NationMaster - Encyclopedia: December 9, 2003

December 9 is the 343rd day (344th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... A suicide bombing is an attack using a bomb in which the individual(s) carrying the explosive materials composing the bomb intend(s) and expect(s) to die upon detonation (see suicide). ... Moscow (Russian: ÐœÐ¾ÑÐºÐ²Ð°Ì, Moskva, IPA: ) is the capital of Russia and the countrys principal political, economic, financial, educational and transportation center, located on the river Moskva. ... UTC also stands for the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Coordinated Universal Time or UTC, also sometimes referred to as Zulu time, the basis for civil time, differs by an integral number of seconds from atomic time and a fractional number of seconds from UT1. ... The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta is recognized as the lead United States agency for protecting the public health and safety of people by providing credible information to enhance health decisions, and promoting health through strong partnerships with state health departments and other organizations. ... Influenza, commonly known as the flu or the grippe, is a contagious disease of the upper airways and the lungs, caused by an RNA virus of the orthomyxoviridae family. ... The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) A bacteriophage virus A virus is a submicroscopic parasitic particle that infects cells in biological organisms. ... A vaccine is an antigenic preparation used to produce active immunity to a disease, in order to prevent or ameliorate the effects of infection by any natural or wild strain of the organism. ... Seal of the Senate The United States Senate is one of the two chambers of the Congress of the United States, the other being the House of Representatives. ... Senator Bob Kerrey Joseph Robert Kerrey (born August 27, 1943) was Governor of Nebraska from 1983 to 1987, and a U.S. Senator from Nebraska (1989â€“2001) and a Democrat. ... The Commissions seal The National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States, also known as the 9/11 Commission, was set up in late 2002 to prepare a full and complete account of the circumstances surrounding the September 11, 2001 attacks including preparedness for and the immediate response... Joseph Maxwell Cleland (born August 24, 1942) is an American politician of Georgia. ... The Export-Import Bank of the United States (â€œEx-Im Bankâ€, â€œExim Bankâ€ or â€œEximbankâ€) is an independent bank established by Congress that finances or insures foreign purchases of U.S. goods for customers unable or unwilling to accept credit risk. ... Albert Arnold Gore, Jr. ... Howard Brush Dean III (born November 17, 1948) is an American politician and physician from the U.S. state of Vermont. ... The Democratic Party is one of the two major political parties in the United States. ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Presidential election results map. ... Roadside sign showing (out of date) tariffs for the M6 Toll. ... The West Midlands is a geographical term describing the western half of central England, known as the Midlands. ... December 13 is the 347th day of the year (348th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article deals with the post-invasion period in Iraq and its occupation. ... Motto: E pluribus unum (1789 to 1956) (Latin: Out of Many, One) In God We Trust (1956 to present) Anthem: The Star-Spangled Banner Capital Washington, D.C. Largest city New York City Official language(s) None at federal level; English de facto Government â€¢ President â€¢ Vice President Federal Republic George... Tal Afar (also Talafar) (in Arabic: ØªÙ„ Ø¹ÙØ±, in Turkish: Tel Affer, in Kurdish: Telehfer) (also ØªÙ„Ø¹ÙØ±) is a city in northern Iraq, about 30 miles west of Mosul. ... , Tigris River and bridge in Mosul Mosul (Arabic: , Kurdish: MÃ»sil, Syriac: NÃ®nÄ›wÃ¢, Turkish: Musul) is a city in northern Iraq and the capital of Ninawa Governorate. ... A car bomb is an improvised explosive device that is placed in a car or other vehicle and then exploded. ... OH-58 Kiowa OH-58D Kiowa Warrior The OH-58 Kiowa scout is a helicopter manufactured by Bell Helicopter Textron. ... An RPG is a hand-held, shoulder-launched antitank weapon capable of firing an unguided rocket containing an explosive warhead. ... This article is about the city of Fallujah in Iraq. ... A car bomb is an improvised explosive device that is placed in a car or other vehicle and then exploded. ... Sunni Islam (Arabic سنّة) is the largest denomination of Islam. ... The Badshahi Masjid in Lahore, Pakistan with an iwan at center, three domes, and five visible minarets A mosque is a place of worship for followers of the Islamic faith. ... Shia Islam ( Arabic شيعى follower; English has traditionally used Shiite or Shiite) is the second largest Islamic denomination; some 20-25% of all Muslims are said to follow a Shia tradition. ... Location of Baghdad within Iraq Baghdad (Arabic: â€Ž translit: , Kurdish: Bexda, from Persian Baagh-daad or Bag-Da-Du meaning â€œGarden of Godâ€ [1]) is the capital of Iraq and of Baghdad Governorate. ... Taiwan Strait Area The controversy regarding the political status of Taiwan hinges on whether Taiwan, including the Pescadores (Penghu), should remain the effective territory of the Republic of China (ROC), become unified with the territories now governed by the Peoples Republic of China (PRC), or become the Republic of... The Premier ( Chinese: 总理 pinyin: zŏnglĭ), sometimes referred to as the Prime Minister, is the Chairman of the State Council of the Peoples Republic of China and head of Central Peoples Government. ... Wen Jiabao (Simplified Chinese: æ¸©å®¶å®; Traditional Chinese: æº«å®¶å¯¶; Hanyu Pinyin: ; Wade-Giles: Wen Chia-pao) (born September 1942) is the Premier of the State Council of the Peoples Republic of China. ... George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is the 43rd and current President of the United States and a former governor of Texas. ... The One-China policy (Chinese: 一個中國) is the principle that there is one China and both mainland China and Taiwan are part of that China. ... The Democratic Party is one of the two major political parties in the United States. ... Mayor Newsom Gavin Christopher Newsom (born October 10, 1967) is the 42nd Mayor of San Francisco, California. ... In American politics, the Green Party is a third party which has been active in some areas since the 1980s, but first gained widespread public attention for Ralph Naders presidential runs in 1996 and 2000. ... Matt Gonzalez (born June 1965) is a former district supervisor, president of the Board of Supervisors, and mayoral candidate in San Francisco, California. ... This page is a candidate for speedy deletion. ... Willie Brown Willie Lewis Brown, Jr. ... The United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development is the head of the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, concerned with The Secretary is a member of the Presidents Cabinet. ... Melquiades Rafael Mel Martinez (born October 23, 1946) is a Cuban-born American politician, currently a Republican U.S. Senator from Florida. ... Shanghai (Chinese: ä¸Šæµ· pinyin: ; Shanghainese: ), situated on the banks of the Yangtze River Delta in East China, is Chinas largest city. ... This racing bicycle is built using lightweight, shaped aluminium tubing and carbon fiber stays and forks. ...