By Qazi G Mohiuddin

The sunup of January 2005 began with the deafening din of wailing by millions of miserable souls left behind to bewail the death, destruction and mayhem wrought by the preceding week's tsunami of December 26, 2004. The killer waves completely devastated and traumatised the coastlines of eleven countries around the Indian Ocean claiming a colossal death toll of over 200,000 helpless lives. Indonesiaís Aceh state was hit the severest.

Mahmud Abbas took over the leadership of the Palestinian Authority from the late Yasser Arafat who died a few weeks back in mysterious circumstances in Paris. George W Bush was sworn in for a second term as the President of the United States. The US's bloodied misadventure in Iraq got a severe jolt when it officially gave up the search for the much-touted Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD).

An unmanned European spacecraft, Huygens lands on one of Saturnís moons. Adriana Iliescu, a 67 year-old Romanian educationist becomes the oldest woman ever known to have given birth to a child. In February, the United Nation's Kyoto Treaty on climate change officially comes into force, eight years after it was inked in 1997 with China and the US still shying away from ratifying it.

The German city of Dresden marked the 60th anniversary of it being overrun by the Allied forces in the closing hours of World War II.

Serbian President Boris Tadic became the first head of state to visit Kosovo since the entity came under UNís administration. Spain initiated a procedure to grant residency to half-a-million illegal immigrants.

Ex-Lebanese Premier Rafiq Hariri is killed in a mysterious bomb blast in Beirut. The harrowing incident instigates the pullout of Syrian troops from Lebanon as the attack is stoutly blamed on Damascus. King Gyanendra throws out the Nepalese government and clamps a state of emergency aimed at crushing the Maoist insurgency widely believed to be instigated by neighbouring India. The Stalinist North Korean government challenges the might of the US and openly declares that it possesses nuclear weapons.

March witnessed a brutal attack on an Italian journalist Giuliana Sgrena's car in Iraq by trigger-happy US forces. Sgrena was lucky to escape death despite being injured gravely but her rescuer succumbed to his wounds. The reporter was transformed into an instant hero back home, which greatly amplified pressure on the Italian government to recall its troops from Iraq. The US nominated John Bolton - a sworn hawk and a harsh critic of the UN as its envoy to the world organisation. Another American neo-conservative - Paul Wolfowitz becomes the head of the World Bank. In the Caucasus region of Chechnya, the occupying Russian administration gloat the killing of distinguished Chechen freedom fighter Aslan Maskhadov.

A popular movement result's in the overthrow of the leader of the Kyrgyzstan republic that makes headlines around the world. Premier Ramush Haradinaj of Kosovo, the ex-head of an ethnic guerrilla group is indicted for war crimes.

The month of April chronicled the demise of Pope John Paul II in the ripe age of 84 after fighting against chronic illness for years. A German cardinal Joseph Ratzinger replaces him and becomes Pope Benedict XVI. Prince Charles marries his long-standing sweetheart Camilla Parker Bowles, who becomes the Duchess of York.

A presidential vote in the breakaway state of Northern Cyprus results in the victory of Mehmet Ali. The new president calls for the reunification of the island. Huge demonstrations are held in China against Japan's alleged refusal to own its actions in past conflicts between the two countries. Both Bulgaria and Romania ink accession treaties with the European Union and in all likelihood would join it in 2007. Earlier in the month, Monaco's Prince Rainier dies who is replaced by his son Albert.

May was marked by the news of Tony Blair becoming the first ever British Labour leader to win a third term for his party. Huge celebrations highlight the 60th anniversary of the end of World War II in Europe. The US sheepishly defends accusations that its troops in the notorious Guantanamo Bay prison camp in Cuba desecrated the Holy Qur'aan. Mikhail Khodorkovsky, founder of the Yukos oil company and once the richest man in Russia is sentenced to nine years in prison. Hundreds of human rights protesters are mercilessly shot dead by Uzbekistan troops in the Central Asian State. French voters reject the proposed European Constitution Treaty, followed by the Dutch a few days later. China announced emergency measures to fight bird flu, which could potentially spark a huge pandemic among humans. Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey open the historic Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline, a US funded project aimed at getting oil out of the Caspian Sea bypassing Russian territory.

In June, China agreed to limit its textile exports to the European Union in the midst of apprehensions in many countries over the ending of quota arrangements at the beginning of the year. The African Union begins talks at ending war in Sudan's Darfur region in the midst of the international criminal court initiating investigation pertaining to war crimes in that war torn country. Florence Aubens, a French journalist is released after months of captivity in Iraq. June also marked the election of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as the mercurial president of Iran.

July witnessed the killing of fifty-six commuters after several bomb blasts rocks the British capital on a bus and three underground trains. Later, English police shoot dead an unarmed innocent Brazilian in a London train. A Red Sea resort of Egypt is hit my massive blasts that claim nearly 90 lives. Meanwhile, a British report reveals that 25,000 Iraqi civilians have died since the unwarranted US occupation in 2003 in the backdrop of the killing of 32 children in a massive suicide-bombing incident in Baghdad. Headlines hit newspapers around the world with the news of the Irish Republican Army giving up its armed struggle.

August saw as many as 14 aspiring African immigrants being shot dead by security forces in a futile attempt to enter into two Spanish enclaves on the coast of Morocco. King Fahd passed away and was replaced by King Abdullah, as the new ruler of Saudi Arabia.

The Japanese city of Hiroshima marks the 60th anniversary of its barbarous annihilation by the atomic bomb by a US aircraft. In August, Britain, France and Germany led by the US, embarked on issuing a string of threats to Iran warning it to stay away from its nuclear ambitions or else!

Oil prices surge to over 70$ a barrel in New York.

A bridge in Baghdad became the scene of a gory stampede in which over 1,000 pilgrims died in the backdrop of a rumour that suicide bombers were amongst them.

It was in September that Lynndie England, a US army soldier was sentenced for merely three years for torturing detainees in Iraq. Afghanistan holds parliamentary elections for the first time since the ouster of the Taliban.

Simon Weisenthal - a veteran Nazi hunter dies in Vienna aged 96 - who is showered with applause by the West for his 'heroic deed.'

The cursed month of October 2005 would be forever etched in the minds of the Pakistani nation due to the strike of a massive earthquake that decimated large parts of NWFP and Kashmir in which over 100,000 lives perished and millions lost their homes.Violent riots hits the poor suburbs of Paris in which around 1,000 vehicles were torched and scores of shops and homes were set on fire.

Fiery Iranian president Ahmadinejad calls for Israel to be wiped off the map of the world. Over a 100 people are killed in the aftermath of a fire fight between Russian troops and resistance fighters in the Caucasus city of Nalchik.

In November, Premier Tony Blair suffers his first parliamentary defeat on his campaign to permit police detain terror suspects without trial. Chechnya conducts its first parliamentary polls under Russian occupation, which is spurned as a mere fraud by all and sundry. November was also significant due to the hostile reception meted out to George W Bush on a trip to Latin America to chalk out a free trade deal. Both Pakistan and India open the LOC along Kashmir for providing relief to the quake victims. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf wins polls in Liberia to become Africa's first elected woman to become head of state. Around 60 people perish as powerful blasts strike major hotels in the Jordanian capital Amman which is blamed on Al-Qaeda operatives.

Towards the end of the month it is revealed that the US military is secretly paying Iraqi newspapers to print stories written by US soldiers in an effort to buff up the image of the American mission in Iraq.

During the month of December, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice furtively tries to defy reports that the CIA shuttles secret prisoners around the world and tortures them.

A top war crimes suspect Croatian general Ante Gotovina, is arrested in Spain. But two top Serbs, Radovan Karadzic and Ratko Mladic, remain at large. Pop star Elton John weds his partner as Britain introduces new civil partnerships for gay couples.

Eritrea expels United Nations peacekeepers from its territory as tension rose along the volatile border with Ethiopia. The last contingent of UN troops withdrew from Sierra Leone, ending one of the world body's biggest ever peacekeeping operations.

When Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak addressed parliament on 17 December, it was for the first time in Egypt's history that 20 per cent of the MPs belonged to the officially outlawed Muslim Brotherhood after its amazing triumph in parliamentary polls.

December saw Mahmoud Abbas trying to heal a split in his ruling Fatah party, as the Islamic movement Hamas outstripped his faction in the municipal elections in West Bank.

As the turbulent year of 2005 neared its end, mourners from across the world sobbed, prayed and observed a moments of hushed silence along devastated Indian Ocean coastlines to remember those killed by one of natureís deadliest tragedies.

Since September 11, 2005, Afghan state has been trying to consolidate itself. On the one hand, it has made some progress in political arena by holding elections and have a first legitimate elections held since 1973, but on the other hand, the culture of warlordism, ethnic tension, societal unrest lead to anarchy at both state and society level. The parliamentary election is a landmark development on Afghan political scene because of several reasons. First, despite threats from Taliban, the elections were held in a peaceful atmosphere. Second, former Taliban leader, ex-communists and various warlords elected by votes which has given a pragmatic colour as well as acceptability and accommodative approach of all the segments of Afghan society. Third, 87 women were elected in both the Upper and Lower Houses, which shows the positive and healthy sign in the war-torn society of Afghanistan. Finally, the process of building state institutions (Parliament) is in progress. Basically, the parliamentary elections were the completion of third phase of Bonn Agreement. The responsibility for stable and peaceful Afghanistan lies on international community to help in the process of reconstruction and rehabilitation in Afghanistan.

At least 1500 people have been killed in violence. Insurgents continue to wreak havoc and kill the US soldiers and Afghan civilians. Moreover, Taliban are still an important factor in Afghan politics. They are now penetrated in Pakistan's North and South Waziristan, though the Government of Pakistan had taken strong action against them. In this regard, a peace agreement was also signed between Pakistan and the Tribal elders. Despite these efforts, the activists and the leaders of the Taliban along with Al Qaida leaders travel between Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan. Several Taliban commanders, trained with Iraqi insurgents and brought new skills such as suicide car bombings, once rare in Afghanistan, have now become more common. It also shows the penetration of these rogue elements playing a role to destabilise the political order of the region.

On September 28, a suicide bomber killed nine Afghan soldiers and wounded 36 outside a military training centre in Kabul. Kidnapping are also on the rise. An Indian worker was kidnapped and killed in November. In August, the Japanese tourists and a British engineer were kidnapped and killed in the South. Nearly ninety US soldiers have been killed in Afghanistan in 2005. In all 1500 people have been killed as insurgent violence has increased. In this grime situation, despite billions of dollars came from international community the overall situation remained the same. Afghanistan is among the ten poorest countries of the world, with a life expectancy of just around 44 years. Only 6 per cent of the population of around 30 million has an access to electricity-most of them are illiterate. In order to tackle these issues the Karzai administration followed the democratic path. For the first time in the history, on September 18, parliamentary elections were held which brought a popularly elected legislative body working under a constitution.

Under an insecure environment, elections were held peacefully. Comparing the 70 per cent of the votes cast in the presidential elections in 2004, only 53 per cent votes were cast for the parliamentary elections. In 249 seat House of Representative, Walsi Jirga, about two third of the seats will be controlled by the warlords. Many of them had fought war against the former Soviet forces. Most of them are accused of crimes against humanity, some of them are former Taliban commanders. Taking a quick glance, it seems that some of the newly-elected parliamentarians are worrisome. About Hamid Karzai's brother, the rumors are that he had relations with opium trafficker who had won a seat in Kandahar. Moreover, Abdul Rasool Sayuf, a hardliner and formally associated with Osama bin Ladin during the war against the former Soviet Union, he was responsible for much of Kabul's destruction and slaughter of thousands of ethnic minority Hazaras living in central Afghanistan.

According to the Independent Human Rights Commission 60% of the new parliamentarians have links with armed militias. In short, the parliament has been dominated by regional and drug warlords who have been engaged in armed conflict with each other for decades and are now legitimised by a 160 million dollars international mandated elections. Presently, there are seventy registered political parties in Afghanistan. The parliament is consisted of 60 per cent Mujahideen but the positive aspect is that they do not belong to any unified political bloc. The others are progressive and among them are women which have 25 per cent reserved parliamentary seats. Ethnically, the new elected parliament is divided, but Karzai has an edge because of various reasons.

Unlike 2004 when pessimism loomed large on the question of Palestine's quest for statehood, some progress was achieved in 2005 as far as seeking a solution of the Palestinian issue is concerned. August 2005 witnessed the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza after 38 years of their occupation and the dismantling of few Jewish settlement enclaves from the occupied West Bank. If the dream of an independent Palestinian State with Al-Quds (East Jerusalem) as its capital remained elusive during 2005, Israel's withdrawal from Gaza was considered as a landmark in the fragile Palestine-Israel peace process.

The cohort consisting of United States, United Nations, European Union and Russia had presented a road map for peace in the Middle East by declaring 2005 as the year of granting statehood to the Palestinians living in the West Bank and Gaza. But, the Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon managed to persuade the United States drop its support for a Palestinian State during 2005 because he, despite the international pressure, remained hostile to the idea of legitimizing Palestinian identity in the form of a sovereign State. Consequently, the U.S. President George Bush, relegating under the Israeli pressure called "unrealistic" the concept of a Palestinian State during the year 2005 and also termed the Jewish settlements in the West Bank justified. Periodic violence in Gaza and in the West Bank, particularly Israel's retaliatory attacks against the Palestinian groups namely Hamas held responsible for suicide and other attacks on Israeli citizens, kept the level of violence, instability and insecurity high in 2005. If one examines the reports of killings and counter killings in the West Bank and also in the Gaza strip since August 2005, it becomes clear that there is no let up as far as violence in these two Palestinian territories are concerned.

Three destabilising factors, which continue to derail the Israel-Palestine peace process, require some discussion. First, the emergence of Hamas as the most militant and radical Palestinian group unwilling to stop suicide attacks and other activities against Israel unless the Jewish State ceases to exist. Given the avowed stance of Hamas vis-a-vis the existence of Israel, the Israeli leaders have made it clear that they will not allow the participation of that Palestinian group in the parliamentary elections. According to them, the Oslo accord of 1993 clearly binds Palestinians to declare their recognition to Israel as a condition for peace with their Jewish neighbor. Hamas's clear threats against Israeli existence provide Israel enough justification to intervene in Palestinian affairs. Hamas's electoral performance during the December Palestinian local bodies elections prove its growing popular strength. Therefore, the foremost challenge to the Palestine-Israel peace process is the existence of hardline Palestinian groups and their opposition to any agreement which is short of a viable independent Palestinian State with its capital in Al-Quds, the return of Palestinian refugees and the total withdrawal of Israeli forces from all occupied areas of Palestine. If the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) wants to pursue a pragmatic and moderate approach vis-a-vis Israel, Hamas, which is a major Palestinian group, is against giving further concessions to Israel.

Second, the division in the Israeli society on the issue of peace with Palestine is another source of instability. Sharon's break from Likud and formation of his own political party confirms wide spread fragmentation in Israeli politics on the question of peace with the Palestinians. Sharon, who himself played a key role in pursuing anti-Palestinian agenda since long, felt disgusted when ultra-hard liners of Likud party refused to support him on the issue of the Israeli military withdrawal from Gaza and winding up some Jewish settlements from the West Bank. Similarly, Shimon Perez, who was a strongman in the labor party after the assassination of Yitzakh Rabin in November 1995, also faced a major challenge from other leaders belonging to his party. Therefore, inter Palestinian and Israeli feuds on the question of peace with each other was a major destabilizing factor during the year 2005 having a negative impact on the peace process.

Third, external dimensions should also be taken into account while analyzing the issue of peace between Israel and Palestine. On October 26 last years, the Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinnejad while speaking before a conference in Tehran said that 'the establishment of the Zionist regime was a move by the world oppressor against the Islamic world. As the Imam (read Imam Kohmeni) said, Israel must be wiped off the map.' During his address before the extra-ordinary session of Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) in Makkah the Iranian President talked about the unjust manner in which the Jewish state was formed in the heart of the Arab world and if the Jews had faced holocaust caused by the Germans during the second world war then the Jewish states should have been established in a province of Germany or Austria. The remarks of the Iranian President created a stir not only in Israel but also in the United States and other Western countries.

Nevertheless, the unabated support of Washington given to Israeli policies concerning Jewish settlements in the West Bank and Israelís refusal to comply with the road map presented by four-member cohort indicates the negative impact on the peace process. So far, Aral Sharon has got an encouragement from the wholehearted support, which he is getting from the Bush administration on delaying the formation of an independent viable Palestinian State and the severe violation of human rights committed by the Israeli security forces in West Bank and Gaza.

In order to ensure the success of the Israel-Palestine peace process, it is imperative that internal and external destabilizing factors are neutralized. The death of Yasser Arafat in November 2004 and his replacement by Mahmoud Abbas also led to crisis in the Palestinian leadership. Now, as things have settled down in PLO in the post-Arafat period, it is time, the Palestinian leaders, regardless of their personal and political differences forge unity in order to accomplish their long standing goal, i.e. the formation of a viable Palestinian state with its capital in Al-Quds. Israel has taken maximum advantage of inter and intra-Palestinian feuds and division among the Arab countries so as to consolidate its physical control over the West Bank, namely by erecting wall between Palestinian and Jewish population centers. Even the military withdrawal of Israel from Gaza is considered as an eyewash as far as the question of peace in the Middle East is concerned. As a result of the Israeli withdrawal, 8,000 Jews living in 21 settlements in that area which was occupied by Israel from Egypt during the June 1967 Arab-Israeli war, were evacuated. But, these Jews will not be settled in Israel proper but in its occupied territory of West Bank.

Despite the UN security council resolution number 446 which ruled out the legal status of Jewish settlements established in the Arab occupied areas, Israel is in no mood to wind up these settlements in the West Bank. So far, 400,000 Jews settlers are living in West Bank, which has a Palestinian population of 1.3 million. In his interview given to The Washington Post in September last year, the Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon made it clear that 'Israel would keep building in its large West Bank settlements.' Sharon's assertion about keeping Jewish settlements and building new ones is a major source of conflict as far as Palestine is concerned.