A to Z...the world in 2009

Ajith Vijay Kumar and Kamna Arora

Obama era begins ‘Change’ came to America on January 20, when the nation that aspires to be the torchbearer of freedom and unlimited opportunities got its first black President in Barack Hussein Obama. He came in with many promises. He gave hope of a better tomorrow and promised to bring soldiers back from wars, resurrect the economy and work towards climate change. And for that he was awarded with the Nobel Peace Prize 2009. To be fair to him –despite his popularity ratings skydiving – the man from Chicago has at least tried to get things in order. He has pumped in billons of dollars into the economy, made health care a little more affordable, promised new initiative on climate issue. He also started to implement his promise to end torture of suspected terrorists and close the prison at Guantanamo Bay But his undoing, to a large extent, has been his apparent failure to bring soldiers back home from Afghanistan and Iraq; he instead has announced that more soldiers are about to head to the most dangerous places on earth. The body bags keep coming and nobody likes it. Globally, US’ single biggest challenge remains the international terror network run by the al Qaeda and its associates. Yes, America has been able to prevent another 9/11, but now America is facing a new phenomenon: home grown terror. Perfectly normal looking Americans are increasingly going the jihadi way. David Headley, the Fort Hood killer and the five young men, from decent neighbourhoods, going missing only to surface in Pakistan, Everybody now knows, the threat is lurking just round the corner. Pakistan: ‘Mission Impossible’ Security scenario: The troubled country had a bloody start to the year with the attack on Shi’ite worshippers outside a Pakistani mosque in Dera Ghazi Khan and then the atrocious attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team in March, which shook the international community and sports community. On December 29, the overnight suicide attack, by allegedly Sunni extremist groups, on a Shi’ite Muslim procession in Karachi killed over 40 people. In response to the blast, Shi’ites set fire to buildings and dozens of vehicles in the Pakistani city. All parts of Pakistan have been rocked by a wave of bombings and suicide attacks, making 2009 the bloodiest year ever in its history; hundreds have died in terror related incidents. Notably, most of the 2009 attacks targeted defence establishments, such as police stations, paramilitary base, spy agency, and headquarters of Army and Navy. The Pakistan government has been trying to take on Taliban in Waziristan and FATA regions. Although it is debatable whether it has tasted any success, but Prime Minister Yousuf Gilani has now hinted at also focussing on Orakzai tribal district not just South Waziristan. The US is also stepping up pressure with its drones. The aerial attacks killed Taliban chief Baitullah Mehsud in August and are now unsettling al Qaeda leadership in its den. But the war is far from over and the Pentagon knows it. Political scenario: In February, Pakistan’s Supreme Court upheld the decision to disqualify former PM Nawaz Sharif from contesting by-elections. The court also declared null and void the election of Nawaz’s brother, Punjab chief minister Shahbaz Sharif, who was convicted in cases related to loan default and tax evasion. Consequentially, Nawaz led a nationwide protest march against the judgment and demanded restoration of the judiciary sacked during Musharraf’s regime. Later, the deposed judges, including Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry, were restored in March. The Pakistan SC then revoked the disqualification of the Sharif brothers. The National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO), promulgated by former Pakistani president Pervez Musharraf in 2007, expired in November, following which, in December, Zardari divested himself from the powers of the chairman of the National Command Authority and handed over control of Pakistan`s nuclear arsenal to PM Yousuf Raza Gilani. Later on December 16, Supreme Court declared amnesty granted to Zardari against corruption charges as unconstitutional. Zardari, as of now, is sticking on citing Presidential immunity. But the question remains: who is in control? Afghanistan: Situation grim but Karzai shines Afghanistan continues to be the epicentre of the fight against global terrorism in 2009. High-profile targets like the Indian embassy and UN offices continue to be attacked. The war, still, looks un-winnable even after the US and NATO’s decision to send in an extra 37,000 troops. However, President Barack Obama, for the first time, highlighted July 2011 as the time when the US could begin to pull out some troops. However, the year proved to be lucky for Hamid Karzai, who managed to hold on to his presidential chair in November, despite allegations of widespread electoral fraud. Sri Lanka: Demise of LTTE; beginning of ‘chair war’ The biggest story out of Sri Lanka in 2009 was the annihilation of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and its supremo Velupillai Prabhakaran in May and the later capture of the remaining leadership of the most dreaded guerrilla organisation. Human rights of the displaced Tamils have been an issue since. The tussle between war heroes, Army chief Sarath Fonseka and President Mahinda Rajapakse, over taking credit for the victory eventually led to the former’s removal in November. Fonseka has now decided to challenge President Mahinda Rajapakse in the upcoming Presidential Elections. South Asia Bangladesh: Leaving apart the mutiny by Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) soldiers - February 25 – that left more than 50 officers dead; which tested the control of new Sheikh Hasina government, Bangladesh has been relatively calm in 2009. In November, the Bangladesh Supreme Court confirmed the death sentence of 12 former army men in Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman murder case – thereby bringing an end to the 34 year case. For India, Hasina as PM has been a blessing. Handing over of many wanted men (LeT operatives and the top brass of the ULFA) by Bangladesh has helped in our fight against terror. Nepal: After last year’s historic elections, which saw – the once violent – Maoists under Pushp Kumar Dahal ‘Prachanda’ win people’s trust by vote, Nepal’s old discomfort with ‘working’ democracy is back in the open. Prachanda had to resign in May after controversy erupted over the sacking of the Army Chief General Rookmangud Katawal. Later, another coalition government under Madhav Kumar Nepal took over but things have been sketchy since. Indian influence in the state of affairs was evident as Delhi played a crucial role in ending the constitutional crisis and reinstatement of the Army Chief. Bhutan: The Kings of Bhutan took the historic decision of moving away from being a traditional absolute monarchy to a constitutional monarchy by holding the first ever elections in the country. The steps are tiny but had a profound impact in the Himalayan Kingdom. China: Emergence of regionalism Ethnic tensions exploded in July in Xinjiang province following deadly riots between ethnic Muslims Uighurs and dominant Han Chinese, over the death of two Uighurs at a factory in southern China. The clashes left over 197 people were killed and about 1,700 people injured. By December, seven people have been sentenced to death for leading the rioters. China also tasted the Obama mania when US President mesmerised Shanghai and Beijing on his first official trip to the dragon. North Korea: Nuclear trouble The Generals were at it again, all through 2009. The world, especially its neighbours South Korea and Japan, has been at its wits end to try and figure out the way to handle the nuclear ambitions of the reclusive Communist regime. First they tried to buy peace by bartering aid to the improvised country, it didn’t work. Then came the threat to impose sanctions: North Korea responded by announcing that it is going ahead with its uranium enrichment program and then, finally, in May also conducted a nuclear test. The world responded by imposing sanctions and as if waiting for cue, Kim Jong II test fired a 4000 km range ballistic missile and topped it up with a series of four surface-to-ship cruise missiles fired into the Sea of Japan and, without letting others to blink, test fired a volley of Scud-type ballistic missiles. Last heard: North Korea has finally acknowledged the need to ‘talk’, to find a way out. Iraq: US says bye, but instability persists For the first time since 2003, the US handed over security duties to new Iraqi forces in June. However, instability continued to dent Iraq’s peaceful rise as a number of terror attacks around the country continue to kill scores of civilians. The recent wave of bombings in October and December killed over 200 people, making them the deadliest this year. However, Iraq moved forward towards democracy and political reconciliation with the fairly successful Provincial Elections in February and the approval of Election Law in December, crucial in view of the upcoming Presidential Elections in early 2010. Iran: Ahmadinejad rules with nuclear ambitions Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was re-elected as the President in June. But the polls were marred by accusations of ballot tampering and fraud, which then led to the biggest demonstrations in Iran since the 1979 revolution. The protests were mostly led by influential former Iranian prime minister Mir Hossein Mousavi, who was then joined by Mehdi Karroubi and Mohammad Khatami. The 2009 ended in Iran with huge demonstrations mourning the death of the dissident Grand Ayatollah Hossein Ali Montazeri. Iran’s nuclear ambitions continued to be the flashpoint in its relationship with the world. Accused of building a nuclear enrichment plant, Iran has by the yearend defied an UN-drafted deal that allowed processing of low-enriched uranium for a civilian reactor. The ties between India and Iran were put to test when India voted in favour of a resolution by the UN nuclear watchdog against Tehran`s nuclear program in November. Pointing to more tensions in the coming months, Iranian government has now okayed the construction of 10 new uranium enrichment plants. Israel: Gaza war ends; Netanyahu reappears Israel witnessed two key events this year: Halting of the war with the militant Palestinian group, Hamas, in January and victory of Benjamin Netanyahu in Parliamentary Elections in March. Netanyahu has since tried to assure the international community, especially the US, of his seriousness to achieve “peace” in the region by announcing moratorium on building new settlements in the occupied areas of West Bank. However, the settlements are still going on and the Israeli government approved new funds for West Bank settlements in December. But lasting peace in the region is quite a distant dream. In December, Britain issued an arrest warrant against former foreign minister Tzipi Livni for alleged war crimes. Russia: The new power game The Medvedev-Putin combine had a tough year in dealing with the US’ plans to build a nuclear Missile Defence Shield around Czechoslovakia and Poland. Initially, US backed off due to the stiff opposition, but now has now gone ahead and signed a missile shield deal – albeit a watered down version - with Poland. The power struggle between Medvedev and Putin has also been in the news. Russia was also rocked by the deadly train bombing in December that left more than 30 dead. Other terror incidents A Nigerian attempted to ignite an explosive device aboard a Delta Airlines flight from Amsterdam to Detroit on the Christmas Day. Later, US President Barack Obama conceded of systemic intelligence failure. Somalia was shaken in December when an explosion tore through a hotel in Mogadishu, killing three government ministers. In September, the Indonesian government managed to pull down Noordin Top, who headed Jemaah Islamiah’s radical splinter group. The terrorist’s group carried out bombings in JW Marriott Hotel in July. The Dutch Royal Family came under attack in April when a 38-year-old man smashed his car into a crowd to ram the open-top bus carrying the royal party. The incident killed five and injured 12. In March, a British Army base was attacked by gunmen in one of Northern Ireland`s worst attacks since a 1998 peace deal, killing two soldiers and injuring four others. And in Spain, the Basque separatist group, ETA, carried out a series of bombings in Spain, including one in July which killed two Civil Guards. Piracy at Sea In the first three quarters of the year, 306 piracy related incidents have been reported from around the world. Gulf of Aden and East Indian Ocean remained the most troubled region with both accounting for 164 attacks. Many nations have been patrolling the troubled waters since last year, including the Indian Navy, which escorts Indian ships through the Gulf and takes part in active combat operations against the pirates. The pirates have now changed tactics and are focusing on kidnappings, including that of Indian crew of cargo ships; who where later released. The other piracy hot-spots in the world are the Malacca Straits, parts of Arabian Sea and western coast of Africa. Other key events Lockerbie terrorist Abdel Basset Ali al-Megrahi, the lone man convicted in 1988 bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 that killed 270 people, was set free by Scotland in August over allegations of the move being motivated by business interests. In Japan, the opposition Democrats broke the almost half-century reign of Liberal Democrats in August. Yukio Hatoyama is Japan’s new Prime Minister. In Philippines 57 people were gunned down in a political massacre in November, while in South Africa, the governing party, African National Congress, rebounded to power in May. Popular leader Jacob Zuma became the new president, despite being accused of rape in 2006. In South America, Honduras went through a phase of political turmoil after President Manuel Zelaya was ousted by a military coup in June. In fresh elections, opposition’s candidate won to become the next President of the troubled state. Disasters that shook the world Natural Disasters Indonesia: A 7.6-magnitude earthquake hit the island of Sumatra in September, killing over 700 people, followed later in the month by an earthquake in Java that left 60 dead. 60 more died when a dam broke in the southwest of Jakarta due to heavy rains. Africa: At least 200 illegal migrants were killed when their boat capsized off the coast of Libya. Italy: An earthquake of magnitude 6.3 struck the town of L`Aquila in central Italy in April, killing at least 300 people and leaving 40,000 to 50,000 people homeless. In fact, US President Barack Obama took a break from talks at the G8 summit to witness the devastation caused by earthquake. Typhoon Morakot: After originating in the Philippines, Typhoon Morakot caused a mudslide in a rural mountain village in southern Taiwan, leading to the burial of homes, schools, and deaths of at least 600 people. Tropical Storm Ketsana: Around 90 people died in and around the Philippines capital Manila due to floods caused by Tropical Storm Ketsana. Samoa and American Samoa: An underwater 8.0-magnitude earthquake triggered a tsunami in Samoa and American Samoa, which killed over 115 people. Aviation disasters Air France: Air France Flight 447 from Rio de Janeiro to Paris crashed into the Atlantic killing all 228 onboard. Yemeni: Yemenia Flight 626 crashed into the Indian Ocean while it was on its way to Comoros. The lone survivor of this unfortunate incident was a 14-year-old girl, who lost her mother in the crash. Caspian Airlines: Caspian Airlines Flight 7908, en route from Iran to Armenia, crashed just after takeoff, killing all 168 people on board.