Regional scene: a year beginning with bloody massacres in Palestine

"Israel" continued the massive military operation on Gaza, launched on December 29,2008, unleashing enormous devastation on the strip and claiming over 1,387 Palestinian lives in 21 days, according to "Israeli" human rights group B'tselem. 

Dubai revealed it's first ever budget deficit, of roughly $1.2 billion.

February

Iraq completed its second and most peaceful election since the fall of Saddam Hussien. Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki's state of Law party won by huge margins in the capital and Iraq's second largest city Basra, and scored smaller but substantial victories in seven of eight other Shiite provinces in the south.

Human rights group Amnesty International called for a global arms embargo go on "Israel" over its conduct during the war on Gaza.

March 

Muntadhar al-Zeidi, the Iraqi journalist who threw his shoes at former US President George Bush, was sentenced to three years in jail after being guilty of assault.

Saudi Arabia and Syria staged open talks between President Bashar al-Assad and King Abdullah.
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said he hoped to meet Obama and expressed his willingness to help mediate between the West and Iran.

Kuwait's ruler dissolved parliament for the second time in a year, following the resignation of the government to prevent members of parliament from questioning the prime minister.
May

President Obama committed to a civilian nuclear cooperation agreement with UAE.
"Israel" executed the largest ‘war games' manoeuvres in its history, with the Israeli Air Force simulating a war with Arab states.
June

Incumbent President Mahmoud Ahamdinejad was declared the winner of Iran's election, just a few hours after the polls closed.
July

Former Iranian President Mohammad Khatami called for a referendum to settle the disputed Iranian presidential election.

Reports emerged that "Israel" may install special underwater systems along its sea border with Lebanon.

September

European Union election observers stated that some of 1.5 million of an estimated 5.5 million votes cast in last month's afghan elections could be fraudulent, with approximately 1.1 million votes cast for incumbent President Hamid Karzai deemed "suspicious".
Muntadhar al-Zeidi was released.

"Israel "authorized the construction of more than 450 new housing units in the occupied West Bank, despite calls from the US and the European Union to freeze illegal settlement expansion.
Jordan signed a free-trade agreement with Iraq that would facilitate an increase in trade between the neighbouring states.

A United Nations inquiry into human rights violations during the Gaza war accused "Israel" of war crimes and crimes against humanity.

More than 140 Houthi fighters were killed in Yemen.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon demanded "Israel" to compensate Lebanon for damages caused by the 2006 bombing of the Jiyyeh power plant.

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad held bilateral talks with Saudi King Abdullah and met caretaker Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora following an opening of the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology.
August

Afghans went to the polls for the second time since the overthrow of the Taliban in 2001.afghan president Hamid Karzai appeared to be fighting a tighter contest than expected, as preliminary results showed him virtually neck to neck with Abdullah Abdullah.

The United States and "Israel" said they were close to reaching an agreement regarding illegal settlement building in the Occupied West Bank, after Israeli Prime Minsiter Benyamin Netanyahu held talks with US Middle East Envoy George Mitchell.

Abdul Aziz al-Hakim, leader of Iraq's most powerful Muslim Shiite political party, died of lung cancer.

October

"Israeli" Prime Minsiter Benjamin Netanyahu issued instructions to his government to begin drawing up proposals to amend the international laws of war.

Syria announced it would hold joint military exercises with Turkey, shortly after Ankara cancelled scheduled air force exercises with Israel.

"Israeli" - American billionaire Haim Saban reportedly attempted to buy a 5o percent stake in Al Jazeera satellite news network.

Eleven Iranian Revolutionary Guard commanders and 24 others, including the head of the Guard's armed forces, were killed in a suicide bombing in south-eastern Iran claimed by Sunni militant group Jund Allah.
November

Incumbent Hamid Karzai was sworn in for a second term as Afghanistan's president after his rival unexpectedly dropped out.