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CONTENTS:

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS OF THE WEEK:

1. World
2. Africa
3. Americas
4. Asia Pacific
5. Europe
6. Middle East
7. South Asia
8. Cyberterrorism and Information Warfare
9. Finance
10 Human Rights
11. Law and Legal Issues
12. Transportation
13. Weapons of Mass Destruction
14. Recently Published

FEATURE ARTICLE:
2005: Year of Disasters

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS OF THE WEEK

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1. World

The UN has established an intergovernmental advisory board to ensure that persistent attention on countries emerging from conflict will help prevent them from falling back into chaos. The Commission, acting through consensus, will propose strategies for stabilization, economic recovery and development, and international coordination.
http://www.un.org/Docs/journal/asp/ws.asp?m=A/60/l.40

The Security Council's Counter-terrorism Committee has been authorized to provide greater assistance to member states and improve state, regional, and international collaboration.
http://www.un.org/Docs/journal/asp/ws.asp?m=S/2005/800

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is writing off the debt owed to it by the twenty poorest countries in the world. This amounts to $3.3 billion, pending approval of the 43 contributor countries. Relief for Mauritania will be delayed pending progress in specific policies.
http://www.imf.org/external/np/sec/pr/2005/pr05286.htm

Avian influenza was the top health issue of 2005. The World Health Organization poll of 20 countries also identified tobacco as the most neglected health issue. HIV/AIDS, chronic diseases, environmental health, poverty, disasters/emergencies, malaria, malnutrition, and inequity in access to healthcare were other important and neglected issues.
http://www.who.int/features/2005/health_survey/en/index.html

Avian influenza is presenting a growing risk in Indonesia, where 16 human cases have been identified, of which 11 were fatal. Since the first cases were identified in 2003, there have been 141 cases and 73 deaths. International concern arises from this high mortality rate and the threat that a strain readily spread from human-to-human could develop. Vaccination and antiviral drugs remain the preferred treatments, but multiple approaches are necessary, particularly after indications of drug-resistance. Canada's Finance Department warns that a pandemic could reduce the economy by as much as $14 billion. Multiple dimensions of a flu pandemic are reviewed in the January 2006 issue of Emerging Infectious Diseases.
http://www.who.int/csr/don/2005_12_23/en/index.html
http://www.who.int/csr/disease/avian_influenza/country/cases_table_2005_12_23/en/index.html://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/full/353/25/2667
http://www.canada.com/topics/news/story.html?id=e88ca60a-d2bc-4821-b6f7-a4ca78b487ee&k=29313
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/EID/index.htm

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2. Africa

Burkina Faso's 18-year ruler Blaise Comparore was sworn-in to another 5-year term as president.

Burundi's UN mission was extended to 1 July 2006. It has begun to draw down and could be ended by the second half of next year. Although a democratic government is in place, hostilities from one rebel group, the National Liberation Forces (FNL), continue.

Chad says that Sudan's daily incursions and attacks have put it into a state of war. Increased tensions began when cross-border attacks from Sudan killed more than a hundred people in the town of Adre. In pursuing the attackers, Chad's armed forces report that they killed 300 rebels.

Democratic Republic of Congo is counting voted in the constitutional ballot, with initial returns indicating a strong turnout and a strong vote in favor. In the northeast, UN and DRC operations began on Thursday against a Lendu militia group that has refused to accede to the 2002 peace agreement, which requires disarmament and integration into the national army. The fighting in the northeast has killed at least six militiamen and one soldier. The joint forces have taken control of the key town of Nioka.

The Eritrea-Ethiopia Claims Commission ruled that Eritrea triggered the border war with Ethiopia when it attacked in May 1998 and therefore is liable to compensate Ethiopia for damages. Border tensions between the two have been increasing significantly, following Ethiopia's refusal to adhere to a Border Commission decision that awarded the town of Badme to Eritrea. A Friday deadline of withdrawing recent troop buildups from the border was not fulfilled.
http://www.pca-cpa.org/ENGLISH/RPC/#Eritrea-Ethiopia%20Claims%20Commission%A0

The International Crisis Group addresses the situation in "Ethiopia and Eritrea: Preventing War":
"Key international actors need to urgently re-engage if a disastrous new war between Eritrea and Ethiopia is to be averted. At the heart of the dispute is the ruling of the independent Boundary Commission, which assigned the border town of Badme to Eritrea, with Ethiopia refusing to accept that ruling, at least without a prior dialogue ˆ in which Eritrea refuses to engage. Those who helped put together the Algiers peace accords in 2000 ˆ the African Union, the UN, the U.S. and the EU ˆ need to urgently put together a "3-Ds" strategy, involving concurrent de-escalation, demarcation and dialogue. The stakes could hardly be higher: neither side appears eager for a second war, but the situation is very fragile, and to dismiss current tensions as mere sabre rattling would be a serious mistake."
http://www.crisisgroup.org/home/index.cfm?l=1&id=3850

Liberian football star and presidential candidate George Weah has accepted his electoral defeat in the interests of national recovery and will not proceed with a Supreme Court challenge to the election results. Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf will be sworn-in in January, making her Africa's first female head of state.

Nigerian gunmen used dynamite to attack an oil pipeline operated by Royal Dutch Shell in the Niger Delta. It caused a massive fire and killed eight children. 21 villages have been affected, and national oil output has fallen by seven percent. Authorities suggested the attackers were possibly associated with the Niger Delta People's Volunteer Force, but a previously unknown group, the Martyrs' Brigade, claimed responsibility.

Sudan's Darfur region faces deteriorating security, including murder, attacks against women, and forced displacement. One Janjaweed militia attack this week killed 20, injured 16, and destroyed 50 temporary shelters. The UN peacekeeping operation has funding for only a few more months. Aid operations have been disrupted. Violence spilling over from northern Uganda's rebel Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) is posing another significant threat to both civilians and aid workers.

Swaziland has arrested nine members of the banned pro-democracy group, People's United Democratic movement (PUDEMO) for allegedly undertaking seven gas (petrol) bombs.

Tanzania's new President Jakaya Kikwete has been sworn in. The former foreign minister won 80 percent of the vote, which international observers said was well run.
http://www.nec.go.tz/

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3. Americas

Bolivian presidential candidate Evo Morales won the election outright, with more than half the votes. The nation's first indigenous leader will be inaugurated on 22 January.

Colombia's government and representatives of the National Liberation Army (ELN) completed five days of discussions in Cuba regarding a possible peace process. They plan to meet again in January to finalize an agenda for the talks.

Cuban President Castro said US Secretary of State Rice was crazy, following her reconvening a US commission that is intended to promote democratic change.
http://www.state.gov/secretary/rm/2005/58283.htm
http://www.ain.cu/2005/diciembre/dic23iggfidelasamblea05.htm (in Spanish)

In Haiti, a Canadian member of the peacekeeping mission was shot dead. Three peacekeepers were shot and injured last week. International forces in the country have been unable to end crime and political violence that accompanied the 2004 ouster of President Aristide. This instability may force yet another postponement of elections, currently scheduled for 8 January.

Peru's Shining Path guerillas ambushed police in Huanuco province, a remote coca-growing region of the Andes. Eight police were killed in the attack, which seems linked to police anti-drug operations. A 2-month state of emergency has been declared in six provinces believed under the control of drug traffickers, which provides additional powers for troop deployment and enforcement activities.

The government of Peru has approved 12 charges that will be used in an extradition request to Chile to ask for the return of former President Alberto Fujimoro, who faces charges of corruption and human rights abuses in Peru. Five additional charges are under review by the judiciary. Fujimori had been in self-imposed exile in Japan for five years prior to arriving at Chile in November, where he has since been held in custody. He says he plans to run for president in the April elections.

US President Bush said that unauthorized surveillance on US citizens by the National Security Agency was legal under the constitution and following congressional authorization to use necessary force against terrorism. He said that he had authorized the monitoring and would continue to do so, and that disclosure of the activity was shameful. Federal judge James Robertson, one of eleven members of the secret Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court that is responsible for overseeing government surveillance of intelligence cases, has resigned in protest. Former Senate majority leader Tom Daschle denied that Congress had granted such authority and insisted that "the 98 senators who voted in favor of authorization of force against al Qaeda did not believe that they were also voting for warrantless domestic surveillance". Congressional hearings on this issue will be held early next year.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2005/12/20051219-2.html
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/12/22/AR2005122201101.html

Governors of Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, and Vermont have endorsed the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), which implements limits on greenhouse gas emissions form power stations in the style of the Kyoto Protocol. They will now proceed with legislation or regulation necessary for its implementation.
http://www.rggi.org

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4. Asia Pacific

Australian police operations in Sydney last weekend prevented a repeat of the racial violence of the week before. Police were out in force, while most residents stayed home, and only isolated incidents occurred. Weapons were seized, and there have been some 150 arrests, including one charged with sending text messages t incite violence.

China issued a white paper, "China's Peaceful Development Road", which promises its growing power will never be a threat to other nations.
http://english.people.com.cn/200512/22/eng20051222_230059.html

Indonesia's military has begun its final troop withdrawals following the final disarmament of the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) rebels under the terms of the peacekeeping agreement. International monitors will remain through March to help ensure lasting peace. This peace could be threatened by plans to deploy more than 10,000 troops in Aceh to speed up tsunami reconstruction efforts.

Kyrgyzstan will hold a referendum next year in which people will be asked to decide whether power should be primarily held by the president, by the parliament, or shared.

In the Philippines, New People's Army (NPA) rebels stepped up attacks in connection with the anniversary of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP-NPA) on Monday. Some two dozen were killed last week, most with security forces. Senior NPA leader Roberto Moneba was captured. During the Christmas and New Year holidays, the government has declared a 4-day truce, reinforced by heavy security at likely targets, including commercial, infrastructure, and government facilities.

The International Crisis Group released "Philippines Terrorism: The Role of Militant Islamic Converts". The report discusses:

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5. Europe

The International High Representative in Bosnia, Lord Ashdown, is stepping down and at the end of January will be succeeded by former German minister Christian Schwarz-Schilling.

France's parliament has approved the tough new anti-terrorism bill, including increased surveillance and police powers.

The Greek Ministry of Development suffered minor property damage when a bomb in the back of the building went off before dawn. Notice of the explosion was given, and there were no casualties. Leftist militants with the Revolutionary Struggle claimed responsibility. It is the second such attack in less than two weeks.

An Italian court has issued European arrest warrants for 13 alleged US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) operatives believed to have been involved in an extraordinary rendition. The case involves the kidnapping of Muslim cleric Abu Omar in Milan without the knowledge of the Italian government, and his transfer to Egypt for interrogation

Spain's Basque separatist group ETA exploded a small bomb outside a nightclub. They provided advance warning and there were no casualties. Spanish police operations in three southern towns have led to the arrest of 14 suspects linked to Islamic extremist groups.

The British government has signed an agreement with Lebanon that allows citizens of Lebanon suspected of terrorism to be deported back to Lebanon. Agreements were previously signed with Jordan and Libya. All three countries have been associated with serious human rights abuses, including torture and mistreatment of suspects. It is unclear that these diplomatic agreements would protect those deported from such treatment, or offer the British government protection from subsequent human rights charges associated with sending suspects to a country where they could be tortured or killed.
http://www.fco.gov.uk/servlet/Front?pagename=OpenMarket/Xcelerate/ShowPage&c=Page&cid=1007029391629&a=KArticle&aid=1134650095963

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6. Middle East

Palestinian elections scheduled for January have been threatened by Israel's decision to prevent Palestinians in Jerusalem from voting, because they are concerned that Hamas could gain power. Hamas, fresh from wins in the West Bank, and ten other factions have united against any delay. However, splits within Fatah, weak political control, and insecurity could contribute to a decision by Palestinian leaders to delay, hoping they could gain a stronger position in the future.

In Gaza, militants with the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) kidnapped two teachers to protest the detention of its leader, Ahmed Sadat, and soon thereafter freed them. Rocket attacks against Israel continued to increase, including one on Thursday that injured four soldiers. A Palestinian man was killed when the army fired shells at the launch site. Israel now plans new measures against militant rocket attacks, including an aerial siege: they would drop leaflets telling civilians to evacuate before shelling populated areas. They also plan to increase targeted killings, particularly against Islamic Jihad officials.

Iraq's parliamentary elections remain fraught with difficulty, demonstrating the strong divisions in the country between Shia, Sunni and Kurdish regions. Sunni Arab and secular parties are in the minority, and US-backed secular and nationalist candidates defeated. Claims of electoral irregularities have been so numerous that the results will be delayed. The investigation won't change the dominance of Shia religious parties, which is likely to favor an early withdrawal of US and allied troops, and stronger relations with Iran.

Following the relative calm associated with heavy security measures surrounding the elections, attacks resumed. Baghdad's Deputy Governor, Ziyad al-Zawbai, and three associates were injured in an ambush on his car. A car bomb killed two civilians and injured eight. Gunmen killed four police and wounded six at a checkpoint. A bomb killed three police and injured four. Near Baquba, eight Iraqi soldiers were killed and 17 injured by rocket-propelled grenades at their checkpoint, and a suicide bomber killed four and injured eight outside a Shia mosque.

Regarding military operations, the US military confirmed a large increase in airstrikes. Until the end of August, they averaged 25 per month. In September there were 62, October 122, and November 120. Airstrikes take a severe toll on the civilian population. US President Bush has authorized a troop reduction of about 7,000.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/12/23/AR2005122301473.html
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/12/23/AR2005122301471.html

Syria says it will cooperate with the UN investigation into the killing of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. Last week, the UN Security Council, acting on a Lebanese request, extended the inquiry by six months. Detlev Mehlis, who has been heading the inquiry, is stepping down and will be replaced, probably by Serge Brammertz. Mr. Brammertz is the deputy prosecutor of the International Criminal Court.

In the West Bank, an Israeli operation in Jenin led to a shootout in which Zayid Khalil Moussa, a Hamas commander of the Izzedine al-Qassam Brigades, was killed. In another operation, three Palestinians were shot dead by Israeli troops when they tried to leave a building the troops had sealed off.

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7. South Asia

Afghanistan's new parliament held its inaugural session, which met for about two hours. A third of members in the lower house are women, and many former mujahideen, Taleban, and communist leaders are also representatives. The next day, parliament elected Sebghatullah Mujadidi as head of the upper house of parliament. On Wednesday, Yunus Qanuni was elected as president of the lower house. Qanuni is President Karzai's main rival.

Afghan officials expressed concern to US defense secretary Rumsfeld when he told them that the US is withdrawing up to 3,000 of the 19,000 soldiers in Afghanistan. Other NATO forces are planned to replace this number. Meanwhile, attacks continue. Afghan police and US forces in Ghazni province were attacked by suspected militants. Two militants and one policeman were killed. Six men were detained. In Herat, three Italian peacekeepers were injured in a suicide car bombing next to their vehicle, in which the driver died.

Bangladesh plans to introduce new anti-terrorism legislation to counter the string of deadly bombings since August. The new laws will expand the range of activities covered, and increase the maximum penalty from ten years in prison to death.

Bhutan's King Jigme Singye Wangchuck ways he will abdicate in favor of his son, the crown prince, after the country's first national democratic elections are held in 2008.
http://www.kuenselonline.com/article.php?sid=6345

India's parliament has expelled eleven members for accepting bribes.

Nepal's King Gyanendra has ruled out matching a Maoist rebel ceasefire. The rebels warn they could disrupt municipal elections next year, which are already being boycotted by the seven major political parties as a sham.

In Pakistan's Balochistan province fighting between the army and tribal rebels continues unabated, including bombings directed against transportation and security targets. In North Waziristan, bandits and Islamic students (or Taleban_ clashed, leaving at least seven dead, while two soldiers were critically injured in a landmine explosion in South Waziristan, leading to the arrest of about a dozen people.

Sri Lanka's Tamil Tigers are blamed for two ambushes that each killed an army soldier, for an attack on naval patrol boats in which three sailors were captured, and for the death of 13 sailors killed when their convoy was ambushed. The Tigers deny responsibility. Protestors in Jaffna were reported fired upon by Sri Lankan soldiers dispersing the demonstration. 14 casualties, including one gunshot, were received in hospital. At Christmas Midnight Mass at St. Michael's Church in Batticaloa, unknown gunmen shot and killed pro-Tamil Tiger politician Joseph Pararajasingham (aged 71). His wife and seven other people were injured. Donor countries have urged an immediate end to all violence, and have held an emergency meeting with Tiger leaders to address the recent spike in violence that is seriously jeopardizing the ceasefire.

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8. Cyberterrorism and Information Warfare

Symantec's Antivirus Library is subject to a heap overflow flaw connected with multimedia files that could provide remote control of systems.
http://www.rem0te.com/public/images/symc2.pdf
http://www.symantec.com/avcenter/security/Content/2005.12.21b.html
http://secunia.com/advisories/18131/

Ironport Systems confirmed the recent Sober-Z outbreak as the largest of 2005. They also found that the average time for an anti-viral response was more than half a day.
http://www.ironport.com/company/ironport_pr_2005-12-20.html

ABN Amro Mortgage Group announced that a computer tape containing personal financial information of 2.1 million residential mortgage customers had been lost. Soon after customers were notified, the tape was found at the shipping facility. The company has decided in the future to encrypt data and send it over secure networks rather than relying on physical tapes.

In the UK, an all-party committee on identity fraud has urged protection of cards, gifts, and receipts that are ubiquitous during the holiday season. Such personal and confidential documents can be used for identity theft.
http://www.identitytheft.org.uk/

Canadian news reports describe the misappropriation of mobile phone numbers used by terrorist groups.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20051217.wxcellphone1217/BNStory/Technology/
http://www.globetechnology.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20051220.wxphones1220/BNStory/Technology

The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) reports a fall in spam following a 2003 law and improved technology.
http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2005/12/buttonpushers.htm

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9. Finance

Dutch and US financial regulators have imposed sanctions including financial penalties of $80 million on ABN AMRO for systematic defects in anti-money laundering laws and regulations The action was taken in connection with transactions in Iran and Libya.
http://www.abnamro.com/pressroom/releases/2005/2005-12-19-en-r.jsp
http://www.federalreserve.gov/BoardDocs/Press/enforcement/2005/20051219/default.htm
http://www.dnb.nl/dnb/pagina.jsp?pid=tcm:12-67280-64 (in Dutch)
http://www.banking.state.ny.us/pr051219.htm
http://www.fincen.gov/abnamro.pdf
http://www.idfpr.com/NEWSRLS/121905ABNAMROFine.asp

US federal banking regulators issued new guidance to ensure that enforcement actions are "measured, fair, and fully informed".
http://www.occ.treas.gov/ftp/bulletin/2005-45.txt
http://www.occ.treas.gov/ftp/bulletin/2005-45a.pdf

The UN Security Council, after hearing that the situation remains a threat to international peace and that its natural resources are still being abused, renewed sanctions. The sanctions include embargoes on timber, arms, and diamonds, as well as travel restrictions.
http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2005/sc8594.doc.htm

Britain's Assets Recovery Agency was granted an interim order to freeze more than GBP400,000 assets of alleged loyalist racketeer Melville Matthews of Northern Ireland.
http://www.assetsrecovery.gov.uk/

The Middle East/North Africa Financial Sector Working Group (MENA FSWG) held its inaugural meeting. They agreed to develop an action plan to disrupt AML/CFT and poster information exchange through regional workshops and meetings. They will focus on working with the private sector to develop and implement core controls for AML/CFT.
http://www.treas.gov/press/releases/js3057.htm
http://www.menafatf.org/

Bangladesh's cabinet agreed in principle to enact the Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing Prevention Law 2005, pending further review from the ministries of finance, law, and home affairs.
http://www.thedailystar.net/2005/12/20/d51220012316.htm

Afghanistan has approved a new law to combat drug trafficking. It established a regulatory commission and judicial task force to manage a new tribunal for drug traffickers and to regulate drugs. It also establishes new surveillance rules and states that proceeds of drug trafficking will be seized and forfeited.
http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=50792

Australia's Tax Office issued four new taxpayer alerts regarding the use of offshore structures to avoid taxes. They are:

The US Congress passed a 2-year extension of the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act (TRIA). It covers all lines under the original program except commercial auto, most professional liability, surety, burglary and theft, and farm owners' multi-peril. Coverage is triggered by events of $50 million in 2006 or $100 million in 2007, with deductibles of 17.5 and 20 percent respectively, and an annual cap of $100 billion per year for insured losses.

The US Government Accountability Office (GAO) issued "Insurance Sector Preparedness: Insurers Appear Prepared to Recover Critical Operations Following Potential Terrorist Attacks, but Some Issues Warrant Further Review".
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-06-85

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10. Human Rights

Angela Johnson was found guilty of involvement in the murder of five people in Iowa in 1993 and, like her drug kingpin boyfriend Dustin Honken, has been sentenced to death. Federal Judge Mark Bennett expressed reservations about the verdict but under sentencing guidelines must accept the recommendation. If carried out, Johnson will be the first woman executed on a federal ruling since 1953. The state of Iowa does not have the death penalty.
http://desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051221/NEWS01/512210340/1001/ENT04
http://www.iand.uscourts.gov/iand/decisions.nsf/0/EBFFF9980658E422862570D900722878/$File/JohnsonPostTmos.121605final.pdf
http://www.iand.uscourts.gov//iand/decisions.nsf/92eab839b6495023862569ca006906c4/ebfff9980658e422862570d900722878?OpenDocument

Libya's Supreme Court has overturned the death sentences and ordered a retrial for five Bulgarian nurses and a Palestinian doctor that had been found guilty of deliberately infecting 426 children with HIV. The six health workers said their confessions had been forced under torture, while international experts say the infections had started before they arrived and were caused by poor hygienic practices in the hospital. Earlier in the week, Bulgaria and Libya agreed to set up a fund to support the families of the infected children.

Human Rights Watch reports that is has credible reports that eight people now held at Guantanamo Bay had been tortured at a secret prison operated by the US in Afghanistan.
http://www.hrw.org/english/docs/2005/12/19/afghan12319.htm

Further disclosures regarding domestic surveillance in the US suggest the practice has been much broader than previously disclosed. Among new reports is the discovery that nuclear monitoring of Muslim sites including mosques, homes, businesses and warehouses without a warrant, and a far greater volume of telephone monitoring.
http://www.usnews.com/usnews/news/articles/nest/051222nest.htm
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/12/24/politics/24spy.html
http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/NSAEBB/NSAEBB24/press20051219.htm

International Migrant's Day was observed on 18 December.

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11. Law and Legal Issues

Azimir Alispahic, Safet Fejzovic, Smail Ibrahimovic, Slobodan Medic and Sadik Saltic, all former Serbian police, are being tried in Serbian court, starting with Medic. They are charged with shooting of six Bosnian Muslims during the 1995 Srebrenica massacre. The incident was captured on video, and was shown in June, where it led to national shock and the arrest of those in the film.

Huda Salih Mahdi Ammash, ("Mrs Anthrax"), Rihab Taha, ("Dr Germ" and six other former aides to Saddam Hussein, have been freed from US custody in Iraq. However, National Security Advisor Mowaffak al-Rubbaie says new arrest warrants for the two biological weapons experts have been issued.

Abbas Boutrab was sentenced in Northern Ireland court for six years in connection with downloading information on making a bomb that could blow up an airplane, which could be of use to terrorists, modifying a cassette player for terrorist purposes, and possessing other information and false documents..

Tali Fahima under a plea bargain, has been sentenced in Israeli court to three years in prison for helping Zakaria Zubeidi, al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades leader in Jenin. The Israeli woman befriended the most wanted militant to help protect him from assassination.

Mohammad Guiman, a member of Abu Sayyaf, has been arrested in the Philippines in connection with suspected bombings, bomb plots, and kidnappings.

Mohammed Ali Hammadi had been sentenced to prison in Germany for the 1985 hijacking of a passenger plain in which a US Navy diver was killed. After serving his sentence, he was repatriated to Lebanon. The US, which has no extradition treaty with Lebanon, is reportedly attempting to bring Hammadi to trial in the US.

The International Federation for Human Rights and the League of Human Rights have brought a lawsuit against the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) over the use of French soil for CIA renditions.
http://www.fidh.org/article.php3?id_article=2934 (in French)

Abdullah Khadr was arrested by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, who were acting on a provisional warrant issued by the US Department of Justice. He is the eldest son of the late al Qaeda financier, Ahmed Said Khadr, but denies that he or his family has ever been involved with al Qaeda or terrorism.

Abu Baker Mansha has been found guilty in British court under the Terrorism Act. He was accused of planning to injure or kill Corporal Mark Byles in revenge for his leading an attack in which five Iraqi insurgents died, and for which he was awarded the military cross. Mansha will be sentenced 26 January.

Michelle Ledgister was fined, and sentenced in US court to house arrest and probation for making an anthrax threat against a county official in Florida.

Ali Mohaqiqnasab had been sentenced to prison when an Afghan court ruled that articles in Women's Rights, the magazine he edits, were blasphemy. Following an apology, his sentence was reduced from two years to six months, and three months he has not yet served have been suspended, thereby setting him free.

Roberto Moneba was arrested by Philippine police in connection with his alleged leadership of the New People's Army on Mindanao island, which is believed responsible for many armed attacks and explosions.

Ladislav Niznansky was acquitted of involvement in three Nazi massacres in 1945 after a German court found no evidence linking him to the events.

Ayman Nour, leader of the Egyptian opposition party Ghad, has been sentenced to five years in prison for fraud. The Egyptian court found that he has falsified signatures in order to register Ghad. Egypt denies the charges were politically motivated. Nour will appeal the verdict.

Jose Padilla will not be transferred form military custody to civilian law enforcement following a ruling by the US Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. The court also refused to withdraw its 9 September opinion that affirmed the President's authority to detain enemy combatants entering the US in order to attack the country from within. The court said that, "they believe this motion was "at least an appearance that the government may be attempting to avoid consideration of our decision by the Supreme Court". The Supreme Court will be the next to hear the case.
http://pacer.ca4.uscourts.gov/opinion.pdf/056396R1.P.pdf

Pollycarpus Priyanto has been sentenced in Indonesian court to 14 years in jail for murdering prominent human rights activist Munir Thalib. The former pilot was accused of poisoning a glass of orange juice with arsenic, and serving it when he was off duty. Connections with a broader conspiracy involving government security and intelligence forces were not pursued, but police have now offered him protection if he helps lead them to the mastermind.

Sam Rainsy has been sentenced in absentia in Cambodian court to 18 months in prison for criminal defamation. The opposition leader had made negative remarks about government leaders.

Henk Slebos was sentenced in Dutch court to one year in prison for illegally selling prohibited dual-use nuclear technology to AQ Khan for Pakistan's nuclear weapons program.

Uganda must pay damages to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) following an International Court of Justice finding that Uganda was responsible for looting and human rights abuses during DRC's 1998-2003 civil war. DRC plans to seek up to $10 billion in compensation. Uganda says there were many other groups in DRC and that the judgment was undeserved.
http://www.icj-cij.org/icjwww/idocket/ico/icoframe.htm

Juvenal Uwilingiyimana was facing charges in connection with the Rwandan genocide, for which he was cooperating with international tribunal investigators, when he disappeared from home on 21 November. Three weeks later, his body was recovered from a Belgian canal. Because of his cooperation, Uwilingiyimana had previously expressed concern for his safety and that of his family and friends, at the hands of others in the Rwandan community. The cause of death has not yet been determined, and homicide is being considered.

Mr. Uwilingiyimana signed a document saying that he was testifying voluntarily. On 28 November a letter dated 5 November appeared on the Internet saying he had terminated his cooperation with the ICTR because of pressure to implicate high-level individuals. The letter was never delivered and Mr. Uwilingiyimana continued until 18 November to meet the very investigators he was supposed to have denounced, the Tribunal said.

Frans van Anraat has been sentenced in Dutch court to 15 years in prison for complicity in war crimes connected to selling the chemicals used in Iraq for the 1988 gas attacks on Halabja. He was acquitted of genocide. Prior to reaching this decision, the court had do decide whether the Halabja attack amounted genocide. It found that the Halabja attack met the Geneva Convention definition of genocide and that the Kurdish populations met the requirements to be considered an ethnic group.

Xu Wanping was found guilty in Chinese court of incitement to subvert state power. He has been sentenced to twelve years in prison for helping organize anti-Japanese protests in April.

Adel Yahya was arrested at Gatwick airport when he arrived in London from Ethiopia. He has now been charged with conspiracy to cause explosions in connection with the failed 21 July bombings.

Fernando Zevallos has been sentenced in Peruvian court to 20 years in prison for money laundering and drug trafficking. He had owned the now defunct Aero Continente airline, which was reportedly connected with drug shipments. Zevallos is designated a drug kingpin in the US.

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12. Transportation

Regional police and navies are hunting for a ship hijacked in the South China Sea. The Singapore-owned ship, its 25 crewmembers and multi-million dollar cargo of vegetable oil, went missing last weekend.

The European Commission has sent reasoned opinions to Italy and the UK as the final step before possible referral to the Court of Justice for failing to impose minimum standards of training, certification, and watchkeeping for seafarers into their national laws. http://europa.eu.int/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/05/1630&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en

The Ontario, Canada, Court of Appeal has ruled that Customs inspectors can ask people to empty their pockets as one of the routine screening techniques legitimately used at border crossings.
http://www.ontariocourts.on.ca/decisions/2005/december/C42765.htm

Officials in both Canada and Mexico have condemned US proposals to build a fence along the respective borders. Mexico plans to form a united alliance against the plan, which was supported last week in an immigration bill that passed the US house of representatives.

Taiwan has started replacing current identity cards that are easily forged with new cards using a magnetic strip. This could lead to a significant reduction in Chinese travel to the EU using forged passports.

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13. Weapons of Mass Destruction

North Korea says it will resume building two nuclear reactors to increase energy capacity since the US had pulled out of an assistance agreement and imposed sanctions against North Korean companies.

Iran and EU officials met and agreed to hold new talks regarding Iran's nuclear program, in January.

The European Commission has adopted a proposal to reinforce legislation on the transfer of radioactive waste and spend nuclear fuel.
http://europa.eu.int/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/05/1661&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en

The US Department of Energy has fined two contractors for nuclear safety violations in connection with operations of the Oak Ridge and Hanford facilities.
http://www.eh.doe.gov/enforce/eas/EA-2005-07.pdf
http://www.eh.doe.gov/enforce/eas/EA-2005-06.pdf

Los Alamos National Security LLC has been selected to manage and operate the nuclear weapons laboratory at Los Alamos. New management of the lab arose following a suspension, or stand-down, of operations to address safety and security concerns. As noted in a Government Accountability Office (GAO) report, these costs are uncertain, and better oversight of contractors is necessary.
http://www.doe.gov/engine/content.do?PUBLIC_ID=19408&BT_CODE=PR_PRESSRELEASES&TT_CODE=PRESSRELEASE
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-06-83

Another GAO report suggests that animal diseases and other research at Plum Island should be re-expanded to address other potential vulnerabilities.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-06-132

Iran and Iraq have signed a memorandum of understanding aimed at eliminating landmines.

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14. Recently Published

Nasrin Alavi, "We Are Iran", Soft Skull Press/Portobello Books

Aaron E. Earle, "Wireless Security Handbook", Auerback

Aaron J. Klein, "Striking Back: The 1972 Munich Olympics Massacre and Israel's Deadly Response", Random House

David Leavitt, "The Man Who Knew Too Much: Alan Turing and the Invention of the Computer", WW Norton

Sally Neighbour, "In the Shadow of Swords: How Islamic Terrorists Declared War on Australia", Harper Collins Australia

Simon Schama, "Rough Crossings: Britain, the Slaves and the American Revolution", Ecco/BBC Books

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FEATURE ARTICLE: 2005: Year of Disasters

This year continued a decades-long trend to set another new record for weather-related natural disasters. By 1 December, there had been 26 tropical storms - five more than the previous record of 21. Fourteen of these were classed as hurricanes. When names for the storms ran out, we began using the Greek alphabet.

The UN Climate Change Conference meeting in early December, heard preliminary estimates provided by the Munich Re Foundation. They reported that weather-related natural disasters in 2005 caused the largest financial losses ever. 2004 had set the previous record, with $145 billion in losses. In 2005 losses have exceeded $200 billion. Of this, insured losses amounted to about $70 billion this year, compared to $45 billion in 2004. The costliest of these disasters was Hurricane Katrina, with economic losses in excess of $125 billion and more than $30 billion in insured losses.

This increase in natural events is tied closely to human activity, including emission of greenhouse gases that have contributed to climate change. In addition, the scale of disasters is tied to failures of pubic policy to address disaster reduction. Consider these major incidents:

Conference attendees also heard an unequivocal message of the urgent need to curb global warming. UN Environment Program Executive Director Klaus Toepfer said, "It is vital that, before this meeting ends, Governments send a clear signal to business, industry and the people of the world that they are determined to continue the battle to curb global warming. ... The best form of adaptation is to reduce the world's emissions by embracing a revolution in the way we use rather than abuse energy and by dramatically boosting energy efficiency and using technologies and techniques already available or at our finger tips".

Growing scientific evidence supports this call to action. Studies published in Nature indicate that tropical storms in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans have increased in duration and intensity by about 50 percent since the 1970s. Numerous researchers warned of severe loss of Antarctic ice, glaciers, and permafrost. The consequence of these changes are rising sea levels that in turn will force large population shifts, creating a new category of environmental refugee. Studies of environmental change have also led to new financial models, which predict new risks and the economic impact of increased levels of disaster.

Although businesses, particularly insurers, are beginning to respond to the new risk environment, governments have been much slower. The UN and its agencies have been successful in engaging member governments to participate in strategies for disaster reduction and, in particular, for establishing the new contingency emergency fund. The US, on the other hand, has been outstandingly remiss in both prevention (not even acknowledging climate change) and in response. Multiple, ongoing, congressional investigations have illustrated graphically these failures. Michael Brown was removed from his position as director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), but there has been little other political fallout connected to Hurricane Katrina and the disaster in New Orleans.

Difficulty in responding to major disasters is not limited to the US. The 26 December 2004 tsunami posed unprecedented challenges that were met with varying degrees of success in the countries involved. Most notably, in the Aceh province of Indonesia, the aftermath of the disaster spurred on peace talks. In Sri Lanka, tensions have increased to the point that the peace process is seriously threatened.

The first anniversary of the tsunami has presented an opportunity to review progress and problems. The UN and its agencies have coordinated these efforts. The Food and Agriculture Organization points to half a million people in Indonesia still living in temporary shelters. The UN Children's Fund says that about 80 percent of children in India, Sri Lanka and Thailand are positive about their future, but those in Indonesia are less hopeful, perhaps because almost 70 percent had lost a family member. The UN Commission on Human Rights cites concerns with large numbers of survivors living in poor conditions and the increasing vulnerability of women, particularly where military forces are still present. The UN Development Program reminds us of the need to continue supporting local country offices.

Given all this, people remain the most important. As Munich Re Foundation chief executive Thomas Loster, pointed out, "Above all, these are humanitarian tragedies and show us that, as a result of our impacts on the climate, we are making people and communities everywhere more vulnerable to weather-related natural disasters".

There is, however, another disaster that although natural is not related to weather. The South Asian earthquake may kill more people from the winter cold and disease than the tens of thousands that have already died:

Related Reading:
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CLIMATE CHANGE:

DISASTERS:

TSUNAMI ANNIVERSARY:

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