wounded at least 255 (CNN.com).

Thailand

Bombs exploded in dozens of banks in Yala province, killing two and injuring 28 (AP).

Notes

1. "Pressure on Israeli PM to resign", AP, 18 January 2007.

2. U.N.: Iran turns away inspectors, AP, 21 August 2006.