September, 2006

• 5 September

  Iraq may sign handover deal by next week

  BAGHDAD (Reuters) — The United States and Iraq hope to sign an agreement by next week to hand operational command of Iraq’s new army to Prime Minister Nuri Maliki, Iraq said on Monday, after wrangles on wording had held up the accord.

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• 5 September

  Olmert shelves West Bank pullout

  OCCUPIED JERUSALEM (AP) — Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert backed away Monday from the unilateral West Bank pullback plan that swept him to power in March, saying that Israel needs to pursue talks with the Palestinians.

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• 5 September

  Annan urges more talks over Iran nuke dispute

  TEHRAN (AP) — UN Secretary General Kofi Annan on Monday urged more talks to resolve Iran’s nuclear standoff with the West even as Tehran’s hardline leadership said it was pleased with his visit and recent European overtures and accused the United States of sabotaging diplomatic efforts.

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• 5 September

  US struggles for new Somalia policy

  NAIROBI — Anarchic Somalia has confounded US foreign policy once again, leaving Washington struggling to find a coherent approach to a state whose internal turmoil threatens to destabilise the Horn of Africa.

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• 5 September

  Djiboutian President Meets the Leader

  September 05, 2006 Visiting Djiboutian President Ismail Omar Guelleh and his accompanying delegation met the Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran Ayatollah Sayyid Ali Khamenei on Tuesday, September 5.

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• 4 September

  Lebanese officials dismiss Israeli calls for peace talks

  BEIRUT (AP) — Italian soldiers moved into southern Lebanon with trucks and armoured vehicles Sunday in the first big wave of a UN troops to monitor a ceasefire between Israel and Hizbollah fighters. Lebanese officials scoffed at an Israeli call for peace talks.

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• 4 September

  Iraq Al Qaeda No. 2 arrested

  BAGHDAD (AP) — Authorities on Sunday announced the capture of Al Qaeda in Iraq’s No. 2 leader, who they blame for “brutal and merciless” terror operations, including the bombing of a Shiite shrine last winter that touched off months of sectarian bloodletting and pushed Iraq towards civil war.

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• 4 September

  Iran snubs Annan over nuke programme

  TEHRAN (AP) — UN Secretary General Kofi Annan found little satisfaction at the close of a two-day visit to Iran on Sunday, snubbed by the country’s leader over international demands for Tehran stop enriching uranium and ignored in warnings not to use questions about the Holocaust to incite hatred.

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• 4 September

  Efforts to release Israeli soldier in Gaza pick up

  GAZA CITY (AFP) — Efforts to free an Israeli soldier captured by fighters in the Gaza Strip appeared to gain speed Sunday with reports that Israel might release hundreds of Palestinian prisoners in exchange for the man.

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• 4 September

  Barzani attacks Arab politicians over Iraqi flag

  ERBIL (AFP) — The president of Iraq’s autonomous Kurdish region launched a scathing attack on Iraqi Arab leaders Sunday over their opposition to his order banning the national flag from public buildings.

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