1.
US, UK Wage War on Iraq
The top story of the year was the US-led invasion of Iraq. Despite worldwide opposition to the campaign and doubts about the sincerity of the coalition's stated goals, as well as the accuracy of its intelligence, the war in Iraq began on March 20 with a "decapitation strike," which failed to achieve the goal of eliminating Iraqi President Saddam Hussein.
The mostly US and British forces swiftly made their way into the heart of Baghdad in an offensive that lasted only 21 days. The Iraqi army disintegrated before the onslaught, offering only token resistance.
Although the "liberators" were welcomed in some quarters with jubilation and flowers, the celebrations quickly turned to chaos as the country's infrastructure disappeared in a wave of looting, vandalism and violence.
US President George W. Bush declared on May 1 that major combat operations were concluded, but the coalition quickly found itself struggling to maintain order and provide basic necessities to the people of Iraq.
Insurgents, variously described as Iraqi nationalists, former Baath party loyalists, foreign terrorists, or plain criminals, began daily attacks upon coalition forces as well as foreign aid workers and Iraqi civilians. As the year ends, more US soldiers have been killed in combat after Bush declared an end to combat operations than were killed in the invasion.
One bright spot amidst the gloom surrounding the morass in Iraq came when Saddam was captured by US soldiers on Dec. 14. His fate remains unclear, as does the fate of Iraq.
-- Mac William Bishop
2.
The SARS Epidemic
The coronavirus causing SARS is thought to have originated in China's Guangdong Province. It spread to Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore and other Asian countries and Canada, killing nearly 800 people before being contained. Many of these were health professionals, amplifying the mystery and fear surrounding the outbreak. A global alert was first issued by the World Health Organization (WHO) in mid-March, and on July 5 it reported that transmission chains had been severed.
The disease, with an intimidating fatality rate of 11 percent, caused considerable economic disruption to East Asia, particularly Hong Kong and China.
Taiwan handled the outbreak with reasonable proficiency, though officials at first boasted that SARS would not pose a threat to the country. Taiwan suffered the fourth-largest number of fatalities, after China, Hong Kong and Canada, though the present WHO figure (37) is now significantly smaller after removing incorrect diagnoses. Taiwan's airports and government facilities, including offices and schools, are now manned by staff taking temperatures of people on entry.
China's initial response to the spread of SARS was lax and clumsy, but pressure from the WHO eventually elicited a rare expression of Chinese contrition: laws punishing officials who try to cover up the disease. Their efforts have provided little reassurance, however. Health authorities worldwide remain on alert for a resurgence.
This week, an isolated case of SARS in Taiwan was resolved when a military researcher was released from hospital after apparently contracting the disease in a laboratory. Just before Christmas, China recorded another suspect case, now confirmed as SARS, prompting speculation that another wave of infection might be on the way.
RSS