International Travel Dates to Watch

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International Dates to Watch
December 2004

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1.		December 1, 1998. INDONESIA. West Papuan State Proclaimed Anniversary of the proclamation of a West Papuan State by tribal chiefs in 1961. Demonstrations may occur in Jayapura and other towns of Irian Jaya on this date.

2.		December 1, 1822. Liberia. Matilda Newport Day This festival is in honor of a widowed pioneer who lit a cannon with her pipe and saved her country in 1822 when under siege by tribespeople. SOURCE: Shagtown.com

3.		December 1, 2004. Mozambique. National Elections Mozambique will hold its third multiparty Presidential and Parliamentary Elections on 1 and 2 December. SOURCE: Agencia de Informacao de Mocambique

4.		December 1, 1970. YEMEN. Declaration Of The Pdry The People's Democratic Republic of Yemen (PDRY) was declared following the takeover of the government by a radical wing of the National Liberation Front (NLF).

5.		December 2, 2002. Armenia. Legislative Elections Legislative elections will be held.

6.		December 2, 1975. LAOS. Communist Party Seizes Control The monarchy was abolished and the Lao People's Democratic Republic was established. National holiday.

7.		December 2, 1983. SPAIN. Bombing Of U.S. Facilities Basque terrorists bombed eight U.S. facilities in Spanish Basque territory to protest U.S. involvement in Central America.

8.		December 2, 1971. UNITED ARAB EMIRATES. Independence Day The British protective treaty with the Trucial Sheikhdoms ended on December 1, 1971 and on December 2, six of the Shaikhdoms entered into the union of the United Arab Emirates. The seventh Sheikhdom, Ras al-Khaimah joined in early 1972.

9.		December 3, 1984. INDIA. Chemical Leak At Bhopal A chemical leak at Union Carbide's Bhopal plant resulted in two thousand deaths and nearly 150,000 injuries.

10.		December 3, 1934. PERU. Birthday Of Abimael Guzman Abimael Guzman, also known as "president Gonzalo," is the founder and leader of the Sendero Luminoso guerrilla organization. Guzman's followers often "celebrate" his birthday by carrying out attacks or murdering soldiers, public servants and municipal authorities.

11.		December 4, 1984. IRAN. Hijacking Of Kuwaiti Airliner Four Islamic Jihad terrorists hijacked a Kuwaiti airliner bound for Pakistan from Kuwait and ordered it flown to Tehran. Two USAID personnel were killed during the hijacking, while two others, another USAID official and an American businessman, were tortured during the ordeal. Iranian troops stormed the aircraft on December 9, retaking it from the hijackers.

12.		December 4, 1984. KUWAIT. Hijacking Of Kuwaiti Airliner Four Islamic Jihad terrorists hijacked a Kuwaiti airliner bound for Pakistan from Kuwait and ordered it flown to Tehran. Two USAID personnel were killed during the hijacking, while two others, another USAID official and an American businessman, were tortured during the ordeal. Iranian troops stormed the aircraft on December 9, retaking it from the hijackers.

13.		December 4, 2004. Niger. Legislative Elections Legislative Elections will be held across Niger on 4 December 2004. These elections are the last of a series of three elections held this year, starting with local elections several months ago and Presidential Elections just last month. The unicameral National Assembly has 83 seats. Representatives are elected for five-year terms.

14.		December 5, 1981. LEBANON. Kamal Jumblatt Assassinated Lebanese president-elect Kamal Jumblatt was assassinated.

15.		December 6, 1992. INDIA. Mosque At Ayodhya Destroyed Hindu extremists destroyed the 16th century Moslem mosque at Ayodhya in India's Uttar Pradesh state. The subsequent rioting and Moslem-Hindu clashes that engulfed India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and other nations resulted in over 1000 deaths. Hindus claim the mosque was built on the birth site of the Hindu god Rama, a claim disputed by Moslems.

16.		December 6, 1992. MIDDLE EAST. Mosque At Ayodhya Destroyed Hindu extremists destroyed the 16th century Moslem mosque at Ayodhya in India's Uttar Pradesh state. The subsequent rioting and Moslem-Hindu clashes that engulfed India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and other nations resulted in over 1000 deaths. Hindus claim the mosque was built on the birth site of the Hindu god rama, a claim disputed by Moslems.

17.		December 8, 1982. SURINAME. Opposition Leaders Executed Fifteen prominent opponents of the military-backed regime, including journalists, lawyers and a trade union leader, were executed without trial while in government custody. In response, the Netherlands and the U.S. suspended their economic and military assistance programs in Suriname.

18.		December 8, 2002. Serbia-Montenegro. Presidential Elections This is the second presidential election this year in Serbia. The previous election was nullified because of low voter turnout.

19.		December 9, 1987. Israel and West Bank/Gaza. Beginning Of The Intifada Date used to mark the beginning of the intifada, or uprising, on the West Bank and the Gaza strip.

20.		December 9, 1961. TANZANIA. Independence Of Tanganyika

21.		December 10, 1920. Burma. National Day in Burma Anniversary of student leaders boycotting classes leading to the national struggle for independence. Note: December 10 was based on the Burmese calendar in 1920, therefore National Day does not fall on December 10 every year.

22.		December 10, 1959. NAMIBIA. Old Location Day Commemorates the killing of twelve Namibians by South African colonial authorities during a protest against their forced removal from the old location to Katutura. Shortly after the incident, Sam Nujoma and other SWAPO leaders went into exile.

23.		December 10, 1997. WORLDWIDE. Mir Aimal Kansi Convicted In Fairfax County, VA, Islamic terrorist Mir Aimal Kansi, a native of Baluchistan Province, Pakistan, was convicted of killing three CIA employess, at the turnoff to CIA headquarters in Langeley, VA, in January 1993.

24.		December 11, 1990. BANGLADESH. President Ershad Ousted President Ershad was forced to resign after massive protests against his government.

25.		December 11, 1964. KENYA. Republic Day Celebrates Kenya's joining the British Commonwealth one year after its independence.

26.		December 12, 1963. KENYA. Independence Day Kenya achieved independence from Britain and joined the commonwealth one year later.

27.		December 12, 1983. KUWAIT. Bombing Of Embassies The U.S. and French embassies were bombed by al-Dawa party members. Similar attacks occurred at a U.S. housing compound, a Kuwaiti oil facility, an airline terminal, and a Kuwaiti government office. Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility for the bombings.

28.		December 12, 1984. MAURITANIA. Military Coup In Nouakchott Chief of Staff Maayouia Ould Sid'Ahmed Taya led a bloodless coup that ousted Mohamed Khouna Ould Haidalla, leader of the Military Committee for National Salvation (CMSN). This is also known as the CMSN Restructuring Anniversary.

29.		December 14, 1983. CHILE. Fpmr Terrorist Group Founded The Manuel Rodriguez Patriotic Front (FPMR), a leftist terrorist group that announced its abandonment of armed struggle in 1991.

30.		December 14, 2003. Russia. Parliamentary Elections Parliamentary elections will be held on 14 December 2003 in Russia.

31.		December 16, 1971. BANGLADESH. Independence Day Also known as Victory Day, commemorating when Bangladesh won independence from Pakistan. On this day in 1971, the nine-month War of Liberation ended with the surrendering of Pakistan's army and Bangladesh emerged as an independent country on the globe. SOURCE: internet, Bangladeshi press

32.		December 16, 1996. PERU. Mrta Residence Takeover The Tupac Amaru Revolutionary Movement (MRTA) seized the Japanese ambassador's residence. In the past, fears have existed that the rebels may mark this date as an anniversary and plan a similar attack.

33.		December 16, 1961. SOUTH AFRICA. Anc'S Military Branch Founded Umkhonto We Sizwe, the military branch of the African National Congress (ANC) was founded.

34.		December 16, 1983. UNITED KINGDOM. Pira Bombing Of Harrod'S Harrod's department store in London was bombed on December 16, 1983 by the Northern Ireland terrorist organization the Provisional Irish Republican Army (PIRA). The bombing killed five, including one U.S. citizen, and injured ninety-one others.

35.		December 17, 1981. ITALY. Kidnapping Of U.S. General U.S. Army General James Dozier was kidnapped in Milan by Red Brigade terrorists. The general subsequently was rescued by Italian counterterrorist squads on January 28, 1982 in Padua. Five Red Brigade members were captured.

36.		December 17, 1992. MIDDLE EAST. Israel Deports Hamas Suspects Following the kidnap-murder of a member of the Israeli border police, the government of Israel deported more than 400 suspected members of Hamas to Lebanon. The government of Lebanon refused the Hamas suspects entry and they camped in the Israeli "security zone" in southern Lebanon.

37.		December 17, 2004. Mozambique. Election Results Announced Definitive results from the 1 and 2 December Presidential Elections will be announced by this date. SOURCE: Missionary Service News Agency

38.		December 17, 1992. OCCUPIED TERRITORIES. Deportation Of Hamas Suspects Following the kidnap-murder of a member of Israel's border police, the gov't of Israel forcibly expelled more than 400 suspected members of Hamas. The deportees were sent into southern Lebanon but the government of Lebanon re-fused them entry. The deportees were camped in the Israeli "security zone" in southern Lebanon.

39.		December 18, 1960. Niger. Republic Day SOURCE: Shagtown.com

40.		December 18, 1960. Niger. Republic Day Republic Day is a national holiday in Niger. SOURCE: Shagtown.com

41.		December 18, 1975. PERU. Anniversary Of Rcp The Revolutionary Communist Party's founding.

42.		December 18, 1999. SRI LANKA. Assassination Attempt On 18 December 1999, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) attempted to assassinate Sri Lankan President Chandrika Kumaratunga. A female suicide bomber detonated as Kumaratunga left an election rally of her People's Alliance Party. Kumaratunga received injuries from shrapnel, including the loss of sight in her right eye. Twenty-one people were killed, with over 100 injured. Minutes later a second blast occurred at a United National Party rally. Twelve people were killed from the second bombing, with over 70 injured. Colombo was placed on alert as these bombings preceded the presidential elections scheduled for 21 December.

43.		December 20, 2004. Malaysia. Legislative Elections The National Front [Barisan Nasional-BN] will attempt to maintain its coalition and dominance of Malaysia in the face of electoral challenges by PAS [Pan Malaysian Islamic Party]. SOURCE: Local Media

44.		December 20, 1989. PANAMA. U.S. Intervenes In Panama U.S. military forces intervened in Panama to protect the 35,000 Americans residing there and to install a democratically-elected government. Panamanian strongman Manuel Noriega surrendered to U.S. forces on January 3, 1990 after having taken refuge in the Papal nunciature.

45.		December 21, 1975. AUSTRIA. Attack On Opec Conference Pro-Palesinian guerrillas attacked an OPEC conference in Vienna, killing three people, wounding seven, and taking eighty-one hostage. Forty-one Austrian hostages were released in Vienna, while the rest were taken to Algeria and released on December 23, 1975.

46.		December 21, 1991. C`WEALTH OF INDEPENDENT STATES. Founding Of Cis ELEVEN OF THE TWELVE FORMER REPUBLICS OF THE SOVIET UNION MET IN ALMA-ATA, KAZAKHSTAN ON DECEMBER 2 1 1991 AND FOUNDED THE COMMONWEALTH OF INDEPENDENT STATES (CIS), THEREBY ABOLISHING THE UNION OF SOVIET SOCIALIST REPUBLICS. FOUNDING MEMBERS WERE ARMENIA, AZERBAIJAN, BYELARUS, KAZAKHSTAN, KYRGYZSTAN, MOLDOVA, RUSSIA, TAJIKISTAN, TURKMENISTAN, UKRAINE AND UZBEKISTAN. \|

47.		December 21, 1991. KAZAKHSTAN. Kazakhstan Joins Commonwealth At a meeting in Alma-Ata, Kazakhstan on December 21, 1991, Kazakhstan joined with ten other former republics of the Soviet Union (which ceased to exist on December 25, 1991) in establishing the commonwealth of independent states. The commonwealth is expected to have military and economic coordinating functions and will be headquartered in Mensk, Byelarus.

48.		December 21, 1948. NEPAL. Independence Day Independence gained from Britain.

49.		December 21, 1988. UNITED KINGDOM. Bombing Of Pan Am Flight 103 Pan Am flight 103, outbound from London for New York with 259 people aboard, was destroyed by a bomb on December 21 1988 while over Lockerbie, Scotland. All aboard the aircraft were killed as were eleven persons on the ground at Lockerbie.

50.		December 22, 2002. Lithuania. Presidential and Municipal Elections On December 22, 2002 the presidential and municipal elections will be held.

51.		December 22, 2002. Yugoslavia (Serbia-Montenegro and Kosovo). Presidential Election in Montenegro Presidential election held in Montenegro.

52.		December 23, 1975. GREECE. U.S. Embassy Official Killed U.S. embassy official Richard Welch was killed outside of his home in Athens. The Greek terrorist organization "17 November" subsequently took credit for his assassination.

53.		December 24, 1951. LIBYA. Independence Day Independence gained from Italy.

54.		December 25, 1991. AZERBAIJAN. U.S. Recognition President Bush formally recognized Azerbaijan and eleven other former soviet republics on December 25, 1991.

55.		December 25, 1978. CAMBODIA. Fall Of Phnom Penh Khmer Rouge regime toppled from power, as Phnom Penh falls to invading Vietnamese forces. (Khmer Rouge forces retreat west, and set up base camps on the Thai border and in the Cardamon mountains to continue resistance against the Vietnamese.

56.		December 25, 1991. C`WEALTH OF INDEPENDENT STATES. U.S. Recognition PRESIDENT BUSH FORMALLY RECOGNIZED TWELVE OF THE FORMER SOVIET REPUBLICS ON DECEMBER 25, 199 1 ELEVEN OF WHICH ARE MEMBERS OF THE CIS. PRESIDENT BUSH ALSO INDICATED THAT THE U.S. WOULD ESTABLISH AS SOON AS POSSIBLE DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS WITH SIX OF THE REPUBLICS BUT THAT DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS WITH THE OTHERS WOULD ONLY BE ESTABLISHED WHEN THEY MET CERTAIN POLITICAL CONDITIONS. \|

57.		December 25, 1991. GEORGIA. U.S. Recognition President bush formally recognized Georgia and eleven other former soviet republics on December 25, 1991.

58.		December 25, 1991. KAZAKHSTAN. U.S. Recognition President Bush formally recognized Kazakhstan and eleven other former Soviet republics on December 25, 1991.

59.		December 25, 1991. KYRGYZSTAN. U.S. Recognition President Bush formally recognized Kyrgyzstan and eleven other former soviet republics on December 25, 1991.

60.		December 25, 1991. MOLDOVA. U.S. Recognition President Bush formally recognized Moldova and eleven other former soviet republics on December 25, 1991.

61.		December 25, 1991. RUSSIA. U.S. Recognition President Bush formally recognized Russia and eleven other former soviet republics on December 25, 1991.

62.		December 25, 1982. SENEGAL. Casamance Movement Founded MFDC, the Casamance Separatist Movement, was founded. Armed attacks by the group have occurred on this date, to mark the anniversary of the founding of the MFDC.

63.		December 25, 1991. TAJIKISTAN. U.S. Recognition President Bush formally recognized Tajikistan and eleven other former soviet republics on December 25, 1991.

64.		December 25, 1991. TURKMENISTAN. U.S. Recognition President Bush formally recognized Turkmenistan and 11 other former Soviet republics on December 25, 1991.

65.		December 25, 1991. UKRAINE. U.S. Recognition President Bush formally recognized Ukraine and eleven other former Soviet republics on December 25, 1991.

66.		December 25, 1991. UZBEKISTAN. U.S. Recognition President Bush formally recognized Uzbekistan and eleven other former Soviet republics on December 25, 1991.

67.		December 26, 1991. ALGERIA. Fis Wins First Round Of Voting The Islamic Salvation Front (FIS) won the first round of voting in Algeria's parliamentary elections. The second round of elections, scheduled for January 16, 1992, were cancelled when Algerian president Benjedid resigned on January 12, 1992.

68.		December 26, 1968. PHILIPPINES. Founding Of The Cpp Founding of the Maoist Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) by Jose Maria Sison.

69.		December 27, 1979. AFGHANISTAN. Anniversary Of Soviet Invasion On 27 December 1979, the Soviet Union's Red Army invaded Afghanistan. The invasion was an attempt to prop up a pro-Moscow regime. During the ten years of occupation, more than 1.5 million Afghans and 15,000 Soviets were killed. In 1989, the Soviet Union pulled its troops out of Afghanistan.

70.		December 27, 1985. AUSTRIA. Attack On The Vienna Airport The Abu Nidal Organization (ANO) attacked the Vienna airport.

71.		December 27, 1985. ITALY. Attack On Rome Airport By Ano The Abu Nidal Organization (ANO) attacked the Rome airport.

72.		December 28, 1972. ISRAEL. Embassy In Bangkok Seized Black September terrorists took hostages after seizing the Israeli embassy in Bangkok. The hostages were released in exchange for safe conduct.

73.		December 28, 2000. NEPAL. National Holiday This holiday celebrates the king's birthday.

74.		December 28, 1972. THAILAND. Seizure Of Israeli Embassy Black September terrorists took hostages after seizing the Israeli embassy in Bangkok. The hostages were released in exchange for safe conduct.

75.		December 29, 1945. SERBIA-MONTENEGRO. Proclamation Of The Republic Commemorates the proclamation of the Federal People's Republic of Yugoslavia.

76.		December 31, 1978. INDONESIA. Killing Of Fretilin President Indonesian military forces surrounded and killed Fretilin president and supreme commander Nicolau Dos Reis Lobato.

77.		December 31, 1968. PHILIPPINES. Marxist-Leninist Party Founded The Marxist-Leninist Communist Party of the Philippines was founded.

78.		December 31, 1991. RUSSIA. U.S. Diplomatic Relations President Bush on December 25, 1991 recognized the independence of all 12 former soviet republics and proposed the establishment of full diplomatic relations with 6 of them, including Russia. Russian president Yeltsin responded formally and positively on December 31 1991. Therefore, the U.S. established formal diplomatic relations with Russia on that date.