September 2007

Sep 2  North Korea claims that the United States has agreed to remove it from its list of countries that support terrorism. The chief US negotiator, Christopher Hill, describes North Korea as having agreed to fully account for and disable its nuclear program. North Korea has been on said list since 1987.

Sep 3  British troops withdraw from the city of Basra to a location outside the city. The intention of the Brits is to force Iraqis in Basra to stop sitting back and letting the Brits do their police work. Some in Basra do not want to see the Brits leave. Many others are uncomfortable with the presence of foreign troops and cheer.

Sep 6  The great Luciano Pavarotti dies of cancer, almost 72.

Sep 10  US Army Gen. David H. Petraeus describes military progress in reducing violence in Iraq and includes his proposal to remove troops in Iraq to pre-surge levels by next summer.

Sep 10  A poll commissioned by ABC News, the BBC and NHK (Japan) is published that asked Iraqis whether the increased number of US forces in the past six months "has made it better, worse, or had no effect in the area where the surge forces were sent, in the place of reconstruction and economic development." The results for each of these questions is between 60 and 70 percent that it has been worse. The highest percentage for improvement is 18 percent. Nearly 2,000 Iraqis were polled, and nearly 60 percent of them describe attacks against US forces as justified.

Sep 10  Iraqi Prime Minister Maliki takes credit for stopping Iraq's slide into civil war. He says that violence has fallen 75 percent in Baghdad and Anbar and that 14,000 militants linked to al-Qaeda have renounced violence.

Sep 13  Al Jazeera reports that an Egyptian court has sentenced four newspaper editors to one year in prison with labor for defaming President Mubarak and his son, and it reports that human rights groups accuse Egypt's government of "cracking down on other forms of expression, such as political blogs."

Sep 15  The purism and terrorism of al-Qaeda in Iraq is increasing its political isolation. It is two days since al-Qaeda assassinated the Sunni tribal coalition leader in Anbar, Abdul Sattar Abu Risha. Today the leader of the Shammar tribe around the city of Mosul, Fawwaz al-Jarba, says that local Sunni Arab tribes have joined Kurdish, Christian and Yazidi groups in a new front against al-Qaeda. The alliance, he added, would work directly with the Iraqi government, not the United States military.

Sep 17  Sheikh Salman al-Oudah, once mentored Osama bin Laden and was one of the 26 top Saudi clerics who during the 2004 struggle in Fallujah declared attacks on US troops as a lawful duty. Now he shakes up militant Islam by questioning al-Qaeda's tactics and violence. Arab News describes it as "a major blow to the ideology of Osama Bin Laden and his followers."

Sep 17  In Sierra Leone an effort at honest elections by a new elections commission, headed by a former nun and head teacher, produces a defeat for the ruling party and a victory for Ernest Bai Koroma of the All People's Party. People were enthusiastic for democracy, the election and change.

Sep 18  Reporting for the BBC from among Iraqis in Baghad, Andrew North describes what he calls a veneer of security and some of the progress spoken of by General Petraeus but also Iraqi frustration. He quotes a teacher saying, "It doesn't matter what we think. The Americans will do what they want."

Sep 22  For years military rule in Burma has been violating human rights. Now that the regime has increased gasoline prices, massive anti-government demonstrations are in the streets. Demonstrators include a group of at least 2,000 Buddhist monks in their sixth day of protest in Rangoon, and monks across the country, protesting human rights violations as well. The military regime has had close ties with senior Buddhist clergy.

Sep 25 President Bush exercises his genuine sense of decency and, at the United Nations, expresses outrage at oppression of the people of Burma.

Sep 25  Pakistan's former prime minister, Madam Benazir Bhutto, says she wants to turn around Pakistan's economy, clean up its city streets, address the energy issue and advance education. She wants to encourage moderation and discourage extremism. She plans to return to Pakistan on October 18.

Sep 28  On NBC's Today Show, finance personality Jim Cramer says, "Don't you dare buy a house now you will lose money." Representatives of the National Association of Realtors, thinking about their own interests and wanting to keep a bursting bubble whole, are furious.

Sep 28  China bans "sexually suggestive" advertising on television and radio. Advertisements for sex-related health supplements, sex toys, breast enhancements and female underwear will be prohibited.

Sep 29  The world watches the second day of army brutalities in Burma, wondering what will happen in the coming weeks. Will a colonel or such lead a rebellion from within Burma's military? Will the conceit that has been drilled into the minds of common soldiers hold? Signs or desertions from the ranks are not appearing as they did in Petrograd in 1917.

Sep 30  The BBC reports that US Department of Defense "has launched a new command centre for military operations in Africa." Oil, terrorism and instability are reported as having stimulated the move.

to August 2007 | to October 2007

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