September 18:Afghanistan holds its first parliamentary elections under the new polit-
ical system in place since early 2004. Allies of President Hamid Karzai do well, but
so do warlords and former Islamist guerrillas who have turned to politics.
October 15:In a national referendum, nearly 79 percent of Iraqi voters approve a new
constitution drafted by the transitional parliament. Most Sunni politicians opposed
the constitution until the last minute, when Shiite and Kurdish leaders agreed to
future negotiations on amending the constitution to assuage Sunni concerns that
the document discriminated against their interests.
October 19:Former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein and seven codefendants go on trial,
charged with responsibility for the 1982 killings of 148 Shiite boys and men in
Dujail, north of Baghdad.
October 20:A preliminary report by a UN-sponsored investigation appears to blame Syria
for the assassination of former Lebanese prime minister Hariri on February 14.
October 26:Iranian president Ahmadinejad says that Israel should be “wiped off the
map.” The remark sparks international outrage.
November 10:Bombs explode at three hotels in Amman, Jordan, killing 57 people.
Jordanian authorities blame al-Qaida in Mesopotamia (or Iraq), an Iraqi insurgent
group headed by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, a Jordanian.
November 17:Rep. John Murtha, D-Penn., calls for the start of U.S. troop withdrawal
from Iraq. A respected voice on military matters, Murtha sets off a debate in the
United States about Bush administration policies in Iraq. President Bush will
respond on November 30 with a speech defending his policies and warning against
a U.S. withdrawal from Iraq.
December 7:Egypt concludes parliamentary elections. Candidates representing the
banned Muslim Brotherhood win 88 seats, which is 19 percent of the total but rep-
resents a psychological boost for the banned group.
December 15:Iraq’s voters select a new parliament, called the Council of Representa-
tives. Sunni politicians and voters participate in this election after opposing the
year’s two previous elections (in January for a transitional parliament and in Octo-
ber on a new constitution). Preliminary results, announced on December 19–20,
will indicate a strong majority to the Shiite coalition called the United Iraqi Alliance.
2006
January 4:Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon suffers a debilitating stroke. He is suc-
ceeded by his deputy, Ehud Olmert, who will later win previously scheduled par-
liamentary elections on March 28.
January 25:Hamas scores a surprisingly strong win in the first Palestinian legislative
elections since 1996, gaining majority control of the Palestinian Legislative Coun-
cil. The vote is a stunning defeat for Fatah, which had dominated Palestinian pol-
itics for four decades.
January 30:The Middle East Quartet—the United States, the United Nations, the
European Union, and Russia—announces that future international aid to the Pales-
tinian Authority will be determined by that government’s “commitment to the prin-
ciples of nonviolence, recognition of Israel, and acceptance of previous agreements
and obligations, including the roadmap.” As a result, most direct aid to the Hamas-
led government is suspended, except for food and humanitarian supplies provided
through the United Nations.
694 CHRONOLOGY OF THE MIDDLE EAST, 1914–2007