2007 Events (World)
Former Communist Countries Admitted into European Union (Jan. 1): Romania and Bulgaria's entry expands the European Union to 27 nations and a population of about 490 million.
U.S. Launches Air Strike in Somalia (Jan. 8): Air Force gunship targets suspected al-Qaeda operatives who were forced to flee Mogadishu following Ethiopian airstrikes that routed Islamist militias.
Chávez Moves to Assert Greater Control (Jan. 8): President of Venezuela says he will nationalize the telecommunications and electricity industries.
Somali Leader Arrives in Mogadishu (Jan. 8): President Abdullahi Yusuf enters the capital for the first time since assuming control of the interim government in 2004. Government troops and Ethiopian soldiers recently forced Islamist fighters from the city.
Standoff Follows U.S. Raid of Iranian Office in Iraq (Jan. 11): Troops storm an Iranian diplomatic office in Kurdish-controlled Erbil and detain five people. Kurdish officials are outraged at the move, and about 100 Kurdish troops stop U.S. troops from crossing a checkpoint.
Bangladeshi Leader Declares State of Emergency (Jan. 11): Responding to claims of corruption on the electoral commission and threats by an alliance of political parties to boycott the Jan. 22 election, President Iajuddin Ahmed declares a state of emergency, resigns as head of the interim government, and postpones elections.
Mistake Made in Execution of Iraqi Official (Jan. 15): Barzan Ibrahim al-Tikriti, the half-brother of Saddam Hussein who was also sentenced to death for his role in the 1982 execution of Shiites in Dujail, is decapitated by the noose during his execution.
UN Announces Iraqi Civilian Death Toll (Jan. 16): Tally of death certificates and reports from morgues, hospitals, and other institutions indicates more than 34,000 Iraqi civilians died in 2006.
Toll High in Baghdad Violence (Jan. 16): At least 70 people die when three bombs explode in attacks at the mostly Shiite Mustansiriya University. (Jan. 21): Some 27 U.S. soldiers die over a two-day period in Iraq. (Jan. 22): Nearly 90 people are killed when two car bombs explode in a crowded market at lunchtime. The neighborhood is dominated by Shiites.
Israeli President Suspends Himself (Jan. 25): Parliamentary committee approves Moshe Katsav's request to suspend himself after Israel's attorney general announces that he would indict Katsav on charges of rape, sexual harassment, abuse of power, and other charges. Katsav denies the charges, calling them part of a “witch hunt.”
Billions Pledged for Lebanon at Aid Conference (Jan. 25): At a meeting in Paris, 30 countries promise about $7.6 billion in aid for Lebanon. The conference coincides with deadly violence in Beirut that kills four and wounds about 150 people.
Sinn Fein Votes in Favor of Revamped Police Force (Jan. 28): Sinn Fein endorses a plan to support the police in Northern Ireland. Over 15 years, the composition of the force will change to reflect the population of the province. The vote clears the path to pursue a power-sharing government between Catholic and Protestant parties.
Hundreds Die in Battle in Iraq (Jan. 28): As many as 250 are killed near Najaf as American and Iraqi troops fight with a Shiite militia. An American helicopter is shot down in the battle.
British Police Arrest Nine in Suspected Terrorism Plot (Jan. 31): Suspects, arrested in Birmingham, are accused of plotting to kidnap, torture, and kill a British Muslim soldier.
Chávez Given Enhanced Powers (Jan. 31): Venezuela’s legislature votes to grant the president broad power to enact laws at his discretion.
Nation
NATO, Pakistan discuss closer security cooperation IRNA 30 Jan 2007 -- Pakistani Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz met the Secretary-General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Jaap de Hoop Scheffer in Brussels Tuesday afternoon and discussed military, security, and political cooperation as well as the situation in Afghanistan.
Analysis: Pakistan’s Lack of Border Control cfr.org 24 Jan 2007 -- The frontier between Pakistan and Afghanistan serves as the flashpoint for tensions between the two countries as Kabul grows increasingly critical of Islamabad's seeming inability to control cross-border raids by Islamic militants
Afghanistan: Kabul Sharing Intelligence With Pakistan, NATO RFE/RL 24 Jan 2007 -- The NATO-led force International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), Afghanistan, and Pakistan have set up a joint intelligence-sharing center at ISAF headquarters in Kabul.
Pakistan plans major operation against Taliban: police IRNA 18 Jan 2007 -- Police chief in Pakistan's southwestern Balochistan said on Thursday that a major operation against Taliban suspects will soon be launched in the province.
Pakistan military rejects Afghan charges IRNA 18 Jan 2007 -- Pakistan military on Thursday rejected a claim from a captured Taliban spokesman that it is sheltering the movement's leader, Mullah Omar.
U.S. Intelligence Chief Says Pakistan Must Address 'Sanctuary' For Taliban RFE/RL 18 Jan 2007 -- The head of U.S. intelligence operations says Pakistan must do more to address the "sanctuary" that Taliban fighters enjoy in Pakistan before security can improve in Afghanistan.
Islamabad Denies Mullah Omar Sheltered in Pakistan VOA 18 Jan 2007 -- A Taleban spokesman has told Afghan authorities that the militant Islamic group's leader, Mullah Omar, is living inside Pakistan under the protection of the country's main intelligence agency, the ISI
South Asia: Captured Taliban Fuels Islamabad-Kabul Fire RFE/RL 18 Jan 2007 -- A captured Taliban spokesman, known as Mohammad Hanif, has claimed that the leader of Afghanistan's former Taliban regime is living in Pakistan under the protection of that country's intelligence service.
Pakistan gives detailed plan to settle Siachen conflict IRNA 17 Jan 2007 -- Pakistan has given India a "detailed and comprehensive package" to resolve the conflict over Siachen, the world's highest battleground, Foreign Minister Khurshid Mehmood Kasuri said on Tuesday.
India Says Pakistani Troops Shoot to Cover for Militants VOA 17 Jan 2007 -- Indian border patrol officials say Pakistani forces have fired on Indian personnel, in an attempt to provide cover for militants trying to cross into Indian-controlled Kashmir
Pakistani forces attack militants' compounds IRNA 16 Jan 2007 -- Pakistani forces used helicopter gunships to bomb suspected militant hideouts in the tribal region near the rugged Afghan border early Tuesday, the military said.
Pakistan Army Strikes Al-Qaida Camps Near Afghan Border VOA 16 Jan 2007 -- Pakistan forces launched a powerful airstrike against a series of suspected al-Qaida military camps in the country's tribal region near the Afghan border Tuesday
Pakistan Chooses Raytheon's Proven Air Defense Missiles to Secure Borders Raytheon 15 Jan 2007 -- The country of Pakistan has signed a Letter of Offer and Acceptance for the procurement of 500 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missiles (AMRAAM) - generating the largest single international AMRAAM purchase -- and 200 AIM-9M Sidewinder missiles.
Pakistan Navy to get first P-3C Orion on January 18: Naval Chief IRNA 14 Jan 2007 -- Pakistan Navy (PN) will get the first of eight American-made long-range maritime surveillance aircraft P-3C Orion on January 18, Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Muhammad Afzal Tahir said on Saturday.
Pakistan, India agree to hold a new round of talks IRNA 13 Jan 2007 -- Pakistan and India on Saturday agreed to launch the fourth round of composite dialogue in March, hold official level talks on Siachin and Sir Creek issues, hold joint ministerial commission meeting and complete work on liberalization of the visa regime.
Indian Foreign Minister in Pakistan for Talks VOA 13 Jan 2007 -- Pakistan and India held talks to review progress in their slow-moving three-year-old peace dialogue Saturday
Complexity Marks Pakistan-US Relationship on Counterterrorism VOA 12 Jan 2007 -- Remarks by outgoing U.S. intelligence chief John Negroponte have sparked an angry reaction from Pakistan
Pakistan Rejects US Assertion of New Al-Qaida Headquarters VOA 12 Jan 2007
Pakistani officials sharply reject U.S. comments alleging al-Qaida has re-established its global headquarters in Pakistan
Northrop Grumman to Provide Pakistan Air Force with F-16 Fire Control Radar Systems Northrop Grumman 10 Jan 2007 -- Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE: NOC) has been awarded a contract to provide its advanced AN/APG-68(V)9 airborne fire control radar capability for a total of 52 F-16 fighter aircraft for the Pakistan Air Force.
Pakistan to go ahead with border fencing, mining: spokesperson IRNA 09 Jan 2007
Pakistan said Monday that it would go ahead with selective fencing and mining of its border with Afghanistan and that the army has been tasked to identify problem areas along some 2500 kilometers of the border.
UN calls on Afghanistan, Pakistan to end the war of words and cooperate in fighting Taliban UN News Centre 08 Jan 2007
A senior United Nations official in Afghanistan today called on the Afghan and Pakistani governments to end their mutual recriminations and cooperate in fighting the Taliban insurgency in the south of the war-torn country, saying it is being fuelled from both sides of the border and urging greater action against the rebellion in Pakistan itself.
Pakistan, India to finalize agreement of avoidance nuclear accidents: official IRNA 08 Jan 2007 -- Pakistan and India are working to finalize three agreements including avoidance of nuclear accidents and visa liberalization which will be hopefully signed during the forthcoming visit of the Indian Foreign Minister to Islamabad.
Business/Science/Society
Catholic Church Officials Resign in Poland (Jan. 7): A month after being appointed archbishop by Pope Benedict XVI, Stanislaw Wielgus resigns after admitting to collaborating with the Polish secret police during the Communist era. (Jan. 8): Rev. Janusz Bielanski, the rector of Krakow's Wawel Cathedral, also steps down for his involvement with the Communist Secret Service.
Cancer Deaths Decrease in the United States (Jan. 17): American Cancer Society reports that cancer deaths fell by 3,014 cases from 2003–2004. It's the second consecutive year the number of deaths has dropped.
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