Bolivia

Disaffection with President Gonzalo Sanchez de Lozada and his free-market economic policies and other controversial initiatives, combined with the weak economy, had led to regular protests by September. These protests had grown larger and more violent by early October. By the 11th, farmers and workers had blocked the main roads into La Paz. On the 12th there were serious clashes between protesters and troops clearing roadblocks near El Alto, outside La Paz. Violent protests continued in the following days, with security forces frequently resorting to deadly force.

On the 17th, tens of thousands participated in a sometimes-violent protest in La Paz -- the largest march since the protests began. Sanchez de Lozada resigned and left the country. Congress designated Vice President Carlos Mesa to serve out the President's term, due to end in 2007. Mesa asked Congress to call early elections (Reuters).

Democratic Republic of Congo

Early in the month there were reports of atrocities committed in the Ituri region (Reuters).

1 OCTOBER 2003

Liberia

The UN took over peacekeeping operations. There are already 3,500 west African troops in the country. The force is expected to reach its full strength of 15,000 troops, 1,115 police, 250 military observers and 160 staff officers in four to six months (Reuters).

2 OCTOBER 2003

Iraq

The US-led team hunting for WMD in Iraq reported its findings to date to members of the US Congress and to the media. CIA advisor David Kay told reporters, "We have not found at this point actual weapons. It does not mean we've concluded there are no actual weapons. It means at this point in time, and it's a huge country with a lot to do, that we have not yet found weapons."

Kay said multiple sources have told the team that "Iraq did not have a large, ongoing, centrally controlled CW program after 1991." Also, information uncovered to date suggested that after 1996, Iraq focused on "smaller, covert capabilities that could be activated quickly to surge the production of BW agents", he said (Reuters).

3-4 OCTOBER 2003

Pakistan

On the 3rd, gunmen attacked Shi'ite Muslims in Karachi, killing six. The next day hundreds rioted in the city (Reuters).

4 OCTOBER 2003

Israel

Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing in Haifa that killed 19 people (Reuters).

5 OCTOBER 2003

Syria

Israel said it had conducted an air strike on a training camp used by Islamic Jihad and others (Reuters).

6-7 OCTOBER 2003

Pakistan

Azam Tariq, leader of the banned Sipah-e-Sahaba (SSP) party, was gunned down as he entered Islamabad. The next day, supporters of Millat-e-Islamia, as the SSP is now known, conducted small but violent protests in Jhang, Islamabad and elsewhere (Reuters).

9-14 OCTOBER 2003

Israel, Gaza Strip

Israeli forces carried out a series of raids on Rafah refugee camp (Reuters).

10 OCTOBER 2003

Japan, politics

Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi dissolved parliament's lower house for an election to be held on 9 November (Reuters).

13 OCTOBER 2003

Philippines

The government claimed that Fathur Rohman al-Ghozi, a senior leader of Jemaah Islamiah, was killed in a shootout with security forces near Pigcawayan on Mindanao (Reuters).

15 OCTOBER 2003

Azerbaijan, politics

In the presidential election, Ilham Aliyev received 78.0% of the vote; Isa Gambar received 11.9% (IFES).

15-16 OCTOBER 2003

China

China put its first human into space. On the 15th, a Long March 2F rocket launched from the Jiuquan Space Center took Yang Liwei into orbit. His Shenzhou V capsule returned to Earth the next day. Yang orbited Earth 14 times during the 21-hour mission (Reuters).

16 OCTOBER 2003

Iraq

The UN Security Council passed a resolution setting up a multinational force under US leadership and calling on the Iraqi Governing Council to produce by 15 December a timetable for drafting a constitution and holding elections (Reuters).

Several Americans and Iraqis were killed during a clash in Kerbala. One hundred-one US troops have been killed in action since 1 May.

US III Corps commander Lt. Gen. Thomas Metz said US forces may have to stay in Iraq until 2006 (Reuters).

17-23 OCTOBER 2003

Asia and the Pacific, diplomatic affairs

US President Bush visited Japan, the Philippines, Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia and Australia. While in Thailand he attended the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Bangkok (Reuters).

19 OCTOBER 2003

Switzerland, politics

General elections were held. In the National Council, the Swiss People's Party (SVP) won 55 seats, up from the 45 it won in the October 1999 elections. The Social Democratic Party (SPS) won 52 seats. The Radical Free Democratic Party (FDP) won 36, down from 42, and the Christian Democratic People's Party (CVP) won 28, down from 35 (IFES, Reuters).

20 OCTOBER 2003

Israel, Gaza Strip

A series of Israeli air attacks killed ten Palestinians, including two militants, and wounded about 100 (Reuters).

Jordan, politics

Prime Minister Ali Abu al-Ragheb resigned (Reuters).

Taiwan

Lien Chan, leader of the Kuomingtang Party and its nominee in the March 2004 presidential election, speaking in Washington, said, "I see no need to rush history....Taiwan and the mainland would very well pursue what I call parallel development for a long time to come without having to make a choice on this unification-independence issue" (Reuters).

21 OCTOBER 2003

Diplomatic affairs

The British, French and German foreign ministers and the Iranian government, following a meeting in Tehran to discuss Iran's nuclear program, issued a declaration. Iran agreed to suspend uranium enrichment and acceed to the Additional Protocol to the NPT; the Europeans held out the prospect of "easier access to modern technology and supplies in a range of areas" (Reuters).

23 OCTOBER 2003

Iran

The government gave the IAEA the declaration the agency had asked for regarding Iran's nuclear activities (Reuters).

24 OCTOBER 2003

Iraq

At an aid conference in Madrid, international donors pledged at least $33 billion in contributions for Iraq, of which $25 billion is grants.

A survey released around this time by Iraq's Center for Research and Strategic Studies said 67% of Iraqis saw foreign forces as occupying powers, up from 46% shortly after the war. Fifteen percent saw them as liberating forces, down from 43% six months ago. The survey polled 1,620 Iraqis in seven cities from 28 September to 10 October (Reuters).

25 OCTOBER 2003

Russia, civil affairs

Mikhail Khodorkovsky, head of the YUKOS oil company, was arrested in Siberia and charged with fraud and tax evasion (Reuters).

27 OCTOBER 2003

Iraq

There were suicide bombing attacks on the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) headquarters and some police stations in Baghdad (Reuters).