Portal:Current events/October 2003

Ongoing events: US invasion of Iraq - Iraq disarmament crisis - Space Shuttle Columbia disaster - Israeli-Palestinian conflict - War on Terrorism - North Korea nuclear weapons program - Afghanistan timeline

March 27, 2003

SARS: The World Health Organization recommends that passengers flying from countries where SARS is reported should be screened before being allowed on flights. [1]

March 25, 2003

2003 invasion of Iraq:
- U.S. forces are advancing on Baghdad, hampered by extreme dust storms.
- Thousands of chemical suits as well as a tank and a large stockpile of weapons are reportedly found by coalition forces in the An Nasiriyah hospital in Iraq. Coalition forces entered the hospital after being fired upon by Iraqi soldiers hiding in the building.[2] U.S. officials report the possibility that chemical weapons would be deployed on coalition troops as they approach Baghdad. [3]
- British forces report what they believe to be a popular uprising in the city of Basra that provoked Iraqi troops to fire-up civilians with mortars. British troops then shelled the mortar position. [4]
- According to an american officer, approximately 650 Iraqis were killed around Najaf "in the last twenty-four hours" while the American forces would not have, on their side, recorded any victim. This assessment, not confirmed by any independent source, could be the heaviest since the beginning of the offensive, last Thursday.
Faulty wiring is announced as the cause of the crash of Swissair flight 111.
SARS: Ontario declares a public health emergency. Anyone who was at Scarborough Grace Hospital in the past 10 days is to be isolated at home. [5]

March 24, 2003

The Arab League voted 21-1 in favor of a resolution demanding the immediate and unconditional removal of US and British soldiers from Iraq. The lone dissenting vote was cast by Kuwait.
In Japan, the land ministry reported land prices fell for the 12th straight year in 2002. The average price of commercial land is now roughly the same as that in the late 1970s. [6]
Hilltop 26, an illegal Israeli settlement in the West Bank, was dismantled by the Israel Defence Force.

March 23, 2003

Academy Awards:
- Chicago won the Academy Award for Best Picture
- Adrien Brody won the Academy Award for Best Actor
- Nicole Kidman won the Academy Award for Best Actress
- Chris Cooper won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor
- Catherine Zeta-Jones won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress
- Bowling for Columbine, directed by Michael Moore won the Academy Award for Documentary Feature
- A Japanese animation Spirited Away, directed by Miyazaki Hayao won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature [7]
- Roman Polanski won the Academy Award for Directing
In Belgium legal complaints are filed against American officals for "crimes against humanity." It was reported that an Iraqi representing seven families deposited complaints for violation of human rights against George Bush senior, Dick Cheney, Norman Schwarzkopf in Belgium. Supported by a socialist deputy and a non-governmental organization (NGO), the Iraqis denounce the bombing of a shelter which had made 403 civil victims in Baghdad in February 1991 during the Gulf War. This is made possible by the Belgian law of universal competence, which provides justice on war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide, and can apply to any nationalities. Colin Powell indicated the event was a "serious problem", affecting the ability to go to Belgium, in particular to NATO in Brussels. Colin Powell stated this law was a subject of worry. [8]
2003 invasion of Iraq:
- Continued battle around the Iraqi cities of Basra and Nassiriya.
- Iraq reports that it has captured a number of American prisoners of war. The United States Military states that 12 mechanics were missing. A videotape of the captives and dead mechanics was released that show possible torture and execution-style killings. US officials charge that Iraqi treatment of the captives violates the Geneva Convention.
- A RAF Panavia Tornado is brought down by "friendly fire" by a US Patriot missile battery.
- Coalition forces took control of a large complex of buildings in the An Najaf province near the city of Najaf. Some news sources have proclaimed that this is a "huge chemical weapons plant" [9] but Pentagon officials have called such announcements "premature" and say that no weapons of mass destruction have yet been found [10].

March 22, 2003

2003 invasion of Iraq:
- Parts of the city of Basrah are entered by the British.
- A hand grenade attack on a rear base of the 101st Airborne Division in Kuwait caused the death of one soldier and injuries to 13 others.[11]. An American soldier has been arrested for the attack. [12]
- Two Royal Navy H-3 Sea King helicopters collide in mid-air over the Gulf killing seven crew. Both craft were based on the HMS Ark Royal (R07).
Peace march: Estimates of between 125,000 and 250,000 people march for peace in New York City. The march was organized by the group United for Peace and Justice.

March 21, 2003

2003 invasion of Iraq:
- United States and United Kingdom military forces advance into southern Iraq. British troops capture the Faw Peninsula in southern Iraq, and U.S. forces capture much of the southern port city of Umm Qasr. U.S. military officials confirm that oil wells have been set ablaze by Iraqi forces near the Kuwaiti border. A U.S. Marine CH-46 Sea Knight helicopter crashes in northern Kuwait early in the morning, killing all 8 British and four U.S. crew members on board.
- The "shock and awe" bombardment of military targets in Iraq by cruise missiles and smart bombs began.
- 1,000 Turkish troops enter northern Iraq to reinforce units already there.
An Illinois court ordered the tobacco company Philip Morris to pay $10.1 billion for misleading consumers with the word "light." The company appeals.

March 20, 2003

2003 invasion of Iraq: Around 02:34 UTC, more than 40 satellite-guided Tomahawk cruise missiles are launched from U.S. warships in the Red Sea and Persian Gulf, "surgically" striking a bunker in Baghdad believed to be holding top Iraqi officials. At 03:15 UTC, President Bush said in addressing the nation, ";On my orders, coalition forces have begun striking selected targets of military importance to undermine Saddam Hussein's ability to wage war. These are opening stages of what will be a broad and concerted campaign." The military action is being dubbed "Operation Iraqi Freedom". [13]
Protests take place around the world. In Australia, they take such forms as a "NO WAR" slogan being painted on the Sydney Opera House, Greenpeace demonstrators chaining themselves to the gates of the Australian Prime Minister's residence ( the Lodge) and a former Navy officer burning his uniform outside Australia's Parliament House. In Denmark, Prime Minister Anders Fogh is sprayed with red paint for his US stand. In Great Britain, Tony Blair survives a rebellion within his own party to win parliamentary support of war actions in Iraq.
Space shuttle Columbia's data recorder ("black box") has been found near Hemphill, Texas. [14] [15]
Mary Wright, a U.S. diplomat in Mongolia, resigned out of disagreement with George W. Bush's Mideast policy, his approach to North Korea and the domestic consequences of the War on Terrorism.

March 19, 2003

Jørn Siljeholm, a weapons inspector recently in Iraq, has accused the U.S. of lying about evidence for weapons of mass destruction. English, Norwegian
Telephone tapping of EU headquarters uncovered. According to EU officials the taps targetted six EU states including Austria, Britain, France, Germany, Italy, and Spain. The taps appear to have been installed when the building was constructed in 1994.[16]
A group of doctors in Hong Kong claims to have identified the agent causing severe acute respiratory syndrome as belonging to the paramyxoviridae family of viruses. [17]
European Union Health and Consumer Protection Commissioner, David Byrne, said "cases like SARS demonstrate only too clearly that contagious diseases require a high level of preparedness across borders. Imagine if it had been an influenza pandemic which, in the past, had a devastating impact on humans. In order to meet the contemporary public health threat of communicable diseases, we must strengthen coordination and surveillance at Community level. The most effective way to do so is by setting up a European Union Centre for Disease Control."
Paul Twomey is chosen for being the next president of ICANN. [18]

March 18, 2003

U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell says that thirty nations have joined with the United States in a "coalition of the willing" to remove Saddam Hussein from power, with another 15 quietly promising their support. See Worldwide government positions on war on Iraq.
Naji Sabri, the Iraqi foreign minister, calls U.S. President George W. Bush "a war criminal," "tyrant," "despot" and "idiot." He also claims that evacuation of UNIKOM from the demilitarized zone violates the UN resolution of 1991. [19]
A man who drove a tractor into the reflecting pool monument in Washington, D.C. remains there. A huge section of downtown D.C. is blocked off causing major shut-downs and traffic issues. [20]

March 17, 2003

US invasion of Iraq: President George W. Bush announces in a televised speech that Iraqi President Saddam Hussein and his sons have 48 hours to leave Iraq, or the United States will initiate preemptive military action against Iraq.
France announces that it has deployed 300 soldiers to seize the Bangui, Central African Republic airport.
Steve Lavin, UCLA basketball coach, was fired from his position.[21]
Kofi Annan, Secretary General of the United Nations, orders all UN personnel to leave Iraq.[22]
Peter Goldsmith, Attorney General of the UK has set out the legal justification for an invasion of Iraq; [23]
Robin Cook, Leader of the House of Commons, has resigned from the UK cabinet over the plan to invade Iraq; [24], [25]
The UK and the USA have withdrawn a proposed UN Security Council resolution on Iraq; [26]
The United States advised UNMOVIC and the IAEA to withdraw all weapon inspectors out of Iraq; [27]
Iraq disarmament crisis: Japanese prime minister Junichiro Koizumi said that he supports the U.S., U.K., and Spain for ending diplomatic efforts against Iraq. He also indicates no further UN resolution is necessary to invade Iraq. [28]
Accounting scandals: Merrill Lynch, its four former executives and SEC agree to settle the Enron security fraud case for $80 million. It is one of the five largest penalties inposed on security-related civil cases. [29]

March 16, 2003

The United States Department of State ordered non-essential diplomats and embassy dependents out of Kuwait, Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and Damascus.[30]
U.S. President George W. Bush, U.K. Prime Minister Tony Blair, and Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar meet in the Azores, Portugal for a summit on the Iraq disarmament crisis. One British official describes the meeting as the "last chance for diplomacy." In a press conference at the end of the meeting, President Bush states that "We concluded that tomorrow is a moment of truth for the world".
Israeli-Palestinian conflict: Rachel Corrie, a college student from Olympia, Washington and member of the Palestinian International Solidarity Movement, is killed by an Israeli bulldozer when she tries to prevent it as a human shield from demolishing the house of the Palestinian Dr. Samir Masri.
Zoran Zivkovic, a former Interior Minister, was elected by the Democratic Party to succeed the assassinated Prime Minister of Serbia, Zoran Djindjic. He is expected to be elected for Prime Minister in few days at parliament. [31]
Wen Jiabao was elected Premier of China. He replaced Zhu Rongji.
Sponsored by the World Water Council, a Water forum has begun in Kyoto, Japan. [32]
64% of voters in Liechtenstein approved a measure to give Prince Hans-Adam II the power to dismiss governments, approve judicial nominees and veto laws. It is the most power of any monarch in Europe. Hans-Adam had threatened to leave the country if the measure was not approved.

General Francois Bozize dissolved the national legislature of the Central African Republic and declared himself President, one day after his rebel forces took Bangui, the capital.

March 15, 2003

Hu Jintao is elected President of China by the National People's Congress by a vote of 2,937 to 4 with three abstentions. His predecessor, Jiang Zemin, steps down after serving the maximum of two five-year terms.
The World Health Organization issues warnings about an atypical pneumonia of unknown cause, dubbed severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). It was first found in Asia and appears to have originated in Hong Kong. There are fears that unless measures are taken to control SARS, it may become epidemic. [33]
Iraq disarmament crisis: A round of global protests against war on Iraq takes place in cities across the world. [34]
War on Terrorism: Suspected al-Qaida terrorist Yassir al-Jaziri, is arrested in eastern Pakistan. He is believed to be among the leading al-Qaida members wanted by the United States.

March 14, 2003

Osiel Cardenas, a suspected leader of a drug cartel is arrested in Matamoros, Mexico.
Representative James P. Moran, Democrat from Virginia, is forced out of a party leadership post after furor over his remarks that were interpreted as saying that American Jews are responsible for a possible war with Iraq.
Carlos Ortega, labor union leader and opponent of President Hugo Chavez of Venezuela, is granted political asylum at the Costa Rican Embassy in Caracas. Ortega has eluded arrest for three weeks on charges of treason, civil rebellion and "incitement".
Norwegian firefighter Robert Sorlie wins the 1100 mile Anchorage, Alaska to Nome, Alaska Iditarod Trail sled dog race, becoming only the second foreigner and second non-Alaskan to win the race.
Iraq disarmament crisis: Key documents presented as evidence that the US should invade Iraq are revealed as forgeries. The documents stated that Niger was selling 500 tons of uranium to Iraq. One, dated 2000, was on stationery from the military government of the 1980s and referred to a foreign minister who had not been in power for 14 years; another bore a signature of the president of Niger that was an obvious fake. Iraq's supposed acquisition of African uranium was a feature in Colin Powell's speech to the UN Security Council in February and in George W. Bush's State of the Union Address. [35] Senator John Rockefeller asked the FBI to investigate the origin of the documents. Rockefeller expressed concern that the forgeries "may be part of a larger deception campaign aimed at manipulating public opinion and foreign policy regarding Iraq."

March 13, 2003

The United States FDA approves Enfuvirtide (trade name Fuzeon), a new AIDS drug that acts as an entry inhibitor.

March 12, 2003

Elizabeth Smart is found alive, nine months after her disappearance.
Lech Walesa, 1983 Nobel Peace Prize winner, urges the UN Security Council to back the US led war on Iraq.
Zoran Djindjic, Prime Minister of Serbia, is assassinated.
Vicente Fox, president of Mexico, undergoes emergency back surgery for a herniated disk.
The government of Quebec calls an election for April 14. The PQ, PLQ, ADQ, and UFP are in the running.
The CAC 40 Paris index of stock exchange hits a five year low, closing at 2.403,04.
The DAX 30 index of Frankfurt stock exchange hits an eight year low, closing at 2.202,96.
The Nikkei stock average of Tokyo stock exchange hits a 20-year low, closing at 7,862.43.
An Indonesian court convicts Brig.-Gen. Noer Moeis of crimes against humanity and sentences him to five years in prison for failing to prevent massacres in East Timor. [36]
The European Court of Human Rights rules that the Turkish trial of Kurdish leader Abdullah Oçalan was not fair.

March 11, 2003

After 20 years of delay, the Brazilian government has fulfilled its legal commitment to demarcate the lands of the Awá tribe.
Jonathan Ben-Artzi, nephew of Benjamin Netanyahu (former prime minster of Israel), is court martialled for refusing to serve in the Israeli Defence Force on pacifist grounds.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average closes at 7524, a five month low.
The 18 judges of the International Criminal Court are sworn in at The Hague.
Kofi Annan, Secretary General of the United Nations, announces that UN-sponsored talks on the reunification of Cyprus have failed. Cyprus remains a candidate for EU membership and the Greek Cypriot government intends to sign on behalf of the whole island. Analysts suggested that Turkish opposition to unification may hurt Turkey's chances of joining the EU.

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