War and Peace Quiz, 2005
Through the end of 2005, what are the rough statistics on the number of deaths that have resulted from the war in Iraq?
- In a speech on Dec. 12, President Bush estimated that the Iraq war had resulted in the deaths of about 30,000 Iraqis and 2,140 American soldiers.
Which Asian country signed a peace deal with its northern rebels in August, ending three decades of war?
- On Aug. 15, the Indonesian government signed a peace deal with the Free Aceh Movement (GAM), ending a civil war that had claimed 15,000 lives. For more on the peace deal.
Which country engaged in a bloodless coup in March?
- February and March 2005 parliamentary elections in Kyrgyzstan were judged by international observers and opposition leaders to be flawed, and they set off violent protests in the country. On March 24, as the protests spread to the capital, President Akayev fled the country. He announced his resignation on April 4. Once a popular leader, Akayev's standing has diminished as a result of accusations of nepotism and corruption.
What's the best description of negotiations between the United States and North Korea at the end of 2005?
- Since 2003, the six-nation talks between the U.S., Russia, China, Japan, South Korea, and North Korea have all ended in deadlock. This was true for the two rounds of talks taking place in September and December 2005. In December, the U.S. ambassador to South Korea referred to North Korea's government as "a criminal regime" seven times in one speech. North Korea responded by saying that the Bush administration "is made up of political imbeciles."
Which of the following countries was spared a terrorist attack this year?
- Spain was spared an attack this year. In March 2004, Spain had experience its most horrific terrorist attack: 202 people were killed and 1,400 were injured in an al-Qaeda bombing at Madrid's railway station. Both Great Britain and Jordan were not so lucky. On July 7, 2005, London suffered a terrorist bombing, Britain's worst attack since World War II. Four bombs exploded in three subway stations and on one double-decker bus during the morning rush hour, killing 52 and wounding more than 700. Four Muslim men, three of them British-born, were identified as the suicide bombers. Jordan was also the victim of a terrorist attack in 2005. Three suicide bombings by Iraqis blasted hotels in Amman, Jordan, on Nov. 16, killing at least 57 people and wounding 115—almost all of whom were Jordanians. The terrorist group, al-Qaeda in Iraq, claimed responsibility.
Which African country implemented a peace deal with its southern rebels while continuing to wage a brutal war against its western rebels?
- On Jan. 9, 2005, after three years of negotiations, a peace deal ended Sudan?s two-decades-long civil war. No peace, however, appears in sight for the western region of Sudan, where the massacres in the Darfur region continued throughout the year. For more on the peace deal.
Which country is the next most likely candidate to acquire a nuclear weapon?
- Iran, which continues to thumb its nose at the international community's calls for nuclear accountability, seems determined to follow through on its nuclear ambitions. For better or for worse, India and Pakistan already have nuclear weapons.
What country continued its long struggle against a formidable pseudoreligious cult, the Lord's Resistance Army?
- In 2005, Uganda continued its 18-year battle against the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA), an extremist rebel group based in Sudan. Between 8,000 and 10,000 children have been abducted by the LRA and form the army of "prophet" Joseph Kony, whose aim is to take over Uganda and run it according to his vision of Christianity. Up to 1.5 million people in northern Uganda have been displaced because of the fighting and the fear that their children will be abducted.
Which country brutally unleashed its police on antigovernment demonstators in May? Human rights organizations estimated that as many as 700 were killed.
- On May 13, 2005, unarmed antigovernment demonstrators in the city of Andijan, Uzbekistan, were killed in a military crackdown; the number of casualties is still disputed, but it may be as many as 1,000. Earlier, a number of protesters had stormed a prison and released about 2,000 prisoners to protest what they saw as the rigged trial of 23 businessmen. The government claimed the men were Islamic terrorists; the protesters insisted the 23 were antigovernment civic leaders whom the government saw as a threat to its authority. After the U.S. called for an inquiry into the massacre and supported the airlift of Uzbek refugees escaping the violence, President Karimov ordered the U.S. air base in Uzbekistan shut down.
Which country is fighting against world's last remaining Maoist rebels?
- A Maoist guerrilla movement, seeking to overthrow the constitutional monarchy of Nepal and install a Communist government, began operating in the countryside in 1996 and continues to grow in strength.
