December, 2005

• 9 December

  Ahmadinejad says Israel should be moved to Europe

  ‘Now that you believe the Jews were oppressed, why should the Palestinian Muslims have to pay the price?’ TEHRAN (AFP) — Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Thursday that if Germany and Austria feel responsible for massacring Jews during World War II, a state of Israel should be established on their …

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• 9 December

  30 die in Baghdad bus bomb week before vote

  BAGHDAD (Reuters) — A suicide bomber killed 30 people and wounded at least 25 on a Baghdad bus Thursday, in a bloody escalation of Iraq’s insurgency a week before elections. The second major suicide bombing in the capital in three days, after a lull of several weeks, snapped attention back …

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• 7 December

  US presses Russia on Iran missile deal

  WASHINGTON (Reuters) — The United States on Monday said Russia’s plans to sell $1 billion in tactical missiles and other arms to Iran would not serve US or regional interests. Moscow announced the sale of tactical surface-to-air missiles and other hardware on Friday, after Washington urged the world to use …

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• 7 December

  Egypt election marathon winds up

  CAIRO (AFP) — Egypt’s monthlong parliamentary elections are due to wind up Wednesday, amid fears of more violence in the final round as security forces continue to round up supporters of the Muslim Brotherhood. With two phases of polling completed, the Islamist movement has already increased its seat tally five-fold …

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• 7 December

  Lebanon vows full probe over mass graves

  BEIRUT (AFP) — Lebanon vowed Tuesday to carry out a full-scale probe into the fate of 30 people whose skeletal remains were found in mass graves at the weekend, and has sought help from the Red Cross. “This is an extremely painful situation, and I have asked the International Committee …

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• 7 December

  Israel targets Islamic Jihad, beefs up security

  OCCUPIED JERUSALEM (AFP) — Israel vowed Tuesday to target the leadership of Islamic Jihad, as victims of a suicide bombing by one of the Palestinian group’s members were laid to rest. Hours later, Jihad expressed its continuing commitment to a truce agreed in March, and said the bombing was in …

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• 7 December

  NATO FMs to discuss Mideast cooperation

  BRUSSELS — Foreign ministers of the 26-member North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) here to hold their annual meeting on Thursday will begin with a special off-the-record session devoted to the Middle East, a senior NATO official said on Monday. “What happens in the Middle East is pivotal. There is a …

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• 7 December

  Insurgents dismiss elections, brace for battle

  BAGHDAD — Election posters promising a stable Iraq cut no ice with men like Abu Mohammed, who runs a women’s clothing boutique in Baghdad’s Adhamiya district by day. By night Abu Mohammed is an insurgent, attacking US military convoys with rocket-propelled grenades and AK-47 assault rifles, fighting Iraqi troops and …

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• 7 December

  Iraq double attack kills 36 police

  BAGHDAD (AFP) — Two Iraqi policewomen killed 36 fellow officers and cadets in a double suicide bombing in Baghdad Tuesday, as insurgents claimed the kidnapping of an American amid further violence just nine days before key elections. The blasts, on the same day that eight other Iraqi security personnel were …

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• 5 December

  Tehran optimistic over talks with EU

  TEHRAN (AP) — Iran said Sunday that a resumption of talks with Europe over Tehran’s controversial nuclear programme could lead to important results. But Foreign Ministry Spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi reiterated that Iran would not accept conditions to the talks, which broke off in August. “If Europeans respect our right, …

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