April 2003
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This article covers breaking news and events in April 2003.
Daily events
Tuesday April 1, 2003
- Baghdad / Iraq : In the Third Gulf War , u. a. bombed the center of the Iraqi capital. The goals include the “Palace of the Republic”, the properties of the Republican Guard and the headquarters of the National Olympic Committee .
- Chima / Bolivia : According to estimates by the authorities, up to 150 people will be buried in a landslide in the gold rush town of Chima, about 190 km north of La Paz .
- Florida Street : As on March 19, a passenger plane is hijacked on the way from Cuba to Key West in the US state of Florida .
- Hemer / Germany : In North Rhine-Westphalia , physicians prove that a 72-year-old man had severe acute respiratory syndrome for the first time in Germany .
- Nuremberg / Germany : As of today, “ mini jobs ” can earn 400 euros per month instead of the previous 325 euros. The employer's obligation to pay social security funds is now 25% in general and 12% for employers in the area of private household help.
- Zubair / Iraq : According to the British media, the British Army is taking control of the city of Zubair, 15 km from Basra , after fierce fighting.
Wednesday April 2, 2003
- Baghdad / Iraq : According to US reports , the "Baghdad Division" of the Republican Guard was defeated on two fronts during the Iraq war . The cities of Kut and Karbala , both over 100 km from Baghdad, are the next destinations. The foremost units of the United States Armed Forces are said to be 30 km from Kut.
- Berlin / Germany : The federal executive committee of the Bündnis 90 / Die Grünen party decides, at the request of around 50 district associations, to prepare a special party conference on the social reforms of Agenda 2010 .
- Brussels / Belgium : The European Union (EU) opens deficit proceedings against France . According to EU treaties, new borrowing is permitted up to a maximum of 3% of the state budget. The French deficit is 3.1%.
- Brussels / Belgium : A day before US Secretary of State Colin Powell's visit , an amendment to the genocide law is decided. The still valid version gives people around the world the right to appeal to Belgian courts in the event of violations of international law , which is why lawsuits are pending against former US President George HW Bush and three members of the current US administration.
- Davao City / Philippines : At least 16 people are killed in an explosion in the city's port district. Among them are two children and a nun. 40 more people are injured.
- Geneva / Switzerland : For the first time in its history, the World Health Organization warns against traveling to a region that is not currently affected by war and advises against visiting the Chinese province of Guangdong and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region .
- Hilla / Iraq : The International Committee of the Red Cross accuses the Allies in the Iraq war of using internationally banned cluster bombs to bomb the city of Baghdad . ZDF correspondent Ulrich Tilgner reports of splinter injuries , which support the allegation.
- Turkey : Prime Minister Abdullah Gül and US Secretary of State Colin Powell agree on logistical support for the United States' armed forces through Turkey in northern Iraq .
- Tulkarm / Palestinian Territories : The Israeli army temporarily arrests around 2,000 Palestinian men in a major raid in the refugee camp near the city of Tulkarm in the West Bank .
Thursday April 3, 2003
- Baghdad / Iraq : From the city is reported by a mass exodus, meanwhile, take US soldiers of the 3rd Infantry - Division according to a reporter of the American television channel ABC with low resistance to the City International Airport a. They would be the first allies within the so-called "Red Zone". In this, the military leadership of the invading forces considers chemical weapons deployments by the Iraqis to be realistic. The Iraqi Minister of Information, Muhammad as-Sahhaf, denies the presence of the US Army in the city, where the lights go out for the first time since the war began following heavy air strikes. In the past 24 hours, the Iraqis are a fighter plane type F / A-18 Hornet , a helicopter type Black Hawk and a " Chinook " -Transporthubschrauber have shot down.
- Basra / Iraq : According to the British television broadcaster BBC , British troops are said to have used cluster bombs against Iraqi soldiers for the first time . The British military spokesman Chris Vernon in Qatar denies the report, however, and the British military spokesman Geoff Hoon in London rejects reports of a complete encirclement of the city of Basra, but strategically important suburbs have been taken.
- Kut / Iraq : The day after the occupation by US troops , street and house-to-house fighting broke out in the city. According to the US military, three marine corps infantrymen are injured.
- Strasbourg / France : The Union of the States of Serbia and Montenegro joins the Council of Europe as the 45th member state .
Friday April 4, 2003
- Baghdad / Iraq : Iraqi television shows footage of Saddam Hussein visiting a district hit by air strikes by the Allied invasion forces. The dictator of Iraq calls on the city's residents to resist. According to the US military, the "Saddam International Airport" is occupied by around 1,500 US soldiers. It is located about 20 km southwest of the city center and is to be used for the troops' supply. This would reduce the number of supply journeys over the 400 km long overland route.
- Berlin / Germany : In the immediate vicinity of the Brandenburg Gate , construction of the memorial for the murdered Jews of Europe begins.
- Kuwait City / Kuwait : A first convoy of the International Committee of the Red Cross starts in Kuwait for the besieged Iraqi city of Basra .
- Najaf / Iraq : Shiite civilians prevent US soldiers from entering the Imam Ali mosque .
- Seoul / South Korea : A television station spreads the false report that Microsoft founder Bill Gates was the victim of an attack. The sender refers to an internet report. The stock index of the Seoul Stock Exchange is down 1.5%.
Saturday 5th April 2003
- Algeria : In the Sahara , the people accompanying a camel caravan discover an underground tunnel system near the oasis town of Illizi in search of 29 lost tourists.
- Baghdad / Iraq : Many civilians continue to flee the city. According to US information, US troops advance into the center of the city for the first time in the morning . The Iraqi Minister of Information, Muhammad al-Sahhaf , contradicts these reports , and journalists do not confirm the report either. The US troops tighten their ring around Baghdad. The Al Jazeera TV station reports heavy fighting in a western suburb and around the airport. Iraq announced that it had partially recaptured the area through suicide bombings and other "types of combat".
- Basra / Iraq : Two Allied fighter jets bomb the house of Iraqi General Ali Hasan al-Majid , who ordered the poison gas attack on Halabja in 1988 . British soldiers discover the remains of around 200 people who, according to Iraqi sources, were victims of the First Gulf War between Iran and Iraq in the 1980s. The former opponent recently handed over the physical remains.
- Karbala / Iraq : According to US information, the 101st Airborne Division storms the city. Journalists report on street fighting.
- La Ceiba / Honduras : 86 inmates are killed in a prisoner revolt in El Porvenir prison in the city of La Ceiba, about 350 km north of Tegucigalpa , and many others manage to escape.
- Mosul / Iraq : There is fighting between Kurdish and Iraqi units near the city .
- Wiesbaden / Germany : The Hessian Landtag re- elects Roland Koch ( CDU ) as Prime Minister . The CDU is now the sole ruling party and the FDP only part of the opposition.
Sunday April 6, 2003
- Ain Sifni / Iraq : Kurdish troops of the Peshmerga commander Babekir Zebari take the city in the north of the country.
- Baghdad / Iraq : violent detonations can be heard from the center of the city and the firing artillery of the invading army can be heard from near the airport , presumably the Iraqi artillery answers. The motorcade of the Russian ambassador to Iraq, Vladimir Titorenko, comes under fire while leaving the city. The news channel CNN reports on supply problems of the armed forces of the United States .
- Basra / Iraq : British troops are advancing into the city center from three directions and, according to British information, only encounter sporadic resistance.
- Erbil / Iraq : The Kurds are starting to pull together troops. The Kurdish politician Mola Bakhtiyar corrects the number of fighters from under 400 a week ago to 1,500 now. When accidental attack of a US - combat aircraft to special units of the US military and Kurdish fighters at least 18 Kurds are killed. More than 40 people are injured.
- Gaza Strip / Palestinian Territories : In a village, Israeli military units are using tanks and a helicopter to search for Palestinian extremists. The Palestinian side then reported that all men between the ages of 25 and 50 were pushed into the village square.
- Istanbul / Turkey : There are riots at rallies, the police use tear gas.
- Oakland / United States : The jazz singer Harry Belafonte confesses at a rally with around 5,000 participants that he is tired of politicians who "send our sons and daughters to a foreign country to protect the interests of a few more powerful, sick people in this country" .
- Spain : Protests against the policies of Prime Minister José María Aznar's government escalate . Militant opponents of the war attack party headquarters of the People's Party . According to surveys, around 90% of the population speak out against Spain's pro- American involvement in the Iraq war .
- Zwettl / Austria : Fragments of the Nibelungenlied are discovered in Zwettl Abbey 120 km northwest of Vienna .
Monday April 7, 2003
- Baghdad / Iraq : In the morning, more than one hundred Allied tanks and armored vehicles, accompanied by fighter planes , penetrate the center of the city and, according to their own statements, bring three of Saddam Hussein's palaces under their control. The Iraqi Minister of Information, Muhammad as-Sahhaf, denies the presence of Allied troops in Baghdad. Two western journalists are killed by an Iraqi missile south of the city .
- Basra / Iraq : British soldiers invade the city where looting occurs. The troops say they have also discovered the body of Ali Hasan al-Madschid , whose house was bombed yesterday.
- Blankenheim / Germany : The autopsy of a body found near the village yesterday reveals that it is the body of nine-year-old Sonja from Eschweiler , the sister of eleven-year-old Toms. His body was found a week ago.
- Germany : The Federal Republic and Tunisia conclude an agreement on cooperation to combat organized crime.
- Karbala / Iraq : The United States Armed Forces report the capture of the city.
- Mainz / Germany : The number of officially registered crimes in Rhineland-Palatinate is given as 280,795 for 2002, an increase of 7.1% compared to 2001.
- Pompei / Italy : The employees of the Pompeii excavation site discover that ancient wall paintings have been destroyed and a fresco has disappeared.
Tuesday April 8, 2003
- Baghdad / Iraq : The war is shifting further to the center. The Al-Rashid military airfield in the southeast of the city will be taken by the allies, according to US reports. Two cameramen are killed and three reporters are injured when US units fire at the Hotel Palestine . The US Central Command in Qatar later reported snipers in the hotel lobby who took American soldiers under fire. There is no confirmation by eyewitnesses. Another reporter was killed while shelling the Al Jazeera television property . South of the city plunges a US fighter aircraft of type A 10 Thunderbolt from. Aircraft of this type are used to fire armor-piercing uranium ammunition at low altitude .
- Basra / Iraq : According to their own statements, British soldiers are in the process of setting up a local administration.
- Germany : In the international IGLU test, the country's fourth graders landed in 11th place and thus in the middle of the field of participants. Politicians and the media are delighted, because after the disappointing performance of older students in the PISA test , expectations were low. The data for the study were collected in 2001.
- Gaza / Palestinian Territories : An Israeli fighter plane fires a missile at a vehicle in the city. At least five Palestinians are killed and 20 others injured. According to Israeli estimates, the victims were members of the Islamist terrorist organization Hamas .
- Israel : On the second day of his trip, German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer ( Greens ) calls on Israel to support the Middle East peace plan . This sees u. a. the establishment of a Palestinian state by 2005.
- Northern Ireland / United Kingdom : Prime Minister Tony Blair and US President George W. Bush advocate a central role for the United Nations in the reconstruction of Iraq .
- Paris / France : President Jacques Chirac announces his participation in the meeting between the German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder and the Russian President Vladimir Putin on the weekend in Saint Petersburg .
- Umm Qasr / Iraq : On the initiative of the United States, an agency for reconstruction and humanitarian aid is to be set up in the city under the leadership of former US General Jay Garner .
- Washington, DC / United States : Two congress members of the Democratic Party instruct the General Accounting Office , the contracts of the Bush administration with the petroleum and energy companies Halliburton to consider. The Ministry of Defense is suspected of having awarded contracts to the former company of Vice President Dick Cheney without authorization .
- Vienna / Austria : The Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency Mohammed el-Baradei advises the United Nations to review the tests carried out by US units on Iraqi weapons. This is indispensable for a credible analysis of Iraq's military clout in the run-up to the Third Gulf War .
Wednesday April 9, 2003
- Baghdad / Iraq : US tanks advance into the center of the city and encounter little resistance. Saddam Hussein's regime has apparently lost control of Baghdad. The vacant headquarters of the Ba'ath Party are occupied. Cheering people greet the US soldiers , with whose help several Iraqis tear down a large statue of Saddam Hussein on Farduz Square. Government buildings and shops are looted, and the Department of Commerce is then set on fire. Neither the US troops nor the barely present Iraqi security forces intervene.
- Berlin / Germany : The Federal Cabinet resolves a pension increase of 1.04 euros for West Germany and 1.19 euros for the accession area from 1990 . The cabinet also agrees on a bill to introduce a positive list for pharmaceuticals .
- Berlin / Germany : The testimony of Federal Health Minister Ulla Schmidt ( SPD ) is planned for April 10 and that of Federal Chancellor Gerhard Schröder (SPD) before the " Lies Committee of the Bundestag " is scheduled for June . It is about the accusation of electoral fraud by means of a beautiful presentation of the financial situation of the Federal Republic.
- Bern / Switzerland : The Federal Council decides to block all bank accounts in the country that are held for Iraqi citizens.
- Botany Bay City / Australia : The airline Qantas announces the cancellation of 1,400 jobs and gives the current global political situation as the reason.
- Brandenburg / Germany : Around 1,000 t of animal feed contaminated with dioxins is in circulation in the state of Brandenburg . Only a few tons have been seized so far.
- Germany : Federal Defense Minister Peter Struck ( SPD ) recognizes the role of British soldiers in the Iraq war and thus moves away from the course of the Schröder government .
- Germany : The Rürup Commission proposes savings of 24 million euros for the statutory health insurance companies to enable the contribution rate to be reduced by 2.4%.
- Kirkuk / Iraq : Kurdish troops conquer the city after heavy fighting .
- Kloten / Switzerland : Due to the spread of the severe acute respiratory syndrome, the airline Swissair is canceling all flights to Tokyo .
- Mosul , Tikrit / Iraq : United States forces attack both cities.
- New York / United States : The Ambassador of Iraq to the United Nations Mohammed Aldouri is the first representative of the Iraqi government to admit the military defeat of his country in the Third Gulf War .
- Palestinian Territories : The German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer ( Green ) meets with Nobel Peace Prize winner Yasser Arafat and Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas . The reform process of Palestine is the focus of the talks.
- Serbia and Montenegro : Two confidants of Vojislav Koštunica , an ex-general of the secret service, are arrested in connection with the murder of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Serbia Zoran Đinđić in March this year.
- Spain : A member of parliament and party colleague of Prime Minister José María Aznar leaves the People's Party in protest against the Iraq war .
- Strasbourg / France : The Parliament of the European Union (EU) approves the enlargement of the EU planned for next year with a large majority. The contract is due to be signed in Athens on April 16 .
Thursday April 10, 2003
- Baghdad / Iraq : A suicide bombing north of the Hotel Palestine kills an unspecified number of US soldiers and injures many more. In the north of the capital, the United States armed forces occupy a palace. One of their soldiers is killed in the process. The capture is followed by looting , which, according to press reports, the Americans do not stop. It is also reported that armed civilians ransacked a hospital while American soldiers primarily protect the oil ministry. The supporters of Saddam Hussein's regime avoid the streets or do not reveal themselves.
- Berlin / Germany : The Iraqi ambassador to Germany Muayad S. Hussian declares the Iraq war over in a statement.
- Germany : The death of Michael Gartenschläger at the Berlin Wall in 1976 has no criminal consequences. The court declares the incident statute-barred . The two officers of the National People's Army and the Ministry of State Security , allegedly responsible, distanced themselves from the allegation of murder from the start .
- France , United Kingdom : The airlines Air France and British Airways announce, the only remaining civilian supersonic aircraft Concorde to take effect from October 31 from circulation.
- Iraq : The newly founded television station “Towards Freedom” broadcasts speeches by US President George W. Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair to the Iraqi people nationwide . They were recorded on Tuesday and are seen in the United States and the United Kingdom as an important step in motivating the Iraqi people to build a democratic society.
- Iraq : After the almost complete capture of Baghdad by the United States' armed forces, American attacks increase in the north of the country . The cities of Kirkuk , Mosul and Tikrit are bombed.
- Israel : 150 agents of the Mossad intelligence service want to quit in protest. You are responding to the planned increase in the retirement age for agents by ten years to 55 years.
- Leipzig / Germany : Following an urgent application by the BUND, the Federal Administrative Court has imposed a temporary construction stop on the 73 motorway between Lichtenfels in Franconia and Suhl in the Thuringian Forest .
Friday April 11, 2003
- Baghdad / Iraq : Two MSF employees are free again after nine days. Another is still missing.
- Baghdad / Iraq : The Archaeological Museum is looted. US soldiers fire at an ambulance, seriously injuring one person. The oil fields near the city are under guard by US units.
- Berlin / Germany : The Federal Council decides to extend the legally permitted shop opening hours on Saturdays. Instead of 4:00 p.m., shopkeepers are allowed to open their shops until 8:00 p.m. The restrictions for the days before shopping Sundays do not apply. The transfer of decision-making authority over shop closing times to the federal states is rejected.
- Berlin / Germany : After a failed bank robbery, one of the two prevented robbers hijacked a bus and took its 20 occupants hostage for four hours. He then accidentally shoots himself in the leg and can be arrested. His accomplice escapes on foot and is caught a short time later.
- Berlin / Germany : The Federal Security Council decides to move the Federal Intelligence Service from Pullach in Bavaria to Berlin.
- The Hague / Netherlands : The coalition negotiations between Christian Democrats and Social Democrats fail during the night . So there is no new government even after two and a half months.
- Los Angeles / United States : The Los Angeles Times newspaper reports that the hardware and software manufacturer Apple is planning to take over the Universal Music Group and is already negotiating with its parent company Vivendi .
- Mosul / Iraq : The armed forces of the United States take the city without a fight.
- Tehran / Iran : Around 200 Iraqis storm the Iraqi embassy and devastate it. 60 people are arrested.
- High-ranking members of the NATO military alliance want to place the ISAF mission in Afghanistan under NATO command.
- US Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld compares the pictures of cheering people from the Iraqi capital Baghdad with the pictures of the fall of the Berlin Wall . B. by Bundestag President Wolfgang Thierse , who reminds us that the wall fell through the "strength of the people" and not through an occupying power .
Saturday April 12, 2003
- Baghdad / Iraq : Amir el Saadi, the presidential advisor to Saddam Hussein , is the first representative of the Iraqi leadership to volunteer for the armed forces of the United States . After days of looting across the country, the Allies begin to recruit personnel for the police and the civil service to establish security and order. There should be first patrols in two days.
- Budapest / Hungary : In a referendum in Hungary, 83.8% of the participants vote for the planned accession to the European Union . The turnout is 45.6%.
- Kirkuk / Iraq : The Kurdish fighters surrender the city to the armed forces of the United States and withdraw from it. The Turkey announces that they see after this step, "no need" more to invade Iraq.
- Munich / Germany : The National Olympic Committee selects Leipzig and Rostock (sailing competitions) as German candidate cities for the applications for the 2012 Summer Olympics .
- Tikrit / Iraq : The fight for the birthplace of the former dictator Saddam Hussein continues. The Iraqi army is reorganizing its defense units. The allies are nevertheless confident that they will soon be able to take the city.
- Valletta / Malta : In the elections, over 50% of the electorate vote for the Nationalist Party of Prime Minister Edward Fenech Adami , who seeks the country's accession to the European Union .
Sunday April 13, 2003
- Baghdad / Iraq : Looters set the national library of Iraq on fire. The UNESCO calls for measures to protect the cultural heritage of the country.
- Baghdad / Iraq : Most of the hospitals are still closed after the looting of the last few days . According to the International Committee of the Red Cross, only three clinics maintain emergency operations. According to the US military, two men disguised as gardeners shot an American soldier who was standing guard in front of a hospital.
- Germany : Leading politicians of the CDU speak out against a leadership role for the United Nations in Iraq . Federal Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer ( Greens ) calls for greater foreign policy engagement on the part of the member states of the European Union .
- Iraq : Seven US soldiers , former Iraqi prisoners of war , are found alive north of Baghdad . Only two of them are injured.
- Kut / Iraq : The news channel BBC News reports the capture of the strategically important city in the southeast of the country by American marines .
- London / United Kingdom : Britain's Paula Radcliffe sets the first ever world record in the women's marathon recognized by the World Athletics Federation . In the London Marathon , she completed the 42.195 km in 2 hours 15 minutes 25 seconds and thus undercuts the unofficial world record she set herself from 2002 by almost two minutes.
- Mosul / Iraq : Watban Ibrahim, a half-brother of Saddam Hussein , is caught on the run according to a Kurdish television report. He was interior minister and most recently presidential advisor.
- Tel Aviv / Israel : The country is lowering its alertness after the fighting in the Iraq war recently dropped sharply.
- Tikrit / Iraq : US troops invade the city after heavy fighting.
- Tokyo / Japan : Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi offers to mediate in the dispute between European countries and the United States over the Iraq war .
- Washington, DC / United States : US President George W. Bush warns Syria not to support senior Iraqis from the reign of Saddam Hussein . The Secretary General of the Arab League, Amr Mussa, on the other hand, warns the United States against threatening the rest of the Arab world. Syria describes the US allegations as a diversion from the futile search for Saddam Hussein.
- An international research group decodes the genome of the coronavirus type, which is said to cause the fatal severe acute respiratory syndrome.
Monday April 14, 2003
- Baghdad / Iraq : Allied troops continue to try to end the looting and chaos on the streets of the capital. In other cities, vigilante groups organized by imams try to maintain order and security.
- Berlin / Germany : The Federal Ministry of Defense announces that from July 1st, only people who are younger than 23 years old, who are unmarried and who have either fitness level 1 or 2 will be drafted into military service.
- Bonn / Germany : The Federal Cartel Office imposes fines of around 660 million euros on companies in the cement industry for anti-competitive price and sales agreements .
- London / United Kingdom , Washington, DC / United States : The governments of the two countries accuse the Syrian government of covering up members of the Saddam Hussein government , supporting terrorist activities and hiding weapons of mass destruction not yet found in Iraq.
- London / United Kingdom : The UK reports the first case of person-to-person transmission of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome in Europe. According to his own statements, the infected person has recently only been in Great Britain.
- Nuremberg / Germany : The electronics manufacturer Grundig files for insolvency at the Nuremberg Local Court .
- Tikrit / Iraq : After long nightly bombing raids, Saddam Hussein's native city is now under the control of the armed forces of the United States .
Tuesday April 15, 2003
- Iraq : United States forces seize Abu Abbas , leader of the Palestinian Liberation Front .
- Mosul / Iraq : In anti- American protests at least ten Iraqis are allegedly shot by Allied troops.
- United States : For the first time in many years, the United States is calling not to tighten, but to lift sanctions against Iraq .
Wednesday April 16, 2003
- Athens / Greece : The representatives of Estonia , Latvia , Lithuania , Malta , Poland , Slovakia , Slovenia , the Czech Republic , Hungary and Cyprus sign the agreements for their states to join the European Union (EU), which would increase the EU to 25 states . The named states will join the EU on May 1, 2004 at their current discretion.
Thursday April 17, 2003
- Algeria : The authorities are now in contact with the kidnappers of 31 hostages. Bedouins also report seeing the hostage-takers and eleven of the hostages.
- Helsinki / Finland : Anneli Jäätteenmäki becomes Finland's head of government.
- Switzerland : The suspects wanted in the murder case Tom and Sonja are caught in Switzerland and are to be extradited to Germany .
Friday April 18, 2003
- Aachen , Eschweiler / Germany : Markus Wirtz and Markus Lewendel confess in interrogation the joint killing of Tom and Sonja from Eschweiler, who did not come home from playing on March 30th. Wirtz repeats his confession in front of the magistrate, Lewendel does not.
- Abu Dhabi / United Arab Emirates : A television station broadcasts a video and a speech by Saddam Hussein . The recordings are said to have been made on April 9th.
- Baghdad / Iraq , Riyadh / Saudi Arabia : tens of thousands of people demonstrate in Baghdad after traditional Friday prayers . They are demanding the withdrawal of US troops and the establishment of an Islamic State . The same demand is made in Riyadh at a conference of the neighboring states.
- Biblis / Germany : Block A of the nuclear power plant will be shut down because the 3 m² openings for the emergency cooling pumps are only half as large as prescribed.
- Germany : The traditional Easter marches for peace will be dominated by the protest against the Iraq war this year . The number of participants is increasing compared to the last few years.
- Iraq : Imad Hussein el Ani, who the United States government claims led a program to produce the VX nerve gas in the 1990s , faces up to the allies of the Third Gulf War .
- Qatar : US Central Command reports the arrest of former Iraqi oil minister Samir Abdul el Najim.
- San Francisco / United States : The construction company Bechtel receives its first major contract worth 34.6 million US dollars as part of the reconstruction of Iraq .
- Warsaw / Poland : The country orders 48 F-16 fighter aircraft from the American aircraft manufacturer Lockheed Martin for 3.5 billion US dollars .
Saturday April 19, 2003
- Abuja / Nigeria : 60 million citizens are called upon to elect a new head of state and appoint the governors of the states under strict security precautions .
- Germany : The traditional Easter marches will continue with fewer demonstrators than the organizers had hoped. Most of the participants, at 4,000, are on Schlossplatz in Stuttgart . In Munich, the police count around 1,000 demonstrators.
- Iraq : Former finance minister in the Saddam Hussein government , Hekmat Misban Ibrahim el Assawi, is handed over to US soldiers by Iraqis .
- Jordan : Jordanian customs seized more than 40 paintings in the luggage of “ journalists ” who are leaving Iraq . The pictures are said to come from the Iraqi National Museum in Baghdad .
- Nablus / Palestinian Autonomous Territories : According to Palestinian sources, Israeli soldiers shoot a Palestinian cameraman in the West Bank who wants to film clashes between students and an Israeli army unit.
- Middle East : Iran , Jordan , Kuwait , Saudi Arabia , Syria and Turkey and thus all of Iraq's neighbors are calling on the United States and the United Kingdom to withdraw from Iraq. They also speak out against the "exploitation of Iraqi oil reserves by the US occupation forces".
Sunday April 20, 2003
- Australia : Foreign Minister Alexander Downer shares to the public through a radio station with that the allies of the Third Gulf War victory over the Iraq intend to officially announce in a few days.
- Baghdad / Iraq : The first United Nations convoy with food arrives in the city. The 50 trucks are said to have loaded a total of 1,400 tons of wheat flour.
- Germany : The Catholic Church and the Evangelical Church sharply criticize the Iraq war in their Easter messages . Manfred Kock as President of the Evangelical Church describes the “justifications for the war in Iraq” as “ethically unconvincing”.
- Iraq : For the first time in over 20 years, Shiite pilgrims set out on a pilgrimage to the city of Karbala .
- Limburg / Belgium : Avian influenza continues to spread in the Limburg province . According to official sources, the avian influenza virus also resulted in the death of a Dutch veterinarian who refused to take medication to protect against the virus before destroying poultry .
- Beijing / China : The Chinese Health Minister Zhang Wenkang and the mayor of Beijing Meng Xuenong be due to insufficient measures against the spread of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome removed from their posts (SARS). Shortly before, China corrected the number of infections found significantly upwards. Accordingly, SARS was diagnosed in 346 people in Beijing, not 37, and 1,807 people nationwide. According to the authorities, 79 people died of the disease.
- Rafah / Palestinian Territories : The Israeli army advances to the refugee camp near the city. Five Palestinians die and at least 25 others are injured. According to official information, one Israeli soldier dies, and according to other sources, seven soldiers.
- Vatican City : In the Easter mass , Pope John Paul II calls for peace in Iraq , he also commemorates the continued killing in the “ Holy Land ” and the wars in Africa and the Caucasus . Then he gives his blessings to the city of Rome and the world .
- United States : The US Department of Defense is considering establishing four permanent military bases in Iraq . The President of the United States should negotiate this issue with the future administration of Iraq.
Monday April 21, 2003
- Abuja / Nigeria : Olusegun Obasanjo is identified as the winner of the presidential election by preliminary results. According to this, 66% of the voters decided in favor of the incumbent. The opposition speaks of massive electoral fraud and announces violent protests.
- Baghdad / Iraq : With the order, the new political order in Iraq after the overthrow of Saddam Hussein to organize, the retired meet US - General Jay Garner and his deputy Tim Gross from the United Kingdom into the city with about 20 employees.
- The Hague / Netherlands : The Argentine Luis Moreno Ocampo is sworn in as the first chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court . The Statute of the Court of Justice entered into force in July 2002.
- Hilla / Iraq : Mohammed Hamsa el Subajdi, member of the former Revolutionary Command Council, is captured by troops of the opposition Iraqi National Congress about 80 km south of Baghdad .
- Iraq : Jamal Mustafa Sultan el Tikrit, the only surviving son-in-law of Saddam Hussein , gives up his resistance , according to the opposition Iraqi National Congress .
- Iraq : Abd al-Chalk Abd Al-Gafar, former Minister of Education and Scientific Research in the Saddam Hussein government , is captured.
- New York / United States : The United Nations elects the 50-year-old Argentine lawyer Luis Moreno Ocampo as chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court in The Hague with a large majority .
Tuesday April 22, 2003
- Kirkuk / Iraq : According to the US military, a special unit of the armed forces of the United States discovered a large arsenal in the south of the city. a. with artillery shells and missiles , including surface-to-air missiles of the type 9K32 Strela-2 .
- Spain : A new code of law aims to criminalize participation in protests against wars waged by the Spanish armed forces under certain circumstances.
- United States : United Nations Arms Control Commission chief Hans Blix finds it “troubling” that the United States and the United Kingdom made their decision to invade Iraq on the basis of “unsound documents”. As an example, he cites the treaty on the alleged import of 500 tons of uranium into Iraq from Niger , which the International Atomic Energy Agency was able to very quickly expose as a forgery.
Wednesday April 23, 2003
- A group of American capitalism critics started a satirical reaction on the Internet in which anyone could print out barcode labels to have them scanned at supermarket checkouts. The criticism of capitalism consists in the subversive texts that question general consumer behavior, as well as in the disruption of work processes in the branches.
Thursday April 24, 2003
- Iraq : Former Iraqi Foreign Minister Tariq Aziz surrenders to US troops .
Friday April 25, 2003
- Los Angeles / United States : A judge rejects the closure of the Internet file sharing platforms Grokster and Morpheus and justifies the decision with the lack of control of the two accused companies over the exchanged data. The decision is also based on a complaint by the film industry against the trade in video recorders that was rejected in 1984 .
- Rostock / Germany : The International Horticultural Exhibition 2003 , also the Federal Horticultural Show, is opened.
Saturday April 26, 2003
- Baghdad / Iraq : Iraqi rebels set fire to an ammunition dump near Baghdad. According to the United States , six people die in the process.
- South Africa : Winnie Mandela , wife of anti- apartheid campaigner Nelson Mandela , is sentenced to four years in prison for theft and fraud.
Sunday April 27, 2003
- Buenos Aires / Argentina : After the first round of the Argentine presidential election, Carlos Menem is ahead of Néstor Kirchner . The second round is scheduled for May 18th.
Monday April 28, 2003
- Germany : The six leading economic institutes support the planned socio-political reforms of Agenda 2010 of the Schröder government .
- Germany : Due to falling audience ratings, the public television broadcaster ARD announces the cancellation of regular programs with popular music . From 2004 onwards she would only like to broadcast a few shows during the summer breaks. The ZDF is holding out the prospect of taking over other moderators of such programs from the ARD.
- Fallujah / Iraq : Several young people are killed in shootings between US troops and Iraqis.
- Manila / Philippines : The Asian Development Bank estimates that China in economic growth with a loss of one to two percentage points and the capital Beijing with a zero growth has to be expected. The University of Peking only reckons with 6% to 7% for the whole of China.
- Orbit : The "stranded" spacemen of the International Space Station , a Russian and two Americans , are optimistic about their return to Earth after a manned Soyuz- type spaceship finally reaches the station.
- Russia : An unofficial spokesman for the Chechen government and a former officer of the FSB secret service accuse the service of having been involved in the hostage-taking in the Moscow musical theater with an undercover agent .
- United Kingdom : Prime Minister Tony Blair calls for a strengthening of the NATO military alliance and for a supremacy of the United States . He does not want a multipolar world in which the United States and Europe act as rivals.
Tuesday April 29, 2003
- Bangkok / Thailand : Leading politicians from the ASEAN countries and Taiwan discuss measures to prevent the spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome at a special summit . a. health checks at airports are decided.
- Geneva / Switzerland : The World Health Organization is lifting the travel warning for Toronto , Canada , issued because of the epidemic .
- Palestinian territories : Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas survives a vote of confidence in parliament and thus remains at the head of the government.
- Washington, DC / United States : The United States announces that it will reduce its military presence in Saudi Arabia to a few advisors.
Wednesday April 30, 2003
- Fallujah / Iraq : Four American civilians are killed by insurgents and their bodies dragged through the city.
- Israel , Palestinian Territories : The peace plan for the Middle East is handed over to the conflicting parties. The first stage will begin in May and should be completed by the end of 2003.
- Thailand : The Thaksin Shinawatra government's so-called “anti- drug war” of the Thai Love Thailand Party has cost the lives of around 2,800 people in the past three months , according to the non-governmental organization Human Rights Watch .
- United States : North Carolina Senate advocates suspension of the death penalty over the next two years. The time until then should be used to check the proportionality of the death penalty. There are 202 death row prisoners in the state.
See also
- Nekrolog April 2003 for deaths that month
- List of annually recurring days of remembrance and action in April
- Category for commemorative days, public holidays or days of action in April
Web links
Commons : April 2003 - collection of images, videos and audio files
Individual evidence
- ^ Belgian Parliament defuses genocide law. In: news.ch . April 2, 2003, accessed October 24, 2017 .
- ^ Serbia - Member State. In: coe.int . Retrieved January 14, 2018 .
- ↑ Hanspeter Mattes (Ed.): Middle East Yearbook 2003: Politics, Economy and Society in North Africa and the Near and Middle East . VS Verlag , Wiesbaden 2004, ISBN 978-3-8100-4160-9 , p. 83 .
- ↑ 1st session. In: hessen.de . April 5, 2003. Retrieved November 24, 2017 .
- ↑ The Oath of Revelation. In: Der Spiegel . May 19, 2003. Retrieved December 9, 2017 .
- ^ Plenary debates, Wednesday, April 9, 2003. In: europa.eu . Retrieved October 5, 2018 .
- ↑ Paula Radcliffe runs 2:15:25 in London! In: iaaf.org . April 13, 2003, accessed August 6, 2017 .
- ↑ The traditional company files for bankruptcy. In: ihk-nuernberg.de. May 2003. Retrieved October 25, 2017 .
- ↑ Who is afraid of the EU's eastward expansion? In: univie.ac.at , material from admin.ch . 20, accessed June 9, 2019 .
- ^ The Controversial Actions of the ICC Prosecutor: a Crisis of Maturity? In: haguejusticeportal.net, The Hague Academic Coalition. September 15, 2008, accessed June 23, 2019 .
- ↑ icc-cpi.int : Chronology of the International Criminal Court ( Memento of November 28, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) (English)
- ↑ From Punk Rock Anarchist To CEO. In: fastcompany.com . October 23, 2015, accessed September 20, 2016 .
- ^ IGA Rostock 2003. In: bundesgartenschau.de, Deutsche Bundesgartenschau-Gesellschaft mbH. Retrieved April 17, 2017 .
- ↑ Thailand's 'war on drugs'. In: hrw.org . March 12, 2008, accessed August 29, 2019 .