1 FEBRUARY 2004

Iraq

Two suicide bombers struck the offices of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) in Arbil, killing dozens including many top leaders of both groups (Reuters).

6 FEBRUARY 2004

Haiti

An armed group opposed to President Aristide took over Gonaives (Reuters).

Russia

A bomb blast in a subway train in Moscow killed at least 39 people. President Vladimir Putin blamed the attack on Chechen rebels (Reuters).

7 FEBRUARY 2004

Sri Lanka, politics

President Chandrika Kumaratunga dissolved parliament and called elections for 2 April. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe will lead a caretaker government until the election. Kumaratunga will hold on to the defense ministry until then (Reuters).

Israel, Gaza Strip

In Gaza City, a missile from an Israeli helicopter killed Aziz al-Shami, a senior member of Islamic Jihad (Reuters).

8 FEBRUARY 2004

Haiti

Armed gangs and looters drove police out of Saint Marc. There were also attacks on the police in Trou de Nord, Listere and Grand Goave (Reuters).

9 FEBRUARY 2004

Haiti

The government and armed supporters retook most of Saint Marc (Reuters).

10-11 FEBRUARY 2004

Iraq

Suicide attacks on security-related targets killed about 100 Iraqis (Reuters).

11 FEBRUARY 2004

Israel, Gaza Strip

Israeli forces raided the Shijaia area of Gaza City (Reuters).

12 FEBRUARY 2004

Venezuela

Students clashed with police in Merida and Valencia (Reuters).

13 FEBRUARY 2004

Qatar

Former Chechen president Zelimkhan Yandarbiyev died after his car was hit by a blast in Doha (Reuters).

15 FEBRUARY 2004

Peru, politics

Seven of twelve cabinet ministers were replaced. Pedro Pablo Kuczynski was brought back as the economy and finance minister (Reuters).

16-17 FEBRUARY 2004

Haiti

Fighters led by Louis Jodel Chamblain seized Hinche (Reuters).

22 FEBRUARY 2004

Haiti

Rebels took over Cap Haitien (Reuters).

Israel

A suicide bombing of a bus in Jerusalem killied eight people (Reuters).

23 FEBRUARY 2004

United States, military affairs

The Army announced it was canceling the RAH-66 Comanche program. Development of the reconnaissance and light attack helicopter began in the early 1980s and still had not entered full-scale production due to changing requirements. The Army said it had decided that the weapon system was becoming obsolete in light of other, newer capabilities. It said some of the money saved would be used to purchase or upgrade other aircraft and to further develop unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) (Reuters).

27 FEBRUARY 2004

Japan

Shoko Asahara (Chizuo Matsumoto), former leader of Aum Shinri Kyo (Supreme Truth Sect), was sentenced to death for various crimes, including masterminding the 1995 nerve agent attack on Tokyo's subway (Reuters).

27 FEBRUARY-2 MARCH 2004

Venezuela

There were violent protests in Caracas and elsewhere against President Chavez (Reuters).

28 FEBRUARY 2004

Diplomatic affairs

The African Union (AU), at a summit in Sirte, Libya, agreed to establish a multinational military force (Reuters).

Macedonia, politics

President Boris Trajkovski was killed in a plane crash near Mostar, Bosnia (Reuters).

29 FEBRUARY-3 MARCH 2004

Haiti

On 29 February President Jean-Bertrand Aristide left the country. It appeared that he had resigned and that his departure was arranged by the US. But after arriving in the Central African Republic he claimed he had been forced to leave by the US. On 1 March, rebels entered Port-au-Prince. About 200 US Marines and 100 French troops arrived at the airport. Plans are for an international force of some 5,000, of which 1,500-2,000 will be US troops. On the 3rd the US said the rebels should disband (Reuters).