March, 2006

• 21 March

  Gunmen clash with police across Gaza

  RAMALLAH — Fateh-affiliated gunmen stormed government buildings, briefly took over a power plant and blocked a vital road in the Gaza Strip on Monday, as the coastal strip lurched from humanitarian crisis to security chaos.

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• 19 March

  Hamas announces formation of Cabinet

  RAMALLAH — Hamas yesterday announced it had decided on the next Palestinian Cabinet and will present the names to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas Sunday, two weeks ahead of the deadline. Talks with other Palestinian factions ended Friday with no apparent agreements struck, leaving Hamas no choice but to form a …

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• 19 March

  Iran frees prominent dissident

  TEHRAN (AFP) — Iran’s most prominent political prisoner, dissident Akbar Ganji, was released late Friday night after six years in prison.Visibly thinner and sporting a bushy beard, Ganji smiled and greeted family and friends Saturday but refused to make any comments.

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• 19 March

  Syria Muslim Brotherhood leader scents power

  BRUSSELS — After a quarter of a century in exile, the leader of Syria’s outlawed Muslim Brotherhood scents power after forming a coalition with secular, nationalist, liberal, communist and Kurdish opposition parties.

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• 19 March

  US-Iraqi sweep angers Sunnis

  BAGHDAD (AP) — American and Iraqi troops pushing through a desolate area of Iraq’s Sunni Arab heartland rounded up dozens more suspected insurgents, including alleged killers of a television journalist, US and Iraqi officials said Saturday. The three-day-old sweep through villages 60 miles north of Baghdad stirred growing unease among …

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• 17 March

  Iran ready for talks with US over Iraq

  TEHRAN (AP) — Iran said Thursday it was prepared to talk directly with the United States about Iraq, a major shift for a country that has long avoided negotiations with what it calls the “Great Satan.” The offer appears to reflect the desire by at least some top Iranian officials …

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• 17 March

  World Bank warns of dire outlook for economy

  WASHINGTON (AFP) — The Palestinian economy risks implosion from an Israeli crackdown and threatened cuts in foreign aid following the election victory of Hamas, the World Bank warned Thursday.

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• 17 March

  Iraqi-US forces launch biggest post-war air assault

  BAGHDAD (AP) — US forces, joined by Iraqi troops, on Thursday launched the largest airborne assault in nearly three years, targeting insurgent strongholds north of the capital, the military said.The US military said the offensive dubbed Operation Swarmer was aimed at clearing “a suspected insurgent operating area” northeast of Samarra …

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• 14 March

  Russia scathing on Iran’s nuke diplomacy

  TEHRAN (Reuters) — Iran said on Monday it was still interested in a Russian compromise solution to its nuclear dispute with the West, but Russia’s foreign minister said the Iranians were fouling up Moscow’s diplomatic efforts.”We are extremely disappointed with the way Iran is behaving in the course of these …

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• 14 March

  Hamas to submit new draft gov’t plan

  RAMALLAH — Hamas is set to submit a new draft government programme after talks with Palestinian factions proved inconclusive Monday. Hamas officials, however, vowed that coalition talks would be concluded by the end of the week.

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