Around the world in 60 seconds - 3 September 2010

This week’s events include:

• Israeli and Palestinian leaders begin peace talks in Washington
• President Obama announces end to the Iraq War
• Final version of UN Congo report yet to be released

Israeli and Palestinian leaders begin peace talks in Washington

Yesterday, the latest attempt at official peace talks between the Israelis and the Palestinians began in the White House under the guidance of US President Obama, Secretary of State Hilary Clinton and US Middle East envoy George Mitchell.

But even with Obama’s facilitating skills, expectations are very low as to whether these talks can bring about an agreement (security for Israel and a country for the Palestinians).

Major Palestinian political party Hamas, who won 70% of the vote in their last election, is not being represented.

Instead the talks are between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Mahmoud Abbas, Palestinian president and head of the other major political party Fatah.

The key issues likely to be discussed are Israel’s illegal settlement building, the borders of a Palestinian country, water rights, securing Israel’s safety, the fate of Palestinian refugees, and whether the city of Jerusalem can be split into two (the Palestinians want East Jerusalem to be their capital).

If the two-day talks go well, a second round may be hosted in Egypt later this month. The target is to have an agreement within one year.

As a reminder of what’s at stake, on Wednesday four Israeli settlers in the disputed West Bank area were shot dead in their car by gunmen from the armed wing of Hamas.

President Obama announces end to the Iraq War

On Tuesday night, President Obama addressed the nation on live television to mark the end of Operation Iraqi Freedom and the seven-year Iraq War.

50,000 US troops will remain in the country in a training and support capacity for the Iraqi security forces.

In all, 4,700 US troops were killed as well as 100,000 Iraqi civilians (although one estimate put total Iraqi deaths for civilians and combatants at 650,000). 1.6 million Iraqis were forced to leave their homes.

The war has so far cost US$1 trillion, but Nobel prize-winning economist Joseph Stiglitz believes the end cost for taxpayers will be more like $3 trillion.

This is because over 450,000 soldiers have filed for disability compensation, plus the education, medical and welfare costs for all soldiers, and the whopping interest bill payable on the debt borrowed to fund the war, among other ongoing costs.

Meanwhile, Iraqi politicians are still negotiating their way to a coalition government nearly six months after their national election in March.

Final version of UN Congo report yet to be released

The final version of the United Nations report on Congo (see Monday’s story) has not yet been released.

Photo – Mahmoud Abbas (left) and Benjamin Netanyahu