Friday, December 29, 2006

Global predictions for 2006


I was just looking back at Global predictions for 2006 by John Simpson who is the BBC World Affairs editor. John Simpson predicted that in 2006


• Even the most resistant scientist, industrialist and politician will have to accept that the evidence for the damage we are doing to our planet is overwhelming.


• It will take a disturbingly long time for a new government to be created in Iraq.


• Iran will take its nuclear ambitions further, and its negotiations with the European countries will seem more and more pointless.


• Ariel Sharon, the Israeli prime minister, will wipe out both the Labour Party and Likud, the party he left, in the forthcoming election.


• The American press will finally get stuck into a serious examination of the Bush administration's business links.


• The EU's woes and weaknesses will continue for most of the year.


• Osama bin Laden will be tracked down, but will not be captured alive.


• Saddam Hussein will be found guilty of the Dujail massacre - the case which he is currently being tried for.


• England will beat Brazil in the final of the World Cup in Germany.


We have seen a lot of things happen over the past twelve months which show that a consensus now exists on the amount of damage we causing to the planet. The major work that was published in the UK was the Stern Review back in October.


We have also come a long way with regard to Iran and its nuclear ambitions. Over Christmas the UN Security Council passed a motion supporting sanctions against Iran, however the United States of America and United Kingdom don’t seem to mind working with Iran to find a solution to the unrest and violence in Iraq.


It was greatly unfortunate that not long before the elections in Israel Ariel Sharon suffered a major stroke and in the election that followed Kadima won 29 seats, Labour-Meimad 19 (-2) and Likud 12 (-15). However the major conflict in the Middle East in 2006 was between Israel and Lebanon over the summer.


As far as I know (I may have missed it in the news) we still don’t know where Osama bin Laden is and we think he is still alive but given that there has not been a video from him for a couple of months he could be dead but we just don’t know.


Saddam Hussein was found guilty of the Dujail massacre and could be hanged at any time over the next four weeks, after an appeal against his execution failed. Reports this morning say that his lawyers have been asked to pick up his personal effects and that the US military have handed him over to Iraqi custody.


And yet again for every football fan in England the world cup ended with us screaming at our TVs while player after player missed a penalty at another major tournament. This time we happen to go out to Portugal on penalties. The final was between Italy and France which ended with Italy wining on penalties (5-3) against 10-man France after Zinedine Zidane sent off for a head butt in extra-time.

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