July 2007
Israel Releases Money to Palestinians (July 1): With members of Hamas no longer part of the Palestinian government, Israel resumes financial ties to the Palestinian Authority and begins to transfer tax revenue to the government.
U.S. Official Says Iran Trained Iraqi Soldiers (July 2): Brig. Gen. Kevin Bergner, a military spokesman, accuses Iran's Revolutionary Guards of helping Iraqis plan and execute an attack in Karbala in January 2007 in which five American soldiers were kiilled.
Iraqi Cabinet Makes Progress on Oil Law (July 3): Cabinet approves the hydrocarbon framework law, one component of a larger legislative package, which states that the revenue from oil sales belongs to all Iraqis and outlines the function of the oil and gas council. Parliament must also approve the legislation.
Briisth Journalist Is Freed in Gaza (July 4): Alan Johnston, a BBC correspondent who was abducted on March 12 in Gaza by a radical clan called Army of Islam, is released.
Pakistani Government and Militants Face Off at Mosque (July 3): Government security officers and radical Islamist clerics and students at Islamabad's Red Mosque exchange gunfire. The militants advocate the imposition of Shariah, or Islamic law, in Pakistan. (July 10): After negotiations between government officials and mosque leaders fail, troops storm the compound and kill Abdul Rashid Ghazi, who took over as chief of the mosque after the earlier capture of Maulana Abdul Aziz, his older brother. More than 60 people die in the violence.
Suicide Bomber Kills 150 in Iraq (July 7): A truck filled with explosives destroys dozens of homes and shops in Amerli, a Shiite village north of Baghdad. Hundreds are wounded in the attack. About 250 people are killed in three days in Iraq by insurgent attacks.
Millions Stolen in Baghdad Bank Robbery (July 11): Guards at the Dar Es Salaam bank make off with $282 million in U.S. dollars.
Suspected Bombers Are Convicted in London (July 11): Four Islamist men, all originally from the Horn of Africa, are sentenced to life in prison by a British judge for attempting to bomb the London transit system in July 2005. Their failed plot followed the July 7, 2005, attack that killed 56 people.
Russia Pulls Out of Arms Treaty (July14): Russian president Vladimir Putin announces that the country will suspend its participation in the Conventional Forces in Europe Treaty, a cold-war era agreement that limits the deployment of heavy weaponry.
Dozens Die in Attack in Kirkuk (July 16): A suicide bomber drive a bomb-laden truck into a compound that housed offices of Kurdish politicians, killing 85 people. Victims include shoppers at a nearby market.
North Korea Shuts Down Reactor (July 16): Inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency verify that North Korea has shut down its weapons-making nuclear reactor at Yongbyon, one part of an agreement reached in February 2007.
Intelligence Report Shows al-Qaeda Remains Strong (July 17): National Intelligence Estimate concludes that al-Qaeda has gained strength in the past two years and that the United States faces "a persistent and evolving terrorist threat over the next three years." The report says the 2006 cease-fire between the Pakistan government and tribal leaders has allowed al-Qaeda to flourish.
Pakistani Court Rules in Favor of Suspended Judge (July 20): Country’s Supreme Court rules that President Pervez Musharraf acted illegally when he suspended Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry. The court reinstates Chaudhry, who may hear legal challenges involving Musharraf’s continued rule as president and head of the military.
Ruling Party Prevails in Turkish Elections (July 23): The Justice and Development Party, the Islamic party headed by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, wins 46.6% of vote in parliamentary elections.
Euphoria Over Soccer Win Gives Way to Grief (July 25): Iraqis take to the streets celebrate the national team's win over South Korea in the semifinals of the Asian Cup soccer match. The festivities give way to panic after two suicide bombers attack crowds in Baghdad, killing at least 50 people and injuring about 140.
India and U.S. Reach Accord on Civilian Nuclear Power (July 27): Deal allows India, which has not signed the Nuclear Nonproliferatin Treaty, to buy nuclear fuel from the U.S. to expand its civilian nuclear energy program and reprocess its spent fuel. India agrees to open the reprocessing facility to international inspectors.
Security Council Approves Resolution on Darfur (July 31): Votes unanimously to deploy as many as 26,000 peacekeepers from the African Union and the United Nations forces to help end the violence in Darfur that has killed about 200,000 people since 2003. The operation, the world's largest, will cost some $2 billion.
Tribunal Charges Khmer Rouge Figure (July 31): Kang Kech Iev, alias Duch, who ran the notorious Tuol Sleng prison, is indicted for crimes against humanity. Khmer Rouge rule from 1975 to 1979 led to the state-sponsored extermination of between 1 million and 2 million citizens.
Nation
Pakistani Officials: Musharraf And Rival Former PM Benazir Bhutto Met in Secret VOA 28 Jul 2007 -- Government officials in Pakistan acknowledged Saturday that the country's president, General Pervez Musharraf, held secret talks with his political arch-rival Benazir Bhutto Friday
Red Mosque reopens in Islamabad after bloody siege RIA Novosti 27 Jul 2007 -- The Red Mosque in Pakistan's capital reopened for Friday prayers after a bloody army siege earlier in July that killed over 100 people.
Pakistan: Radio Free Afghanistan -- Al-Qaeda Regroup Poses Dual Threat RFE/RL 27 Jul 2007 -- The attempted reopening today in Islamabad of the Red Mosque complex that saw a bloody confrontation between security forces and militant Islamic radicals on July 10-11 is a reminder of the challenges confronting Pakistan's embattled President Pervez Musharraf
Suicide Bomber Strikes Near Islamabad's Red Mosque RFE/RL 27 Jul 2007 -- Reports from Islamabad say a suicide bomber blew himself up close to a group of police officers today near the Red Mosque
Suicide Bomb Goes Off in Islamabad; Religious Students Stage Demonstrations Outside Mosque VOA 27 Jul 2007 -- A powerful bomb has ripped through a hotel restaurant near Islamabad's Lal Masjid, or Red Mosque
Pakistan successfully test fires cruise missile IRNA 26 Jul 2007 -- Pakistan Thursday conducted a successful test fire of the indigenously developed Cruise Missile Babur (Hatf-VII), said an Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) press release.
Pakistan successfully tests nuclear-capable missile RIA Novosti 26 Jul 2007 -- Pakistan successfully tested its Babur Hatf VII cruise missile, capable of carrying a variety of warheads, including nuclear, local television channels said citing military sources Thursday.
Pakistan “Indispensable” in Global Anti-Terrorism Fight Washington File 25 Jul 2007 -- Despite impressive achievements fighting terrorism, Pakistan still needs to do more to defeat terrorist forces on its soil, says R. Nicholas Burns, the State Department’s under secretary of state for political affairs.
Rocket Attack Kills 8 in Northwest Pakistan VOA 25 Jul 2007 -- Pakistani police say militants have fired four rockets in a town in the northwest of the country, killing at least eight people.
Pakistani Taleban Leader Kills Himself to Avoid Capture VOA 24 Jul 2007 -- Pakistani authorities say a top Taleban militant and former Guantanamo Bay prisoner has blown himself up to avoid arrest by Pakistani forces.
Clashes Erupt Between Militants, Soldiers in Northern Pakistan VOA 23 Jul 2007 -- At least 35 militants and two Pakistani soldiers have been killed in heavy fighting in Pakistan's North Waziristan region.
Pakistan Says Any US Strike Against Militants on Its Soil 'Unacceptable' VOA 23 Jul 2007 -- Pakistan says any U.S. action against militant targets on Pakistani soil would be unacceptable.
Bush Says Pakistan Moving Against Al-Qaida VOA 21 Jul 2007 -- President Bush says Pakistan is taking steps to oust al-Qaida terrorists from their safe haven in tribal areas near the border with Afghanistan
Pace: U.S. Working With Pakistan to Solve Cross-Border Terrorism Problem AFPS 20 Jul 2007 -- The U.S. is working with Pakistan to find a way to counter al Qaeda and Taliban terrorists who operate inside Pakistan, along the Afghan border, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Marine Gen. Peter Pace said here today.
Pakistani Supreme Court Reinstates Suspended Chief Justice VOA 20 Jul 2007 -- Pakistan's Supreme court has reinstated its chief justice, Iftikhar Chaudhry, four months after Pakistani President General Pervez Musharraf suspended him
Suicide Bombings Strike Pakistan as President Calls for Unity Against Extremism VOA 19 Jul 2007 -- Separate bomb blasts have killed more than 52 people in Pakistan, and the country is bracing for more violence
Deadly Violence Continues in Pakistan VOA 19 Jul 2007 -- Separate bomb blasts have killed more than 30 people in Pakistan, and the country is bracing for more violence
Analysis: Musharraf and his Labyrinth cfr.org 18 Jul 2007 -- As the Pakistani government scrambles to salvage a peace accord (BosGlobe) with tribal leaders along the country’s lawless northwest frontier, unrest elsewhere in Pakistan has raised new questions about the stability of Pervez Musharraf’s military government
White House Presses Pakistan on al-Qaida Havens VOA 18 Jul 2007 -- The White House is stepping up pressure on Pakistan's president, General Pervez Musharraf to oust al-Qaida terrorists from remote areas along the border with Afghanistan
Pakistan Wants Proof Al-Qaida Regrouping in Northwest VOA 19 Jul 2007 -- The Pakistan government is rejecting a U.S. intelligence report saying al-Qaida terrorists have received safe haven in northwest Pakistan, calling it unsubstantiated.
Pakistan: Can Musharraf Reform Militant Madrasahs? RFE/RL 18 Jul 2007 -- In the aftermath of Pakistan's Red Mosque crisis, President Pervez Musharraf has renewed his pledge to prevent any mosque or madrasah in the country from being used by terrorists.
Violence Continues to Spread in Pakistan; Musharraf Refuses to Call State of Emergency VOA 18 Jul 2007 -- Militants in northwestern Pakistan have ambushed a security convoy and killed at least 17 soldiers - less than a day after a suicide bomber killed 16 people in Islamabad
US Supports Pakistani Government Moves Against Extremists VOA 17 Jul 2007 -- The Bush administration said Tuesday the United States is prepared to back Pakistani government actions against extremism with as a much as $1 billion in economic and military aid over the next several years
Russian space firm signs 14 deals for commercial rocket launches RIA Novosti 15 Jul 2007 -- A leading Russian space company said Sunday it had signed 14 deals for the commercial launches of its Proton carrier rockets.
Militants Attack, Threaten Government in Pakistan VOA 15 Jul 2007 -- A wave of deadly attacks in Pakistan is raising fears of a widespread militant backlash days after government forces raided a radical mosque in the capital
US Lawmakers Urge Action by Musharraf Against Extremists VOA 13 Jul 2007 -- U.S. lawmakers have told a senior State Department official that Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf must act to eliminate Taleban, al-Qaida forces and extremists in his country
Afghan-Pakistani Border Stability Operations Focus of U.S. Aid Washington File 12 Jul 2007 -- The United States is working with the governments of Pakistan and Afghanistan to build stability along the rugged border between those two nations.
Musharraf Addresses Nation in Wake of Pakistan Mosque Seige VOA 12 Jul 2007 -- In a televised address to the nation, Pakistan's President General Pervez Musharraf vowed to eliminate extremism and terrorism from "every corner of the country."
Pakistan's President Defends Deadly Raid on Radical Mosque VOA 12 Jul 2007 -- Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf says he launched a deadly raid on a radical mosque in Islamabad only after all efforts to negotiate the crisis failed.
Mosque storming over, Pakistan Army leaves site RIA Novosti 12 Jul 2007 -- The Pakistani Army began withdrawing from Islamabad after completing a 36-hour operation to retake the Red Mosque, seized and held by Islamic radicals for a week, local television said citing military sources.
Pakistan's President to Address Nation in Wake of Mosque Siege VOA 12 Jul 2007 -- Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf is to address the nation Thursday as al-Qaida issues calls to Pakistani Muslims to revolt against the government for its raid against militants in Islamabad's Red Mosque
Al-Qaida Deputy Leader Calls for Revenge Over Raid at Pakistan Mosque VOA 11 Jul 2007 -- The deputy leader of al-Qaida has urged Pakistanis to revolt against the government in retaliation for a raid on the Red Mosque in Islamabad that left more than 80 people dead.
Pakistan: Musharraf's Position Precarious After Red Mosque Storming RFE/RL 11 Jul 2007 -- Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf angered many Pakistanis four months ago by ordering the removal of a Supreme Court justice on charges of corruption
Red Mosque assault over, 160 hostages freed - Pakistani general RIA Novosti 11 Jul 2007 -- The Pakistani military regained control of the Red Mosque Wednesday, freeing at least 160 students held hostage there during a weeklong standoff, the army spokesman said.
Pakistani Authorities Searching for Explosives Left Behind in Red Mosque VOA 11 Jul 2007 -- Pakistani officials say the fight to clear Islamabad's Red Mosque of well-armed militants is complete
Pakistani Forces Search Militant Holdouts In Mosque RFE/RL 10 Jul 2007 -- Pakistani security forces say 80 percent of Islamabad's Lal Masjid, or Red Mosque complex, has been cleared of militants, but fighting continues to flush out the remaining holdouts.
Red Mosque in Islamabad stormed, at least 60 militants killed RIA Novosti 10 Jul 2007 -- At least 60 Islamic militants have been killed and as many captured when troops stormed the besieged Lal Masjid (Red Mosque) compound in Islamabad early Tuesday in a bid to end a tense weeklong standoff.
Pakistani Government: Cleric at Radical Mosque Killed VOA 10 Jul 2007 -- Pakistan's interior ministry says the cleric leading resistance at a radical mosque stormed by Pakistani troops has been killed.
Death Toll Mounts as Pakistan Military Tries to Oust Terrorists From Mosque VOA 10 Jul 2007 -- Pakistani security forces have launched an assault on militants who have been holding Islamabad's Red Mosque for the past week
Pakistan: Who Is Abdul Rashid Ghazi? RFE/RL 09 Jul 2007 -- The Pakistani authorities have given what they say is their "final warning" to Abdul Rashid Ghazi and his supporters inside the Red Mosque to surrender or face an all-out assault.
Negotiations With Pakistani Mosque Rebels Fail to Make Progress VOA 09 Jul 2007 -- Attempts to negotiate an end to a standoff at an Islamabad mosque have failed to make progress.
Cleric At Pakistan's Red Mosque Agrees To Limited Talks RFE/RL 09 Jul 2007 -- A Pakistani cleric under siege at Islamabad's Red Mosque has reportedly agreed to hold talks via loudspeaker in a bid to end the crisis.
Bloody Standoff Continues Outside Pakistan's Red Mosque VOA 09 Jul 2007 -- Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf has reportedly authorized a final assault on armed militants barricaded inside Islamabad's Red Mosque
Pakistan Mosque Leader Vows to Continue Standoff VOA 08 Jul 2007 -- Pakistani commandos blasted new holes in the walls around an Islamabad mosque where armed militants are reportedly holding hundreds of women and children hostage
Siege Continues Around Islamabad's Red Mosque VOA 07 Jul 2007 -- Pakistani security forces are intensifying their operations outside the Red Mosque in Islamabad where radical clerics are refusing to surrender to government forces
Fresh gunfire heard near besieged Red Mosque in Pakistan RIA Novosti 06 Jul 2007 -- Fresh gunfire and powerful explosions were heard last night from the direction of the radical Red Mosque, which has been besieged by government forces in the Pakistani capital Islamabad, but authorities said Friday an assault to capture it had not been launched.
Military Siege of Radical Pakistani Mosque Intensifies VOA 06 Jul 2007 -- The military siege of a radical mosque in the Pakistani capital has intensified, after the group's chief cleric says he would now rather die than surrender
Religious Militants in Islamabad Set Conditions For Surrender VOA 05 Jul 2007 -- Pakistani security forces say time is running out for more than 1,000 militants inside the capital's radical Lal Masjid or Red Mosque
Pakistani Police Battle Religious Militants in Islamabad VOA 05 Jul 2007 -- Pakistani security forces say time is running out for more than 1,000 militants inside Islamabad's radical Lal Masjid or Red Mosque
Pakistan Police Battle Religious Militants in Capital VOA 04 Jul 2007 -- A standoff between Pakistani troops and students at a radical mosque has headed into a second night, with more than 1,000 people still holed up in the mosque in Islamabad
Pakistan court bans intelligence agents' entry in premises IRNA 03 Jul 2007 -- The Supreme Court of Pakistan on Monday banned the entry of the officials of intelligence agencies in the court's premises after a senior defense lawyer of the suspended chief justice informed the court that intelligence agencies are involved in spying on judges.
Pakistan Police Battle Religious Militants in Capital VOA 03 Jul 2007 -- Pakistani security forces have exchanged gunfire with hundreds of students holed up inside a radical mosque in central Islamabad
Pakistan Denies Reports Nuclear Scientist Has Been Freed VOA 02 Jul 2007 -- Pakistani officials are denying reports that the government has eased travel restrictions on disgraced nuclear scientist AQ Khan
Business/Science/Society
Russia Is Awarded 2014 Olympics (July 4): The International Olympic Committee announces that Sochi, Russia, a Black Sea resort, will host the Winter Games in 2014. It will be the first time Russia or the former Soviet Union hosts the Winter Games.
Argentina Experiences Unusual Snowfall (July 10): Buenos Aires, the capital of Argentina, experiences its first snowfall in 89 years.
Plane Crashes into Building in Brazil (July 17): An Airbus 320 skids off a runway in São Paulo and crashes into an office building, killing about 180 people. It is the worst aviation accident ever in Brazil.
Harry Potter Sales Brisk (July 21): In its first day on bookshelves, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, the seventh and final installment in J. K. Rowling's best-selling series, more than 8.3 million copies are sold.
Murdoch Wins Approval to Buy Dow Jones (Jully 31): The Bancroft family, owner the Dow Jones & Company, which publishes the Wall Street Journal, agrees to sell the company to media magnate Rupert Murdoch, who owns the News Corporation. The purchase values Murdoch's media holdings at $28 billion.