1-10 DECEMBER 2006

Lebanon

On the 1st, hundreds of thousands attended a rally in central Beirut organized by Hezbollah and other groups opposed to Prime Minister Fouad Siniora. Many remained there in the following days, demanding that Siniora resign (CNN.com, AP).

On the 10th an even larger rally than the one on the 1st called for Siniora's resignation (Reuters).

2 DECEMBER 2006

Saudi Arabia

Authorities arrested 139 suspected Islamic militants across the country (CNN.com).

3 DECEMBER 2006

Venezuela, politics

President Hugo Chavez was reelected with about 63% of the vote to challenger Manuel Rosales' 37%; turnout was about 75% (www.rulers.org). On 10 January, at his swearing-in for his third term, he said the central aim of his term would be "to build Venezuelan socialism....I don't have the slightest doubt that is the only path to the redemption of our peoples, the salvation of our fatherland" (AP).

Madagascar, politics

President Marc Ravalomanana was reelected with 54.8% of the vote, 13 other candidates split the rest (www.rulers.org, AP).

5 DECEMBER 2006

Pakistan, foreign policy

President Pervez Musharraf said Pakistan is willing to give up its claim to Kashmir if India supports more autonomy for the region. He said he supports a plan calling for Kashmir's borders to remain unchanged and for troops to be withdrawn from the region, and said Pakistan is opposed to independence for Kashmir (CNN.com).

Iraq

Several attacks in Baghdad by bombers and gunmen killed 35 people (CNN.com).

5-6 DECEMBER 2006

Fiji

On the 5th the government was overthrown in a military coup led by armed forces chief Commodore Frank Bainimarama. Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase was placed under house arrest. Bainimarama said recent proposed legislation favorable to indigenous Fijians "would undermine the constitution and deny many citizens their rights" and promised to restore democracy in the future. International reaction was critical of the coup. On the 6th Bainimarama dissolved parliament and appointed Jona Senilagakal interim Prime Minister (AP).

7 DECEMBER 2006

Diplomatic affairs

British Prime Minister Blair met US President Bush in Washington (CNN.com).

9 DECEMBER 2006

Somalia

Islamic militia entered Dinsor (AP).

Iraq

A car bomb in Karbala killed at least five people and injured about 44. Another car bomb, in Mosul, killed three (CNN.com).

9-10 DECEMBER 2006

Iraq

There was some Shiite-Sunni violence in western Baghdad (CNN.com).

10 DECEMBER 2006

Chile

Former dictator Gen. Augusto Pinochet died at the age of 91 (AP).

11 DECEMBER 2006

St. Lucia, politics

In general elections, Sir John Compton's United Workers Party defeated Prime Minister Kenny Anthony's Labor Party. Compton had promised to reduce crime and unemployment (AP).

12 DECEMBER 2006

Iraq

A suicide truck bomb in central Baghdad killed 71 people and wounded 220; many of them were lured toward the bomber by an offer of work (CNN.com).

Iran, foreign policy

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said, "Just as the Soviet Union was wiped out and today does not exist, so will the Zionist regime soon be wiped out" (Reuters).

Ethiopia

Former dictator Mengistu Haile Mariam was convicted by an Ethiopian court of instigating genocide, committing genocide, illegal imprisonment and abuse of power in connection with the 1977-78 'Red Terror' campaign. He is living in exile in Zimbabwe and was tried in absentia; Zimbabwe said it would not deport Mengistu if he refrains from political activity (AP).

On 11 January Mengistu was sentenced to life imprisonment. Seventy-two others, mainly former military officers, were also convicted of involvement in the genocide and were given sentences ranging from 25 years to life; 39 of them were in exile or had died since the trial started in 1992 (Reuters).

Ivory Coast

The army said it had foiled a coup plot against President Laurent Gbagbo (AP).

13 DECEMBER 2006

Iraq

Three car bomb attacks in eastern Baghdad killed 15 people; as on the previous day, day laborers appeared to be the targets (CNN.com).

14 DECEMBER 2006

Iraq

A man the Americans later described as a senior al Qaeda leader was captured in a raid in Mosul.

Around this time, national security advisor Mowaffak al-Rubaie said 60 percent of al Qaeda in Iraq's leadership had been captured or killed (AP).

Bhutan, politics

King Jigme Singye Wangchuck signed a royal decree handing over power to his son, Crown Prince Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck (AP).

14-19 DECEMBER 2006

Israel, Gaza Strip

On the 14th Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniya was attacked reentering the Gaza Strip. The next day tens of thousands of Hamas supporters protested in Gaza. On that and following days there were clashes between Fatah and Hamas in the Gaza Strip (CNN.com).

15 DECEMBER 2006

Japan

Parliament enacted a measure upgrading the Defense Agency to a full ministry; it passed without significant opposition. Another more controversial measure, the first change to Japan's main education law since 1947, was also enacted which calls on schools "to cultivate an attitude that respects tradition and culture, that loves the nation and home country" (AP).

Bolivia

Hundreds of thousands demonstrated in Santa Cruz, Tarija and Trinidad for greater autonomy from the central government and against President Evo Morales' handling of an assembly rewriting the constitution (AP).

16 DECEMBER 2006

Nepal

An interim constitution was agreed upon in which the King is no longer head of state and basic health care, education, employment and food security are made fundamental rights (CNN.com).

18 DECEMBER 2006

United States, foreign policy

President Bush signed a change in US law, allowing nuclear cooperation with India even though it is not a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) (AP).

Iraq

Several people were killed by bomb attacks in Baghdad (CNN.com).

18-22 DECEMBER 2006

Diplomatic affairs, North Korea

Inconclusive talks on North Korea's nuclear program were held in Beijing by representatives of China, Japan, North Korea, Russia, South Korea and the US. North Korea apparently refused to discuss its nuclear weapons program until the US lifted financial sanctions (AP).

19-23 DECEMBER 2006

Somalia

There were reports of clashes near Baidoa between the Somalia Islamic Courts Council (SICC) militia and forces of Ethiopia and the nominal government (AP).

20 DECEMBER 2006

Iraq

There were several suicide and car bomb attacks in Baghdad; they appeared to be directed mainly against the police (CNN.com).

21-26 DECEMBER 2006

Turkmenistan, politics

State television said President Saparmurat Niyazov had died of a heart attack. Hours later the national security council named Gurbungali Berdymukhamedov acting President. On 26 December the People's Assembly scheduled a presidential election for 11 February 2007 (Reuters, AP).

22 DECEMBER 2006

Sudan, foreign policy

The government announced its acceptance of UN augmentation of the existing 7,000-strong AU peacekeeping mission in the Darfur region with some personnel as well as technical and financial assistance. It said “the entire command” and most of the personnel would have to come from the AU (AP).

Europe, economic affairs

Russia announced it would sell gas to Georgia in 2007 at $235 per 1,000 cubic meters, a doubling of the price (Reuters).

23 DECEMBER 2006

Diplomatic affairs, Iran

The UN Security Council unanimously approved Resolution 1737 which placed some sanctions on Iran for continuing to enrich uranium. The resolution ordered members to stop supplying Iran with materials and technology which could contribute to its nuclear and missile programs, and it froze Iranian assets of 10 companies and 12 individuals related to those programs. The resolution said that if the IAEA verifies that Iran has suspended enrichment and reprocessing, the sanctions will be suspended to allow for negotiations.

Following the vote, the US said it did not think the resolution was enough, while Russia and China stressed the use of sanctions as a means to bring about the resumption of negotiations. Iran said it would continue enrichment, and Iran's U.N. Ambassador Javad Zarif criticized the Security Council for punishing Iran, a country which was pursuing its rights under the NPT, while doing nothing about Israel (AP, CNN.com).

Myanmar

General Bo Mya, of the Karen National Union (KNU) rebel group, died in a Thai hospital near the eastern border of Myanmar (Reuters).

Afghanistan

The US military announced that it had killed Mullah Akhtar Mohammad Osmani with an airstrike in Helmand province. It said Osmani was the Taliban's chief of military operations in Uruzgan, Nimroz, Kandahar, Farah, Herat and Helmand provinces and was in charge of the Taliban's finances (CNN.com).

Israel

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert met with PA president Mahmoud Abbas at Olmert's Jerusalem residence (CNN.com).

24 DECEMBER 2006

Chad

At a meeting in Tripoli, Libya hosted by Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi, President Idriss Deby and Mahamed Nour, leader of the rebel Chadian United Front for Democratic Change, reached a peace agreement. It reportedly included provisions for amnesty, inclusion of rebels into the country's military and the return of refugees (AP).

24-25 DECEMBER 2006

Somalia

Fighting spread beyond the Baidoa area and Ethiopian aircraft began attacking SICC positions and airfields. On the 25th Ethiopia declared war. The same day, its military claimed to have encircled Dinsoor (Reuters).

25 DECEMBER 2006

Iraq

Two bomb attacks in Baghdad killed 12 people (CNN.com).

26 DECEMBER 2006

Somalia

SICC militia were reportedly in retreat before Ethiopian and government forces.

Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi said that "The rank and file of the Islamic Courts militia is not a threat to Ethiopia", that Ethiopian forces would not enter Mogadishu and that they would leave Somalia "As soon as we have accomplished our mission”. He said Ethiopia had no more than 3,000-4,000 troops in Somalia. On 4 January, the interim government's Interior Minister Hussein Aideed said there were about 12,000-15,000 Ethiopian troops in the country (AP).

Iraq

Three bomb attacks in Baghdad killed at least 41 people, including an attack on the Abu Hanifa Sunni mosque (CNN.com).

27 DECEMBER 2006

Somalia

Ethiopian and government troops took Jowhar and Balad.

The Ethiopian government said it had begun its offensive at the request of the interim Somali government (AP).

28 DECEMBER 2006

Somalia

Forces of the interim government entered Mogadishu (AP).

The government was reportedly offering amnesty to all SICC militia who laid down their arms (Reuters).

29 DECEMBER 2006

Somalia

In northern Mogadishu several thousand protested the presence of Ethiopian troops in the city (AP).

30 DECEMBER 2006

Iraq

Three car bombs killed 36 people and wounded 77 in Baghdad's Hurriyah district. Another car bomb killed 30 in Kufa, near Najaf. An attack on a Shiite cleric in Khalis killed 10. A suicide bomber killed at least six in Tal Afar, and there were two other bombings targeting civilians in and around Baghdad (CNN.com).

Spain

ETA took responsibility for a bomb attack on Madrid's Barajas International Airport that killed two people. Three days later Interior Minister Alfredo Perez Rubalcaba said negotiations with ETA were "broken, finished and liquidated" (CNN.com).

31 DECEMBER 2006

Somalia

There were reports of SICC militia abandoning Kismayo (AP).