September 1995, pgs. 22-26

Issues in the News

Compiled by Shawn L. Twing

ARABIAN PENINSULA

Qatar

Sheikh Hamad Appoints Cabinet, Changes Succession Rules:

Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, who became Emir of Qatar on June 27, has reorganized his cabinet, named himself prime minister and changed the rules concerning succession to the position of emir in a series of decrees published by the official Qatar News Agency on July 11. Senior ministerial positions, including energy and finance, were unchanged, and the new Emir retained his previous posts as defense minister and commander of the armed forces. Sheikh Hamad appointed his brother Abdallah to the post of deputy prime minister and retained him in his previous capacity as interior minister. Four new members were appointed to the cabinet, three of them from outside the ruling family. The new ministers are Sheikh Mohammad bin Khaled Al Thani, minister of state for cabinet affairs; Ali Said Al Khiyareen, minister of health; Najeeb Mohammad al-Nuaimi, minister of justice; and Ahmad Abdullah al Mahmoud, minister of state for foreign affairs. Changing posts were Sheikh Ahmad bin Said Al Thani (from minister of justice to minister of state) and Sheikh Hamad bin Suhaim Al Thani (from minister of health to Emiri Court Minister). Dropped from the cabinet list was the ministry of labor, social affairs and housing, a post held previously by Abdel-Rahman Saad al-Dirham.

Succession laws were changed to state specifically that only sons of the emir are eligible for the position. In the event that a future ruler has no sons, an heir apparent would be chosen by the emir from members of the ruling family.

Qatar Establishes Stock Market:

Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani promulgated a law establishing a formal stock exchange in Qatar on July 3, over a year after it had been approved by the cabinet. Establishment of the stock market and moves to improve Qatar's investment laws are being undertaken by Qatar's new ruler to improve his country's financial position, which has been adversely affected by low oil prices during recent years. Motivating these actions is Sheikh Hamad's desire to accelerate the North Field Project, a multi-billion-dollar venture to produce liquefied natural gas from Qatar's gas reserves, which are estimated to be the third largest in the world. Qatar has attracted investors from Japan, Turkey, Taiwan and South Korea to help raise the estimated $10 billion required to implement the project.

Bahrain

Bahrain Purchases French Military Technology:

The Bahrain Defense Force (BDF) signed a $20 million contract for French telecommunications equipment and maintenance on July 30, according to Agence France Presse. The Gulf News Agency stated that "these accords came under the development of the BDF to allow it to acquire advanced military technology" and "under [Bahraini?French] military cooperation."

Saudi Arabia

Saudia Purchases 61 American Airliners:

Saudia, Saudi Arabia's national airline, has agreed to purchase 61 American-made airliners from Boeing and McDonnell Douglas Corporation to modernize its fleet in anticipation of privatization of the company. At a commemoration of the airline's 50th anniversary, Saudi Defense Minister Prince Sultan bin Abdul Aziz announced that the order will include five Boeing 747s, 23 of Boeing's next-generation 777s, 29 McDonnell Douglas MD-90s and four MD-11 cargo jets. The acquisition will make Saudia one of the largest and most modern airlines in Europe and the Middle East.

Saudi Arabia and Jordan Normalize Relations:

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al Faisal announced Saudi Arabia's decision to normalize relations with Jordan after a five-year rift between the two countries following Jordan's refusal to join the coalition against Iraq in 1990. "There will soon be an ambassador from Saudi Arabia to Amman and the two countries will work toward removing all obstacles," Saudi Defense Minister Prince Sultan bin Abdul Aziz told Agence France Press on July 16. "We are going to continue and strengthen our contacts to stimulate our relations." Since Saudi Arabia recalled its ambassador, Mohammad Fahd al-Issa, from Jordan in 1990, the Saudis have been represented there by a chargé d'affaires. The Jordanians did not recall their ambassador from Riyadh. Jordanian political sources interviewed by the Khaleej Times suggested that the Saudi decision could pave the way for a meeting between King Fahd and King Hussein.

Saudi Arabia Grants $100 Million to Palestinians:

Saudi Arabia will provide the Palestinian Authority $100 million in aid for Gaza and Jericho, a Foreign Ministry official said on July 30. The United States, Japan and members of the European Union also have started paying their respective shares of money pledged to the Palestinians after the Norwegian donor committee expressed concern over delays in aid disbursement.

Oman

Oman To Fine Polluting Tankers:

Oman will fine oil tankers polluting its territorial waters up to $1 million, Oman News Agency reported on July 29. Environment Minister Shwein Al Hosani said proposed legislation authorizes action "against ships which dump crude and other kinds of waste along the coast," because "Oman will not tolerate waste-dumping by any shipping company." The legislation will make Oman the first Arab Gulf state to introduce penalties for dumping petroleum-related waste products.

Oman Increases Oil Output to Record Level:

Oman has increased its petroleum production to a record 850,000 barrels per day (bpd) in 1995, according to reports released by Oman Petroleum Development (OPD). The increase in production is attributed to the introduction of advanced technology that costs more to operate than traditional drilling but results in an approximately four times larger yield. In addition to increases in production, new discoveries have increased Oman's known reserves substantially during the past two decades.

Kuwait

Kuwait Rebuilds Communications Complex:

The Kuwaiti government signed a $10.8 million contract with a local company on July 26 to rebuild a communications complex destroyed by Iraq's invasion of Kuwait five years earlier. The agreement will provide a post office and international telephone facilities in Sabahiya, 30 kilometers south of Kuwait City.

United Arab Emirates

Dubai To Clean Up Sunken Ships:

Dubai Municipality's Environment Protection and Safety Section (EPSS) announced on July 29 a program to raise and remove the remains of sunken ships in Dubai Creek, Hamriya port and Dubai emirate's coastal waters to prevent damage to the environment and reduce threats to ships using the area. Director Salem Mismar of the Dubai Health Department, which oversees the EPSS, said 17 sites will be targeted for the clean-up project, which is scheduled to begin in November of this year.

UAE Builds First Auto Racetrack:

The UAE is planning to build a large auto racetrack with training, repair and exhibition facilities, Sheikh Sultan bin Khalifa, chief of the Abu Dhabi crown prince's court, announced during a July visit to the Silverton international racetrack in the United Kingdom. The proposed project also will include an exhibition area, facilities for skating, golf and water sports, and a large hotel and residential complex. Sheikh Sultan added that a thorough study of the project has been underway since 1993 and that it could be open for foreign investors.

Etisalat Kicks Off Internet Service:

Etisalat, the UAE's telecommunications provider, formally launched internet access in the United Arab Emirates on Aug. 6, the date chosen to commemorate the accession of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan as ruler of Abu Dhabi. Service began with direct dialing for regular access, and Etisalat has set up licensing procedures for individuals wishing to have dedicated line service.

Yemen

British Embassy Chastised:

The British Foreign Office has been reprimanded for overlooking mismanagement and graft after officials admitted that they ignored losses from bribery, corruption, fraud and black market currency trading in the British embassy in Yemen totalling over $1.5 million. A British government report detailed corruption in the San'a embassy which apparently led to the suicide of Gerald Ryan, embassy second secretary, last Christmas Eve when police were investigating him for mismanagement and fraud. The report absolved British Ambassador to Yemen Douglas Scrafton of any involvement in the problems.

THE FERTILE CRESCENT

Lebanon

Lebanon, Germany Discuss Trade:

Lebanon and Germany agreed to increase bilateral relations during a visit from German Foreign Minister Klaus Kinkel, who led a 30-person delegation of German businessmen to Beirut in early July. Kinkel, meeting with Lebanese President Elias Hrawi, Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri, Foreign Minister Fares Bweiz and Deputy Parliament Speaker Elie Firzli, discussed plans to encourage joint investments, remove double taxation, and return German Lufthansa airline service to Beirut International Airport. Kinkel also endorsed U.N. Security Council Resolution 425, which calls for Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon.

Israel

Vanunu's Release Denied:

A Beersheba court rejected Mordechai Vanunu's request for release and continued to keep him in solitary confinement pending another hearing on the matter scheduled for September. Vanunu, sentenced to 18 years' imprisonment for providing the London Sunday Times with 56 photographs taken inside Israel's Dimona nuclear weapons complex in the Negev desert, already has served nine years of his sentence in solitary confinement. The Israeli government's only concessions during the hearing were to allow Vanunu one telephone call per month and to have a computer in his cell. Israeli authorities maintain that Vanunu still could divulge more of Israel's nuclear secrets.

Pentagon Estimates 1,500-km. Range for Jericho-2 Missile:

Although Israel has never admitted its existence publicly, the U.S. Defense Department estimates that Israel's Jericho-2 missile has a range of 1,500 kilometers while it is carrying a 500-kilogram payload, according to the Jerusalem Post. The Jericho-2, successor to the shorter-range Jericho-1, is the military version of the Shavit rocket used to launch the Ovek-3 satellite into orbit. The Washington-based Wisconsin Project on Nuclear Arms Control, an independent institute dedicated to the prevention of missile and nuclear proliferation worldwide, estimates that the Shavit missile has a range of 4,500 kilometers. In 1993-4, the Wisconsin Project exposed Israeli plans to purchase heavy water from Norway. Heavy water is a key ingredient in nuclear weapon production. After the Wisconsin Project's revelations, the sale was cancelled. A spokesman for the Project was quoted in the Jerusalem Post as saying that "Israel already has a nuclear arsenal and should thus aspire to freeze the current situation."

Monetary Reforms Needed:

Israel's economy is not growing as rapidly as expected because of a failure to implement necessary structural adjustments, according to World Bank vice president Michael Bruno and International Monetary Fund deputy director Stanley Fisher. Fisher told the Jerusalem Post that Israel "would be better off giving up the economic assistance it receives from the U.S." He added that "part of the reason [Israel's] economy has a worse reputation than it deserves is that the government goes to the U.S. Congress and justifies the aid by saying 'we're poor.'"

Bruno, speaking in Jerusalem before an Israeli Economic Association audience, said that large sectors of the economy, most notably the defense industry and kibbutzim, "were nursing from the budget [and] are still nursing from it." He also noted that the Israeli government has failed to reform monopolies and to push forward plans for privatization.

Police Inspector Warns of Russian Mafia Infiltration in Israel:

Israeli Police Inspector General Assaf Hefetz said the so-called "Russian mafia" has laundered $4 billion in Israel during recent years and is trying to infiltrate "everything from businesses to political parties," according to the Jerusalem Post. Hefetz and Israeli Police Commander Yossi Levy made a 10-day trip to Russia, Ukraine and Hungary in July as part of an attempt to control organized crime in Israel. They said criminals from the former Soviet Union are entering Israel "as immigrants or with the help of immigrants" under Israel's Law of Return, which grants Israeli nationality to anyone who can prove he or she is a Jew. Attempts by the Israeli government to prevent organized crime include draft legislation to prevent money laundering and plans to create a 20-person detective unit focusing exclusively on mafia activity.

Israel Test Fires Arrow-2 Missile:

Israel Aircraft Industries test fired the first prototype of the Arrow-2 anti-tactical missile in late July and declared the test a success. The Arrow-2, a two-stage version of the Arrow-1 missile based largely on the U.S. Patriot system and funded with over $460 million from the U.S. government since 1988, passed tests related to its guidance and sensor systems when it was fired from a ground launcher in central Israel. The Arrow-2 prototype has not yet been tested for its primary mission, which is to intercept and destroy incoming missiles. Israel hopes to produce enough mobile Arrow-2 batteries to protect most of the country from missiles like the Iraqi Scuds launched against Israel in 1991.

Two Airmen Die In Air Collision:

Lt. Col. Ronni Shlomi and Lt. Yuval Binyamin were killed when their F-16 collided with another Israeli F-16 over the Mediterranean 25 km. from Nahariya during a July 25 training flight. The two crewmen of the second F-16 parachuted to safety. The Israeli navy and air force retrieved the bodies a few days after the crash. The collision marks the 15th military air crash reported by Israel since 1980. However, Israel generally does not release information about crashes that do not involve fatalities.

Fire Devastates Jerusalem Corridor:

Fire ravaged an enormous section of Israel's Jerusalem corridor on July 2, destroying almost 6,000 acres of forest and resulting in an estimated $20 million in damage. Dozens of homes were destroyed and 29 people were injured in the blaze, said to be the worst in Israel's history. Investigators attributed the blaze to negligence, not sabotage. Director Nahum Zaks of the Jerusalem National Fund's forestry department told the Forward newspaper that "it will take decades to repair the damage to the forest. Some of the trees were planted even before the founding of the state."

Palestine

Mubarak Receives First Palestinian Passport:

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak was the first Arab dignitary to receive an honorary Palestinian passport in recognition of his role in promoting the Palestinian-Israeli peace process. On July 27, Mubarak was presented with his red-colored diplomatic passport. Ordinary Palestinian passports are green. Palestinian passports have been issued to residents of Gaza and Jericho since April of this year.

Qatar To Open Gaza Embassy:

Qatar will be the first Gulf state to open an embassy in Gaza, Palestinian Minister of Planning Nabil Shaath stated after returning from a July trip to Doha. Shaath said other issues discussed were increases in direct investment in Palestine and the restoration of financial support to the Palestinians by Arab states of the Gulf to the pre-Gulf war level.

World Bank Gives Arafat $20 Million:

Yasser Arafat signed an agreement with the World Bank on July 9 that will provide $20 million for the construction or reconstruction of schools, sewage treatment systems and health care facilities in Israeli-occupied territories. Arafat took World Bank President James Wolfensohn on a tour of World Bank-funded projects in the Gaza Strip and, according to the Palestine Report, made the case for more international funding in the territories "in the interest of the Palestinians, Israel and the world."

Jordan

Jordan Unhappy with U.S. Aid:

Prime Minister Sharif Zeid bin Shaker told reporters on July 30 that Jordan "expected more" than the level of aid it has received from the United States since making peace with Israel. He said that thus far U.S. aid has been in the form of writing off military debt. He added, however, that the U.S. has agreed to provide $100 million in modernization assistance for Jordan's armed forces. That aid reportedly will come from U.S. stockpiles.

Jordanian Parliament Repeals Anti-Israel Laws:

In a step toward normalization of relations with Israel, Jordan's parliament voted to repeal three anti-Israeli laws on July 26 by a vote of 51-21. The three laws imposed the death sentence on anyone selling land or buildings to Israel, barred contacts with Israelis or doing business with Israelis, and barred doing business with foreign businesses dealing with Israel. Opposition members of parliament, led by the Islamic Action Front, previously had blocked the repeal by failing to provide a quorum in parliament. The action has to be approved by the Jordanian senate and signed by King Hussein before it becomes law.

Syria

Assad's Son Discusses Succession:

Bashir Al Assad, Syrian President Hafez Al Assad's son, said that speculation as to who will succeed his father is misguided and premature. After Assad's other son, Basil, was killed in a 1994 car crash, Bashir was given a government position. He, however, told the Arabic daily Al-Moharer that "involvement in public life does not automatically imply staking a claim to the top office."

IRAN/IRAQ

Iraq

Iraq Destroys Missile Equipment:

Iraq has destroyed five pieces of equipment used for producing banned missile engines, U.N. spokesman Tim Trevan stated on July 27. Previously Iraq had delayed destroying the missile manufacturing equipment while it awaited results of an investigation by a U.N. team of the Iraqi biological weapons program. Members of the U.N. special commission assigned to study Iraq's claim that it has abandoned its biological weapons program have left Iraq to study data collected.

Documents Alleging Revival of Iraqi Nuclear Program Believed Fake:

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reported to the United Nations on July 24 that documents sent to journalists suggesting that Iraq is attempting to revive its nuclear weapons program are forgeries. The documents, which purported to be official Iraqi governmental correspondence, contain "errors and inconsistencies" that discredit their validity, the IAEA said. The letters were discredited by inconsistencies in language and expressions used in Iraq, technical elements that did not correspond with Iraq's nuclear program or any other nuclear program, and inaccuracies regarding titles and names of individuals.

Saddam Builds Own Mosque:

Construction has begun on the giant Saddam Hussain Mosque at the old al-Mouthanna airport near the center of Baghdad, the Iraqi government announced on July 27. The 1.25 million square meter project is designed to hold 95,000 worshippers. Iraqi President Saddam Hussain laid the foundation stone for the mosque on April 28 as part of observances of his 58th birthday. He also ordered construction of a second mosque built on a former horse racing track.

Political Opponents Pardoned:

Saddam Hussain pardoned political opponents jailed in Iraq and those in hiding in Iraq and elsewhere on two occasions in late July, issuing a general amnesty that annuls sentences for political offenses. The amnesty will not apply to those imprisoned for other crimes in addition to political offenses. According to Agence France Press, the Revolutionary Command Council decree said persons convicted of political offenses must return to Iraq within two months to receive an "acquittal of all charges," which will enable them to "reclaim all assets confiscated as a result of their convictions." Observers speculated that the amnesty was an attempt to improve Iraq's human rights record to encourage the easing or lifting of U.N. sanctions against Iraq.

Iran

Iran Opens Bidding on Oil Projects:

Iran will put 11 oil projects up for international bidding, Iran's Oil Minister Gholamreza Aghazadeh said on July 16. Each of the projects is modeled after the recently signed $600 million contract awarded to the French company Total, according to the Khaleej Times.

The French-Iran agreement is based on the "buy back" model. Iran will take over the project as soon as production begins, but the French will keep one-third of the output to pay for their investment. The largely American-owned Conoco company had signed the original contract with Iran to develop Iran's Sirri A and Sirri E fields. After President Clinton's executive order banning all U.S. trade will Iran, the French company won the project contract.

Oil Exports Could End by 2018:

Iranian Deputy Energy Minister Hamid Chitchain said on July 13 that Iran might have to stop exporting petroleum by the year 2018 if domestic energy consumption does not decrease, according to Iran's official news agency, IRNA. Iranian officials said that rapid growth in domestic energy consumption, combined with the assumption that oil and gas reserves will remain constant, means that "there will be no oil for export by 2018." He added that Iran could save $5 billion per year if it implemented energy conservation measures.

Mohtashemi Reaffirms Salman Rushdie Death Sentence:

Iranian religious leader and former Interior Minister Ali Akbar Mohtashemi reaffirmed the fatwa (religious decree) issued by the late Ayatollah Khomeini in 1989 condemning Indian-born author Salman Rushdie to death for blaspheming Islam in his controversial book The Satanic Verses. Mohtashemi condemned efforts by other members of the Iranian government to resolve the issue diplomatically and said that the day will come when Rushdie will be killed.

Iranian Rial Gains Strength:

Iran's decision to freeze the exchange rate for the rial and ban all currency exchange outside the formal banking structure apparently has paid off, with the rial stabilizing at around 3,400 rials to $1 on Iran's black market. The rial had sunk to an exchange rate of 7,000 to $1 after President Clinton's decision to ban all U.S. trade with Iran. The Iranian government responded with harsh measures, setting the exchange rate at 3,000 rials to $1 and cracking down on black market currency dealers. Most affected by the rial's climb are Iranian carpet dealers. They claim that the rial's regained strength prices their goods out of the international market. Carpets accounted for 37.6 percent of Iran's $4.4 billion in non-oil exports in 1994, according to Bloomberg Business News.

THE NILE VALLEY

Egypt

Egypt and Israel Plan Oil Refinery:

The European Investment Bank (EIB) has approved a $300 million credit for a joint Egyptian-Israeli oil refinery venture to be built near Alexandria, according to Nimrod Novik, one of Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres' top aides and now a businessman involved in the refinery project. Estimated cost of the refinery will be approximately $1 billion, making it the largest Arab-Israeli joint venture currently underway.

Arab League Denounces 'Racism' Of West Toward Bosnia:

The Arab League denounced the West's inaction in Bosnia in the wake of Serbian crimes against the Bosnian Muslim population and accused the Western powers of double standards and racism. Adnan Omran, the Arab League undersecretary-general for political affairs, was quoted by Agence France Press as asking: "How come the United Nations succeeds in imposing severe sanctions on Libya that are being implemented harshly, while it fails to do anything to stop the horrid massacres that are being committed every day in Bosnia?" Omran also questioned motives of the Western powers, saying they might be based on a form of racism against the Muslim population of Bosnia-Herzegovina.

Egypt and Sudan Clash:

Egypt and Sudan exchanged both harsh words and small-weapons fire as relations between the two countries deteriorated after the June 26 assassination attempt against Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak in Addis Ababa as his motorcade drove to a meeting of the Organization for African Unity. After President Mubarak returned to Egypt and accused the government of Sudan of involvement in the assassination attempt, shooting between Egyptian and Sudanese forces erupted briefly in the contested Halaib region on the Egyptian-Sudanese border.

Sudan has asked the Arab League for arbitration to help resolve the outstanding disputes, but Arab League Secretary-General Esmat Abdel Meguid, an Egyptian, rejected the request, saying that the two countries first should attempt to sort out their differences bilaterally.

Muslim Brotherhood Arrests:

Egyptian security forces arrested 270 members of the Muslim Brotherhood in Alexandria, Cairo and Menoufia on July 28. Although it is considered more moderate than radical Islamist groups in Egypt, the Brotherhood is technically outlawed by the government and operates through other political parties. It has an estimated 100,000 members and 1 million supporters throughout Egypt. The day-long crackdown was by far the biggest during Mubarak's tenure as president.

Egypt, Saudi Arabia Hold Joint Naval Exercises:

Egypt and Saudi Arabia held joint naval exercises in Saudi Arabia's territorial waters near Jeddah in late July involving an undisclosed number of frigates and destroyers. The "Coral 1" exercises had been planned since March, according to naval sources quoted by the Cairo daily Al-Gomhuriya, implicitly denying that the maneuvers were intended to intimidate or provoke Sudan during recent tensions between Sudan and Egypt.

Mubarak, Hussein Meet To Patch Relations:

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and Jordanian King Hussein met in Alexandria on Aug. 1 to discuss ways to improve relations between Arab countries after the 1991 Gulf war. Jordan did not join the allied coalition against Iraq and has been left outside other Arab groups for the past five years. After the meeting, Mubarak told reporters that "we are working to tighten the Arab ranks and we hope, if God wishes, that Arabs will soon be united." King Hussein returned to Amman after the trip before leaving for a similar meeting in Qatar.

Sudan

Riots Break Out in Khartoum:

Riots were reported at Khartoum University on July 30 against the government of Omar Hassan Ahmed Al Bashir. Initial reports suggested that thousands of students were involved in the protest that erupted when President Bashir began a speech at Khartoum University. Riot police used tear gas to break up a demonstration that also included attacks against Interior Minister al-Tayeb Mohammed Khair. Official reports from Sudan suggested that the demonstration was "small and isolated" and involved a small group of students.

Sudan Bitter About Naval Exercises:

Sudanese Culture and Information Minister Abdel Basi Sabdrat said that joint Egyptian-U.S.-British naval exercises in the Red Sea in late June were part of an Egyptian conspiracy to force Sudan into a confrontation. The Egyptian, U.S. and British navies said that the operation, titled "Saluting Victory 1995," had been planned for months and was completely unrelated to Egyptian-Sudanese tensions following the assassination attempt of President Mubarak in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia that has flared into a larger dispute between the two countries.

NORTH AFRICA

Algeria

Islamists Sentenced:

An Algerian criminal court on July 30 sentenced 131 Islamist militants, most of them in absentia, to death for their role in terrorist activity. Of the 131 sentenced to death, only four were present to receive the sentences. Of 25 others sentenced to life in prison, only one was in custody.

Libya

U.N. Keeps Sanctions:

After United Nations Security Council members decided during a closed-door review to retain sanctions against Libya, the Libyan government criticized what it called American "intransigence." The sanctions, imposed in 1992 because of Libya's alleged role in international terrorism, initially were limited to bans on air travel and arms sales to Libya. The sanctions were strengthened in 1993 after Libya refused to turn over two suspects in the 1988 bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 that killed 270 passengers when it exploded over Lockerbie, Scotland. Libya has offered to let the two accused men stand trial under Scottish law at the World Court at The Hague, but the United States and Britain have refused the offer.

THE SUBCONTINENT

Pakistan

Pakistan May Buy French Aircraft:

Pakistan's air force has decided to purchase 80 French-made Mirage 2000-5 fighter-bombers after it is reimbursed for F-16s it paid for but which the U.S. has refused to deliver to Pakistan. According to the Khaleej Times, Pakistan's Chief of Air Staff Abbas Khattak and senior Pakistani air force officials have decided to purchase the dual-role Mirage strike aircraft after five years of negotiations with France. This decision was taken after Moscow announced recently that it would be unable to supply Pakistan with SU-27 aircraft and Sweden made a similar announcement about its Gripen airplane. Pakistan has allocated $3 billion to improve its air force. The money will pay for the 80 Mirage jets and a full maintenance and support package for them.

Flood Kills Hundreds:

Some 300 people were killed in Pakistan's southern Sindh province when monsoon rains washed away an estimated 500 villages on July 23. In addition to the deaths in Sindh province, 100,000 more people were marooned throughout southern Pakistan following the monsoon rains. Troops were called out to conduct relief operations throughout the affected region.