Archive 2002-2003

2003

Bush signals softer line on Iran
The Guardian, 31 Dec 2003
The United States yesterday signalled a dramatic shift in its attitude towards Iran, a country previously branded by President George Bush as part of an "axis of evil".

Syria was conduit for Saddam arms
The Guardian, 31 Dec 2003
A host of companies around the world provided military equipment to Iraq in the run-up to war, sending it mainly through Syria, according to documents discovered in Baghdad.

UN nuclear arms inspectors see Libya's secret sites
The Guardian, 30 Dec 2003
Libya, which unexpectedly renounced weapons of mass destruction this month, was far from producing a nuclear warhead, UN inspectors said yesterday after visiting previously secret sites in Tripoli.

Dangerous buildings, lax rules: why Bam death toll was so high
The Guardian, 27 Dec 2003
Many of those killed by the earthquake in Bam died only because of poor building methods and a lack of proper regulation, an expert on the devastated city said yesterday.

'There is nothing but debris and devastation'
The Guardian, 27 Dec 2003
15,000 feared dead in Iran · Ancient town hit by earthquake · Rescuers scramble to remote area

Israeli army kills eight Palestinians in raid on Gaza camp
The Guardian, 24 Dec 2003
An Israeli army raid in southern Gaza yesterday left eight Palestinians dead in the worst outbreak of violence in two months.

Palestinians attack Egyptian foreign minister during visit to holy site
The Guardian, 23 Dec 2003
Palestinians vented their frustration for the perceived lack of support by Arab countries in their quest for nationhood by attacking the Egyptian foreign minister when he arrived to pray at Islam's third holiest site in Jerusalem yesterday.

New statesman: Gadafy turns reformer
The Guardian, 22 Dec 2003
Is the original comedy terrorist leading Libya down new path?

How Gadafy came in from the cold
The Guardian, 20 Dec 2003
About the time that United States and Britain went to war to remove the alleged threat from weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, they secretly embarked on another project to achieve the same goal in Libya, but by a very different route - that of quiet diplomacy.

Blair hails Libya deal on arms
The Guardian, 20 Dec 2003
Secret negotiations end with Gadafy giving up weapons of mass destruction.

Saudi ban on female doll imports
The Guardian, 18 Dec 2003
Saudi Arabia has banned imports of female dolls and teddy bears, and shopkeepers have been given three months to dispose of any stock. The ban also applies to non-Islamic religious symbols, such as crosses and statues of the Buddha.

A regional peace forecast
The Guardian, 17 Dec 2003
Palestinians and Israelis are weary of conflict but in Iraq it could be just beginning, writes Brian Whitaker .

Chirac and Schröder agree to debt cuts
The Guardian, 17 Dec 2003
Germany and France agreed yesterday to a US request to write off part of Iraq's crippling $120bn (£68bn) debt, despite anger at being frozen out of the Iraqi reconstruction process.

Disbelief turns to quiet satisfaction
The Guardian, 15 Dec 2003
Many shocked by leader's lack of resistance.

Images that went around the world
The Guardian, 15 Dec 2003
Images of Saddam Hussein have saturated Iraqi life for decades, but the footage unveiled at yesterday's press conference in Baghdad showed the nation their former dictator in a condition once barely possible to imagine.

Saudi raids net expat teachers
The Guardian, 8 Dec 2003
A Briton and an American who took diving lessons in the Red Sea are under arrest in Saudi Arabia - apparently as part of a crackdown on terrorism.

Al-Qaida 'targeting Saudi royals'
The Guardian, 11 Nov 2003
A car bomb that killed 17 people and injured 122 in Riyadh at the weekend was part of a campaign by al-Qaida to overthrow the Saudi monarchy, a US official said yesterday.

New wave of terror attacks feared
The Guardian, 10 Nov 2003
Fears were growing last night that a bombing which killed at least 17 people in Saudi Arabia could herald a new wave of attacks by al-Qaida sympathisers throughout the Middle East.

Syria dusts off maps of Golan Heights battlefields following Israeli attack
The Guardian, 10 Nov 2003
Brian Whitaker hears talk in Damascus of a strategy to put the focus on a dangerous area.

Saddam's desperate offers to stave off war
The Guardian, 7 Nov 2003
Washington dismissed Iraq's peace feelers, including elections and weapons pledge, put forward via diplomatic channels and US hawk Perle.

Royal marine killed by Iraqi hostile fire
The Guardian, 5 Nov 2003
A British marine has been killed by hostile fire in Iraq, the Ministry of Defence said yesterday.

Terrorists escape Saudis
The Guardian, 4 Nov 2003
Saudi authorities were tightening security in Mecca last night after an unknown number of suspected al-Qaida militants escaped a botched police raid.

Syrian whispers
The Guardian, 28 Oct 2003
The lack of press freedom in Syria causes more speculative rumour than it prevents, says Brian Whitaker .

Residents foil bomb plot in Baghdad suburb
The Guardian, 24 Oct 2003
US soldiers and Iraqi police prevented a coordinated bomb attack yesterday when they seized three suspected militants, including one thought to be from Syria, on a stretch of road in Baghdad known as "detonation valley".

Syria woos EU in the person of the Spanish king
The Guardian, 21 Oct 2003
Syria lavished its hospitality on the king of Spain yesterday at the start of a state visit which is seen as bolstering the country despite Israeli and American pressure.

Saudis to hold local elections
The Guardian, 14 Oct 2003
Saudi Arabia yesterday announced its first steps towards democracy with a plan for local elections.

Spoils of war
The Guardian, 13 Oct 2003
US plans to sell off Iraqi businesses are simply the modern equivalent of pillage, says Brian Whitaker.

Damascus defiant in face of air strike, but options are limited
The Guardian, 8 Oct 2003
Analysis: Syria's youthful president sounded resolute and defiant yesterday in his first public comment on the Israeli air raid that struck deep into his country's territory.

Zionist settler joins Iraqi to promote trade
The Guardian, 7 Oct 2003
Chalabi's nephew and US lawyer turned rightwing Israeli activist offer help and advice on doing business with Baghdad.

Network error
The Guardian, 29 Sep 2003
Installing a US mobile phone system in Iraq makes little sense and is likely to fuel resentment against the country's US-led administration, argues Brian Whitaker.

Iran woman awaits execution
The Guardian, 27 Sep 2003
An Iranian woman is about to be executed for killing a police chief who allegedly tried to rape her, Amnesty International said yesterday.

Scholar Edward Said dies
The Guardian, 26 Sep 2003
Edward Said - scholar, literary critic and the most eloquent supporter of the Palestinian cause - died in New York yesterday after a long battle against leukaemia. He was 67.

Al-Qaida suspect dies in Saudi raid
The Guardian, 25 Sep 2003
An al-Qaida suspect at the centre of the FBI's recent September 11 anniversary alert has been killed in a shootout with security forces in Saudi Arabia.

Friends of the family
The Guardian, 24 Sep 2003
Companies wishing to make money in post-Saddam Iraq need look no further than an Iraqi uncle and nephew, and their hawkish friends in Washington, writes Brian Whitaker.

200 held in Yemen 'to placate US'
The Guardian, 24 Sep 2003
The US-led "war on terror" has caused a worsening of human rights in Yemen, with the authorities there holding almost 200 people without trial in an effort to placate the Americans, says a report published today.

Lockerbie relatives see UN end Libya sanctions
The Guardian, 13 Sep 2003
The United Nations security council yesterday ended 11 years of sanctions against Libya, clearing the way for 270 families of the Lockerbie bomb victims to each be paid $4m, or £2.5m, compensation.

Bin Laden video is compilation of repeats, says expert
The Guardian, 12 Sep 2003
Experts were puzzling over the latest videotape of Osama bin Laden yesterday in the hope of establishing firm clues which may indicate when and where the recording was made.

Another fine mess
The Guardian, 11 Sep 2003
Post-September 11, George Bush began an unwinnable war on multiple fronts against a nebulous enemy. And two years on, a new study shows, the campaign has had little impact on its targets. Brian Whitaker reports.

The road to peace seems to stretch for generations
The Guardian, 11 Sep 2003
Guardian hosts Israeli and Palestinian journalists' discussion of hopes and fears

Rumsfeld presses for wider Nato action in Afghanistan
The Guardian, 8 Sep 2003
The US defence secretary, Donald Rumsfeld, arrived in Afghanistan yesterday to bolster Hamid Karzai's government in the face of continuing battles with Taliban fighters.

Al-Qaida issues a chilling warning
The Guardian, 8 Sep 2003
A new tape purporting to be from Osama bin Laden's al-Qaida network yesterday threatened an onslaught against Americans so devastating it would obliterate memories of the September 11 suicide attacks.

Student jailed for torturing girl
The Guardian, 6 Sep 2003
Saudi official's son held pregnant teenager for month.

Iraq's fresh start may be another false dawn
The Guardian, 5 Sep 2003
The coalition needs peacemakers not peacekeepers.

Saudi missile haul raises fears of air attack
The Guardian, 5 Sep 2003
Saudi authorities have seized a lorry load of surface-to-air missiles which had been smuggled into the country from Yemen, adding to fears over the safety of aircraft in the kingdom, it was reported yesterday.

British firms set sights on Libya as hopes rise of an end to sanctions
The Guardian, 2 Sep 2003
British firms that had been hoping to do business in Iraq after the fall of Saddam Hussein are switching their attention to Libya as a more promising market.

The Ayatollah: Iraq's archduke?
The Guardian, 1 Sep 2003
The killing of an Iraqi Shia leader could be the event that ignites the country's tensions and causes a regional conflagration, writes Brian Whitaker.

Get real
The Guardian, 26 Aug 2003
Driven by a neo-conservative dream, the US is loath to relinquish control in Iraq. But the price for Washington's stubbornness may be failure, writes Brian Whitaker.

One river's journey through troubled times
The Guardian, 23 Aug 2003
Huge dams have turned the mighty Euphrates into a fraction of its former self - to the fury of countries downstream.

Mystery group says it planted Baghdad bomb
The Guardian, 22 Aug 2003
A previously unknown group has claimed responsibility for the bomb attack on the UN compound in Baghdad that killed at least 23 people, and threatened further attacks.

Pragmatist whose two-state solution cut no ice with Israel
The Guardian, 22 Aug 2003
In the small inner core of Hamas, Ismail Abu Shanab was one of the key decision-makers, but he was also regarded as one of its most pragmatic members.

How the truce was broken
The Guardian, 22 Aug 2003

Bomb type and tactics point to al-Qaida
The Guardian, 21 Aug 2003
As FBI agents launched an investigation into the bombing of the UN headquarters in Iraq, Paul Bremer, the country's top civilian administrator, yesterday highlighted three groups of suspects - Baathist supporters of Saddam Hussein, members of the Iraqi Ansar al-Islam organisation, and foreign Islamist militants.

Easy targets are magnet for Islamic militants
The Guardian, 20 Aug 2003
Though nobody had claimed responsibility for the suicide truck bombing last night, the method of attack suggested that the culprits were more likely to be Islamist militants than disgruntled supporters of Saddam Hussein.

Searching for answers
The Guardian, 18 Aug 2003
The Hutton inquiry is unlikely to discover why Tony Blair chose to support the US invasion of Iraq, writes Brian Whitaker.

US captures Bali bomb suspect
The Guardian, 15 Aug 2003
'Mastermind' of Indonesian bombings detained

Saudi Arabia to question '12,000 citizens'
The Guardian, 15 Aug 2003
Riyadh launches full-scale anti-terrorism sweep as rulers acquiesce to American demands to interrogate long list of potential suspects.

BA halts flights to Saudi amid terror fears
The Guardian, 14 Aug 2003
British Airways yesterday suspended all flights to Saudi Arabia following warnings of an imminent attempt by Islamic militants to shoot down one of its aircraft.

Saudi plane plot uncovered by chance
The Guardian, 14 Aug 2003
The threat to shoot down a British Airways plane in Saudi Arabia came to light apparently by chance after a man drove his car through a checkpoint in Riyadh last Sunday and opened fire when the police gave chase.

Five die in fierce gun battle as violence in Saudi capital mounts
The Guardian, 13 Aug 2003
Saudi security forces were last night fighting a fierce battle with suspected militants in a residential area of the capital, Riyadh.

Islam at the electronic frontier
The Guardian, 11 Aug 2003
Internet porn is popular in Muslim countries but so are online fatwas and 'e-jihad', writes Brian Whitaker.

Saudi system condemned
The Guardian, 9 Aug 2003
Saudi officials claim legal reform is a priority, but human rights groups await evidence of progress on the ground.

Diamond necklace exposed Bhutto money-laundering trail
The Guardian, 8 Aug 2003
Details emerged yesterday of how a £117,000 diamond necklace led to the former Pakistani prime minister Benazir Bhutto and her husband being convicted of money laundering by a Swiss court last week.

Liberian rebels hail truce as victory
The Guardian, 6 Aug 2003
Thousands made to cheer fighters despite humanitarian crisis.

Voice of free Iraq walks out on US
The Guardian, 6 Aug 2003
A broadcaster who became known as "the voice of free Iraq" after the fall of Saddam Hussein has walked out of his job, saying the United States is losing the propaganda war.

Shia u-turn boosts US Iraqi council plan
The Guardian, 9 Jul 2003
US plans to appoint a "governing council" of Iraqis have taken a significant step forward with the decision by one of the leading Shia political groups to drop its opposition and come on board.

The captives of liberation
The Guardian, 2 Jul 2003
Brian Whitaker describes the messy collision of US occupation policy and Iraqi expectations.

Exile claims Saudi prince organised kidnap attempt
The Guardian, 24 Jun 2003
A prominent Saudi dissident who was injured in an attack at his home said yesterday he believed he had been the target of a kidnap attempt instigated by a Saudi prince.

Getting a bad press
The Guardian, 23 Jun 2003
Although there has been an explosion in the number of newspapers in Iraq, the prospects for a free and independent fourth estate are not good, says Brian Whitaker.

Pipeline blast 'was sabotage'
The Guardian, 23 Jun 2003
Second explosion endangers Iraq's economic recovery and raises fears of lengthy US occupation.

Religious police told to smile
The Guardian, 10 Jun 2003
Saudia Arabia's feared religious police are being given special training to "deal effectively and pleasantly with the public", the Jeddah-based daily Arab News reported yesterday.

A bold stride along the road to peace - or a footnote in history?
The Guardian, 4 Jun 2003
President Bush is said not to have a strong grasp of detail on the Middle East. Instead, he has a new strategy: naivety. Stride to peace, or a footnote in history?

Highway to hell
The Guardian, 2 Jun 2003
Heavy metal fans in some Islamic countries don't just fear noise complaints from neighbours. They risk being imprisoned as devil worshippers, writes Brian Whitaker.

As the hunt for weapons gets bigger, the hope of success gets smaller
The Guardian, 30 May 2003
There are now more people in Iraq hunting for weapons of mass destruction than ever before but hopes of finding them are rapidly waning.

Editor who fought Saudi religious zealots sacked
The Guardian, 29 May 2003
The battle between conservatives and reformers in Saudi Arabia heated up yesterday after the sacking of a newspaper editor who campaigned against religious extremism. By Brian Whitaker.

Al-Qaida tape calls for more attacks
The Guardian, 22 May 2003
Recording said to be of senior Bin Laden aide urges Muslims to carry arms against their enemies and emulate the September 11 hijackers.

Censor sensibility
The Guardian, 19 May 2003
From black marker pens to an internet crackdown, Saudi efforts to control the media are flawed and doomed to fail, writes Brian Whitaker.

Three Saudi bombers escaped police
The Guardian, 19 May 2003
Three of the suicide bombers who attacked housing complexes in Saudi Arabia last week were among 19 men who escaped arrest during police raids six days earlier, Prince Nayef, the interior minister, said yesterday.

Four days on, Saudis step up security but most residents have flown their gilded cage
The Guardian, 17 May 2003
Authorities are being forced to end their denial of terrorism.

Saudis face up to life as a soft target of Islamists
The Guardian, 16 May 2003
Interior minister blames terrorist attacks on 'other countries' as civilians realise their vulnerability

29 killed and 194 wounded - the deadly return of al-Qaida
The Guardian, 14 May 2003
Blundering Saudi police let attackers slip through their net.

'Voice of Saddam' urges popular uprising
The Guardian, 8 May 2003
Saddam Hussein has called on the Iraqi people to rise up against US and British forces, according to an audio tape handed to Australian journalists in Baghdad.

Saudi king agrees to human rights panel
The Guardian, 8 May 2003
Saudi Arabia - noted for its floggings, public executions and one of the least transparent justice systems - is to have its first independent human rights organisation.

Road to nowhere
The Guardian, 6 May 2003
The 'road map' for peace between Israel and the Palestinians stands little chance of success unless the international community is willing to enforce compliance, writes Brian Whitaker.

Powell's visit to Damascus helps ease tension
The Guardian, 5 May 2003
There is no threat of an imminent American military attack on Syria, the US secretary of state, Colin Powell, indicated yesterday after returning from Damascus.

'Saddam letter' calls for people's uprising
The Guardian, 1 May 2003
A handwritten letter, said to be from Saddam Hussein, appeared in an Arabic newspaper yesterday urging Iraqis to rise up against occupying US and British forces.

Full text: the Saddam Hussein 'letter'
The Guardian, 30 Apr 2003
This is a translation, from Arabic, of a letter to the Iraqi people allegedly written by the former Iraqi leader, Saddam Hussein.

Government disorientation
The Guardian, 29 Apr 2003
World dispatch: Widespread Middle Eastern repression of homosexuals stems from outdated ideas about the role of the state, reports Brian Whitaker.

Spy chief's capture is 'the biggest catch'
The Guardian, 26 Apr 2003
The capture of a former Iraqi intelligence chief near the Syrian border was hailed by the former CIA chief James Woolsey yesterday as "the biggest catch so far".

Christian outsider in Saddam's inner circle
The Guardian, 25 Apr 2003
Christian outsider in Saddam's inner circle

Saddam's cousin touted oil in Britain
The Guardian, 24 Apr 2003
Iraqi claims MPs name was used to secure deals.

Arab millionaire 'partner' fell out with MP
The Guardian, 24 Apr 2003
A property millionaire named in Iraqi documents as a "partner" of George Galloway fell out with the Labour MP three years ago over a cancelled humanitarian flight to Baghdad.

Documents prompt more questions than answers
The Guardian, 23 Apr 2003
Most intelligence experts claimed yesterday that the documents obtained by the Daily Telegraph are probably the real thing.

Arab go-between rejects claims
The Guardian, 23 Apr 2003
The Jordanian businessman accused of acting as George Galloway's intermediary yesterday dismissed allegations against the Labour MP as "silly nonsense".

A secluded resort, fine for regime leaders looking to get away from it all
The Guardian, 22 Apr 2003
The rumours started when an Israeli website, debka.com, claimed the holiday complex had been booked - "prepaid and chartered" - by Baghdad. The group staying at the hotel "may include Saddam Hussein or his sons, but this is not confirmed," Debka said.

Syria's stark choice
The Guardian, 21 Apr 2003
The Syrian president, Bashar al-Assad, must decide whether to purge prominent figures from his regime or face renewed US wrath, writes Brian Whitaker.

Old guard faces crisis as heat turns on Syria
The Guardian, 18 Apr 2003
At the moment when American forces swept into Baghdad and Iraqis began attacking the symbols of Saddam Hussein's rule, Syrian television interrupted its live coverage of the war to bring viewers a programme about Islamic art and architecture.

Small successes outweighed
The Guardian, 14 Apr 2003
Confusion, looting and tension about Syria overshadow the few achievements of this war, says Brian Whitaker.

Financial scandal claims hang over leader in waiting
The Guardian, 14 Apr 2003
Pentagon's choice to succeed Saddam was found guilty over $200m bank losses.

Will surrender lead to 'smoking gun'?
The Guardian, 13 Apr 2003
It remains to be seen if the senior weapons adviser who surrendered to the US will reveal the locations for Iraq's weapons of mass destruction, writes Brian Whitaker

Tribal leaders may get local powers
The Guardian, 12 Apr 2003
A few months after the 1991 Gulf war, Saddam Hussein welcomed Iraq's tribal leaders to an audience in his palace. He apologised for agrarian reforms that had angered them and offered reconciliation.

Free to do bad things
The Guardian, 12 Apr 2003
Daily briefing: War leaders are trying to damp down bad news coming out of Iraq, writes Brian Whitaker.

Regimes who worry that they will be next
The Guardian, 11 Apr 2003
Fears that Iraq may not be the last American target have been raised by bellicose statements from the Pentagon and US neo-conservatives directed against other members of the "axis of evil" and the so-called "states of concern".

Fears for the future
The Guardian, 11 Apr 2003
The assassination of a revered Shia Muslim cleric is symptomatic of the growing uncertainty following recent celebrations in Baghdad, says Brian Whitaker.

Symbolic in more ways than one
The Guardian, 10 Apr 2003
The toppling of a giant Baghdad statue of Saddam Hussein, and the part the US played in it, provided plenty to think about, says Brian Whitaker.

Fear vanishes as Saddam's elite flees
The Guardian, 10 Apr 2003
Sight of US troops on the streets finally confirmed rumours that Saddam's regime had collapsed.

Arab fears will delay recognition
The Guardian, 10 Apr 2003
Arab states, grappling to adjust to the fall of Saddam Hussein's regime, are unlikely to recognise a new Iraqi government for at least several months, diplomatic sources said yesterday.

Is this the end?
The Guardian, 9 Apr 2003
There's looting and celebration in Baghdad, but the battle may not yet be over, writes Brian Whitaker.

Three die in attacks on media bases
The Guardian, 9 Apr 2003
US forces were accused of targeting the news media last night after three journalists died in two separate attacks in Baghdad. By Rory McCarthy

Fury at US as attacks kill three journalists
The Guardian, 9 Apr 2003
The Arab satellite television channel al-Jazeera is to pull its reporters out of Iraq after one of them was killed during a US air raid on Baghdad. By Suzanne Goldenberg, Rory McCarthy, Jonathan Steele and Brian Whitaker.

Arab world riven by fury and despair
The Guardian, 9 Apr 2003
Sense of humiliation matched by thoughts of revenge.

Speculation mounts over Saddam's fate
The Guardian, 8 Apr 2003
A warplane has destroyed a house in Baghdad that US officials say they believe was being used by Saddam Hussein and his sons.

US forces enter heart of Baghdad
The Guardian, 7 Apr 2003
As troops reach the centre of the Iraqi capital for the first time, resistance on the ground seems to have been limited, says Brian Whitaker

Pick and mix
The Guardian, 6 Apr 2003
April 6: The US may decide to attack one area of Baghdad at a time instead of launching an all-out assault, says Brian Whitaker.

Back from the dead
The Guardian, 5 Apr 2003
The apparent reappearance of Saddam Hussein sends a firm message to Iraqis - he's still in charge, says Brian Whitaker

But is it really him?
The Guardian, 5 Apr 2003
Iraqi television last night showed Saddam Hussein - or possibly a lookalike - on an impromptu walkabout in a suburb of Baghdad.

The fight for the airport
The Guardian, 4 Apr 2003
The US claims to have captured Saddam international airport, but the battle for control is far from over, writes Brian Whitaker.

Hawkish lawyer to oversee Iraqi ministries
The Guardian, 4 Apr 2003
A Pentagon lawyer who sought to have US citizens imprisoned indefinitely without charge as part of the war on terrorism will supervise civil administration in Iraq once Saddam Hussein is removed.

Beyond Baghdad
The Guardian, 2 Apr 2003
As the assault on the Iraqi capital looms, machinations about the country's future are already under way, writes Brian Whitaker.

Doubts over Saddam's health as minister reads president's speech
The Guardian, 2 Apr 2003
Saddam Hussein told the Iraqi people last night that jihad (struggle) was a religious duty and urged them to fight invading US and British troops wherever they found them, in a message read out on television.

US disputes cloud postwar plans
The Guardian, 2 Apr 2003
Plans to set up a US-controlled government to rule Iraq after the removal of Saddam Hussein have become embroiled in a series of rows involving the state department, the Pentagon and Iraqi opposition groups.

'You didn't fire a warning shot soon enough!'
The Guardian, 1 Apr 2003
A journalist's account of the killing of a car full of Iraqi civilians by US soldiers differs widely from the official military version, says Brian Whitaker.

US draws up secret plan to impose regime on Iraq
The Guardian, 1 Apr 2003
A disagreement has broken out at a senior level within the Bush administration over a new government that the US is secretly planning in Kuwait to rule Iraq in the immediate aftermath of the overthrow of Saddam Hussein.

Dissent grows over war strategy
The Guardian, 31 Mar 2003
As militants try to 'Islamise' the conflict in Iraq, questions are being asked about how the war was planned and how it is being fought, writes Brian Whitaker.

Air strikes target Republican Guards
The Guardian, 31 Mar 2003
Round-the-clock air strikes hammered Baghdad again yesterday as the US sought to break the Special Republican Guard units protecting the city.

15 injured as truck runs into US soldiers at base
The Guardian, 31 Mar 2003
A pick-up truck ploughed into a group of US soldiers near a military base in Kuwait yesterday, adding further to security fears in the Gulf state that serves as the main staging post for the invasion of Iraq.

Threat to 'enemy territory'
The Guardian, 30 Mar 2003
As suicide a bomber claims soldiers' lives, Iraq's vice-president has threatened similar attacks in the US and Britain.

Unfinished business
The Guardian, 28 Mar 2003
Richard Perle's resignation highlights questions over US economic involvement in postwar Iraq, writes Brian Whitaker.

US resorts to landing troops by air
The Guardian, 27 Mar 2003
US military leaders hope the creation of a northern front in Iraq will ease other problems in a conflict that is not exactly going according to plan, says Brian Whitaker.

Television agendas shape images of war
The Guardian, 27 Mar 2003
Broadcasting: US broadcasting focuses on patriotism, Arabs see horrors, British have eyes on west and Iraq favours Saddam.

Iran rallies militia for border show of force
The Guardian, 27 Mar 2003
Thousands of members of an Iranian militia have held a rally on their country's border with Iraq in what appears to have been a muscle-flexing gesture.

British forces support Basra 'uprising'
The Guardian, 26 Mar 2003
News of a battlefield victory and a 'popular uprising' yesterday came just at the right time for prime-time news bulletins in the US and Britain, writes Brian Whitaker.

US missile kills five Syrians on bus
The Guardian, 25 Mar 2003
Second attack within days.

Towards Baghdad
The Guardian, 25 Mar 2003
Both sides proclaim the coalition's increasing proximity to the Iraqi capital as good news, writes Brian Whitaker.

Setbacks shake precision planning
The Guardian, 24 Mar 2003
Coalition operations have been hit by losses and heavier Iraqi resistance than had been expected, writes Brian Whitaker.

Flags in the dust
The Guardian, 24 Mar 2003
Although coalition forces may be winning the military battle on land and in the air, political incompetence means that Iraq is winning the battle of hearts and minds, writes Brian Whitaker.

Al-Jazeera causes outcry with broadcast of battle casualties
The Guardian, 24 Mar 2003
Arab satellite channel Al-Jazeera has caused a new furore by broadcasting blood-and-guts images from the invasion of Iraq. By Brian Whitaker.

Al-Jazeera screens gruesome footage of battle casualties
The Guardian, 24 Mar 2003
Al-Jazeera, the Arab satellite channel which angered the United States with its coverage of the Afghan war, has caused a new furore by broadcasting blood-and-guts images from the invasion of Iraq.

Ground war is well under way
The Guardian, 21 Mar 2003
With reports of US tanks advancing through the desert to Baghdad, coalition forces, meeting little resistance from the Iraqi army, have captured the southern port of Umm Qasr, reports Brian Whitaker.

Defiant Saddam broadcasts poetic vow to crush the enemy
The Guardian, 21 Mar 2003
Looking tired and puffy-faced, his moustache a little greyer than usual, Saddam Hussein appeared on television early yesterday to dispel any idea that he was killed in the American assassination attempt.

Rising anger grips the Middle East
The Guardian, 21 Mar 2003
Amid growing anger in the Arab world, anti-war protesters clashed with riot police in Cairo yesterday, hurling stones and metal barricades and shouting slogans against Arab leaders as well as the US.

Assassination attempt alters battle plan
The Guardian, 20 Mar 2003
US assault begins with 'decapitation strike' rather than blitzkrieg as Bush is told of chance to kill Saddam, writes Brian Whitaker.

IRAQ WAR DIARY
19 March – 14 April 2003
A daily commentary for the Guardian's website

Earplugs sell out in Iraq
The Guardian, 19 Mar 2003
People in Baghdad prepare for war while members of the "coalition of the willing" show their colours, writes Brian Whitaker.

Western deaths spark Middle East terror alert
The Guardian, 19 Mar 2003
Saudis suggest link to al-Qaida after arms find.

Concessions of a dangerous mind
The Guardian, 17 Mar 2003
While Tony Blair may believe he has transformed President Bush's thinking on the Israeli-Palestinian peace plan, Ariel Sharon can remain confident that nothing has really changed, says Brian Whitaker.

Saddam keeps defence in the family as country moves to war footing
The Guardian, 17 Mar 2003
Iraq moved on to a war footing yesterday, signalling that Saddam Hussein believes there is now little or no chance of staving off a US-led invasion.

Mortal fear rules Saddam's inner circle
The Guardian, 17 Mar 2003
Years of terror mean president has nowhere to turn for advice.

UK proposes six weapons tests for Saddam
The Guardian, 13 Mar 2003
Britain yesterday put forward six tests that Saddam Hussein must meet in order to avoid war in an attempt to win a new resolution on Iraq.

Spy planes recalled after Iraqi protest
The Guardian, 12 Mar 2003
The dispute about Iraqi non-cooperation with weapons inspectors flared again yesterday when two U2 spy planes were recalled from surveillance missions because of complaints from Baghdad.

Chirac promises to use veto but Putin faces dilemma
The Guardian, 11 Mar 2003
France and Russia confirmed last night that they would use their right of veto against the proposed new resolution tabled in the UN security council by Britain, the US and Spain.

Russia and France promise to use veto
The Guardian, 11 Mar 2003
Russia and France confirmed last night that they would use their right of veto against the proposed new resolution tabled in the UN security council by Britain, the US and Spain.

Opposition attracts
The Guardian, 10 Mar 2003
Public opinion in the Middle East is increasingly backing western critics of a war in Iraq, and questioning the region's own leaders. Brian Whitakerexplains.

Hunt for Bin Laden closes in on its prey
The Guardian, 8 Mar 2003
Long, slow series of arrests brings capture or death of world's most wanted a step closer each time.

US troops seen at key Saudi airport
The Guardian, 7 Mar 2003
Hundreds of American troops have taken control of a civilian airport in Saudi Arabia, close to the border with Iraq, according to a witness. The move - which has not been officially confirmed - calls into question the kingdom's public statements that it will not facilitate a military strike against the Baghdad regime.

Right takes centre stage
The Guardian, 4 Mar 2003
Brian Whitaker looks at the influence of rightwing theorists on US policy in the Middle East.

Divided Arab League sets up 'peace' tour
The Guardian, 3 Mar 2003
Arab diplomats were laying plans yesterday for a peace-making tour that will include both Washington and Baghdad.

Arab Emirates leader calls for Saddam to quit
The Guardian, 2 Mar 2003
An Arab ruler yesterday broke a long-standing taboo of silence by calling for Saddam Hussein to step down to avert a conflict.

Wargames open with clandestine broadcasts
The Guardian, 25 Feb 2003
Psychological assault led by 'RadioTikrit'.

Conflict and catchphrases
The Guardian, 24 Feb 2003
Brian Whitaker explains what 'creative destruction' and 'total war' mean in the context of current US foreign policy.

'I think it will be over fairly swiftly'
The Guardian, 24 Feb 2003
As the media gear up for war, even if the government is playing it down, Kate Watson-Smyth and Brian Whitaker profile the journalists, pundits and briefers tipped to become household names.

Defiance on missiles could be war trigger
The Guardian, 21 Feb 2003
Lack of movement on disarmament reflects hardening of Iraqi stance in face of inspectors' planned order to destroy weapons.

90 Saudis charged for al-Qaida links
The Guardian, 19 Feb 2003
Saudi Arabia, which has often denied having an al-Qaida presence on its soil, announced yesterday that at least 90 citizens will be prosecuted for links to Osama bin Laden's terrorist network.

Exiles cited by PM are backed by Iran
The Guardian, 19 Feb 2003
From his lectern yesterday and his conference podium on Saturday, Tony Blair has flourished a succession of letters and emails from Iraqi exiles as proof that a war to remove Saddam is supported in at least one quarter.

Poodle power
The Guardian, 17 Feb 2003
Far from being the subservient partner in the transatlantic relationship, many Arabs believe that Britain actually holds the key to preventing a US-led invasion of Iraq, writes Brian Whitaker.

Inspectors' report: the questions still to be answered
The Guardian, 15 Feb 2003
Analysis: More progress made but suspicions linger as concessions fall short of hoped-for cooperation.

US already knew of Bin Laden tape
The Guardian, 13 Feb 2003
The US knew about the latest Osama bin Laden tape five days before it was broadcast by the Qatar-based TV station al-Jazeera, according to a US intelligence source.

Bin Laden urges suicide attacks on US
The Guardian, 12 Feb 2003
Osama bin Laden last night returned to haunt America in the midst of preparations for a war in Iraq, when a new tape attributed to the al-Qaida leader was broadcast on the leading Arab television network, urging Iraqis to carry out suicide attacks against the United States.

Bin Laden offers tips to defend Iraq
The Guardian, 12 Feb 2003
Al-Jazeera, the Arab satellite channel that specialises in Osama bin Laden scoops, was itself scooped yesterday by the US secretary of state, Colin Powell.

Death of pilgrims casts cloud over hajj
The Guardian, 12 Feb 2003
Fourteen Muslims were trampled to death in Mecca yesterday, the latest tragedy to sadden the annual pilgrimage to the holy city.

Blair: we will not be put off by UN
The Guardian, 7 Feb 2003
PM faces critics and makes the case for war.

UK war dossier a sham, say experts
The Guardian, 7 Feb 2003
British 'intelligence' lifted from academic articles.

Iraqi climbdown on interviews
The Guardian, 7 Feb 2003
Iraq's decision last night to let weapons inspectors interview one of its scientists for the first time without government "minders" signalled that Baghdad may be bending under international pressure.

We will not be deflected by UN, Blair tells sceptics
The Guardian, 7 Feb 2003
An impassioned Tony Blair went on the offensive last night in a fresh attempt to persuade a sceptical British public that an American-led war against Iraq would be justifiable if Saddam Hussein refuses to cooperate fully with the United Nations weapons inspectors.

Battle station
The Guardian, 7 Feb 2003
Not everyone approves of TV channel al-Jazeera's controversial output - and it struggles to survive. Brian Whitaker reports from its HQ in Doha.

Powell's evidence against Saddam: does it add up?
The Guardian, 6 Feb 2003
Experts find some allegations on chemicals and nuclear weapons 'striking and significant'.

Jarallah Omar al-Kuhali
The Guardian, 4 Feb 2003
Yemeni socialist leader committed to his country's unity.

An engineered crisis
The Guardian, 27 Jan 2003
January 27: The desire for hegemony over the Middle East - not Iraq's weaponry or even its oil - is America's real motivation for war, writes Brian Whitaker.

Iraq: no nuclear evidence
The Guardian, 25 Jan 2003
Blow to US hawks as inspectors draw blank.

Dual crisis looms for millions in Iraq
The Guardian, 23 Jan 2003
Millions of Iraqis could face hunger and disease if the country's fragile infrastructure collapses during an American-led invasion, humanitarian agencies warned yesterday.

American killed in Kuwait ambush
The Guardian, 22 Jan 2003
Shooting: Attack leaving second man wounded raises new fears

'Bin Laden' urges Muslims to unite
The Guardian, 20 Jan 2003
A new document apparently signed by Osama bin Laden urges Muslims to stop fighting each other and unite against the "crusader coalition" attacking the Islamic world.

UK sees terrorism threat on Zanzibar
The Guardian, 16 Jan 2003
Britain yesterday warned tourists seeking winter sunshine in Zanzibar that an "international terrorist group" may be planning an attack on the Indian ocean island owned by Tanzania.

Yemen interrogation links hospital killings to Islamist cell
The Guardian, 2 Jan 2003
The Yemeni authorities investigating the murder of three American missionaries have arrested "scores" of Islamist militants, a security official said yesterday.

US watching al-Qaida's fleet
The Guardian, 1 Jan 2003
Spy satellites and surveillance planes are being used by US intelligence to track about 15 cargo ships which it believes are owned or controlled by al-Qaida, it was reported yesterday.

Weapons teams discover nothing
The Guardian, 1 Jan 2003
UN inspection teams in Iraq have found "zilch" so far, but have had little help from intelligence agencies to guide them in their hunt for illicit weapons, one of the inspectors said yesterday.

2002

Three US missionaries shot dead in Yemen
The Guardian, 31 Dec 2002
A militant Muslim seeking to "get closer" to God shot dead three American missionaries and wounded a fourth at a Baptist hospital in Yemen yesterday.

Iran's reformers face divine wrath, warns cleric
The Guardian, 24 Dec 2002
A hardline cleric predicted yesterday that Iran's reform-minded President Mohammad Khatami and his supporters will be "demolished" if they press ahead with moves to increase presidential powers.

The papers that cried wolf
The Guardian, 16 Dec 2002
Brian Whitaker looks at how the American media are softening up public attitudes to war with Iraq.

Opposition groups map the post-Saddam landscape
The Guardian, 13 Dec 2002
Leaders in exile meet to agree joint manifesto.

Sailing on, the ship with a hold full of Scud missiles
The Guardian, 12 Dec 2002
US forced to let North Korean arms go free.

Poisoning the air
The Guardian, 9 Dec 2002
US reports of Iraqi stockpiles of nerve gas antidote should be treated with a healthy dose of scepticism, warns Brian Whitaker.

'Al-Qaida tape' lays claim to Kenyan attacks
The Guardian, 9 Dec 2002
Osama bin Laden's al-Qaida network has claimed responsibility for the twin attacks in Kenya last month, according to a tape broadcast by the Gulf television station al-Jazeera yesterday.

Cautious Saddam pins his hopes on delaying tactics
The Guardian, 9 Dec 2002
President shows signs of taking shrewder line.

Analysts seek answers on arms and sites
The Guardian, 9 Dec 2002
Experts beginning their analysis of Iraq's declaration document will have two key tasks.

Qatar exercise signals US plan for Iraq battle
The Guardian, 2 Dec 2002
In a thinly-veiled rehearsal for war in Iraq, the United States is preparing an unprecedented military exercise in Qatar to test its command structure.

Iraq inspections 'could last a year'
The Guardian, 2 Dec 2002
Warning by world's leading expert is likely to rankle with hawks in Washington.

Swiss scientists 95% sure that Bin Laden recording was fake
The Guardian, 30 Nov 2002
Scientists in Switzerland say they are almost certain that a recent audio tape attributed to Osama bin Laden is a fake.

Allies strive for Arab hearts and minds
The Guardian, 30 Nov 2002
Britain issues new dossier on Iraq's human rights record · US cranks up propaganda machine

Weapons inspectors fear their HQ may be bugged
The Guardian, 29 Nov 2002
On the second day of the hunt for illicit weapons in Iraq, UN inspectors again found Iraqi officials well-prepared for their "surprise" visits.

Saudis react with fury to American accusations of funding al-Qaida
The Guardian, 28 Nov 2002
A row between the US and Saudi Arabia over the funding of terrorism turned into a no-holds-barred battle yesterday, when the kingdom unleashed the fury of its normally state-restrained media against Washington.

Four years on, UN team back in Iraq
The Guardian, 26 Nov 2002
The first team of UN inspectors landed in Baghdad yesterday to resume their search for chemical, biological and nuclear weapons after a four-year interruption.

Fighting talk
The Guardian, 25 Nov 2002
As weapons inspectors finally return to Iraq, Brian Whitaker finds Egypt veering between optimism and fatalism.

US nurse shot dead in Lebanon
The Guardian, 22 Nov 2002
A woman was shot dead and two soldiers were seriously wounded in two separate attacks on Americans in the Middle East yesterday.

Saudis admit to al-Qaida threat as 100 are held
The Guardian, 21 Nov 2002
Saudi Arabia, normally reluctant to admit to an al-Qaida presence on its soil, conceded yesterday that it had detained more than 100 people and questioned 700.

Great views, only a few cockroaches
The Guardian, 18 Nov 2002
Brian Whitaker on poodles, ants and washing powder - the trials of moving into his new Cairo flat.

Threats close UK Yemen embassy
The Guardian, 18 Nov 2002
Britain's embassy in Yemen has been closed to the public amid evidence that Osama bin Laden's al-Qaida network is shifting its focus towards attacking allies of the US.

Saddam's move could split hawks and doves
The Guardian, 14 Nov 2002
Iraq's early acceptance of resolution 1441 is seen as helpful by some and as suspicious by others.

Jordan isolates dissident town
The Guardian, 12 Nov 2002
Jordanian authorities yesterday imposed a clampdown on reports of violence from the southern town of Maan amid fears that the Hashemite kingdom could become the first casualty of a possible war with Iraq.

UK expects Iraq to fail arms tests
The Guardian, 11 Nov 2002
The British government is preparing for war against Iraq on the growing assumption that Saddam Hussein will fail to disclose his full weapons armoury.

To war or not to war
The Guardian, 11 Nov 2002
The possibility of military action depends on what Iraq has to hide and the Bush administration's underlying intentions, says Brian Whitaker.

Syria makes a virtue of a necessity
The Guardian, 9 Nov 2002
When it came to the crunch, Syria - traditionally regarded as one of the most stubborn and hardline Arab countries - cast a "yes" vote, along with the rest of the security council, though it had been widely expected to abstain.

Saddam defiant as the countdown starts
The Guardian, 8 Nov 2002
Regime secretly sees inspections as way to call Bush's bluff.

Killing probes the frontiers of robotics and legality
The Guardian, 6 Nov 2002
'War on terror' tag allows US to attack anywhere, lawyer argues.

CIA missile kills al-Qaida suspects
The Guardian, 5 Nov 2002
The United States yesterday admitted its involvement in the assassination of six alleged suspected al-Qaida members in Yemen, saying that a car carrying the suspects was hit by a missile fired by a CIA drone in an attack on Sunday.

Al-Qaida suspect killed in Yemen car blast
The Guardian, 5 Nov 2002
A leading al-Qaida suspect, hunted in Yemen for more than a year, died along with five others when the weapons-laden car in which they were travelling exploded, officials in the capital, Sana'a, said yesterday.

Sharon puts hardliner in defence post
The Guardian, 1 Nov 2002
Ariel Sharon has named as his new defence minister a former army chief of staff who is under investigation by Scotland Yard for alleged war crimes in the occupied territories.

Endless suffering of chemical gas victims
The Guardian, 31 Oct 2002
Mohammed Nejad will always remember the day Iraqi planes dropped their chemical weapons and ruined his life. He was a soldier in the Iranian army during the bitter eight-year war with Iraq.

Inside the 'axis of so-and-so'
The Guardian, 28 Oct 2002
Although Iran is often portrayed as a hardline theocracy, there is a vibrancy about its society that is rarely found in its Arab neighbours, writes Brian Whitaker.

Tehran sets its terms for US-led action
The Guardian, 25 Oct 2002
Iran wants a say in future regime.

Bin Laden links to Saudi ambassador
The Guardian, 19 Oct 2002
Saudi Arabia has nominated its former intelligence chief, who had several meetings with Osama bin Laden, to be its next ambassador in London.

BBC in press freedom row with Israel
The Guardian, 19 Oct 2002
The BBC has become embroiled in a dispute about accreditation for Palestinian journalists covering the Middle East conflict, a further souring of relations between international media organisations and the Israeli authorities.

Tanker blast was work of terrorists
The Guardian, 17 Oct 2002
The blast that ripped open a French oil tanker in the Gulf of Aden last week was caused by terrorists, Yemen's interior minister confirmed last night.

X marks the despot
The Guardian, 16 Oct 2002
Bombing Iraq into democracy could well prove counterproductive, writes Brian Whitaker.

Alleged Bin Laden letter revels in recent attacks
The Guardian, 15 Oct 2002
American forces in Kuwait came under fire yesterday for the third time in a week as a TV station broadcast a message, said to come from Osama bin Laden, praising recent attacks.

Is this British-trained woman at the heart of a germ warfare plot?
The Guardian, 25 Sep 2002
She is a 46-year-old mother with a PhD from the University of East Anglia ... and she takes up more space in Tony Blair's Iraq dossier than either of Saddam Hussein's two sons.

Blair calls for conference on Middle East peace
The Guardian, 25 Sep 2002
Tony Blair yesterday called for a new conference to revive the Middle East peace process, signalling his personal view that the Israeli-Palestinian crisis must be tackled at the same time as Iraq.

Saddam's chosen son handed twin task of protection and concealment
The Guardian, 25 Sep 2002
Saddam Hussein may have delegated authority over chemical and biological weapons to his younger son, Qusai, although the president retains ultimate control over their use.

Nothing doing
The Guardian, 24 Sep 2002
A new Palestinian report on UN resolutions exposes the double standards at the heart of Bush's rationale for action against Iraq, says Brian Whitaker.

Campaign to indict Baghdad leadership stalls
The Guardian, 24 Sep 2002
British moves to indict leading members of the Baghdad regime for crimes against humanity have floundered amid Whitehall buck-passing.

Loyalty of Iraq's elite in doubt
The Guardian, 20 Sep 2002
Elite forces from Iraq's Republican Guard may not be called upon to protect Saddam Hussein in the event of an American attack - for fear that they might turn against him.

US elite force gets ready for Yemen raid
The Guardian, 19 Sep 2002
The United States is deploying special forces and CIA agents in the Horn of Africa area in an operation that appears to be aimed against al-Qaida members in Yemen.

Weapons checks face tough hurdles
The Guardian, 18 Sep 2002
UN's man hopes to avoid 'unnecessary provocations' as a former inspector warns of Baghdad's cat and mouse tactics.

Baghdad decision praised by Arabs
The Guardian, 18 Sep 2002
The Arab world yesterday welcomed Iraq's decision to accept the return of weapons inspectors but remained wary of problems ahead.

Saddam's kitchen cabinet keeps quiet
The Guardian, 17 Sep 2002
The decisions Saddam Hussein takes over the next few days after holding a rare, day-long meeting with his inner circle are likely to determine his own fate and that of his regime.

Saudis put heat on Saddam
The Guardian, 16 Sep 2002
Heat on Iraq as Saudis say US may use bases.

Dictator's choice
The Guardian, 10 Sep 2002
It appears that the only person who can now avert war in Iraq is Saddam Hussein. But he will probably find the necessary sacrifices unacceptable, says Brian Whitaker.

Bin Laden voice on video, says TV channel
The Guardian, 10 Sep 2002
Al-Qaida formally claimed responsibility for the September 11 attacks on the US in a video broadcast last night on Arab satellite channel al-Jazeera. By Brian Whitaker.

Playing skittles with Saddam
The Guardian, 3 Sep 2002
The gameplan among Washington's hawks has long been to reshape the Middle East along US-Israeli lines, writes Brian Whitaker.

Attack on Iraq would create chaos in Middle East, Egypt cautions US
The Guardian, 28 Aug 2002
An American attack on Iraq could plunge the Middle East into chaos, the Egyptian president, Hosni Mubarak, warned yesterday, 24 hours after the US vice-president, Dick Cheney, issued a call for pre-emptive military action.

Mystery of Abu Nidal's death deepens
The Guardian, 22 Aug 2002
The questions about Abu Nidal's death multiplied yesterday when the Palestinian guerrilla leader's organisation dismissed Iraqi claims that he committed suicide and alleged that he had been assassinated.

Selective Memri
The Guardian, 12 Aug 2002
Brian Whitaker investigates whether the 'independent' media institute that translates the Arabic newspapers is quite what it seems

Saddam woos Arab friends and enemies
The Guardian, 10 Aug 2002
As the US fights an uphill battle to win support for an invasion of Iraq, Baghdad has been quietly gathering declarations of sympathy - if not outright support - in the Middle East and beyond.

Iraq plans urban warfare to thwart US
The Guardian, 9 Aug 2002
Saddam Hussein has told his regional officials to expect urban warfare if American forces invade, according to information received by US intelligence.

We're not frightened, defiant Saddam tells world
The Guardian, 9 Aug 2002
In a defiant televised speech to the Iraqi people, Saddam Hussein yesterday called on the UN to respect its own resolutions, and warned that anyone who attacks Iraq will die in "disgraceful failure".

Atrocity stories regain currency
The Guardian, 8 Aug 2002
Amid growing war fever, a gruesome tale of Iraqi brutality has gained a new lease of life, four years after it was first published.

Saudis will not aid US war effort
The Guardian, 8 Aug 2002
Saudi Arabia, the main launch pad for the 1991 war against Iraq, has made clear to Washington that it will not allow US forces to use its territory for a new attack, the foreign minister, Prince Saud al-Faisal, said yesterday.

Opposition to attack mounts up
The Guardian, 7 Aug 2002
Labour MPs opposed to British participation in a US-led war against Saddam Hussein's regime in Iraq believe opposition to such a conflict is far wider across all parties than in recent disputed conflicts.

Blair is our last hope, says Iraq
The Guardian, 7 Aug 2002
Iraq is making an increasingly desperate round of diplomatic moves aimed at staving off an American invasion, focusing its efforts on Britain which it believes holds the key to preventing war.

War games
The Guardian, 5 Aug 2002
Iraq can play the victim card in a bid to stave off a US attack, but America's momentum could prove unstoppable, writes Brian Whitaker.

Delicate balancing act for man in the middle
The Guardian, 3 Aug 2002
Invited to Baghdad for talks on weapons inspections, 74-year-old Hans Blix faces what may prove the toughest mission of his long career. The outcome of the Swedish diplomat's conversation may decide whether another war is waged on Iraq.

Serious offer or just an attempt to buy time?
The Guardian, 3 Aug 2002
Analysis: Iraq's invitation to Hans Blix, the chief weapons inspector, for talks in Baghdad represents a setback for Washington hawks.

UN report details West Bank wreckage
The Guardian, 2 Aug 2002
Banned by Israel, Kofi Annan's fact-finders were left with only second-hand accounts of the spring invasion.

Peace is possible in Israel
The Guardian, 29 Jul 2002
A solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is within grasp, if hardliners on both sides could just reach out and grab it, writes Brian Whitaker.

Iraq opposition aims for territorial base
The Guardian, 26 Jul 2002
The US-funded Iraqi opposition will today announce plans to set up a provisional government "on any free ground" in Iraq.

Sharon hails raid as great success
The Guardian, 24 Jul 2002
Israel faced searing international criticism yesterday after an airstrike which tore into a teeming neighbourhood of Gaza City, killing a Palestinian militant leader as well as nine children.

Volunteers eager to replace lost leader
The Guardian, 24 Jul 2002
With the killing of Salah Shehada, Hamas has lost one of its seven founding fathers and also the leader of its military wing, the Izzadine al-Qassem brigades.

Jordan prince touted to succeed Saddam
The Guardian, 19 Jul 2002
As US officials and Iraqi opposition groups squabble over possible successors to Saddam Hussein, Prince Hassan of neighbouring Jordan is emerging as a surprise contender.

Saddam taunts 'evil tyrants' in 4,000-word tirade
The Guardian, 18 Jul 2002
Even by the extravagant standards of Saddam Hussein, it was the mother of speeches - a 4,000-word tirade against "devils" and "oppressors", wrapped in a cloak of religious piety.

US in talks rift over Arafat's future role
The Guardian, 17 Jul 2002
The United States failed to head off disagreements about the future of Yasser Arafat yesterday at a meeting of the "quartet" of Middle East mediators in New York.

Israel urges Egypt to forget Arafat
The Guardian, 16 Jul 2002
Israel renewed its efforts yesterday to banish Yasser Arafat from the political stage when its defence minister, Binyamin Ben-Eliezer, met the Egyptian president, Hosni Mubarak.

Bin Laden 'injured but still plotting'
The Guardian, 16 Jul 2002
A senior Arab journalist said yesterday he believes Osama bin Laden is still alive but was wounded in the shoulder during the US bombing campaign at Tora Bora last year.

Jordan's double game over Iraq
The Guardian, 15 Jul 2002
July 15: The Jordanian king says he will not help to launch an attack against his 'brotherly' neighbour. Why, then, has his uncle been mixing with the Iraqi opposition, asks Brian Whitaker.

Exiled generals promise civilian rule in new Iraq
The Guardian, 15 Jul 2002
Exiled Iraqi officers meeting in London backed US efforts to remove Saddam Hussein yesterday, but promised they would not seek to replace him with another military regime.

Iraqi exiles plot Saddam's fall
The Guardian, 13 Jul 2002
Exiled Iraqi officers and opposition groups gathering in London to discuss the overthrow of Saddam Hussein were upstaged last night by Prince Hassan of Jordan.

Magnificent Seventy gun for Saddam
The Guardian, 12 Jul 2002
Exiled Iraqi officers are gathering in London today for the most public plot ever hatched against Saddam Hussein, but without their most senior member.

Middle Eastern gulf separates EU and US
The Guardian, 8 Jul 2002
On either side of the Atlantic, fundamentally different attitudes towards the problems of Israel and Islamic unrest are hardening, writes Brian Whitaker.

Bush on speaking terms with Israel peace deal
The Guardian, 1 Jul 2002
On closer inspection, the US president's 'Arafat must go' speech may give a glimmer of hope for the Palestinians, says Brian Whitaker.

Saudi car bomb find fuels fears of terror campaign
The Guardian, 1 Jul 2002
American pair narrowly escape death in new attack.

Israeli troops storm Hebron headquarters
The Guardian, 26 Jun 2002
Invasion brings total of reoccupied cities to seven, leaving only Jericho, isolated in the Jordan valley, under effective Palestinian control.

If not Arafat, who?
The Guardian, 26 Jun 2002
With President Bush's call for new leadership, the field is wide open. There are at least five possible runners.

Arafat gambles with crackdown on Hamas
The Guardian, 25 Jun 2002
The Palestinian leader, Yasser Arafat, made a stand yesterday against Hamas, the deadliest of the Islamist groups. But there was no sign that his effort will be any more effective than previous attempts over the last 21 months.

Worst impressions
The Guardian, 24 Jun 2002
Both Muslims and the media should address their attitudes towards each other, which are often based on inaccurate stereotypes, says Brian Whitaker.

Saudis hold al-Qaida suspects
The Guardian, 19 Jun 2002
Saudi Arabia is holding 13 people linked to al-Qaida who are suspected of planning attacks in the kingdom, the official Saudi news agency said yesterday.

Bush's Palestinian plan leaked to Arab paper
The Guardian, 19 Jun 2002
President George Bush will propose a temporary Palestinian state in parts of the West Bank and Gaza when he launches his Middle East peace initiative, an Arab newspaper claimed yesterday.

Iraq and ruin
The Guardian, 17 Jun 2002
World dispatch: Toppling Saddam Hussein still tops George Bush's 'to do' list - how to achieve it is another matter, writes Brian Whitaker.

Lost in translation
The Guardian, 10 Jun 2002
Transcribing Arabic into the Roman alphabet is fraught with difficulty. And in an age of electronic text, search engines and databases, the problem is only going to get worse, writes Brian Whitaker.

Arafat yields to US by slashing cabinet
The Guardian, 10 Jun 2002
Yasser Arafat responded to international pressure to reform the Palestinian Authority yesterday by sacking almost half his cabinet.

Sharon's plans fail to convince
The Guardian, 27 May 2002
Despite public support for Ariel Sharon, Israelis are not confident that his policies will deliver on the issues that really matter, writes Brian Whitaker.

Palestinian militants vow to avenge assassinations
The Guardian, 24 May 2002
Hunt for collaborators begins in refugee camp as Al-Aqsa Brigades bury their leaders.

Lying is cultural trait of Arabs, says Barak
The Guardian, 23 May 2002
Palestinians have no compunction about telling lies and see truth as irrelevant, the former Israeli prime minister Ehud Barak has claimed in an interview.

Sharon unbowed as vote threatens his government
The Guardian, 22 May 2002
Ariel Sharon's coalition government today faces its toughest fight for survival when Knesset members vote for a second time on budget cuts they rejected two days ago.

UN to feed 500,000 needy Palestinians
The Guardian, 22 May 2002
Amid signs of hunger and malnutrition in the West Bank and Gaza, the UN World Food Programme launched an emergency operation yesterday to help feed half a million of the most needy Palestinians.

Arafat accused of diverting EU donations
The Guardian, 21 May 2002
Israelis say money is used to pay for terrorism.

Sharon coalition under pressure as ministers sacked
The Guardian, 21 May 2002
Israel's prime minister, Ariel Sharon, dismissed four out of five cabinet ministers from the ultra-Orthodox Shas party last night after they voted against a plan for emergency budget cuts of more than £2bn.

Rebel leader's son killed by car bomb in Beirut
The Guardian, 21 May 2002
The Lebanese authorities are investigating a car bombing which killed the son of a veteran Palestinian guerrilla leader yesterday.

Bound in by red tape
The Guardian, 20 May 2002
Israeli bureaucracy seems designed to cow the Palestinian population into docility, but mostly has the opposite effect, writes Brian Whitaker.

Bomber blasts Israeli market
The Guardian, 20 May 2002
A suicide bomber, apparently disguised in army uniform, blew himself up in an Israeli fruit and vegetable market yesterday, killing at least three other people and injuring dozens.

Israel launches new raid in Jenin
The Guardian, 18 May 2002
Palestinian officials pressed on yesterday with plans for presidential and parliamentary elections as Israeli forces launched a new raid into Jenin refugee camp, the scene of the heaviest fighting in last month's military offensive.

An opportunity not to be missed
The Guardian, 17 May 2002
Yasser Arafat has the chance to bring democracy to the Palestinian people and thereby aid their struggle for liberation. He must not let it slip through his fingers, writes Brian Whitaker.

Arafat agrees to hold presidential elections within six months
The Guardian, 17 May 2002
Yasser Arafat, the Palestinian leader, has decided to hold presidential and parliamentary elections within six months, Ahmed Abdel Rahman, a senior adviser, said last night.

Arafat admits errors and offers reforms
The Guardian, 16 May 2002
Under intense pressure at home and abroad, and fighting to resurrect the Palestinian Authority after weeks of Israeli onslaught, Yasser Arafat tried to win over his people yesterday with promises of sweeping reform.

Israel has seized 42% of West Bank, report says
The Guardian, 15 May 2002
Israel has secretly grabbed 42% of Palestinian land in the West Bank for illegal settlement activity, according to a new report.

Anger as Arafat shuns camp
The Guardian, 14 May 2002
Jenin visit called off during leader's tour of West Bank.

Israeli peace protesters out in force
The Guardian, 13 May 2002
Tens of thousands of Israelis joined a call for withdrawal from the occupied Palestinian territories at the weekend, in what the organisers claimed was the biggest peace demonstration in Tel Aviv in 20 years.

UN to press on with Jenin 'war crimes' report
The Guardian, 10 May 2002
The UN secretary general, Kofi Annan, is to go ahead with a report on allegations of war crimes in the Jenin refugee camp, despite Israeli rejection of a fact-finding mission approved by the security council.

Bomb delivered Hamas message: no peace while Israel exists
The Guardian, 9 May 2002
Derailing peace moves is central to group's idea.

Sharon squares up to the big four
The Guardian, 6 May 2002
The Israeli prime minister is in Washington for talks, but his plans for the Middle East are fundamentally at odds with those of the 'Quartet', writes Brian Whitaker.

US wants to oust Saddam even if he makes concessions
The Guardian, 6 May 2002
The US may try to remove Saddam Hussein from power even if he agrees to new weapons inspections, the secretary of state, Colin Powell, said yesterday.

Last-ditch UN talks to save Jenin inquiry
The Guardian, 3 May 2002
Last-ditch efforts to salvage the UN fact-finding mission to Jenin were under way last night as the security council resumed its discussion of Israel's refusal to cooperate.

Arafat is back in business, but Saudis are running the show
The Guardian, 2 May 2002
Yasser Arafat, the survivor of numerous assassination attempts, a car write-off, a plane crash in the desert and weeks of confinement in the remains of his Ramallah headquarters, appeared to be back in business last night - despite previous Israeli declarations that he is "irrelevant".

Nine killed as Israel defies America with Hebron raid
The Guardian, 30 Apr 2002
Israeli forces raided the West Bank city of Hebron yesterday, killing nine people, while in Bethlehem Israeli snipers shot dead a Palestinian at the Church of the Nativity.

Sharon gives succour to Saddam
The Guardian, 29 Apr 2002
Israel's obstruction of the UN team set to investigate the attack on Jenin has given support to the Iraqi dictator, who has used the same tactics with weapons inspectors for years, writes Brian Whitaker.

Israel accused over Jenin assault
The Guardian, 23 Apr 2002
The International Committee of the Red Cross yesterday accused Israel of breaching the Geneva conventions by recklessly endangering civilian lives and property during its assault on the Jenin refugee camp, and by refusing the injured access to medical personnel for six days.

Bin Laden goes electric
The Guardian, 19 Apr 2002
Brian Whitaker decodes the latest video from the world's most wanted man.

Anger at diplomat's ode to suicide bomber
The Guardian, 19 Apr 2002
Britain is to "express displeasure" over a poem about a teenage suicide bomber written by the Saudi ambassador in London.

Shock at lack of rescue efforts in Jenin
The Guardian, 18 Apr 2002
Human rights groups protested yesterday at the lack of rescue efforts in the Jenin refugee camp amid claims that a family buried for several days in the rubble had pleaded for help by phone.

UK chief rabbi defends attacks
The Guardian, 18 Apr 2002
Britain's chief rabbi came to the defence of Israel yesterday in the face of international condemnation of the Sharon government's policies.

Sharon's war breathes new life into Hizbullah
The Guardian, 16 Apr 2002
The Israeli-Lebanon border had been quiet for two years until Ariel Sharon's savage campaign against the Palestinians fanned the flames of a wider conflict, writes Brian Whitaker.

Drastic times call for drastic measures
The Guardian, 8 Apr 2002
George Bush and Ariel Sharon have placed themselves in positions from which they cannot easily retreat, and the only outcome is that one or other will be humiliated, writes Brian Whitaker.

Truce plan let Israel continue attacks
The Guardian, 4 Apr 2002
Israel would be allowed to continue attacks on Palestinian presidential buildings, security headquarters and prisons as part of a Middle East "ceasefire" plan proposed by US envoy General Anthony Zinni, it emerged yesterday.

Sharon tells Arafat: You're free to go but you're never coming back
The Guardian, 3 Apr 2002
Israel's prime minister, Ariel Sharon, stepped up the public humiliation of Yasser Arafat yesterday by offering him a "one-way ticket" into exile.

These foolish things
The Guardian, 1 Apr 2002
Some April fool jokes in the Arab world have backfired spectacularly. Brian Whitaker reports.

Europe insists on Arafat's status as a legitimate authority
The Guardian, 30 Mar 2002
As Israel declared Yasser Arafat an enemy and sent tanks crashing into his headquarters yesterday, Europe insisted that he was still a legitimate authority and a partner for peace.

Plan to call up 20,000 reservists
The Guardian, 30 Mar 2002
Israel plans to mobilise 20,000 army reservists in a sign that the country may be planning a protracted military campaign against the Palestinians.

Iraq and Kuwait strike reconciliation deal
The Guardian, 29 Mar 2002
In a move that could undermine US efforts to build support for the overthrow of Saddam Hussein, Iraq and Kuwait agreed yesterday to settle their their long-standing differences.

Paper gets 'Bin Laden' email
The Guardian, 28 Mar 2002
A London-based Arabic newspaper said yesterday that it had received an email purporting to come from Osama bin Laden.

Online Iraqis vote for new leader
The Guardian, 26 Mar 2002
In excitement it may not rival the great Pop Idol ballot, but wired-up Iraqis are voting this week for a man to replace Saddam Hussein.

Let Arafat attend summit, US urges
The Guardian, 26 Mar 2002
The US stepped up pressure on Israel yesterday to let Yasser Arafat attend this week's crucial Arab summit in Beirut, which is expected to approve a Middle East peace initiative.

Israel tells Arafat: No truce, no summit
The Guardian, 25 Mar 2002
Yasser Arafat's attendance at this week's Arab summit hung in the balance last night amid doubts whether an Israeli-Palestinian ceasefire could be agreed before the meeting opens in Beirut on Wednesday.

The cloaked Saudi who seeks to lay down arms
The Guardian, 25 Mar 2002
Prince's blueprint for Middle East settlement casts him as unlikely peace broker at this week's Arab conference.

Saudi paper regrets Jewish pastry myth
The Guardian, 22 Mar 2002
A Saudi newspaper has sacked a columnist who wrote that Jews use the blood of Christian or Muslim children in pastries for the Purim religious festival.

Taking tea with the dissident
The Guardian, 19 Mar 2002
March 19: Exiled in London, like so many of his compatriots, Saad Jabr feels he can do little to bring about change in Iraq, writes Brian Whitaker.

Saudis to take hard line with Cheney against war on Iraq
The Guardian, 15 Mar 2002
Saudi Arabia is to deliver an uncompromising message to the US vice-president Dick Cheney that it opposes attacking Iraq and will not cooperate in military efforts to remove Saddam Hussein.

Iraq: the myth and the reality
The Guardian, 15 Mar 2002
As the drumbeat grows louder for a possible attack on Baghdad, we ask arms inspectors and military and foreign affairs experts: is Saddam as dangerous as the US makes out, and what would be the consequences of war?

Iraqis search for a successor to Saddam
The Guardian, 13 Mar 2002
The United States is orchestrating secret contacts between Iraqi opposition factions with the aim of finding agreement on a new leader to replace Saddam Hussein.

Disapproval of Sharon soars above 50%
The Guardian, 2 Mar 2002
Israel's embattled prime minister, Ariel Sharon, has sunk to a new low in the latest opinion poll.

EU takes initiative on Saudi peace plan
The Guardian, 28 Feb 2002
Europe's foreign policy chief, Javier Solana, met Crown Prince Abdullah of Saudi Arabia yesterday to explore a Middle East peace initiative that has caused a flurry of excitement around the world.

Muslim peoples doubt role of Arabs in September 11
The Guardian, 28 Feb 2002
Most people in Muslim countries do not believe that Arabs carried out the September 11 attacks in the United States, according to a new Gallup poll.

High hopes for unseen peace plan
The Guardian, 27 Feb 2002
It may be a measure of the desperation in the Middle East that world leaders are swarming around an unseen peace initiative which remains in the drawer of a Saudi prince's desk.

Bush backs Saudi Middle East plan
The Guardian, 27 Feb 2002
The diplomatic equivalent of a head of steam was building behind a Saudi initiative for the Middle East last night after President Bush lent the ideas his cautious support.

Girl, 15, dies on suicide mission
The Guardian, 26 Feb 2002
A 15-year-old Palestinian girl wielding a knife was shot dead at an Israeli checkpoint near the West Bank town of Tulkarm yesterday.

Violence ends Israeli offer to calm tension
The Guardian, 26 Feb 2002
At least one Palestinian gunman opened fire at Israelis standing at a bus stop in a disputed part of Jerusalem yesterday, injuring eight people.

Life after Saddam: the winners and losers
The Guardian, 25 Feb 2002
A new regime in Iraq would pose distinct problems for each of the country's neighbours, writes Brian Whitaker .

After Saddam
The Guardian, 23 Feb 2002
The US is now determined to oust the Iraqi leader, but who will take his place?

Rail crash families infuriated
The Guardian, 22 Feb 2002
Egyptian riot police guarded the mortuary in Cairo yesterday as relatives arrived for the mostly hopeless task of trying to identify victims of the country's worst rail disaster.

370 die in Egypt's speeding inferno
The Guardian, 21 Feb 2002
At least 373 people died yesterday when fire swept through an overcrowded train which was taking Egyptians home for Eid al-Adha - the biggest festival of the Muslim year - in the worst disaster to hit the country's accident-prone railway system.

Arafat needs a new mandate
The Guardian, 18 Feb 2002
A tactical resignation followed by Palestinian elections could provide Yasser Arafat with the political momentum he needs to take the peace process forward, writes Brian Whitaker .

Cornered Yemeni al-Qaida suspect blows himself up
The Guardian, 14 Feb 2002
A suspected al-Qaida member accidentally blew himself up yesterday after he was cornered by security forces at his home in the Yemeni capital Sana'a, police said.

Iran says defence, US says aggression
The Guardian, 11 Feb 2002
February 11: Membership of the 'axis of evil' is a matter of perspective, and a US foreign policy based on such a one-eyed viewpoint promises disaster, writes Brian Whitaker

Palestinian leader hints at successor
The Guardian, 9 Feb 2002
The Israeli prime minister, Ariel Sharon, continued his personal onslaught against Yasser Arafat yesterday, claiming that "the more Arafat's irrelevance is pushed, the faster a new leadership will come".

US and Iran accused of bribing rival warlords
The Guardian, 8 Feb 2002
Claims that the US and Iran are both buying the support of rival Afghan warlords have added fuel to the tensions between Washington and Tehran.

Iran rejects ambassador as 'MI6 agent'
The Guardian, 8 Feb 2002
Britain's relations with Iran took a sharp turn for the worse last night when the Foreign Office announced that Tehran has "conclusively rejected" the appointment of a new ambassador.

Britons sent home after Yemen crackdown
The Guardian, 8 Feb 2002
Two British students held in Yemen were released and sent home for visa violations after being arrested in a crackdown on Islamic extremists, the Foreign Office said last night.

Palestinians storm court, killing three after guilty verdict
The Guardian, 6 Feb 2002
Hundreds of Palestinians stormed a courtroom in the West Bank yesterday and killed three men who had just been sentenced to imprisonment rather than death, as the crowd had demanded.

Beleaguered Iraq extends the hand of friendship
The Guardian, 4 Feb 2002
Saddam Hussein and his emissaries are busy mending bridges in an effort to stave off an American attack, writes Brian Whitaker

Rumsfeld warns of even deadlier attacks on US
The Guardian, 1 Feb 2002
The US must prepare for potential terrorist attacks "vastly more deadly" than the September 11 strikes, the US defence secretary, Donald Rumsfeld, said yesterday.

Arab states seethe at 'slap in face' from Bush
The Guardian, 1 Feb 2002
Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, condemned President George Bush yesterday as "a man thirsty for human blood".

Sharon regrets not killing Arafat during Israeli invasion of Lebanon
The Guardian, 1 Feb 2002
Israel should have "eliminated" Yasser Arafat 20 years ago, the prime minister, Ariel Sharon, says in an interview published today.

Caught in Bin Laden's wave of terror
The Guardian, 31 Jan 2002
Evidence that shows attacks on expats could be work of al-Qaida supporters has been suppressed.

How friends who liked a drink were blamed for wave of anti-western terror
The Guardian, 30 Jan 2002
To the Saudis they were the bootleg bombers. But behind the arrests was a far graver threat to the kingdom.

Saudis want 100 nationals held by US
The Guardian, 30 Jan 2002
Saudi Arabia has disclosed that two-thirds of the detainees held by the US at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba are Saudi citizens - and is seeking their return to the kingdom.

The enemy within
The Guardian, 28 Jan 2002
The blinkered Israeli prime minister lacks the benefit of forethought and ignores the lessons of hindsight, writes Brian Whitaker .

Sharon case 'strong' despite assassination
The Guardian, 26 Jan 2002
Lawyers seeking to prosecute the Israeli prime minister, Ariel Sharon, for war crimes said yesterday that their case was still strong, despite the assassination of a key witness.

Warplanes avenge Tel Aviv suicide bombing
The Guardian, 26 Jan 2002
Israeli F-16 warplanes attacked Palestinian targets in the West Bank and Gaza Strip last night, hours after a Palestinian suicide bomber wounded at least 25 people in Tel Aviv.

Sharon witness blown up in Beirut
The Guardian, 25 Jan 2002
A potential key witness in the Belgian war crimes case against the Israeli prime minister, Ariel Sharon, was blown up outside his house in Beirut yesterday, together with three bodyguards.

US drops Saudi 'cover-up' rule
The Guardian, 24 Jan 2002
US has relaxed the rule that its servicewomen in Saudi Arabia must cover up from head to foot when they leave their bases.

Violence escalates in Middle East
The Guardian, 23 Jan 2002
The Middle East's deadly spiral of violence swept on yesterday as each side claimed revenge for attacks by the other and vowed more reprisals.

Israelis seize town in terror hunt
The Guardian, 22 Jan 2002
Israeli troops seized an entire West Bank town yesterday as Yasser Arafat conjured up the spectre of his own death in the struggle to establish a Palestinian state.

The strange affair of Karine A
The Guardian, 21 Jan 2002
Israel's official account of the Palestinian Authority's connections with a ship found loaded with weapons makes little sense, writes Brian Whitaker .

Voyage of the arms ship
The Guardian, 14 Jan 2002
Brian Whitaker investigates Israel's claims that the Karine A is linked to Yasser Arafat.

Killing of Israelis threatens ceasefire
The Guardian, 10 Jan 2002
Two Palestinian militants killed four Israeli soldiers yesterday in an attack that may mark the end of a three-week-old ceasefire.

Iraqi revealed as owner of weapons ship
The Guardian, 10 Jan 2002
Registration documents have confirmed that the weapons ship seized by Israel in the Red Sea last week is owned by an Iraqi based in Yemen, and not by the Palestinian Authority as Israel has claimed.

Skipper says arms were for Arafat aide
The Guardian, 8 Jan 2002
The Palestinian captain of the ship which Israel seized last week said yesterday that its cargo of illicit weapons was intended for the Palestinians and that his smuggling instructions came from a Palestinian Authority official.

Virgin's videos too hot for Beirut
The Guardian, 8 Jan 2002
Lebanon's security forces have confiscated the 1950s comedy classic Some Like It Hot from the Virgin Megastore in Beirut, along with 600 other videos, including The Nutty Professor, and Kubrick's opera omnia

Ship seizure gives timely ammunition for Sharon's propaganda war
The Guardian, 5 Jan 2002
The interception of the Karine-A, a vessel said to be owned by the Palestinian Authority, with Palestinian naval police among its crew and a cargo of illicit weapons in its hold, could not have come at a more fortunate moment for Ariel Sharon.

Ex-PLO official abducted
The Guardian, 4 Jan 2002
A multimillionaire Palestinian who ran the PLO's finances for 12 years was abducted from a hospital in Egypt yesterday and taken to an unknown location in Gaza, his daughter told the Guardian last night.

Palestinians deride 'fake' withdrawal
The Guardian, 4 Jan 2002
Israel began to ease its stranglehold on parts of the West Bank yesterday, before the American peace envoy Anthony Zinni arrives, but Palestinian officials dismissed it as a propaganda stunt.

.../2001