World News 24-12-2003 Review of the Year 2003: Terror who: George W Bush what: Launches his road map to middle east peace - WTPS Review of 2003 when: 2003 snippet: In another year of tragedy for the middle east, many more lost their lives to suicide bombings and military action in Israel, the West Bank and Gaza. In June, at least 35 Israelis and Palestinians died in just three days as US president George W Bush launched his "road map" to peace. In April, the investiture of Palestinian prime minister Mahmoud Abbas was marred by a suicide bombing at a restaurant near the seafront in Tel Aviv, killing three people and injuring 45. In September, two Hamas suicide bombers killed at least 15 people in attacks on a busy Jerusalem cafe and on soldiers at a crowded bus stop near Tel Aviv. A Hamas suicide killer blew up a bus packed with students from Haifa University in March. In August, 20 people died in a suicide bus bombing in Jerusalem. For its part, Israel continued incursions into the West Bank and targeted alleged terrorist leaders, such as Abdullah Qawasmeh and Yasser Taha, for assassination. Elsewhere, a Greek judge convicted the 15 ringleaders of the notorious November 17 gang who had terrorised the country for three decades. In Britain, illegal immigrants Brahim Benmerzouga and Baghdad Meziane were jailed for 11 years for raising more than £200,000 for the al-qaeda terrorist network through credit card fraud. A Chechen woman killed herself on a bus at a Russian military base in June, killing 15. Chechen terrorists were also blamed when a bomb went off on a commuter train in southern Russia, claiming 44 lives, followed two days later by two more suicide bombings in central Moscow. The grinning face of terrorist Amrozi bin Nurhasyim chilled the world this August as he was sentenced to death by firing squad for his part in the Sari Club bombing in Bali in 2002, killing 202 people; US authorities in Thailand arrested the alleged mastermind of the bombing, Riduan Isamuddin, a week later. His terrorist group Jemaah Islamiah was linked to a car bomb which killed 14 people at a Marriott hotel in central Jakarta on August 5th. 50 people were killed and more than 130 injured by two car bombs in Bombay in August. And 20 people were killed by nine suicide attackers in Saudi Arabia in May when three massive, coordinated car bombs exploded at housing compounds in Riyadh. [... more]

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