Iraq

By early May there was an increase in attacks on the police, particularly in the form of suicide bomb attacks against checkpoints, buses carrying new recruits or trainees, or civilians assembling to join. These types of attacks had become predominant, though attacks that could be considered ‘terrorist’, in that they targeted purely civilian targets, continued.

At the same time, US and Iraqi forces stepped up counter-insurgency efforts (see 7-14 May). In late May and early June Iraqi and US forces conducted Operation ‘Lightning’, a coordinated effort against rebels in the greater Baghdad area (CNN.com).

Bolivia

The protests in La Paz were beginning to interfere with the ability of Congress to meet (AP).

Zimbabwe

Police began a major campaign to destroy shantytowns, informal markets and other structures in the Harare area. This had the effect of displacing many thousands of people and increasing economic hardship at a time when the economy was already struggling. A UN report in late July said the homes or livelihoods of 700,000 people had been eleminated by the campaign (AP).

1 MAY 2005

Iraq

A suicide bombing in Tal Afar killed at least 20 people (CNN.com).

Japan

Hundreds of thousands demonstrated for a global ban on nuclear weapons (CNN.com).

Germany

More than 500,000 people participated in demonstrations across the country concerning labor issues (CNN.com).

Cuba

About a million people attended a rally held by Fidel Castro (CNN.com).

2 MAY 2005

Al Qaeda

Abu Faraj al-Libbi and several other al Qaeda operatives were captured in Mardan, Pakistan, in the North-West Frontier Province. Al-Libbi was generally considered to be #3 in al Qaeda after the capture of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed in March 2003 (CNN.com).

About a week later, al Qaeda operative Haithem al-Yemeni reportedly was killed in Pakistan by a missile fired by a US-operated Predator drone.1

4 MAY 2005

Egypt

The Muslim Brotherhood carried out several small protests in Cairo and other cities calling for democratic reform of the political system (AP).

5 MAY 2005

Israel, West Bank and Gaza Strip

The Palestinian Authority (PA) held municipal elections in which Fatah won a little over half of the seats and Hamas won about a third. The PA said turnout was 70% in the West Bank and 80% in Gaza (CNN.com).

Dominica, politics

In elections, Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit’s Labor Party won 11 of 21 Parliament seats, while the United Worker’s Party won nine (AP).

5-6 MAY 2005

Britain, politics

General elections were held. Prime Minister Tony Blair’s Labour party won 356 of the 645 seats at stake in the House of Commons, down from 413. The Conservative party led by Michael Howard won 197 seats, up from 166, and the Liberal Democrats won 62 seats. Turnout was reportedly about 61% (IFES, CNN.com).

The next day Blair announced some cabinet changes, including John Reid as the new Defense secretary (CNN.com).

6 MAY 2005

Iraq

A suicide terror bombing in As Suwayra killed at least 16 people (CNN.com).

7 MAY 2005

Myanmar

Three bomb blasts in Yangon killed 11 people, according to state television (CNN.com).

7-14 MAY 2005

Iraq

About 1,000 troops from the 2nd Marine Division, with air support, conducted Operation ‘Matador’, a sweep against rebels and suspected sanctuaries in the vicinity of the Al Jazirah desert, in Anbar province near the Syrian border. There were indications from US commanders that most of the fighters encountered were foreigners (CNN.com).

8 MAY 2005

Central African Republic, politics

In the second round of the presidential election, Francois Bozize won 64.2% of the vote; Martin Ziguele received 35.8% (AP).

Egypt, politics

The upper house of parliament approved guidelines for the multi-candidate presidential election called for September by President Mubarak. Opposition groups said the guidelines would effectively preclude serious competition for the ruling candidate. Candidates must belong to an official political party or secure recommendations from various elected bodies which are dominated by the ruling party and its supporters (AP).

10 MAY 2005

United States, foreign policy

President Bush finished a trip to Europe -- during which he also met with Russian President Vladimir Putin­ -- with a stop in Georgia. At a press conference with Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili, Bush told him, "you've got a solid friend in America", and that the US would help Georgia maintain its democracy (CNN.com).

11 MAY 2005

Iraq

A suicide car bombing in Tikrit killed 30 people (CNN.com).

Greece

There was a brief but violent confrontation between about 150 anarchists and police at the Athens Polytechnic (Reuters).

11-13 MAY 2005

Afghanistan

There was a violent anti-US protest by thousands in Jalalabad on the 11th. This was followed by numerous other anti-US protests, many of them violent, around the country. It was unclear to what extent they may have been fueled by a report in Newsweek, later retracted by the magazine, of desecration of the Quran by US interrogators (CNN.com).

12 MAY 2005

Iraq

A suicide car bombing in eastern Baghdad killed 12 people (Reuters).

13-14 MAY 2005

Uzbekistan

There were clashes in the eastern city of Andijon and elsewhere between police and people protesting against President Islam Karimov. There was a report that the violence in Andijon began when supporters of local businessmen on trial on charges of Islamic extremism stormed the prison where they were being held.2 It was unclear at the time exactly what had happened and how many of the protesters in Andijon were militants rather than civilians. In any case, there were persistent reports that hundreds of the protesters there were shot by government troops.3

15 MAY 2005

Ethiopia, politics

Parliamentary elections were held for all 548 seats in the House of Representatives (lower house). Prime Minister Meles Zenawi’s Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) won 302 of the 517 declared seats, down from 419 in the May 2000 election. The Coalition for Unity and Democracy (CUD) won 122, the United Ethiopian Democratic Forces (UEDF) won 57 and the Oromo Federalist Democratic Movement (OFDM) won 11 (www.rulers.org, IFES).

16-17 MAY 2005

Diplomatic affairs

The leaders of Chad, Egypt, Eritrea, Gabon, Libya, Nigeria and Sudan met in Tripoli, Libya to discuss the situation in the Darfur region of Sudan. Afterwards they released a statement in which they rejected “any foreign intervention in the Darfur problem” and called on the warring parties to resume peace talks in Abuja, Nigeria (AP).

17 MAY 2005

Middle East and North Africa, diplomatic affairs

Iranian foreign minister Kamal Kharrazi met Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari in Baghdad. "The Islamic Republic of Iran is fully prepared to assist the formation of the Iraqi government in any field, whether it is in security, economic, or any other field. And this will be a joint effort," Kharrazi said (CNN.com).

20 MAY 2005

Middle East and North Africa, diplomatic affairs

Iraqi Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari met Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara, Turkey (AP).

22 MAY 2005

Mongolia, politics

In a presidential election, Nambariin Enkhbayar of the ruling Mongolian People’s Revolutionary Party (MPRP) defeated Mendsaikhanin Enkhsaikhan of the Democratic Party (AP).

Egypt, civil affairs

Mahmoud Ezzat and dozens of other members of the Muslim Brotherhood were arrested around the country (AP).

23 MAY 2005

Iraq

Two car bombs killed at least 15 people in Tal Afar.

A bomb attack near the Sadr City area of Baghdad killed at least ten people (CNN.com).

24 MAY 2005

Diplomatic affairs

Afghan President Hamid Karzai met US President Bush in Washington (AP).

Bolivia

Tens of thousands of Indians protested violently in La Paz for changes to the constitution (Reuters).

26 MAY 2005

Israel, West Bank and Gaza Strip

Palestinian Authority president Mahmoud Abbas met US President Bush in Washington (CNN.com).

27 MAY 2005

Colombia

AUC leader Diego Fernando Murillo was arrested after a four-day manhunt (AP).

Pakistan

A bomb attack on the Bare Iman shrine in Islamabad killed at least 17 people (AP).

28 MAY 2005

Indonesia

Two bombs in Tentena, on Sulawesi island, killed at least 20 people (AP).

29 MAY-19 JUNE 2005

Lebanon, politics

Parliamentary elections were held in four rounds. The Opposition Bloc, including Saad Hariri’s Future Tide Movement (FTM), Walid Jumblatt's Progressive Socialist Party, Lebanese Forces and Qurnet Shahwan, won 72 of 128 seats. Hezbollah, Amal and their allies won 35, and the Free Patriotic Movement and its allies won 21 (www.rulers.org, CNN.com).

31 MAY 2005

Pakistan

A suicide bombing of a Shiite mosque in Karachi provoked rioting in the surrounding area (AP).

31 MAY-2 JUNE 2005

France, politics

Former foreign minister Dominique de Villepin replaced Jean-Pierre Raffarin as Prime Minister. On 2 June foreign minister Michel Barnier was replaced by Philippe Douste-Blazy (www.rulers.org).

Notes

1. David Ensor, "Sources: Key al Qaeda operative killed ", CNN.com, 13 May 2005.

2. "Uzbek troops clash with protesters", CNN.com, 13 May 2005.

3. "Uzbek toll rises amid clash report", CNN.com, 15 May 2005.