1998 abduction of foreign engineers in Chechnya
The slayings were a major blow to the efforts of the breakaway republic to gain international recognition of its declaration of independence. Kidnappings had become common in Chechnya, procuring over $200 million during the three year independence, particularly since the end of the First Chechen War in 1996, as the ruined region's fledgling separatist government failed to maintain law and order, with some of the kidnapped people being sold into indentured servitude to Chechen families, where they were regarded as slaves and had to endure starvation, beating, and often maiming.


1998 abduction of foreign engineers in Chechnya
Since the industries of hostage-taking and slavery flourished in the inter-war years, most foreign nationals left the region by early 1998. Prior to the murder of the engineers of Granger Telecom, six foreign ICRC delegates were assassinated on 17 December 1996. A seventh delegate, also a foreigner, was wounded and left for dead.


1998 abduction of foreign engineers in Chechnya, Kidnapping
On the night of October 3, 1998, a well-armed group of up to 20 Chechen-speaking men captured four foreign workers from their home in Grozny, located in the vicinity of the headquarters of the Chechen security team specifically tasked with fighting the plague of kidnappings in the republic. The attackers fought a brief gun battle with one of the victims' lightly armed local bodyguards (according to Chechen officials the other five bodyguards did not open fire) and one member of the gang was reportedly wounded. Nevertheless, the anti-kidnapping unit's officers did not react to the shooting, allegedly because they were not aware of the presence of the foreigners at the house, and the sound of gunfire was frequent in Grozny at night.


1998 abduction of foreign engineers in Chechnya, Kidnapping
All the law enforcement agencies of the ChRI got involved in the search for the victims. More than 60 other hostages were released as Chechen officials launched raids on the homes of suspected kidnappers, but the missing engineers were not found. During the crackdown, several suspects in the abduction were arrested, but all were later released for lack of evidence. On October 8, a spokesman for Chechnya's Security Ministry said the abductees were alive and well, but the kidnappers had not set demands or conditions for their release.


1998 abduction of foreign engineers in Chechnya, Kidnapping
After nearly two months, at the end of November, the kidnappers contacted Granger, promising that the hostages were alive and well and demanding a ransom of 10 million dollars. The British Foreign and Commonwealth Office had already announced that it was Her Majesty's Government's policy not to pay ransoms, but Granger agreed to find the money.


1998 abduction of foreign engineers in Chechnya, Kidnapping
According to the 2005 article in Kommersant, the management of state-owned telecommunications company Chechentelekom determined that the engineers were in the hands of the rogue Chechen commander and reputed organized crime figure Arbi Barayev; during the war with Russia, Barayev abducted a group of 29 Russian engineers near Grozny and later exchanged them for a large sum of money. According to the rumors, the company even took one of Barayev's deputies hostage and proposed exchanging him for the foreigners, yet Barayev declined and continued in demanding $10m for their release.


1998 abduction of foreign engineers in Chechnya, Murder
On December 8, the abductees' heads were found in a sack on the side of a highway in the Chechen village of Assinovskaya, close to the border with the Russian republic of Ingushetia, and were soon identified by one of the victims' bodyguards. In a press conference on December 10, Chechnya's vice-president, Vakha Arsanov, showed a recovered video tape in which the kidnappers forced the four to dress in military uniforms and confess in Russian to spying for "German, English and Israeli special services" and the CIA.


1998 abduction of foreign engineers in Chechnya, Murder
According to Chechen security forces, the hostages were executed at an unused factory south of Grozny after a rescue operation that went wrong; it was suggested that their death was a show of defiance to the authorities from the kidnappers. Family members said the abortive rescue attempt "ruined delicate negotiations" that were going on between Granger and the kidnappers, and also criticized an unnamed news agency that had given out details of where the hostages were being held shortly before the operation.


1998 abduction of foreign engineers in Chechnya, Murder
On December 29, the Chechen officials found the four victims' headless corpses on the outskirts of Grozny, reportedly after paying $2,000 a piece for the return of the bodies. That same day, the remains of the engineers were transported by Chechen Deputy Prime Minister Turpal-Ali Atgeriyev to Russian republic of Dagestan and flown through Azerbaijan to Gatwick Airport near London. According to the inquest by the Westminster Coroner's Court, the kidnapped men were starved of food and water, and had been repeatedly struck with rifle butts before being decapitated with a large knife. Examination of the bodies showed all the men had been extremely malnourished and Rudi Petschi had suffered particularly severe injuries.


1998 abduction of foreign engineers in Chechnya, Suspects
At the time of the abduction many of the region's warlords were in open revolt against the ChRI government of Maskhadov, and several analysts interpreted the abductions as a political act. Maskhadov himself blamed the atrocity on the "foreign special services" and their Chechen henchmen, hinting at a possible involvement of Russian special services using Chechen "bandits" to destabilise the breakaway territory.


1998 abduction of foreign engineers in Chechnya, Suspects
A similar opinion was voiced later by the Chechen commander Ruslan Gelayev, who in an interview for the BBC said that the act was provocation organized by "men trained by the Russian special services" as a part of an alleged plot to turn the public opinion of neighboring nations and the world against Chechnya. The British investigation at the time surmised that the four were the victims of "warring mercenary factions."


1998 abduction of foreign engineers in Chechnya, Suspects, Arbi Barayev
On December 13, 1998, Maskhadov officially named the warlord Arbi Barayev as the chief suspect. Barayev himself denied that his group kidnapped and killed the foreigners. Some former hostages, including Magomed Chaguchiev from Dagestan, said they were held by Barayev together with the victims.


1998 abduction of foreign engineers in Chechnya, Suspects, Arbi Barayev
Abdurakhman Adukhov, a former Russian hostage, claimed in November 2001 that Barayev told him that Osama bin Laden paid him $30m to kill the hostages, outbidding the ransom demand of $10m. Aid worker and writer Jonathan Littell paid attention to sources claiming "that two of the murdered engineers were in fact undercover British agents" and, citing "a young Chechen journalist", speculated that it was probably the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation (FSB) that outbid the employers of kidnapped workers to get them beheaded by Barayev and his gang, rather than be released. In his opinion, "the video and photographic material conveniently generated by Baraev and his partners went straight to feed the FSB's propaganda efforts at the start of the second war".


1998 abduction of foreign engineers in Chechnya, Suspects, Arbi Barayev
Barayev was reported killed by either Russian or pro-Russian forces during the Second Chechen War in June 2001; according to the reports from the republic, prior to this moment he has been semi-openly collaborating with the federal forces and living freely in Chechnya under protection of the FSB. In August 2002, Russian military officials announced the arrest of a man named Khusein Idiyev, described by them as a prominent member of Barayev's group, suspected of involvement in the 1998 killings.


1998 abduction of foreign engineers in Chechnya, Suspects, Arbi Barayev
In December 2004, members of the Chechen OMON special police summarily executed Isa Sakayev, allegedly a former associate of Barayev suspected to have been directly involved in the killings.


1998 abduction of foreign engineers in Chechnya, Suspects, Arbi Barayev
In April 2005, Russian security forces said they had captured Adam Dzhabrailov, a Chechen man who they said has confessed to have participated in the atrocity (according to the Russian military spokesman, Dzhabrailov was also suspected of involvement in the 1996 killings at the ICRC Hospital of Novye Atagi and in the 2002 Moscow theater hostage crisis); in remarks broadcast on Russian TV, Dzhabrailov said that "Arbi [Barayev] shot them dead" (however, according to the British inquest, the victims were not shot).


1998 abduction of foreign engineers in Chechnya, Suspects, Other suspects
In December 1998, ChRI authorities announced that a suspect, identified by the Itar-Tass as Apti Abitayev (Abitaev), was arrested over the abductions and had confessed to kidnapping the four foreigners. He was also named by the Chechen separatist warlord Shamil Basayev in a 2005 interview to Channel 4 News; according to Basayev, Ruslan Dzhamalkhan from Urus-Martan was involved in the crime together with Abitayev, and later became a district chief in the pro-Moscow Chechen police forces. Abitayev, described by the ex-FSB defector Alexander Litvinenko as a kidnapper connected to Russian special services, was reportedly killed by Russians in May 2001. In January 2008, Chechenpress, website of the ChRI government-in-exile (by then led by Akhmed Zakayev), claimed that the unspecified witnesses' testimony indicate that the Chechen Islamist ideologist (and Zakayev's political rival) Movladi Udugov planned those killings, and that members of the armed group subordinate to Abitayev carried them out.


1998 abduction of foreign engineers in Chechnya, Suspects, Other suspects
According to an article in Novaya Gazeta, the hostages were kidnapped and killed by the group led by the brothers Uvais and Ramzan Akhmadov. In March 2001, Russia announced capture of Ruslan Akhmadov, who a Kremlin spokesman said was a member of the gang suspected of executing the foreigners.


1998 abduction of foreign engineers in Chechnya, Lawsuits
In April 2002, the British government was forced to apologize to the widow of Rudi Petschi, over the way her husband's kidnap and murder had been handled. In June 2003, the families of three hostages sued for more than £1m in compensation from their former employers.


1998 at the Star Club
1998 at the Star Club is a live album by the Welsh psychedelic/progressive rock band Man recorded 27 March 1998 at the Star Club in Oberhausen in West Germany. The recordings of the full gig were issued as double CD in summer 1998.


1998 attacks on Christians in southeastern Gujarat
The 1998 attacks on Christians in southeastern Gujarat refers to the wave of attacks against Christians mostly around the Dangs District of Southeastern Gujarat from late 1997 to early 1999. The attacks reportedly started at the end of 1997 before peaking during the Christmas of 1998 after the anti-Christian rallies in the Dangs District by the Hindu Jagaran Manch. The attacks included assaults on and killings of Christians, attacks against Christian schools, institutions and shops, damages, demolition and burning down of Prayer Halls and Churches mainly by members of the Bhartiya Janata Party, Vishwa Hindu Parishad, Bajrang Dal and Hindu Jagran Manch.


1998 attacks on Christians in southeastern Gujarat
Human Rights Watch reported that from 25 December 1988 to 3 January 1999, at least 20 prayer halls and Churches were damaged or burnt down and  Christians and Christian institutions were attacked in the Dangs and its surrounding districts and at least 25 villages had reported incidents of burning and damages to Prayer halls and Churches all over Gujarat.


1998 attacks on Christians in southeastern Gujarat
The Human Rights Watch reported that the majority of incidents of violence occurred in 1998, the same year that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) took control of the state.


1998 attacks on Christians in southeastern Gujarat, Background
-Translation of the slogans during the December 25th, 1998 rally by Human Rights Watch.


1998 attacks on Christians in southeastern Gujarat, Background
Around 90% area of the Dangs district is covered by forests and 97% of the population in the district is tribal. The District was also called the "Cherrapunji of Gujarat" and "Kashmir of Gujarat"  due to the negligence by the government of the state. The district also lacked electricity, roads and clean drinking water. The district is reported to be one of the most underdeveloped district in the state. The Missionaries were the first to started developmental works in the area from the early 20th century, which resulted in a steady growth of Christian Population. When more tribal voters converted to Christianity, they became targets for the right-wing groups.


1998 attacks on Christians in southeastern Gujarat, Background
Many incidents of attacks steadily started from November 1997 with assault, killings, distributing provocative pamphlets and hate speeches against Christians mostly by the Hindu Jagran Manch (HJM), Bhartiya Janata Party, Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Bajrang Dal. On 25 December 1997, The Vishwa Hindu Parishad organized an anti-Christian Rally in the village of Pipalwada, near the dang district. This was followed by a series of anti-Christian rallies in all districts of southern Gujarat by Bajrang Dal, VHP and Hindu Jagran Manch which continued for months. The messages of all the rallies were similar, the message is that the Hindus need to protect themselves from the deceiving acts of the missionaries and to "teach them a lesson".


1998 attacks on Christians in southeastern Gujarat, Background
On 25 December 1998, The HJM organized an anti-Christian rally in Ahwa town of Dangs district. More than 4000 people actively participated in the rally and shouted anti-Christian slogans under full police protection. The Human Rights Watch (HRW) reported a series of attacks began on Christians, their places of worship, Christian houses and schools, and shops owned by Muslims and Christians after the rally.


1998 attacks on Christians in southeastern Gujarat, Background
The investigations carried out by the Human Rights Watch, the Andhra Pradesh Civil Liberties Committee (APCLC) and the Committee to Protect Democratic Rights (CPDR) reported that the attacks were started because of the hate campaign by Sangh Parivar groups since the beginning of 1998 by giving out hate pamphlets and organizing provocative rallys. The Human Rights Watch noted that a majority of the incidents of violence in 1998, the same year that the Bharatiya Janata Party took control of the state.


1998 attacks on Christians in southeastern Gujarat, Attacks
The Human Rights Watch reported that more than 20 Churches and prayer halls were destroyed or burnt down, many people were physically assaulted, tied up and beaten while the angry mobs took over and attacked their homes from 25 December 1998, to 3 January 1999, in the Dangs district and its surrounding districts. The Organisation reported that Churches and Christian buildings in at-least 25 villages in Gujarat were burnt down or destroyed during the ten days. One report recorded 108 incidents of attacks against Christians from April to August 1998 in Gujarat.


1998 attacks on Christians in southeastern Gujarat, Attacks
The UCFHR recorded 32 registered cases of violence against Christians from 1964 to 1996, 15 cases in 1997 and 90 registered cases in 1998.


1998 attacks on Christians in southeastern Gujarat, Attacks
Retired Judge of the Bombay high court Justice S Suresh carried out an investigation and revealed that the attacks reportedly started around November 1997 when a priest in Kudas village was beaten up on 11 November 1997 and when 24 Christians from Umerpada were incriminated in false cases on 14 November 1999. On 26 December, people celebrating Christmas were stoned and harassed the entire night in the Dagadpada Village and were later sent to jail.


1998 attacks on Christians in southeastern Gujarat, Attacks
The attacks slowly started occurring all over 1998 before peaking during Christmas.


1998 attacks on Christians in southeastern Gujarat, Attacks, The ten-day violence in the Dangs District
On 15 December, The Hindu Jagran Manch started to distribute provocative pamphlets against the Christians of the Dangs district, calling people for its rally in the Ahwa town of the Dangs district on 25 December. The local dailies, Sandesh and Gujarat Samachar also carried on the message about the upcoming anti-Christian rally by the HJM, previously these newspapers together with the Nav Gujarat carried out a series of provocative articles against the Christian priests.


1998 attacks on Christians in southeastern Gujarat, Attacks, The ten-day violence in the Dangs District
On 25 December, more than 4000 people actively participated in the rally mostly HJM activists from outside Ahwa, they shouted anti-Christian slogans in-front of the watching police. The rally started at around 11:30 am and the participants circled around the town, shouting provocative slogans against Christians along the Christian institutions celebrating Christmas. The district collector Bharat Joshi was also present in a convocation at the center of the town by the participants, later on that day. The Citizen's commission reported slogans like "Hindus Awake, Christians flee" were used during the rally.


1998 attacks on Christians in southeastern Gujarat, Attacks, The ten-day violence in the Dangs District
The rally climaxed at about 5 pm at a local school ground where another round of hate speeches openly calling for violence against the Christians were going on. After the rally the HJM crowd pelted stones at several tribal Christians who were mostly women at a market, injuring three women and a child. Instigated by the speech, the HJM crowd split into two groups, one group went to a nearby CNI Church which resulted in violence as the tribal leaders stood up to protect it and ended with police intervention.


1998 attacks on Christians in southeastern Gujarat, Attacks, The ten-day violence in the Dangs District
The other group which was a mob of about 120 went to the Dheep Darshan high school and pelted stones which damaged the window panes and the roof of the boys' hostel. Another mob at 8 p.m arrived at the Navjyot High School in Subir, the mob first destroyed the school's jeep, Christmas decorations and beat up two priests and then went on to attack and burn a building where the food grain for the students was stored. Later, several other mobs went on to attack and damage several Shops owned by Muslims and Christians.


1998 attacks on Christians in southeastern Gujarat, Attacks, The ten-day violence in the Dangs District
On the night of 25 December, the rally participants began destroying churches and prayer halls and attacking Christians at the villages surrounding the Ahwa town and some were forcibly taken to the Unai hot springs for a re-conversion ritual. According to witnesses, about 800 men armed with tridents set fire to a church in the Jamlapada village and also attacked and looted several houses  On the same day a mob of about 200 people attacked and looted the house of a Tribal Christian. Around midnight, a mob of around 50 people attacked a tribal Christian in Galkund and allegedly robbed another man in Jamalpada. A mob of 200 people demolished and burnt a Church in the Gadhvi Village and the same group allegedly set fire to another church at the Jamalapada village.


1998 attacks on Christians in southeastern Gujarat, Attacks, The ten-day violence in the Dangs District
A mob pelted stones against the Christian houses and churches at about 12:30 a.m damaging the roof tiles. A mob of around 60-80 people damaged the roof tiles of a Church in Nagalkhadi at about 8 p.m. A large mob set a church on fire before trying to demolish it in Padalkhaid.


1998 attacks on Christians in southeastern Gujarat, Attacks, The ten-day violence in the Dangs District
On December 26, a mob of 500 armed with tridents, iron bars and heavy-sticks set fire to a church on Waki, a tribal Christian and his family members were assaulted in Galkund. On the same day at about 12:30 a.m, a mob pelted stones on several Christian houses in Divan Temrun Village. A mob attacked and made serious damages to several Churches in the villages of Karadiamba and Bahdun. On the same day six churches in different areas of the Dangs district were demolished.


1998 attacks on Christians in southeastern Gujarat, Attacks, The ten-day violence in the Dangs District
On December 27, tribal Christians were tied up and beaten in the villages of Dongiamba and Pipayambal. On the same day, Churches in the Villages of Raochand, Baripada, Mulchond, Barda and Lahankadmal were set on fire. Several Prayer halls and Churches in the village of Karenjpada, Shivbara, Pipaldaghad, and Sepuamba were also attacked and left badly damaged.


1998 attacks on Christians in southeastern Gujarat, Attacks, The ten-day violence in the Dangs District
On December 28, tribal Christians who went to a police station to report about an attack were threatened of grave repercussions. On the same day, a mob damaged two Christian houses in Savardakasad.


1998 attacks on Christians in southeastern Gujarat, Attacks, The ten-day violence in the Dangs District
On December 29, a church in the village of Mathalbari was badly damaged by the mob.


1998 attacks on Christians in southeastern Gujarat, Attacks, The ten-day violence in the Dangs District
On December 30, members belonging to the Bajrang Dal attacked several tribal Christians, tore their bibles, robbed them and threatened them of dire consequences if they did not leave Christianity in Kattis. On the same day a Church was attacked in Jhalsol along with 4 other Christians. A mob led by the HJM tried to set a church on fire in Jalsod and another church in Naktiyanuvat was badly damaged by the fundamentalists of the HJM.


1998 attacks on Christians in southeastern Gujarat, Attacks, The ten-day violence in the Dangs District
Together there were at least 20 incidents of church and prayer halls being burnt down and damaged in and around the Dang district from December 25, 1998, to January 3, 1999, as reported by the Human Rights Watch. Several church burnings and damages to places of worship including assaults against Christians and damages to Christian institutions were reported in at least 25 villages around the Dangs during the ten days of violence.


1998 attacks on Christians in southeastern Gujarat, Attacks, The ten-day violence in the Dangs District
On January 1, the HJM attacked a church in Kasadbari and set fire to it. On January 3, HJM activists severely damaged several Christian Houses at Naktiyanuvat.


1998 attacks on Christians in southeastern Gujarat, Investigations
The Human Rights Watch(HRW) and several other organisations blamed the hate campaign by the Sangh parivar groups for the violence in the state and also mentioned about the attacks peaking at 1998 when the BJP took over the state in the same year. The Organization accused the local media in propagating inflammatory news against Christians and exploiting communal differences to meet Political ends. It also blamed the central government's inefficiency in providing protection to the minorities. One of the most used accusations of the right-wing groups against the priests and Christian institutions was "forcible conversions" of Hindus to Christianity, which was denied by the Christians. However, during the its investigations the Human rights Watch found no proof of forced conversions anywhere.


1998 attacks on Christians in southeastern Gujarat, Investigations
We demolished 30 churches and built temples. There was some commotion.


1998 attacks on Christians in southeastern Gujarat, Investigations
An erstwhile Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh member, Vijay Moray, told HRW that the Hindu Jagran Manch (HJM) and Swami Aseemanand went to 311 villages in the Dangs district to spread propaganda and the Hindutva groups have been devising this campaign in south-eastern Gujarat for years. The HRW also found out that there was an increase in the forcible conversion of Christians after Swami Aseemanand came to dangs during the early 1998.


1998 attacks on Christians in southeastern Gujarat, Investigations
He is also credited for founding the conversion ritual in the Unai hot springs by which Christian tribals in the district were taken to asheemanad's ashram and then to the hot springs in Unai where they were made to forcibly convert to Hinduism which is mainly done by the HJM. They claim it as a reconversion ritual while the tribals were animist spirit worshippers to begin with   During an interview, Aseemanand claimed to have converted forty-thousand Christians and demolished 30 Churches from mid December 1998 to January 1999.


1998 attacks on Christians in southeastern Gujarat, Investigations
The Committee to Protect Democratic Rights and the Andhra Pradesh Civil Liberties Committee on October 1998 reported that a well planned programme is being carried out by the Sangh Parivar to communalise the state of in Gujarat and to convert the tribal people in the tribal-belt of South Gujarat to Hinduism. The youth of Bajrang dal are taught to execute operations secretly and deny any knowledge when communal outbursts take place. The attacks on Christians and their Churches are the part of this programme.


1998 attacks on Christians in southeastern Gujarat, Investigations
The Communanlism Combat reported that, even though several Christian organisations and NGOs had warned the district collector Bharat Joshi and deputy superintendent of police Rajan Gaikwad to not allow the rally on the day of Christmas as it could end in trouble due to the church burnings in the past month. The District collector gave permission for the rally only on the particular day and even attended a part of the rally.


1998 attacks on Christians in southeastern Gujarat, Investigations
Several fact-finding organizations including the Citizens Commission on Human Rights, UCFHR, National Commission for minorities (NCM) have attributed the Violence to the increasing presence of Hindutva groups in the area. The NCM also reported that the damages in the violence very mostly one-sided because the impoverished tribal Christians did not resist to the attacks.


1998 attacks on Christians in southeastern Gujarat, Investigations
The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) said that the violence against the minorities is coincided with the rise of the Political parties affiliated to the Sangh Parivar. It also reported that the rise of the Bhartiya Janata party in 1998 has helped encouraged a climate for the extremists who have started to believe that violence against the religious minorities will not be punished systematically.


1998 attacks on Christians in southeastern Gujarat, Investigations
The area around Subir was said to be one of the most affected areas during the anti-Christian Riots of 1998.


1998 attacks on Christians in southeastern Gujarat, Reactions, Political response
The Congress accused the Bharatiya Janata Party of trying to increase its vote banks by attacking minorities. Congress politician Sharad Pawar accused the BJP of trying to divide people on the basis of religion.


1998 attacks on Christians in southeastern Gujarat, Reactions, Political response
The Inter Press Service reported that the Christians are being used as a political scapegoat for India's national elections.


1998 attacks on Christians in southeastern Gujarat, Reactions, Political response
The former President of the AIADMK and Chief minister of Tamil Nadu, J Jayalaitha called for the dismissal of the Bharatiya Janata Party's rule in Gujarat. She also went on to say that Gujarat attacks have become a black mark to the fair name of the country.


1998 attacks on Christians in southeastern Gujarat, Reactions, Political response
Digvijaya Singh from the Samata party condemned the incidents are destroying the country's spirit of tolerance.


1998 attacks on Christians in southeastern Gujarat, Reactions, Political response
Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee visited the Dangs district on 10 January 1999 and criticized the Gujarati government for failing to ban the rally on Christmas Day. He also ordered the Gujarati government to take action against the attackers.


1998 attacks on Christians in southeastern Gujarat, Reactions, Political response
Telugu Desam Party's leader V. S Rao said the home ministry acts like a "passive onlooker" when Christians were being attacked in Gujarat for the past three months.


1998 attacks on Christians in southeastern Gujarat, Reactions, Religious response
Rev. Anand Muttungal of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Madhya Pradesh said the attacks could be a response to increased and favorable coverage of Christians and Churches in television channels and newspapers during the Christmas season. He claimed that since right-wing extremists can't tolerate this, they went on to attack.


1998 attacks on Christians in southeastern Gujarat, Reactions, Religious response
The Official Spokesperson for the Vatican Delhi Embassy said that Vatican is extremely concerned and disturbed about the attacks against Christians in the country.


1998 bombing of Iraq
The 1998 bombing of Iraq (code-named Operation Desert Fox) was a major four-day bombing campaign on Iraqi targets from 16 to 19 December 1998, by the United States and the United Kingdom. The contemporaneous justification for the strikes was Iraq's failure to comply with United Nations Security Council resolutions and its interference with United Nations Special Commission inspectors who were looking for weapons of mass destruction.


1998 bombing of Iraq
The operation was a major flare-up in the Iraq disarmament crisis. The stated goal of the cruise missile and bombing attacks was to strike military and security targets in Iraq that contributed to Iraq's ability to produce, store, maintain, and deliver weapons of mass destruction. The bombing campaign had been anticipated since February 1998 and incurred wide-ranging criticism and support, at home and abroad. Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates initially announced they would deny the U.S. military the use of local bases for the purpose of air strikes against Iraq.


1998 bombing of Iraq, Background
U.S. President Bill Clinton had been working under a regional security framework of dual containment, which involved punishing Saddam Hussein's regime with military force whenever Iraq challenged the United States or the international community.


1998 bombing of Iraq, Background
Although there was no Authorization for Use of Military Force as there was during Operation Desert Storm and Operation Iraqi Freedom or a declaration of war, as in World War II, Clinton signed into law H.R. 4655, the Iraq Liberation Act on 31 October 1998. The new act appropriated funds for Iraqi opposition groups in the hope of removing Saddam Hussein from power and replacing his regime with a democratic government. Despite the act's intention of support of opposition groups, Clinton justified his order for US action under the act.


1998 bombing of Iraq, Background
Nothing in this Act shall be construed to authorize or otherwise speak to the use of United States Armed Forces (except as provided in section 4(a)(2)) in carrying out this Act.


1998 bombing of Iraq, Background
The President is authorized to direct the drawdown of defense articles from the stocks of the Department of Defense, defense services of the Department of Defense, and military education and training for [Iraqi democratic opposition] organizations.


1998 bombing of Iraq, Background
Just prior to Desert Fox, the U.S. nearly led a bombing campaign against Saddam called Operation Desert Thunder. It was abandoned at the last minute when the Iraqi leader allowed the UN to continue weapons inspections.


1998 bombing of Iraq, "Degrading," not eliminating
Clinton administration officials said the aim of the mission was to "degrade" Iraq's ability to manufacture and use weapons of mass destruction, not to eliminate it. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright was asked about the distinction while the operation was going on:


1998 bombing of Iraq, "Degrading," not eliminating
I don't think we're pretending that we can get everything, so this is – I think – we are being very honest about what our ability is. We are lessening, degrading his ability to use this. The weapons of mass destruction are the threat of the future. I think the president explained very clearly to the American people that this is the threat of the 21st century. [ … ] [W]hat it means is that we know we can't get everything, but degrading is the right word.


1998 bombing of Iraq, "Degrading," not eliminating
The main targets of the bombing included weapons research and development installations, air defense systems, weapon and supply depots, and the barracks and command headquarters of Saddam's elite Republican Guard. Also, one of Saddam's lavish presidential palaces came under attack. Iraqi air defense batteries, unable to target the American and British jets, began to blanket the sky with near random bursts of flak fire. The air strikes continued unabated however, and cruise missile barrages launched by naval vessels added to the bombs dropped by the planes. By the fourth night, most of the specified targets had been damaged or destroyed, the operation was deemed a success and the air strikes ended.


1998 bombing of Iraq, Military operations
U.S. Navy aircraft from Carrier Air Wing Three (CVW 3), flying from USS Enterprise, and Patrol Squadron Four (PATRON FOUR), flew combat missions from the Persian Gulf in support of ODF. Of significance, the operation marked the first time that women flew combat sorties as U.S. Navy strike fighter pilots and the first combat use of the U.S. Air Force's B-1B bomber from the 28th Air Expeditionary Group stationed at RAFO Thumrait, Sultanate of Oman.


1998 bombing of Iraq, Military operations
Ground units included the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable), of which 2nd Battalion 4th Marines served as the ground combat element; based from USS Belleau Wood Amphibious Ready Group, which included USS Germantown and USS Dubuque. The U.S. Air Force sent several sorties of F-16s from the 34th Fighter Squadron, and 522nd Fighter Squadron into Iraq to fly night missions in support of Operation Desert Fox; they were based at Ahmad al-Jaber Air Base, Kuwait.


1998 bombing of Iraq, Military operations
On the second night of Operation Desert Fox, aircrews flying 12 B-52s took off from the island of Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean and launched 74 conventional air-launched cruise missiles (CALCMs). The missiles found their mark striking multiple Iraqi targets including six of President Saddam Hussein's palaces, several Republican Guard barracks, and the Ministries of Defense and Military Industry. The following evening, two more B-52 crews launched 16 more CALCMs. Over a two-night period aircrews from the 2nd and 5th Bomb Wings launched a total of 90 CALCMs. The B-1 bomber made its combat debut by striking at Republican Guard targets. Also on 17 Dec, USAF aircraft based in Kuwait participated,  as did British Royal Air Force Tornado aircraft. The British contribution totaled 15 percent of the sorties flown in Desert Fox.


1998 bombing of Iraq, Military operations
By 19 December, U.S. and British aircraft had struck 97 targets, and Secretary of Defense William Cohen claimed the operation was a success. Supported by Secretary Cohen, as well as United States Central Command commander General Anthony C. Zinni and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Henry H. Shelton, President Bill Clinton declared "victory" in Operation Desert Fox. In total, the 70-hour campaign saw U.S. forces strike 85 percent of their targets, 75 percent of which were considered "highly effective" strikes.


1998 bombing of Iraq, Military operations
More than 600 sorties were flown by more than 300 combat and support aircraft, and 600 air dropped munitions were employed, including 90 air-launched cruise missiles and 325 Tomahawk land attack missiles (TLAM). Operation Desert Fox inflicted serious damage to Iraq's missile development program, although its effects on any WMD program were not clear. Nevertheless, Operation Desert Fox was the largest strike against Iraq since the early 1990s Persian Gulf War, until the commencement of Operation Iraqi Freedom.


1998 bombing of Iraq, Military operations
97 sites were targeted in the operation with 415 cruise missiles and 600 bombs, including 11 weapons production or storage facilities, 18 security facilities for weapons, 9 military installations, 20 government CCC facilities, 32 surface-to-air missile batteries, 6 airfields, and 1 oil refinery. According to U.S. Defense Department assessments on 20 December 10 of these targets were destroyed, 18 severely damaged, 18 moderately damaged, 18 lightly damaged, and 23 not yet assessed. According to the Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister, the allied action killed (62) or wounded (180) some 242 Iraqi military personnel. American General Harry Shelton told the U.S. Senate on 5 January 1999, however, that the strikes killed or wounded an estimated 1,400 members of Iraq's Republican Guard.


1998 bombing of Iraq, Reaction
In reaction to the attack, three of five permanent members of the UN Security Council (Russia, France, and the People's Republic of China) called for lifting of the eight-year oil embargo on Iraq, recasting or disbanding UNSCOM, and firing its chairman, Australian diplomat Richard Butler.


1998 bombing of Iraq, Criticism, Accusations of U.S. interference in the U.N. inspection process
Iraq stopped cooperating with the U.N. special commission in the first month of 1998, but diplomacy by Kofi Annan brought fresh agreement and new modalities for the inspection of sensitive sites. Deputy Prime Minister Tariq Aziz had earlier accused UNSCOM officials of acting as spies for the United States, charges later supported by Scott Ritter and Bill Tierney.


1998 bombing of Iraq, Criticism, Accusations of U.S. interference in the U.N. inspection process
In a 2005 interview Ritter criticized the Clinton administration's use of a blocked inspection of a Ba'ath party headquarters to justify the bombing.


1998 bombing of Iraq, Criticism, Accusations of U.S. interference in the U.N. inspection process
Public perception is that the Iraqis were confrontational and blocking the work of the inspectors. In 98% of the inspections, the Iraqis did everything we asked them to because it dealt with disarmament. However when we got into issues of sensitivity, such as coming close to presidential security installations, Iraqis raised a flag and said, "Time out. We got a C.I.A. out there that's trying to kill our president and we're not very happy about giving you access to the most sensitive installations and the most sensitive personalities in Iraq." So we had these modalities, where we agreed that if we came to a site and the Iraqis called it 'sensitive,' we go in with four people.


1998 bombing of Iraq, Criticism, Accusations of U.S. interference in the U.N. inspection process
In 1998, the inspection team went to a site. It was the Baath Party headquarters, like going to Republican Party headquarters or Democratic Party headquarters. The Iraqis said, "You can't come in – you can come in. Come on in." The inspectors said, "The modalities no longer apply." The Iraqis said, "If you don't agree to the modalities, we can't support letting you in," and the Iraqis wouldn't allow the inspections to take place.


1998 bombing of Iraq, Criticism, Accusations of U.S. interference in the U.N. inspection process
Bill Clinton said, "This proves the Iraqis are not cooperating," and he ordered the inspectors out. But you know the United States government ordered the inspectors to withdraw from the modalities without conferring with the Security Council. It took Iraqis by surprise. Iraqis were saying, "We're playing by the rules, why aren't you? If you're not going play by the rules, then it's a game that we don't want to participate in." Bill Clinton ordered the inspectors out. Saddam didn't kick them out.


1998 bombing of Iraq, Criticism, Accusations of U.S. interference in the U.N. inspection process
However, in his 1999 book Endgame Ritter explained that he was the one who had originally pushed for the fateful inspection of the Ba'ath party headquarters over the doubts of his boss Richard Butler and also planned to use 37 inspectors. It was temporarily cancelled due to the fact that Iraq broke off cooperation in August 1998.


1998 bombing of Iraq, Criticism, Accusations of U.S. interference in the U.N. inspection process
In early 1999 it was revealed that the CIA, as well as possibly MI6, had planted agents in the UNSCOM teams, leading the UN to admit that "UNSCOM had directly facilitated the creation of an intelligence collection system for the United States in violation of its mandate." As part of the CIA's Operation Shake the Tree, run by Steve Richter of the Near East Division, a "black box" was installed at UNSCOM's headquarters in Baghdad to eavesdrop on Saddam's presidential communications network. The information collected by the agency was not shared with UNSCOM investigators.


1998 bombing of Iraq, Criticism, Inspectors not thrown out
The claim that UNSCOM weapons inspectors were expelled by Iraq has been repeated frequently. U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell, in his 5 February 2003 speech before the U.N. Security Council, called for action against Iraq and stated falsely that "Saddam Hussein forced out the last inspectors in 1998". The claim has appeared repeatedly in the news media. However, according to UNSCOM inspector Richard Butler himself, it was U.S. Ambassador Peter Burleigh, acting on instructions from Washington, who suggested Butler pull his team from Iraq in order to protect them from the forthcoming U.S. and British air strikes:


1998 bombing of Iraq, Criticism, Inspectors not thrown out
I received a telephone call from US Ambassador Peter Burleigh inviting me for a private conversation at the US mission... Burleigh informed me that on instructions from Washington it would be "prudent to take measures to ensure the safety and security of UNSCOM staff presently in Iraq." ... I told him that I would act on this advice and remove my staff from Iraq.


1998 bombing of Iraq, Criticism, Facilities not known to be producing WMD
Former U.S. Army intelligence analyst William Arkin contended in his January 1999 column in The Washington that the operation had less to do with WMD and more to do with destabilizing the Iraqi government.


1998 bombing of Iraq, Criticism, Facilities not known to be producing WMD
It is clear from the target list, and from extensive communications with almost a dozen officers and analysts knowledgeable about Desert Fox planning, that the U.S.-British bombing campaign was more than a reflexive reaction to Saddam Hussein's refusal to cooperate with UNSCOM's inspectors. The official rationale for Desert Fox may remain the "degrading" of Iraq's ability to produce weapons of mass destruction and the "diminishing" of the Iraqi threat to its neighbours. But careful study of the target list tells another story.


1998 bombing of Iraq, Criticism, Facilities not known to be producing WMD
Thirty-five of the 100 targets were selected because of their role in Iraq's air defense system, an essential first step in any air war, because damage to those sites paves the way for other forces and minimizes casualties all around. Only 13 targets on the list are facilities associated with chemical and biological weapons or ballistic missiles, and three are southern Republican Guard bases that might be involved in a repeat invasion of Kuwait.


1998 bombing of Iraq, Criticism, Facilities not known to be producing WMD
The heart of the Desert Fox list (49 of the 100 targets) is the Iraqi regime itself: a half-dozen palace strongholds and their supporting cast of secret police, guard and transport organizations.


1998 bombing of Iraq, Criticism, Facilities not known to be producing WMD
According to Department of Defense personnel with whom Arkin spoke, Central Command chief Anthony Zinni insisted that the U.S. only attack biological and chemical sites that "had been identified with a high degree of certainty." And the reason for the low number of targets, said Arkin, was because intelligence specialists "could not identify actual weapons sites with enough specificity to comply with Zinni's directive."


1998 bombing of Iraq, Criticism, Facilities not known to be producing WMD
Dr. Brian Jones was the top intelligence analyst on chemical, biological and nuclear weapons at the Ministry of Defence. He told BBC Panorama in 2004 that Defence Intelligence Staff in Whitehall did not have a high degree of confidence any of the facilities identified, targeted and bombed in Operation Desert Fox were active in producing weapons of mass destruction.


1998 bombing of Iraq, Criticism, Facilities not known to be producing WMD
Jones' testimony is supported by the former Deputy Chief of Defence Intelligence, John Morrison, who informed the same program that, before the operation had ended, DIS came under pressure to validate a prepared statement to be delivered by then Prime Minister Tony Blair, declaring military activity an unqualified success. Large-scale damage assessment takes time, responded Morrison, therefore his department declined to sign up to a premature statement.


1998 bombing of Iraq, Criticism, Facilities not known to be producing WMD
"After Desert Fox, I actually sent a note round to all the analysts involved congratulating them on standing firm in the face of, in some cases, individual pressure to say things that they knew weren't true". Later on, after careful assessment and consideration, Defence Intelligence Staff determined that the bombing had not been all that effective.


1998 bombing of Iraq, Criticism, Facilities not known to be producing WMD
Within days of speaking out on the program, Morrison was informed by former New Labour cabinet minister Ann Taylor that he was to lose his job as Chief Investigator to the Intelligence and Security Committee.


1998 bombing of Iraq, Criticism, Facilities not known to be producing WMD
The Duelfer Report concluded in 2004 that Iraq's WMD capability "was essentially destroyed in 1991" following the end of sanctions.


1998 bombing of Iraq, Criticism, Distraction from Clinton impeachment scandal
Some critics of the Clinton administration, including Republican members of Congress, expressed concern over the timing of Operation Desert Fox. The four-day bombing campaign occurred at the same time the U.S. House of Representatives was conducting the impeachment hearing of President Clinton. Clinton was impeached by the House on 19 December, the last day of the bombing campaign. A few months earlier, similar criticism was levelled during Operation Infinite Reach, wherein missile strikes were ordered against suspected terrorist bases in Sudan and Afghanistan, on 20 August. The missile strikes began three days after Clinton was called to testify before a grand jury during the Lewinsky scandal and his subsequent nationally televised address later that evening in which Clinton admitted having an inappropriate relationship.


1998 bombing of Iraq, Criticism, Distraction from Clinton impeachment scandal
The Operation Infinite Reach attacks became known as "Monica's War" among TV news people, due to the timing. ABC-TV announced to all stations that there would be a special report following Lewinsky's testimony before Congress, then the special report was pre-empted by the report of the missile attacks. The combination of the timing of that attack and Operation Desert Fox led to accusations of a Wag the Dog situation.


1998 bombing of Iraq, Criticism, Criticism of the extent of the operation
Other critics, such as former U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, said the attacks did not go far enough: "I would be amazed if a three-day campaign made a decisive difference," Kissinger said just after the operation ended.


1998 bombing of Iraq, Criticism, Criticism of the extent of the operation
[ W]e did not do, in my view, enough damage to degrade it [Iraq's programs for weapons of mass destruction] for six months. It doesn't make any significant difference because in six months to a year they will be back to where they are and we cannot keep repeating these attacks. [ ...] At the end of the day what will be decisive is what the situation in the Middle East will be two to three years from now. If Saddam is still there, if he's rearming, if the sanctions are lifted, we will have lost, no matter what spin we put on it.


1998 bombing of Iraq, Criticism, Criticism of the extent of the operation
It is speculated that there were dozens of Iraqi civilians killed by missiles that missed their targets, hundreds in the Iraqi military, and no U.S. or British casualties.


1998 bombing of Iraq, Criticism, Criticism of the extent of the operation
While the bombing was ongoing, the Vanguards of Conquest issued a communique to Islamist groups calling for attacks against the United States "for its arrogance" in bombing Iraq.


1998 bombing of Iraq, Criticism, Criticism of the extent of the operation
According to Charles Duelfer, after the bombing the Iraqi ambassador to the UN told him, "If we had known that was all you would do, we would have ended the inspections long ago."


1998 du Maurier Classic
The 1998 du Maurier Classic was contested from July 30 to August 2 at Essex Golf & Country Club. It was the 26th edition of the du Maurier Classic, and the 20th edition as a major championship on the LPGA Tour.


1998 du Maurier Open
The 1998 du Maurier Open was a tennis tournament played on outdoor hard courts. It was the 110th edition of the Canada Masters and was part of the Super 9 of the 1998 ATP Tour and of Tier I of the 1998 WTA Tour. The men's event took place at the National Tennis Centre in Toronto in Canada from August 3 through August 10, 1998, while the women's event took place at the du Maurier Stadium in Montreal in Canada from August 17 through August 23, 1998.


1998 du Maurier Open, Finals, Men's Doubles
Martin Damm /  Jim Grabb defeated  Ellis Ferreira /  Rick Leach 6–7, 6–2, 7–6


1998 du Maurier Open, Finals, Women's Doubles
Martina Hingis /  Jana Novotná defeated  Yayuk Basuki /  Caroline Vis 6–3, 6–4


1998 du Maurier Open – Men's Doubles
Mahesh Bhupathi and Leander Paes were the defending champions, but lost in the semifinals to the eventual runners-up Ellis Ferreira and Rick Leach.


1998 du Maurier Open – Men's Doubles
Martin Damm and Jim Grabb won the title, by defeating Ferreira and Leach, 6–7, 6–2, 7–6 in the final.


1998 du Maurier Open – Men's Doubles, Seeds
Champion seeds are indicated in bold text while text in italics indicates the round in which those seeds were eliminated.


1998 du Maurier Open – Men's Singles
The 1998 du Maurier Open – Men's Singles was the men's singles event of the one hundred and ninth edition of the Canadian Open; a WTA Tier I tournament and the most prestigious men's tennis tournament held in Canada.


1998 du Maurier Open – Men's Singles
Chris Woodruff was the defending champion, but did not participate this year.


1998 du Maurier Open – Men's Singles
Patrick Rafter won the title, by defeating Richard Krajicek 7–6,(7–3), 6–4 in the final.


1998 du Maurier Open – Men's Singles, Seeds
A champion seed is indicated in bold text while text in italics indicates the round in which that seed was eliminated. The top eight seeds received a bye to the second round.


1998 du Maurier Open – Women's Doubles
The 1998 du Maurier Open – Women's Doubles was the women's doubles event of the one hundred and ninth edition of the Canadian Open; a WTA Tier I tournament and the most prestigious women's tennis tournament held in Canada. Yayuk Basuki and Caroline Vis were the defending champions but lost in the final 6–3, 6–4 against Martina Hingis and Jana Novotná.


1998 du Maurier Open – Women's Doubles, Seeds
Champion seeds are indicated in bold text while text in italics indicates the round in which those seeds were eliminated. The top four seeded teams received byes into the second round.


1998 du Maurier Open – Women's Singles
The 1998 du Maurier Open – Women's Singles was the women's singles event of the one hundred and ninth edition of the Canadian Open; a WTA Tier I tournament and the most prestigious women's tennis tournament held in Canada. Monica Seles was the defending champion and won in the final 6–3, 6–2 against Arantxa Sánchez Vicario.


1998 du Maurier Open – Women's Singles, Seeds
A champion seed is indicated in bold text while text in italics indicates the round in which that seed was eliminated. The top nine seeds received a bye to the second round.


1998 in Afghanistan
The following lists events that happened during 1998 in Afghanistan.


1998 in Afghanistan, April 1998
US ambassador to the UN Bill Richardston visited Afghanistan and asked the Taliban to surrender Bin Laden for trial, but the Taliban refused the request.


1998 in Albania
The following lists events that happened during 1998 in Republic of Albania.


1998 in American soccer
The 1998 season was the 86th year of competitive soccer in the United States.


1998 in American soccer, National team, Results
The home team or the team that is designated as the home team is listed in the left column; the away team is in the right column.


1998 in American soccer, Major League Soccer, Standings
Wins (W) are worth 3 points.Shootout Wins (SW) are worth 1 point, and is considered a Win in the standings. Shootout Loss (SL) are worth 0 points, and is considered a Loss in the standings. Loss (L) are worth 0 points.


1998 in American television
The following is a list of events affecting American television during 1998. Events listed include television series debuts, finales, cancellations, and channel initiations, closures and rebrandings, as well as information about controversies and disputes.


1998 in Angola
The following lists events that happened during 1998 in Angola.


1998 in Armenian football
1998 in Armenian football was the seventh season of independent football after the split-up from the Soviet Union. The Armenian Premier League for 1998 existed of ten teams of which the top six would qualify for the championship stage, while the other four would enter the relegation stage.


1998 in Australia
The following lists events that happened during 1998 in Australia.


1998 in Australian literature
This article presents a list of the historical events and publications of Australian literature during 1998.


1998 in Australian literature, Deaths
A list, ordered by date of death (and, if the date is either unspecified or repeated, ordered alphabetically by surname) of deaths in 1998 of Australian literary figures, authors of written works or literature-related individuals follows, including year of birth.


1998 in Australian television, Debuts, Changes to network affiliation
This is a list of programs which made their premiere on an Australian television network that had previously premiered on another Australian television network. The networks involved in the switch of allegiances are predominantly both free-to-air networks or both subscription television networks. Programs that have their free-to-air/subscription television premiere, after previously premiering on the opposite platform (free-to air to subscription/subscription to free-to air) are not included. In some cases, programs may still air on the original television network. This occurs predominantly with programs shared between subscription television networks.


1998 in Australian television, Debuts, Subscription premieres
This is a list of programs which made their premiere on Australian subscription television that had previously premiered on Australian free-to-air television. Programs may still air on the original free-to-air television network.


1998 in Bangladesh
1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar, the 1998th year of the Common Era (CE) and Anno Domini (AD) designations, the 998th  year of the 2nd millennium, the 98th  year of the 20th century, and the  9th   year of the 1990s decade.


1998 in Bangladesh
The year 1998 was the 27th year after the independence of Bangladesh. It was also the third year of the first term of the Government of Sheikh Hasina.


1998 in Bangladesh, Climate, Flood
From July to September 1998, Bangladesh suffered extensive flooding. Over 75% of the total area of the country was flooded, including half of Dhaka. It was similar to the catastrophic flood of 1988, in terms of the extent of the flooding. A combination of heavy rainfall within and outside the country and synchronisation of peak flows of the major rivers contributed to the flood. 30 million people were made homeless and the death toll reached over a thousand. The flooding caused contamination of crops and animals and unclean water resulted in cholera and typhoid outbreaks. Few hospitals were functional because of damage from the flooding, and those that were open had too many patients, resulting in everyday injuries becoming fatal due to lack of treatment. 700,000 hectares of crops were destroyed,


1998 in Bangladesh, Economy
Note: For the year 1998 average official exchange rate for BDT was 46.91 per US$.


1998 in Belgian television
This is a list of Belgian television related events from 1998.


1998 in Bosnia and Herzegovina
The following lists events that happened during the year 1998 in Bosnia and Herzegovina.


1998 in Brazilian football
The following article presents a summary of the 1998 football (soccer) season in Brazil, which was the 97th season of competitive football in the country.


1998 in Brazilian football, Campeonato Brasileiro Série A
Corinthians declared as the Campeonato Brasileiro champions by aggregate score of 5-3.


1998 in Brazilian football, Campeonato Brasileiro Série A, Relegation
The four worst placed teams, which are América-MG, Goiás, Bragantino and América-RN, were relegated to the following year's second level.


1998 in Brazilian football, Campeonato Brasileiro Série B, Promotion
The two best placed teams in the final stage of the competition, which are Gama and Botafogo-SP, were promoted to the following year's first level.


1998 in Brazilian football, Campeonato Brasileiro Série B, Relegation
The six worst teams among the two worst placed teams in each one of the four groups in the first stage, which were Atlético Goianiense, Náutico, Volta Redonda, Americano, Fluminense and Juventus, were relegated to the following year's third level.


1998 in Brazilian football, Campeonato Brasileiro Série C, Promotion
The two best placed teams in the final stage of the competition, which are Avaí and São Caetano, were promoted to the following year's second level.


1998 in Brazilian football, Copa do Brasil
The Copa do Brasil final was played between Palmeiras and Cruzeiro.


1998 in Brazilian football, Copa do Brasil
Palmeiras declared as the cup champions on better goal difference by aggregate score of 2-1.


1998 in Brazilian football, Brazil national team
The following table lists all the games played by the Brazil national football team in official competitions and friendly matches during 1998.


1998 in Brazilian football, Women's football, Brazil women's national football team
The following table lists all the games played by the Brazil women's national football team in official competitions and friendly matches during 1998.


1998 in Brazilian football, Women's football, Brazil women's national football team
The Brazil women's national football team competed in the following competitions in 1998:


1998 in Brazilian television
This is a list of Brazilian television related events from 1998.


1998 in British music
This is a summary of 1998 in music in the United Kingdom, including the official charts from that year.


1998 in British music, Summary
The first chart of the year saw the BBC Children in Need single "Perfect Day", performed by a collaboration of various stars, return to the top of the charts for a week, displacing "Too Much" by the Spice Girls.


1998 in British music, Summary, Disappearances and resurgences
January saw R'N'B vocalist, Usher Raymond score a No. 1 with his debut single "You Make Me Wanna..."; he would not return to the top of the UK singles charts until 2004. Although Usher's resurgence was yet to come, the lead singer of The Stone Roses was to resurge this year. Ian Brown released his debut solo single "My Star" which peaked at #5. His debut album also became a success, making No. 4 on the charts. Oasis also scored their 4th UK chart topper in January, which was their last release for two years as they embarked on a massive world tour which brought along the expected controversy and increased publicity for the band.


1998 in British music, Summary, Girl groups and boy bands
Throughout the year, girl groups remained prevalent. All Saints who made No. 4 with their debut single "I Know Where It's At" in late 1997, clocked up 3 chart toppers across the year: the 1.25 million selling "Never Ever", popular covers of Red Hot Chili Peppers' "Under the Bridge" and Labelle's "Lady Marmalade" (both released as a double A-side) and laid-back dance track "Bootie Call", all tracks from their debut self-titled album, which itself was successful, reaching #2. They did not release any new material during 1999, but returned to the charts in 2000.


1998 in British music, Summary, Girl groups and boy bands
Irish quartet B*Witched received great success across Europe and even mild success in the US, combining Irish folk with mainstream Western pop. Their debut single "C'est la Vie" made them the youngest group to debut at No. 1 in the UK and even went Top 10 in the US. Dance-associated "Rollercoaster" and emotional ballad "To You I Belong" quickly became 2 more UK chart toppers for the girls. Cleopatra, made up of three sisters from Manchester (Cleo, Zainam & Yonah), had major success in the United Kingdom, Europe and the United States. Their first 3 singles went straight into the top 5 of the UK singles chart and later that year they were signed to Madonna's U.S. label Maverick Records.


1998 in British music, Summary, Girl groups and boy bands
Success was facilitated for The All Saints and B*Witched because of the declining career of the Spice Girls. Their third release from their second album, Spiceworld, "Stop" was a minimal hit in the US and became their first single not to top the UK charts, ending the run of consecutive #1's at 6. Making matters worse, Geri Halliwell (also known as Ginger Spice) announced her departure from the group on 31 May after missing various concerts and an appearance on the national lottery.


1998 in British music, Summary, Girl groups and boy bands
Their final release from their second album, "Viva Forever", was able to top the charts for 2 weeks. The video was an animated one with the Spice Girls featured as fairies, because at the time the Spice Girls were touring America; hence, they couldn't shoot a video for it. "Goodbye" became the girls' 8th chart topper at the end of the year, and was seen as a tribute to Geri. It took the Christmas number one position, making the Spice Girls only the second act to achieve 3 consecutive Christmas number one singles; the first being The Beatles.


1998 in British music, Summary, Girl groups and boy bands
"Goodbye" was also the fastest selling single of 1998 shifting over 380,000 copies in just 7 days. Solo careers started for the two Melanies from the group in 1998 with Melanie B topping the UK charts with "I Want You Back", a duet with rapper Missy Elliott and Melanie C hitting No. 3 with "When You're Gone", a duet with Canadian rocker Bryan Adams. Whilst Melanie B's career slowly went into a downward spiral, Melanie C's was yet to grow.


1998 in British music, Summary, Girl groups and boy bands
Although the 1990s was full of boybands, 1998 was not the strongest year for them on the singles or albums chart. Five managed to have their debut album hit the top, but were yet to experience a No. 1 single.


1998 in British music, Summary, Girl groups and boy bands
Boyzone were by far the most successful boyband of the year with 2 No. 1 singles "All That I Need", and "No Matter What", the latter of which sold over 1.07 million copies (it was taken from Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical, Whistle Down the Wind) and also saw their new album Where We Belong hit the top of the albums chart. American group Backstreet Boys would start the year with the release of All I Have To Give, their third and final single from their 1997 album Backstreet's Back. The single was big in the UK, reaching number 2. However, they had no more releases until the following year.


1998 in British music, Summary, American acts
Many American acts this year were very successful in the UK, yet were still slightly more successful back home. Cher was biggest artist of the year on the chart. When "Believe", the lead single of her 22nd studio album of the same name, debuted atop on 31 October, it stayed on the spot for seven consecutive weeks (the longest running #1 of the year) and became the biggest-selling single of the year and in UK history by a female singer.


1998 in British music, Summary, American acts
Brandy & Monica made No. 2 with "The Boy Is Mine", which had a 13-week run at the top of the US chart, but it was a very successful year in the UK for Brandy, who had 2 No. 2 hits. Another US No. 1, "I'm Your Angel", by R. Kelly and Céline Dion, only made No. 3 in the UK.


1998 in British music, Summary, American acts
Mariah Carey hit No. 4 with solo release "My All", which became another chart-topper for her in the US; however, her duet with Whitney Houston, "When You Believe" from the soundtrack to The Prince of Egypt was a bigger hit in the UK than in the US, making No. 4 here and only making No. 15 on the Hot 100.


1998 in British music, Summary, American acts
Aerosmith scored their biggest global hit throughout their career to date: "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing", from the soundtrack to Armageddon, made No. 4 in the UK and entered the US charts at #1. Former Fugees member Lauryn Hill hit No. 3 with her debut solo single "Doo Wap (That Thing)", which topped the charts in the US. Her worldwide hit album, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill was very successful in the UK, hitting No. 2 on the albums chart.


1998 in British music, Summary, American acts
Other US acts who succeeded in the UK during 1998 but were not quite as popular back home were Aaron Carter and Madonna. Carter had his most successful year ever in the UK, clocking up 3 Top 30 hits and a place in the Top 20 with his eponymous debut album. Madonna failed to top the US charts, but did so in the UK, with "Frozen", becoming her 8th UK chart-topper; it was only able to make No. 2 in the US.


1998 in British music, Summary, American acts
Her new, dance-influenced, album, Ray of Light also topped the charts, producing several other hits including the title track which made #2. Hip Hop trio Destiny's Child began their career with the release of their single, "No, No, No", which made No. 5 in the UK and No. 3 in the US. Their debut album was a relative flop in both countries, but was more successful here than in the US.


1998 in British music, Summary, American acts
Noted for its long-lasting popularity was the debut single from LeAnn Rimes, "How Do I Live", which spent 33 weeks in the UK Top 40, selling 714,000 copies and becoming the biggest-selling single ever to peak at No. 7 (it finished higher in the "year end" chart than in the weekly charts). It was more popular in the US, spending 32 weeks in the US Top 10, 61 weeks in the US Top 40 and 69 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100.


1998 in British music, Summary, British acts
Two UK rock bands were prevalent on the albums and singles chart. The Verve's album Urban Hymns was number one for a total of 7 weeks. The album spawned two hit singles: the chart topping "The Drugs Don't Work" and the No. 2 hit, "Bittersweet Symphony", which was on the soundtrack to the film Cruel Intentions. Welsh rock band, Manic Street Preachers scored their first No. 1 single, "If You Tolerate This Your Children Will Be Next" and their new album This Is My Truth Tell Me Yours also topped the charts.


1998 in British music, Summary, British acts
Ex-Take That member, Robbie Williams topped the albums chart twice during the year, when his debut album, Life Thru a Lens returned to the charts and managed to climb to the No. 1 spot. His second album, I've Been Expecting You topped the charts later on in the year and gave the star his first No. 1 single, "Millennium". I've Been Expecting You remains his biggest selling album, with over 2.7 million copies sold.


1998 in British music, Summary, British acts
Irish family folk band, The Corrs received massive success with their album, Talk on Corners which went on to sell over 2.7 million copies and topped the albums charts for 10 weeks (6 during 1998). The singles "Dreams", "So Young" and "What Can I Do?" from the album all reached the Top 10.


1998 in British music, Summary, Acts from other countries
Australian singer Natalie Imbruglia followed up the success of her No. 2 hit "Torn" from 1997 with three more hits, two of which reached the top 5. Danish-Norwegian pop outfit, Aqua completed a hat-trick of Number Ones after the massive success of "Barbie Girl", as "Doctor Jones" and "Turn Back Time" both hit the top. The first was a slightly similar sounding track to their debut single, but "Turn Back Time" was a much slower track than their previous two singles. Their debut album, Aquarium reached No. 6 on the albums chart. They followed up their three consecutive Number Ones with two further hits by the end of the year; the former hit the Top 10 and the latter made the Top 20. They did not return to the UK charts until 2000.


1998 in British music, Summary, Covers and reworkings
The 1996 hit "Three Lions", written for the Euro 96 football championships, was re-written for the World Cup as "Three Lions '98" and topped the charts for 3 weeks, becoming more successful than the original. Run DMC's 1983 hit "It's like That" was remixed by Jason Nevins and topped the charts for 6 weeks, selling 1.12 million copies. The song was one of the fastest selling singles of the year, and also kept the Spice Girls' "Stop" off the top of the charts, breaking the band's run of consecutive No. 1 singles. A Norman Cook remix of the Cornershop single, "Brimful of Asha" saw the British duo top the charts with a track that originally failed to make the Top 40 the previous year. The song comprised music from the duo's Indian roots with Western rock beats.


1998 in British music, Summary, Popular genres
Various styles of rock bands topped the albums and singles charts in the earlier part of the year with everything from pop-rock to alternative electronic rock. This included Oasis, Garbage, Catatonia, Space, Embrace, Pulp and Massive Attack. Jamiroquai topped the singles chart with their release "Deeper Underground"; their album Synkronized made No. 1 the following year. Pop act Savage Garden reached No. 2 with their debut self-titled album, after the success of their No. 4 hit from 1997, "Truly Madly Deeply". Simply Red topped the albums chart with their new release Blue.


1998 in British music, Summary, Popular genres
Extending the success of pop acts on the albums chart during 1998 was singer Jane McDonald whose debut self-titled album topped the charts for 3 weeks. She released one single from the album, "Cruise into Christmas", a special release for the festive season which made No. 10 on the singles chart.


1998 in British music, Summary, Breaking records
Age records were broken in 1998 at both ends of the spectrum. Billie became the second youngest solo female to obtain a chart topper at the age of 15 (Helen Shapiro being the youngest – 14 years old) and became the youngest solo female to enter at Number One. She had received a recording contract after appearing in an advertising campaign for Smash Hits magazine. Her debut single "Because We Want To" and follow up "Girlfriend" both topped the UK charts, each for one week.


1998 in British music, Summary, Breaking records
On the other end of the range, Cher at 52 years of age became the oldest solo female to top the UK charts. "Believe" topped the charts for 7 weeks, becoming the longest stay since "Wannabe" in 1996 and also the last single to spend more than 3 weeks at the top in that millennium. "Believe" also became the largest selling single by a female artist in the UK, with 1.67 million copies sold. Her album of the same name topped the charts on both sides of the Atlantic.


1998 in British music, Summary, Greatest hits
The last few months of the year were filled with greatest hits compilations. Reaching No. 10 in the albums chart was a compilation from Mariah Carey of all her No. 1 singles to that point. It contained everything from her debut single "Vision of Love" to her most recent work "Honey", as well as some bonus tracks, "When You Believe", a duet with Whitney Houston, "Sweetheart" a duet with Jermaine Dupri, and "I Still Believe", a cover of the hit song from Brenda K. Starr.


1998 in British music, Summary, Greatest hits
Other compilations came from Phil Collins, whose album was entitled Hits and from U2 who released The Best of 1980 – 1990 & B-sides. Both topped the albums chart. However, the most successful came from George Michael, who topped the albums chart for 8 weeks, the longest stay since Spice managed a consecutive 8-week run in 1996, with Ladies And Gentlemen – The Best of George Michael. It included his 7 UK number one singles, and other hits since his career began in 1984.


1998 in British music, Summary, Hip hop
The Beastie Boys had their biggest UK hit to date with the single "Intergalactic" which got to No. 4, and their studio album Hello Nasty got to #1. Unlike the previous year, where LL Cool J, Puff Daddy and Will Smith all topped the UK singles chart, no Hip Hop single reached number one. Jason Nevins's remix with Run DMC "It's like that" reached the top spot, but the remix is considered a dance song. Jay-Z and Busta Rhymes both got as high as #2. Pras Michel of The Fugees released his breakthrough track "Ghetto Superstar", featuring Mýa and ODB, was one of the best-selling tracks in the UK, selling 680,000 copies.


1998 in British music, Summary, Film music
Film music dominated the February chart with the soundtrack to Titanic topping the albums chart for a cumulative total of 3 weeks. Composed by James Horner, the soundtrack included the song, "My Heart Will Go On". Sung by Céline Dion, it sold 1.31 million copies in the UK alone and topped the charts on both sides of the Atlantic. The film set a new record for box office sales.


1998 in British music, Summary, Film music
English composer Anne Dudley won an Academy Award for Best Original Musical or Comedy Score for The Full Monty. Work by Scottish composer Craig Armstrong was featured in the score of The Negotiator, and John Powell produced his second major film score, for Antz.


1998 in British music, Summary, Classical music
Film composer John Barry produced his first full-length classical work, The Beyondness of Things. One of Britain's most successful classical composers, Sir Michael Tippett, died at the age of 93, having developed pneumonia while visiting Stockholm for a retrospective of his concert music. It was also the year when 12-year-old soprano Charlotte Church produced her first album, Voice of an Angel, which was certified triple platinum in UK sales alone, and launched her career as an opera crossover artist. Her countryman, rising star Bryn Terfel, gave a recital at Carnegie Hall. Established opera singer Lesley Garrett released her hit album of the same name, including songs from popular musicals as well as operatic arias.


1998 in British radio
This is a list of events in British radio during 1998.


1998 in British television
This is a list of British television related events from 1998.


1998 in Canadian soccer
The 1998 season was the 122nd season of competitive soccer in Canada.


1998 in Canadian soccer, National teams
When available, the home team or the team that is designated as the home team is listed in the left column; the away team is in the right column.


1998 in Canadian soccer, Domestic leagues, Men, United Systems of Independent Soccer Leagues
Three Canadian teams (Montreal Impact, Toronto Lynx, and Vancouver 86ers) played in this league, which also contained twenty eight teams from the United States. It was considered a Division I league in the Canadian soccer league system, and a Division II league the United States soccer league system.


1998 in Canadian soccer, Domestic leagues, Men, Canadian Professional Soccer League
Eight teams played in this league, all of which were based in Canada. It was considered a Division 3 league in the Canadian soccer league system.


1998 in Canadian soccer, Domestic leagues, Men, Premier Development Soccer League
Three Canadian teams (Abbotsford Athletes In Action, Okanagan Valley Challenge, and Victoria Umbro Select) played in this league, which also contained 33 teams from the United States. It is considered a Division 4 league in the Canadian soccer league system.


1998 in Canadian soccer, Domestic cups, Men, Challenge Trophy
The Challenge Trophy is a national cup contested by men's teams at the division 4 level and below.


1998 in Canadian television
This is a list of Canadian television related events from 1998.


1998 in Cape Verde
The following lists events that happened during 1998 in Cape Verde.


1998 in Chile
The following lists events that happened during 1998 in Chile.


1998 in China
The following lists events in the year 1998 in China.


1998 in Croatian television
This is a list of Croatian television related events from 1998.


1998 in Danish television
This is a list of Danish television related events from 1998.


1998 in Dutch television
This is a list of Dutch television related events from 1998.


1998 in Dutch television, Deaths
This Dutch television–related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by .


1998 in Ecuadorian football
The 1998 season was the 76th season of competitive football in Ecuador.


1998 in Ecuadorian football, National teams, Senior team
The Ecuadorian national team played just one match in 1998: a friendly against Brazil.


1998 in Estonia
This article lists events that occurred during 1998 in Estonia.


1998 in Estonian football
The 1998 season was the seventh full year of competitive football (soccer) in Estonia since gaining independence from the Soviet Union on 20 August 1991.


1998 in Estonian television
This is a list of Estonian television related events from 1998.


1998 in Fighting Network Rings
The year 1998 is the fourth year in the history of Fighting Network Rings, a mixed martial arts promotion based in Japan. In 1998 Fighting Network Rings held nine events beginning with, Rings: Battle Dimensions Tournament 1997 Final.


1998 in Fighting Network Rings, Rings: Battle Dimensions Tournament 1997 Final
Rings: Battle Dimensions Tournament 1997 Final was an event held on January 21, 1998.


1998 in Fighting Network Rings, Rings Holland: The King of Rings
Rings Holland: The King of Rings was an event held on February 8, 1998 at Sporthallen Zuid in Amsterdam, North Holland, Netherlands.


1998 in Fighting Network Rings, Rings Russia: Russia vs. Holland
Rings Russia: Russia vs. Holland was an event held on April 25, 1998 in Yekaterinburg, Russia.


1998 in Fighting Network Rings, Rings: Third Fighting Integration
Rings: Third Fighting Integration was an event held on May 29, 1998 in Tokyo, Japan.


1998 in Fighting Network Rings, Rings Holland: Who's the Boss
Rings Holland: Who's the Boss was an event held on June 7, 1998 at Vechtsebanen Sport Hall in Utrecht, Netherlands.


1998 in Fighting Network Rings, Rings: Fourth Fighting Integration
Rings: Fourth Fighting Integration was an event held on June 27, 1998 in Tokyo, Japan.


1998 in Fighting Network Rings, Rings Australia: NR2
Rings Australia: NR2 was an event held on September 13, 1998 in Australia.


1998 in Fighting Network Rings, Rings Holland: The Thialf Explosion
Rings Holland: The Thialf Explosion was an event held on October 24, 1998 at Thialf Stadion in Heerenveen in Friesland, the Netherlands.


1998 in Fighting Network Rings, Rings: World Mega Battle Tournament
Rings: World Mega Battle Tournament was an event held on December 23, 1998 in Japan.


1998 in French television
This is a list of French television related events from 1998.


1998 in German television
This is a list of German television related events from 1998.


1998 in Ghana
1998 in Ghana details events of note that happened in Ghana in 1998.


1998 in Ghana, National holidays
In addition, several other places observe local holidays, such as the foundation of their town. These are also special days.


1998 in Iceland
The following lists events that happened in 1998 in Iceland.


1998 in Iceland, Incumbents
This article related to a particular year is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by .


1998 in India
Events in the year 1998 in the Republic of India.


1998 in Iraq
The following lists events that happened during 1998 in Iraq.


1998 in Irish television
The following is a list of events relating to television in Ireland from 1998.


1998 in Israel, Events
The Azrieli Center complex of skyscrapers officially opens, becoming the tallest building in Israel (Azrieli Center Circular Tower stands at 187 m).


1998 in Israel, Events, Israeli–Palestinian conflict
The most prominent events related to the Israeli–Palestinian conflict which occurred during 1998 include:


1998 in Israel, Events, Israeli–Palestinian conflict
The most prominent Palestinian militant acts and operations committed against Israeli targets during 1998 include:


1998 in Israel, Events, Israeli–Palestinian conflict
The most prominent Israeli military counter-terrorism operations (military campaigns and military operations) carried out against Palestinian militants during 1998 include:


1998 in Italian television
This is a list of Italian television related events from 1998.


1998 in Japan
Events in the year 1998 in Japan. It corresponds to the year Heisei 10 (平成10年) in the Japanese calendar.


1998 in LGBT rights
This is a list of notable events in the history of LGBT rights that took place in the year 1998.


1998 in Laos
The following lists events that happened during 1998 in Laos.


1998 in Latin music
This is a list of notable events in Latin music (i.e. music from the Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking areas Latin America, Europe, and the United States) that took place in 1998.


1998 in Latin music, Events
October 10–17 – Due to damage to the Broadcast Data Systems monitors in Puerto Rico caused by Hurricane Georges, no charts for the Hot Latin Songs are published by Billboard.


1998 in Latin music, Best-selling records, Best-selling albums
The following is a list of the top 10 best-selling Latin albums in the United States in 1998, according to Billboard.


1998 in Latin music, Best-selling records, Best-performing songs
The following is a list of the top 10 best-performing Latin songs in the United States in 1998, according to Billboard.


1998 in Libya
The following lists events that happened during 1998 in Libya.


1998 in Luxembourg
The following lists events that happened during 1998 in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg.


1998 in M-1 Global
The year 1998 is the second year in the history of M-1 Global, a mixed martial arts promotion based in Russia. In 1998 M-1 Global held 2 events beginning with, M-1 MFC: World Championship 1998.


1998 in M-1 Global, M-1 MFC: World Championship 1998
M-1 MFC: World Championship 1998 was an event held on February 14, 1998, in Saint Petersburg, Russia.


1998 in M-1 Global, M-1 MFC: European Championship 1998
M-1 MFC: European Championship 1998 was an event held on April 10, 1998, in Saint Petersburg, Russia.


1998 in Malaysia
This article lists important figures and events in Malaysian public affairs during the year 1998, together with births and deaths of notable Malaysians. Malaysia hosted the XVI Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur between 11 and 21 September.


1998 in Monaco
The following lists events that happened during 1999 in Monaco.


1998 in NASCAR
This is the current revision of this page, as edited by BHGbot (talk | contribs) at 20:08, 19 June 2020 (WP:BHGbot 6 (List 5): eponymous category first, per MOS:CATORDER; fixed sort key; WP:GENFIXES). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this version.


1998 in Namibia
The following lists events that happened during 1998 in Namibia.


1998 in New Zealand
The following lists events that happened during 1998 in New Zealand.


1998 in New Zealand, Incumbents, Government
The 45th New Zealand Parliament continued, with the Fourth National Government in power.


1998 in New Zealand, Arts and literature, Radio and television
See : 1998 in New Zealand television, 1998 in television, List of TVNZ television programming, Category:Television in New Zealand, TV3 (New Zealand), Category:New Zealand television shows, Public broadcasting in New Zealand


1998 in New Zealand, Arts and literature, Film
See : Category:1998 film awards, 1998 in film, List of New Zealand feature films, Cinema of New Zealand, Category:1998 films


1998 in North Korea, Events
North korea participated in the 1998 winter olympics in nagano japan.


1998 in North Korea, Events
31 August:Launch of Kwangmyŏngsŏng-1, a machine claimed to be a north korean rocket but suspected as missile tests.


1998 in North Korea, Events
5 September: The newly amended prologue for the  Socialist Constitution of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea addresses Kim il Sung as the "Eternal president" of North Korea.


1998 in Norwegian football, Women's football, League season, 1. divisjon
Kvaløysletta withdrew. (*) Alta and Bossekop merged to form Alta/BUL.


1998 in Norwegian football, Women's football, League season, 1. divisjon
Kvam, Lørenskog, Jerv, Skjetten, Bryne, Eiger, Flekkefjord, Bjørnar 2, Eid, Buvik/Gimse, Herd, Bossmo/Ytteren, Tromsdalen.


1998 in Norwegian music
The following is a list of notable events and releases of the year 1998 in Norwegian music.


1998 in Norwegian television
This is a list of Norwegian television related events from 1998.


1998 in Pancrase
The year 1998 is the sixth year in the history of Pancrase, a mixed martial arts promotion based in Japan. In 1998 Pancrase held 14 events beginning with Pancrase: Alive 1.


1998 in Pancrase, Pancrase: Advance 1
Pancrase: Advance 1 was an event held on January 16, 1998, at Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, Japan.


1998 in Pancrase, Pancrase: Advance 2
Pancrase: Advance 2 was an event held on February 6, 1998, at the Yokohama Cultural Gymnasium in Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan.


1998 in Pancrase, Pancrase: Advance 3
Pancrase: Advance 3 was an event held on March 1, 1998, at the Kobe Fashion Mart in Kobe, Hyogo, Japan.


1998 in Pancrase, Pancrase: Advance 4
Pancrase: Advance 4 was an event held on March 18, 1998, at Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, Japan.


1998 in Pancrase, Pancrase: Advance 5
Pancrase: Advance 5 was an event held on April 26, 1998, at the Yokohama Cultural Gymnasium in Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan.


1998 in Pancrase, Pancrase: Advance 6
Pancrase: Advance 6 was an event held on May 12, 1998, at Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, Japan.


1998 in Pancrase, Pancrase: Advance 7
Pancrase: Advance 7 was an event held on June 2, 1998, at Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, Japan.


1998 in Pancrase, Pancrase: Advance 8
Pancrase: Advance 8 was an event held on June 21, 1998, at the Kobe Fashion Mart in Kobe, Hyogo, Japan.


1998 in Pancrase, Pancrase: 1998 Neo-Blood Tournament Opening Round
Pancrase: 1998 Neo-Blood Tournament Opening Round was an event held on July 7, 1998, at Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, Japan.


1998 in Pancrase, Pancrase: 1998 Neo-Blood Tournament Second Round
Pancrase: 1998 Neo-Blood Tournament Second Round was an event held on July 26, 1998, at the Aomori Prefectural Gymnasium in Aomori, Japan.


1998 in Pancrase, Pancrase: 1998 Anniversary Show
Pancrase: 1998 Anniversary Show was an event held on September 14, 1998, at the Japanese Martial Arts Building in Tokyo, Japan.


1998 in Pancrase, Pancrase: Advance 9
Pancrase: Advance 9 was an event held on October 4, 1998, at Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, Japan.


1998 in Pancrase, Pancrase: Advance 10
Pancrase: Advance 10 was an event held on October 26, 1998, at Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, Japan.


1998 in Pancrase, Pancrase: Advance 11
Pancrase: Advance 11 was an event held on November 29, 1998, at Umeda Stella Hall in Osaka, Osaka, Japan.


1998 in Pancrase, Pancrase: Advance 12
Pancrase: Advance 12 was an event held on December 19, 1998, at the Tokyo Bay NK Hall in Urayasu, Chiba, Japan.


1998 in Paraguayan football
The following article presents a summary of the 1998 football (soccer) season in Paraguay.


1998 in Paraguayan football, First division results, Torneo Apertura
The Apertura tournament was played in a single all-play-all system. At the end, the top eight teams qualified to a playoff stage to determine the Apertura champion.


1998 in Paraguayan football, First division results, Torneo Apertura, Apertura playoff stage
The top eight teams qualified to this stage and were given bonus points based on their final standing in the table. Two groups of four teams were made, with the top two of each group advancing to a playoff stage.


1998 in Paraguayan football, First division results, Torneo Apertura, Apertura playoff stage
Olimpia wins the Apertura tournament final by aggregate score of 3-1.


1998 in Paraguayan football, First division results, Torneo Clausura
The Clausura tournament was played in a single all-play-all system. At the end, the top eight teams qualified to a playoff stage to determine the Clausura champion.


1998 in Paraguayan football, First division results, Torneo Clausura
* Nacional finished in the top eight but their average points over three years forced the team to be relegated so they did not take part of the playoff stage. San Lorenzo took their place instead.


1998 in Paraguayan football, First division results, Torneo Clausura, Clausura playoff stage
The top eight teams qualified to this stage and were given bonus points based on their final standing in the table. Two groups of four teams were made, with the top two of each group advancing to a playoff stage. San Lorenzo replaced Nacional in the playoff stage due to Nacional being relegated to the second division.


1998 in Paraguayan football, First division results, Torneo Clausura, Clausura playoff stage
Cerro P. wins the Clausura tournament final on penalty shootout 4-3.


1998 in Paraguayan football, First division results, National championship game
The national championship game was played between the Apertura and Clausura tournaments winners.


1998 in Paraguayan football, First division results, National championship game
Olimpia declared as national champions by aggregate score of 5-3.


1998 in Paraguayan football, Paraguay national team
The following table lists all the games played by the Paraguay national football team in official competitions during 1998.


1998 in Philippine television
The following is a list of events affecting Philippine television in 1998. Events listed include television show debuts, finales, cancellations, and channel launches, closures and rebrandings, as well as information about controversies and carriage disputes.


1998 in Polish television
This is a list of Polish television related events from 1998.


1998 in Portugal, Sport
In association football, for the first-tier league seasons, see 1997–98 Primeira Divisão and 1998–99 Primeira Divisão; for the Taça de Portugal seasons, see 1997–98 Taça de Portugal and 1998–99 Taça de Portugal.


1998 in Portuguese television
This is a list of Portuguese television related events from 1998.


1998 in Portuguese television, Deaths
This Portuguese television–related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by .


1998 in Pride FC
The year 1998 is the 2nd year in the history of the Pride Fighting Championships, a mixed martial arts promotion based in Japan. 1998 had 3 events beginning with, Pride 2.


1998 in Pride FC, Debut Pride FC fighters
The following fighters fought their first Pride FC fight in 1998:


1998 in Pride FC, Pride 2
Pride 2 was an event held on March 15, 1998, at The Yokohama Arena in Yokohama, Japan.


1998 in Pride FC, Pride 3
Pride 3 was an event held on June 24, 1998, at The Nippon Budokan in Tokyo, Japan.


1998 in Pride FC, Pride 4
Pride 4 was an event held on October 11, 1998, at The Tokyo Dome in Tokyo, Japan.


1998 in Russian football
1998 in Russian football was marked by Spartak Moscow's sixth national title.


1998 in Russian football, National team
Russia national football team began their qualification for the Euro 2000.


1998 in Russian football, Leagues
The Russian league system underwent reorganization for the 1998 season. The "leagues" were renamed "divisions". The Second Division was extended to six zones with 16-22 teams (compared to three zones of the Second League), while the Third League was abolished. These changes reduced the number of levels in Russian professional football to three.


1998 in Russian football, Leagues, First Division
Saturn won the First Division, winning their first promotion to the Top Division. Runners-up Lokomotiv Nizhny Novgorod made their return to the top flight.


1998 in Russian football, Leagues, First Division
Andradina of Arsenal became the top goalscorer with 27 goals.


1998 in Russian football, Leagues, Second Division
Of six clubs that finished first in their respective Second Division zones, five with the best records were promoted to the First Division, and one went to a promotion/relegation playoff.


1998 in Russian football, Leagues, Second Division
Torpedo-ZIL won the play-off and were promoted to the First Division at the expense of Neftekhimik.


1998 in Russian football, Cup
The Russian Cup was won by Spartak Moscow, who beat Lokomotiv Moscow 1–0 in the final.


1998 in Russian football, UEFA club competitions, UEFA Cup Winners' Cup 1997-98
Lokomotiv Moscow reached the semifinal of the 1997–98 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup. They eliminated AEK Athens in the quarterfinal but were stopped by VfB Stuttgart in the semifinal.


1998 in Russian football, UEFA club competitions, UEFA Cup 1997-98
Spartak Moscow reached the semifinal of the 1997–98 UEFA Cup after beating Ajax Amsterdam in both quarterfinal matches. However, in the semifinal Internazionale Milano F.C. won both matches against Spartak 2–1.


1998 in Russian football, UEFA club competitions, UEFA Intertoto Cup 1998
Two Russian clubs played in the UEFA Intertoto Cup 1998, both being eliminated in the third round. Baltika Kaliningrad recorded victories over PFC Spartak Varna and OD Trencin before facing FK Vojvodina, and Shinnik Yaroslavl, who had a bye to the second round, defeated Turun Palloseura before being knocked out by Valencia CF.


1998 in Russian football, UEFA club competitions, UEFA Champions League 1998-99
Spartak Moscow qualified for the group stage of the 1998–99 UEFA Champions League by defeating PFC Litex Lovech with an aggregate score of 11–2. Spartak finished third in Group C with Internazionale Milano F.C., Real Madrid, and SK Sturm Graz.


1998 in Russian football, UEFA club competitions, UEFA Cup Winners' Cup 1998-99
Lokomotiv Moscow began their way to the 1998–99 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup semifinal by eliminating Arsenal Kyiv and SC Braga in the first two rounds.


1998 in Russian football, UEFA club competitions, UEFA Cup 1998-99
Rotor Volgograd were eliminated after the second qualifying round of 1998–99 UEFA Cup, losing twice to Red Star Belgrade. Dynamo Moscow were more successful, winning on aggregate against Polonia Warszawa in the second qualifying round and against Skonto FC in the first round. Their campaign ended after two losses to Real Sociedad in the second round.


1998 in Rwanda
The following lists events that happened during 1998 in Rwanda.


1998 in Scottish television
This is a list of events in Scottish television from 1998.


1998 in Shooto
The year 1998 is the 10th year in the history of Shooto, a mixed martial arts promotion based in Japan. In 1998 Shooto held 10 events beginning with Shooto: Las Grandes Viajes 1.


1998 in Shooto, Shooto: Las Grandes Viajes 1
Shooto: Las Grandes Viajes 1 was an event held on January 17, 1998, at Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, Japan.


1998 in Shooto, Shooto: Las Grandes Viajes 2
Shooto: Las Grandes Viajes 2 was an event held on March 1, 1998, at Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, Japan.


1998 in Shooto, Shooto: Gig '98 1st
Shooto: Gig '98 1st was an event held on April 10, 1998, at Kitazawa Town Hall in Tokyo, Japan.


1998 in Shooto, Shooto: Shoot the Shooto XX
Shooto: Shoot the Shooto XX was an event held on April 26, 1998, at Yokohama Arena in Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan.


1998 in Shooto, Shooto: Las Grandes Viajes 3
Shooto: Las Grandes Viajes 3 was an event held on May 13, 1998, at Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, Japan.


1998 in Shooto, Shooto: Gig '98 2nd
Shooto: Gig '98 2nd was an event held on July 18, 1998, at Kitazawa Town Hall in Tokyo, Japan.


1998 in Shooto, Shooto: Las Grandes Viajes 4
Shooto: Las Grandes Viajes 4 was an event held on July 29, 1998, at Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, Japan.


1998 in Shooto, Shooto: Las Grandes Viajes 5
Shooto: Las Grandes Viajes 5 was an event held on August 29, 1998, at Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, Japan.


1998 in Shooto, Shooto: Shooter's Dream
Shooto: Shooter's Dream was an event held on September 18, 1998, at Kitazawa Town Hall in Setagaya, Tokyo, Japan.


1998 in Shooto, Shooto: Las Grandes Viajes 6
Shooto: Las Grandes Viajes 6 was an event held on November 27, 1998, at Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, Japan.


1998 in Sierra Leone
The following lists events that happened during 1998 in Sierra Leone.


1998 in Singapore
The following lists events that happened during 1998 in Singapore.


1998 in South Africa
The following lists events that happened during 1998 in South Africa.


1998 in South Africa, Incumbents, Cabinet
The Cabinet, together with the President and the Deputy President, forms part of the Executive.


1998 in South Africa, Sports, Soccer
Bafana Bafana participate in their first ever FIFA World Cup hosted in France, eventually being eliminated in the group stages.