From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

Benjamin "Bibi" Netanyahu ( Hebrew : בִּנְיָמִין "ביבי" נְתַנְיָהוּ ( help · info ) , born 21 October 1949) is the new Prime Minister-Designate of Israel. He is Chairman of the conservative Likud Party and was previously the 9th Prime Minister of Israel from June 1996 to July 1999. Netanyahu is the first (and to date only) Prime Minister of Israel to be born after the State of Israel's foundation . He was Finance Minister of Israel until 9 August 2005, when he resigned in protest at the Gaza Disengagement Plan advocated by Prime Minister Ariel Sharon . Netanyahu retook the Likud leadership on 20 December 2005. As of December 2006, he became the official leader of the Opposition in the Knesset and Chairman of the Likud Party. In August 2007, he retained the Likud leadership by beating Moshe Feiglin in party elections. On 20 February 2009, Netanyahu was designated by Israeli President Shimon Peres to form the country's next government, following the results of Israel's parliamentary elections of 10 February.

 

Mahmoud Abbas ( Arabic : محمود عباس ‎ Maḥmūd ʾAbbās ) (born March 26 , 1935 ), also known by Abu Mazen ( Arabic : ابو مازن ‎), is the Chairman of the PLO since November 11 , 2004 and President of the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) since January 15 , 2005 . He is also the President of the " State of Palestine " since November 23 , 2008 [ 1 ] (acting since May 8 , 2005).

Abbas is a leading politician in Fatah (فتح Fataḥ ). He served as the first Prime Minister of the Palestinian Authority from March to October 2003 when he resigned citing lack of support from Israel and the United States as well as "internal incitement" against his government. Before being named Prime Minister, Abbas led the PLO's Negotiations Affairs Department. Abbas is frequently portrayed by Israel and the West as the face of Palestinian moderation.

 

Michel Suleiman or Sleiman ( Arabic : ميشال سليمان ‎, born 21 November 1948 ) is the current President of Lebanon . Before assuming office as President , he held the position of commander of the Lebanese Armed Forces . After LAF commander Émile Lahoud took office as president in November of 1998 , Suleiman succeeded him, taking his place in December. Suleiman was later elected President and was sworn into office on May 25 , 2008.

On November 23 , 2007 , the term of Emile Lahoud , the 11th President of Lebanon, came to an end. At the time, the Lebanese political spectrum was deeply polarized, with virtually all parties being divided either in the government loyalists (known as the March 14 camp), or the opposition (known as the March 8 camp). The two camps could not come to an agreement as to who should become the country's 12th president, and so, as a result of a provision in the country's Constitution, the powers of the Presidency transferred to the Government in the expectation that an agreement would be reached shortly afterwards.

Several names were advanced as potential candidates for the presidency, including Michel Aoun , Nassib Lahoud , Boutros Harb , amongst others, each of whom was affiliated either to the March 14 or March 8 camps. It soon became apparent however that only an independent candidate would be acceptable to both sides. Michel Suleiman was generally accepted as being the only possible candidate and as a unifying candidate. Most Lebanese commentators and policy makers agreed that Suleiman had successfully won the trust of both the government and opposition camp, and that of most countries in the Arab region, as well as most Western countries. However, his election could not take place until a number of fundamental disagreements between the March 14 and March 8 camps could be resolved, including the issue of whether a government of national unity should be formed, and what specific electoral law should be passed in preparation for the parliamentary elections that were to take place in 2009. These difficulties were eventually resolved during the negotiations that took place in Doha , Qatar from May 17 to May 20, 2008. The negotiations were attended by senior representatives from all of Lebanon's major political parties, and the agreement confirmed that Michel Suleiman would be the preferred candidate in the presidential election.

When the vote was finally held in Parliament on May 25 , 2008 , Suleiman was elected with a majority of 118 votes out of 127. He was indirectly elected by the Lebanese Parliament, which hadn't had a session, as a result of the ongoing political crisis in the country, for 18 months. The Parliament's session was attended by senior representatives from across Lebanon, the Arab region, the United Nations and the European Union, the United States, European states and many other countries. In his acceptance speech which was welcomed by all political figures across the country, the Arab region and the rest of the world, Suleiman spoke of "uniting and working towards a solid reconciliation of the country. We have paid dearly for our national unity. Let us preserve it hand-in-hand". He also made reference to the long-standing crisis between the country's two main political camps when he said that "the people have given us their confidence to fulfill their aspirations, not to afflict them with our petty political disputes".

 

Nouri Kamil Mohammed Hassan al-Maliki ( Arabic : نوري كامل محمّد حسن المالكي, transliterated Nūrī Kāmil al-Mālikī ; born June 20 , 1950 ), also known as Jawad al-Maliki , is the Prime Minister of Iraq and the secretary-general of the Islamic Dawa Party . Al-Maliki and his government also succeeded the Iraqi Transitional Government . His 37-member Cabinet was approved by the National Assembly and sworn in on May 20 , 2006 .

He is married to Fareeha Khalil, and has four daughters and one son. He started in politics as a Shiite dissident under Saddam Hussein 's regime in the 1970s and rose to prominence after he fled a death sentence into exile more than 20 years ago. During his time abroad he became a senior leader of Dawa, coordinated the activities of anti-Hussein guerillas and built relationships with Iranian and Syrian officials whose help he sought in overthrowing Hussein.

 

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad ( Persian : محمود احمدی‌نژاد , mæhmuːd-e æhmædiː-neʒɒːd ( help · info ) ; born 28 October 1956) is the sixth and current President of the Islamic Republic of Iran . He became president on 6 August 2005 after winning the 2005 presidential election by popular vote , the first president of the Islamic Republic not to be a religious cleric in 24 years. Prior to becoming president, Ahmadinejad served as mayor of Tehran , the governor general of Ardabil Province , and served in the Iran–Iraq War as a member of Army of the Guardians of the Islamic Revolution . He is not the most powerful official in Iran, that role belongs to the Supreme Leader of Iran , Ayatollah Ali Khamenei according to Article 113 of Constitution of Iran . Khamenei is the commander-in-chief of the armed forces of Iran and has the final word in all aspects of foreign and domestic policies .

Ahmadinejad is a critic of the George W. Bush Administration and supports strengthened relations with Russia, Venezuela , Syria , and the Persian Gulf states . He has said Iran's nuclear program is for peaceful purposes. He has also refused to end nuclear enrichment despite United Nations Security Council resolutions. Ahmadinejad argues that the sanctions are "illegal", imposed by “arrogant powers”, and that Iran has decided to pursue the monitoring of its nuclear program through "its appropriate legal path”, the International Atomic Energy Agency.

He has called for the dissolution of the state of Israel and its government, which he does not regard as legitimate or representative of the population, and for free elections in the region . He believes that the Palestinians need a stronger voice in the region's future. One of his most controversial statements was one in which, according to the initial Islamic Republic News Agency translation, he called for Israel to be " wiped off the map ," though the interpretation of this quote is disputed. He has also been condemned for describing the Holocaust as a myth , which has led to accusations of anti-semitism . In response to these criticisms, Ahmadinejad said “No, I am not anti-Jew, I respect them very much.”

During his presidency, Ahmadinejad launched a gas rationing plan to reduce the country's fuel consumption and cut the interest rate for private and public banking facilities.

 

King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud , Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques , ( Arabic : خادم الحرمين الشريفين الملك عبد الله بن عبد العزيز آل سعود ‎, born August 1924) is the current King of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Head of the House of Saud . He succeeded to the throne and assumed the title of King on the death of his half-brother, King Fahd , August 1 , 2005 . As Crown Prince since 1987, he had previously acted as de facto regent and thus ruler of Saudi Arabia since January 1 , 1996 [ 6 ] , when Fahd was incapacitated by a major stroke . He was formally enthroned on August 3 , 2005 . One of his sons, Prince Mutaib , serves as a deputy commander in the Saudi National Guard.

Abdullah also serves as Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia and Commander of the Saudi National Guard . He is Chairman of the Supreme Economic Council, President of the High Council for Petroleum and Minerals, President of the King Abdulaziz Centre for National Dialogue, Chairman of the Council of Civil Service and Head of the Military Service Council. Abdullah is the fifth son (out of 37 sons) of King Abdulaziz bin Abdulrahman Al Saud , the founder of modern Saudi Arabia, to ascend to the throne.

His wealth is estimated at over $21 billion.

 

Dr. Bashar al-Assad ( Arabic : بشار الأسد ‎, Baššār al-Asad ) (born 11 September 1965 ) is the President of the Syrian Arab Republic , Regional Secretary of the Baath Party , and the son of former President Hafez al-Assad.

Al-Assad was confirmed as President by an unopposed referendum in 2001. He was expected to bring a more liberal approach to the leadership than his father. In an interview he stated that he saw democracy in Syria as 'a tool to a better life' but then argued that it would take time for democracy to come about and that it could not be rushed. At best, politically and economically, Syria life has changed only slightly since 2000. Immediately after he took office a reform movement made cautious advances during the so-called Damascus Spring , and al-Assad seemed to accept this, shutting down the Mezze prison and releasing hundreds of political prisoners. The Damascus Spring, however, ground to an abrupt halt as security crackdowns commenced again within the year.

Despite gaining re-election in 2007, al-Assad's position has been considered by some to have been weakened by the withdrawal of Syrian troops from Lebanon following the ‘Cedar Revolution' in 2005. There has also been pressure from the US concerning claims that Syria is linked to ‘terrorist' networks - an argument fact that can only be exacerbated by official Syrian condemnation of the assassination of Imad Mughniyeh, Hezbollah military leader in Damascus on February 12th 2008. The Syrian Interior Minister Bassam Abdul-Majeed stated that, "Syria, which condemns this cowardly terrorist act, expresses condolences to the martyr family and to the Lebanese people”.

Assad still holds a vast amount of power within Syria and no significant political changes seem forthcoming in the immediate future. Jouejati argues that economic reforms have the potential to lead to political reforms. How the President deals with the expected financial crisis as oil revenues decrease could be key to maintaining his position of power.

 

Abdullah II bin al-Hussein, King of Jordan ( Arabic : الملك عبد الله الثاني بن الحسين ‎, al-Malik ʿAbdullāh aṯ-ṯānī bin al-Ḥusayn born Amman , 30 January 1962) is the ruler of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan . He became king of Jordan on 7 February 1999 after the death of his father King Hussein . King Abdullah is a member of the Hashemite family and is reportedly the 43rd-generation direct descendant of prophet Muhammad. Abdullah's parents are King Hussein and Princess Muna al-Hussein .

King Abdullah is the head of a constitutional monarchy in which the King retains substantial power. Jordan's economy has improved greatly since Abdullah ascended to the throne in 1999, and he has been credited with increasing foreign investment, attending meetings between public and private sectors, and providing the foundation for Aqaba 's free trade zone. He also set up three other special economic zones: Irbid, Mafraq, and Ma'an. As a result of these reforms, Jordan's economic growth has doubled to 6% annually under King Abdullah's rule compared to the latter half of the 1990s. Healthcare is now easy to receive even in rural parts of Jordan. The adult literacy rate is 90%, one of the highest in the Arab World. Foreign direct investment from the West as well as the countries of the Persian Gulf has continued to increase.

The King announced on 2 March 2007 municipal elections in Jordan and in 25 November 2006 in his parliament address, told the parliament to work on reforms of the press and publication law.

King Abdullah II has worked for the Middle East Peace Process, attending the Arab Summit in 2002, OIC conferences and having several summits with US, Israeli and Palestinian delegations to find a solution for the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict . He tried to impose a cease-fire when the Israel-Hezbollah war broke out in the summer of 2006. While keeping strong ties to Israel, the King has invested money into the new Palestinian authority of Mahmoud Abbas, the current President of the PA. He has also helped increase foreign investment in the new Palestinian government.

 

Recep Tayyip Erdoğan (b. February 26 , 1954 in Rize , Turkey ) has served as the Prime Minister of Turkey since March 14 , 2003 . He is the chief of the Justice and Development Party ( Turkish : Adalet ve Kalkınma Partisi , or AKP) and he became the fourth democratically elected Turkish leader in history, when the party he established won the general elections held in 2002. He married Emine Erdoğan (b. 1955 in Siirt ) on 4 July 1978 and they have two sons (Ahmet Burak, Necmeddin Bilâl) and two daughters (Esra, Sümeyye). His background and commitment to Islamic values appeals to most of the devout Muslim Turks .

Faced with domestic demands to intervene in Iraq against the PKK and in defence of the Turkmens around Kirkuk , Erdoğan pursued a more proactive foreign policy. In January 2007 Erdoğan suggested that Turkey might intervene, but preferred for the interim to rely on diplomacy.