by tyler | Dec 23, 2023 | CNN, world
Here is a look at the life of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, one of the alleged 9/11 co-conspirators.
Birth date: March 1, 1964 or April 14, 1965 (both are used)
Birth place: Kuwait
Father: Father’s name unavailable publicly
Mother: Mother’s name unavailable publicly
Marriage: Wife’s name unavailable publicly
Education: Attended Chowan College; North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, degree in Mechanical Engineering, 1986
Has been called the mastermind of the September 11th attacks.
Is sometimes called KSM.
1996 – Mohammed is indicted on seven counts of terror conspiracy in the Southern District of New York for his alleged involvement in a failed plot to blow up as many as a dozen American commercial airliners over the Pacific.
September 11, 2001 – Terror attacks.
October 10, 2001 – The FBI releases a list of its 22 “most wanted terrorists.” Mohammed is on the list.
March 1, 2003 – Mohammed is captured in Rawalpindi, Pakistan.
September 6, 2006 – The United States acknowledges Mohammed has been held at a secret overseas CIA prison and is being transferred to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba where he will face a trial before a military commission.
March 15, 2007 – The Pentagon releases a 26-page transcript in which Mohammed says he was responsible for 9/11 and confesses to the killing of journalist Daniel Pearl. He also claims he was involved in the 1993 World Trade Center attack and a 2002 Bali nightclub bombing, as well as Richard Reid’s 2001 shoe-bombing attempt.
February 11, 2008 – The United States announces it will seek the death penalty against Mohammad for charges related to the 9/11 attacks which include: conspiracy, murder in violation of the law of war, attacking civilians, attacking civilian objects, intentionally causing serious bodily injury, destruction of property in violation of the law of war, and terrorism and material support of terrorism.
June 5, 2008 – The arraignment for Mohammed and four co-defendants is held. Mohammed tells the judge, Marine Colonel Ralph Kohlmann, that he wants to represent himself and wishes to become a martyr.
January 21, 2009 – At the request of newly inaugurated US President Barack Obama, trial proceedings are frozen for 120 days.
April 16, 2009 – The Justice Department releases a 2005 memo which states that Mohammed was waterboarded 183 times in March 2003.
November 13, 2009 – The Justice Department announces five Guantanamo Bay detainees, including Mohammed, will be transferred to New York for trial in a US District Court courtroom just blocks from the site where the Twin Towers stood.
April 4, 2011 – In a reversal, Attorney General Eric Holder announces that Mohammed will face a military trial at Guantanamo Bay rather than a civilian trial in New York.
May 31, 2011 – The Department of Defense announces that capital charges have been re-filed against Mohammed and four other alleged 9/11 co-conspirators. The charges include: conspiracy, murder in violation of the law of war, attacking civilians, attacking civilian objects, intentionally causing serious bodily injury, destruction of property in violation of the law of war, hijacking aircraft and terrorism.
May 5, 2012 – Is arraigned at Guantanamo Bay.
October 17, 2012 – At a pretrial hearing, Mohammed declares that the US government sanctioned torture in the name of national security and equates the nearly 3,000 people killed on 9/11 to the “millions” killed by America’s military. After Mohammed’s remarks, military judge Captain James Pohl says that no other personal comments by the accused will be allowed.
December 9, 2014 – The Senate Intelligence Committee releases its report on “enhanced interrogation techniques” used by the CIA in the post-9/11 era. The CIA had said the method was effective in helping interrogators pull information from Mohammed, but according to the Senate report, Mohammed figured out a way to “beat the system,” often recanting information he told CIA officers to get them to stop the waterboarding.
August 30, 2019 – Mohammed’s trial is set to begin January 11, 2021.
December 18, 2020 – Military judge Col. Douglas K. Watkins extends litigation deadlines, which will postpone the start date of the trial. This follows the recusal and resignation of two judges earlier in 2020, and delays brought about by the coronavirus pandemic.
March 2022 – Lawyers are in discussions with prosecutors to reach a possible plea agreement and avoid a death penalty trial, according to a person familiar with the matter.
by tyler | Dec 23, 2023 | CNN, world
Here is a look at the life of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, one of the alleged 9/11 co-conspirators.
Birth date: March 1, 1964 or April 14, 1965 (both are used)
Birth place: Kuwait
Father: Father’s name unavailable publicly
Mother: Mother’s name unavailable publicly
Marriage: Wife’s name unavailable publicly
Education: Attended Chowan College; North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, degree in Mechanical Engineering, 1986
Has been called the mastermind of the September 11th attacks.
Is sometimes called KSM.
1996 – Mohammed is indicted on seven counts of terror conspiracy in the Southern District of New York for his alleged involvement in a failed plot to blow up as many as a dozen American commercial airliners over the Pacific.
September 11, 2001 – Terror attacks.
October 10, 2001 – The FBI releases a list of its 22 “most wanted terrorists.” Mohammed is on the list.
March 1, 2003 – Mohammed is captured in Rawalpindi, Pakistan.
September 6, 2006 – The United States acknowledges Mohammed has been held at a secret overseas CIA prison and is being transferred to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba where he will face a trial before a military commission.
March 15, 2007 – The Pentagon releases a 26-page transcript in which Mohammed says he was responsible for 9/11 and confesses to the killing of journalist Daniel Pearl. He also claims he was involved in the 1993 World Trade Center attack and a 2002 Bali nightclub bombing, as well as Richard Reid’s 2001 shoe-bombing attempt.
February 11, 2008 – The United States announces it will seek the death penalty against Mohammad for charges related to the 9/11 attacks which include: conspiracy, murder in violation of the law of war, attacking civilians, attacking civilian objects, intentionally causing serious bodily injury, destruction of property in violation of the law of war, and terrorism and material support of terrorism.
June 5, 2008 – The arraignment for Mohammed and four co-defendants is held. Mohammed tells the judge, Marine Colonel Ralph Kohlmann, that he wants to represent himself and wishes to become a martyr.
January 21, 2009 – At the request of newly inaugurated US President Barack Obama, trial proceedings are frozen for 120 days.
April 16, 2009 – The Justice Department releases a 2005 memo which states that Mohammed was waterboarded 183 times in March 2003.
November 13, 2009 – The Justice Department announces five Guantanamo Bay detainees, including Mohammed, will be transferred to New York for trial in a US District Court courtroom just blocks from the site where the Twin Towers stood.
April 4, 2011 – In a reversal, Attorney General Eric Holder announces that Mohammed will face a military trial at Guantanamo Bay rather than a civilian trial in New York.
May 31, 2011 – The Department of Defense announces that capital charges have been re-filed against Mohammed and four other alleged 9/11 co-conspirators. The charges include: conspiracy, murder in violation of the law of war, attacking civilians, attacking civilian objects, intentionally causing serious bodily injury, destruction of property in violation of the law of war, hijacking aircraft and terrorism.
May 5, 2012 – Is arraigned at Guantanamo Bay.
October 17, 2012 – At a pretrial hearing, Mohammed declares that the US government sanctioned torture in the name of national security and equates the nearly 3,000 people killed on 9/11 to the “millions” killed by America’s military. After Mohammed’s remarks, military judge Captain James Pohl says that no other personal comments by the accused will be allowed.
December 9, 2014 – The Senate Intelligence Committee releases its report on “enhanced interrogation techniques” used by the CIA in the post-9/11 era. The CIA had said the method was effective in helping interrogators pull information from Mohammed, but according to the Senate report, Mohammed figured out a way to “beat the system,” often recanting information he told CIA officers to get them to stop the waterboarding.
August 30, 2019 – Mohammed’s trial is set to begin January 11, 2021.
December 18, 2020 – Military judge Col. Douglas K. Watkins extends litigation deadlines, which will postpone the start date of the trial. This follows the recusal and resignation of two judges earlier in 2020, and delays brought about by the coronavirus pandemic.
March 2022 – Lawyers are in discussions with prosecutors to reach a possible plea agreement and avoid a death penalty trial, according to a person familiar with the matter.
by tyler | Dec 23, 2023 | CNN, world
Here’s a look at the life of Christine Lagarde, president of the European Central Bank.
Birth date: January 1, 1956
Birth place: Paris, France
Birth name: Christine Madeleine Odette Lallouette
Father: Robert Lallouette, a professor of English literature
Mother: Nicole Lallouette, a professor of French, Latin and ancient Greek
Marriages: Wilfried Lagarde (1982-1992, divorced); Eachran Gilmour (divorced)
Children: with Wilfried Lagarde: Thomas and Pierre-Henri
Education: University Paris X Nanterre, J.D.; Political Science Institute in Aix en Provence, M.A.
Is an accomplished synchronized swimmer; earned a spot on the French national team while in her teens.
Speaks French, English and Spanish.
The first woman to serve as finance minister of a G7 nation, managing director of the IMF and now president of the European Central Bank.
1981-2005 – Associate and later partner in the Paris office of the international law firm Baker & McKenzie.
1999-2005 – First female chairman at Baker & McKenzie.
July 2000 – Is appointed Knight of the Legion of Honour.
June 2, 2005-May 15, 2007 – Minister of Foreign Trade.
May 18-June 18, 2007 – Minister of Agriculture, Agribusiness and Forestry.
June 19, 2007-June 28, 2011 – Is the first woman to serve as the Minister of Finance, Economy and Trade in France.
June 28, 2011 – Is appointed as IMF Managing Director and Madame Chairman of the Executive Board, replacing Dominique Strauss-Kahn.
July 5, 2011 – Begins her five-year term as managing director of the IMF. The IMF discloses that Lagarde will receive an annual salary of $467,940 after taxes and an annual allowance of $83,760 for living expenses.
March 20, 2013 – Lagarde’s Paris home is searched as part of an investigation into her role in settling a business dispute while she was finance minister.
August 27, 2014 – Lagarde announces she has been placed under formal investigation in France for her alleged involvement in a long-running fraud case that stems from 2008 when she was finance minister under former French President Nicolas Sarkozy. Prosecutors believe that Lagarde was negligent in dealing with a case in which a supporter of Sarkozy – Bernard Tapie – was awarded a settlement worth 285 million euros plus interest. Prosecutors believe Lagarde gave Tapie preferential treatment.
December 17, 2015 – It is announced that Lagarde has been ordered to appear in court over her alleged involvement in the Tapie fraud case.
May 15, 2016 – A French newspaper publishes an open letter signed by 17 leading women from government, including Lagarde, that says the behavior of France’s male elite must change. The letter states that while their political beliefs span a broad spectrum, they stand united. “We defend different ideas, but we share the will that sexism has no place in our society.”
July 2016 – Lagarde is appointed to her second five-year term as the Managing Director of the IMF.
July 22, 2016 – It is decided in a French court that Lagarde must stand trial over her handling of a long-running fraud case involving the rewarding of 285 million euros plus interest of public funds to Tapie.
September 12, 2016 – A French court rejects Lagarde’s appeal and sets a December trial date at a special court that tries ministers for crimes in office.
December 12, 2016 – Lagarde’s trial begins. She will take leave from her job but will still be “working during the evenings and at night with her [IMF] colleagues,” a spokesman said.
December 19, 2016 – Lagarde is found guilty of negligence but will not be fined or serve any time in jail.
December 4, 2018 – Forbes ranks Lagarde third on its list of the world’s most powerful women, behind German Chancellor Angela Merkel and UK Prime Minister Theresa May.
July 2, 2019 – Lagarde is chosen to succeed Mario Draghi as the president of the European Central Bank. Draghi’s eight-year term ends in October 2019. She announces via Twitter that she is temporarily stepping down as the head of the IMF during the nomination process.
July 16, 2019 – Lagarde announces her resignation from the IMF, effective September 12, 2019.
November 1, 2019 – Begins serving as president of the European Central Bank.
by tyler | Dec 23, 2023 | CNN, world
Here’s a look at the life of Sudan’s former leader, Omar al-Bashir.
Birth date: January 1, 1944
Birth place: Hosh Bannaga, Sudan
Birth name: Omar Hassan Ahmed al-Bashir
Father: Name unavailable publicly
Mother: Name unavailable publicly
Marriages: Fatima Khalid; Widad Babiker Omer
Education: Sudan Military Academy, 1966
Military service: Sudanese Armed Forces
Religion: Islam
1960 – Joins the Sudanese Armed Forces.
1966 – Graduates from the Sudan Military Academy.
1973 – Serves with Egyptian forces during the October 1973 Arab-Israeli war.
1973-1987 – Holds various military posts.
1989-1993 – Serves as Sudan’s defense minister.
June 30, 1989 – Leads a coup against Sudan’s Prime Minister Sadiq al-Mahdi. Establishes and proclaims himself chairman of the Revolutionary Command Council. Dissolves the government, political parties and trade unions.
April 1990 – Survives a coup attempt. Orders the execution of over 30 army and police officers implicated in the coup attempt.
October 16, 1993 – Becomes president of Sudan when the Revolutionary Command Council is dissolved and Sudan is restored to civilian rule.
March 1996 – Is reelected president with more than 75% of the vote.
December 1999 – Dissolves the Parliament after National Congress Party chairman Hassan al-Turabi proposes laws limiting the president’s powers.
December 2000 – Is reelected president with over 85% of the vote.
February 2003 – Rebels in the Darfur region of Sudan rise up against the Sudanese government.
2004 – Is criticized for not cracking down on the Janjaweed militia, a pro-government militia accused of murdering and raping people in Darfur.
September 2007 – After meeting with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, Bashir agrees to peace talks with rebels. Peace talks begin in October, but are postponed indefinitely after most of the major players fail to attend.
July 14, 2008 – The chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) files charges against Bashir for genocide and war crimes in Darfur.
March 4, 2009 – The ICC issues an arrest warrant for Bashir.
April 26, 2010 – Sudan’s National Election Commission certifies Bashir as the winner of recent presidential elections with 68% of the vote.
July 12, 2010 – The ICC issues a second arrest warrant for Bashir. Combined, the warrant lists 10 counts against Bashir.
December 12, 2014 – The ICC suspends its case against Bashir due to lack of support from the UN Security Council.
March 9, 2015 – The ICC asks the UN Security Council to take steps to force Sudan to extradite Bashir.
April 27, 2015 – Sudan’s Election Commission announces Bashir has been reelected president with more than 94% of the vote. Many major opposition groups boycott the election.
June 15, 2015 – Bashir leaves South Africa just as a South African High Court decides to order his arrest. The human rights group that had petitioned the court to order Bashir’s arrest, the Southern Africa Litigation Centre, says in a statement it is disappointed that the government allowed the Sudanese president to leave before the ruling.
November 23, 2017 – Agence France Presse and other media outlets report that during a trip to Russia, Bashir asks Putin to protect Sudan from the United States, saying he wants closer military ties with Russia.
December 16, 2018 – Bashir visits Syria. This marks the first time an Arab League leader has visited Syria since war began there in 2011.
February 22, 2019 – Declares a year-long state of emergency in response to months of protests nationwide and calls for his resignation.
March 1, 2019 – Steps down as chairman of the National Congress Party.
April 11, 2019 – After three decades of rule, Bashir is arrested and is forced from power in a military coup. Bashir’s government is dissolved, and a military council assumes control for two years to oversee a transition of power, according to a televised statement by Sudanese Defense Minister Awad Mohamed Ahmed Ibn Auf.
May 13, 2019 – Sudan’s Public Prosecutor’s Office has instructed expedited charges be brought against Bashir in the killing of protestors, according to a statement released to CNN.
August 19, 2019 – Bashir appears in a Khartoum court for the first day of his corruption trial. He has heightened security following a failed attempt by his supporters to break him out of prison.
December 14, 2019 – Bashir is sentenced to two years in a correctional facility after being found guilty of corruption and illegitimate possession of foreign currency.
February 11, 2020 – A member of Sudan’s ruling sovereign council announces that all Sudanese wanted by the ICC will be handed over, including Bashir.
July 21, 2020 – Bashir’s trial over his role in the 1989 coup d’etat that propelled him to power begins in Khartoum. He faces a maximum sentence of death.
August 11, 2021 – In a statement given to CNN, Sudan’s Cabinet of Ministers announce the government will hand Bashir over to the ICC along with other officials wanted over the Darfur conflict.
April 26, 2023 – Unconfirmed reports claim Bashir is among the prisoners released from Kober prison. However, the media office of Sudan’s Police and sources familiar with the matter tell CNN that Bashir was transferred to Alia Specialized Hospital a year ago due to health problems.
by tyler | Dec 23, 2023 | CNN, world
Here’s a look at the life of Sudan’s former leader, Omar al-Bashir.
Birth date: January 1, 1944
Birth place: Hosh Bannaga, Sudan
Birth name: Omar Hassan Ahmed al-Bashir
Father: Name unavailable publicly
Mother: Name unavailable publicly
Marriages: Fatima Khalid; Widad Babiker Omer
Education: Sudan Military Academy, 1966
Military service: Sudanese Armed Forces
Religion: Islam
1960 – Joins the Sudanese Armed Forces.
1966 – Graduates from the Sudan Military Academy.
1973 – Serves with Egyptian forces during the October 1973 Arab-Israeli war.
1973-1987 – Holds various military posts.
1989-1993 – Serves as Sudan’s defense minister.
June 30, 1989 – Leads a coup against Sudan’s Prime Minister Sadiq al-Mahdi. Establishes and proclaims himself chairman of the Revolutionary Command Council. Dissolves the government, political parties and trade unions.
April 1990 – Survives a coup attempt. Orders the execution of over 30 army and police officers implicated in the coup attempt.
October 16, 1993 – Becomes president of Sudan when the Revolutionary Command Council is dissolved and Sudan is restored to civilian rule.
March 1996 – Is reelected president with more than 75% of the vote.
December 1999 – Dissolves the Parliament after National Congress Party chairman Hassan al-Turabi proposes laws limiting the president’s powers.
December 2000 – Is reelected president with over 85% of the vote.
February 2003 – Rebels in the Darfur region of Sudan rise up against the Sudanese government.
2004 – Is criticized for not cracking down on the Janjaweed militia, a pro-government militia accused of murdering and raping people in Darfur.
September 2007 – After meeting with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, Bashir agrees to peace talks with rebels. Peace talks begin in October, but are postponed indefinitely after most of the major players fail to attend.
July 14, 2008 – The chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) files charges against Bashir for genocide and war crimes in Darfur.
March 4, 2009 – The ICC issues an arrest warrant for Bashir.
April 26, 2010 – Sudan’s National Election Commission certifies Bashir as the winner of recent presidential elections with 68% of the vote.
July 12, 2010 – The ICC issues a second arrest warrant for Bashir. Combined, the warrant lists 10 counts against Bashir.
December 12, 2014 – The ICC suspends its case against Bashir due to lack of support from the UN Security Council.
March 9, 2015 – The ICC asks the UN Security Council to take steps to force Sudan to extradite Bashir.
April 27, 2015 – Sudan’s Election Commission announces Bashir has been reelected president with more than 94% of the vote. Many major opposition groups boycott the election.
June 15, 2015 – Bashir leaves South Africa just as a South African High Court decides to order his arrest. The human rights group that had petitioned the court to order Bashir’s arrest, the Southern Africa Litigation Centre, says in a statement it is disappointed that the government allowed the Sudanese president to leave before the ruling.
November 23, 2017 – Agence France Presse and other media outlets report that during a trip to Russia, Bashir asks Putin to protect Sudan from the United States, saying he wants closer military ties with Russia.
December 16, 2018 – Bashir visits Syria. This marks the first time an Arab League leader has visited Syria since war began there in 2011.
February 22, 2019 – Declares a year-long state of emergency in response to months of protests nationwide and calls for his resignation.
March 1, 2019 – Steps down as chairman of the National Congress Party.
April 11, 2019 – After three decades of rule, Bashir is arrested and is forced from power in a military coup. Bashir’s government is dissolved, and a military council assumes control for two years to oversee a transition of power, according to a televised statement by Sudanese Defense Minister Awad Mohamed Ahmed Ibn Auf.
May 13, 2019 – Sudan’s Public Prosecutor’s Office has instructed expedited charges be brought against Bashir in the killing of protestors, according to a statement released to CNN.
August 19, 2019 – Bashir appears in a Khartoum court for the first day of his corruption trial. He has heightened security following a failed attempt by his supporters to break him out of prison.
December 14, 2019 – Bashir is sentenced to two years in a correctional facility after being found guilty of corruption and illegitimate possession of foreign currency.
February 11, 2020 – A member of Sudan’s ruling sovereign council announces that all Sudanese wanted by the ICC will be handed over, including Bashir.
July 21, 2020 – Bashir’s trial over his role in the 1989 coup d’etat that propelled him to power begins in Khartoum. He faces a maximum sentence of death.
August 11, 2021 – In a statement given to CNN, Sudan’s Cabinet of Ministers announce the government will hand Bashir over to the ICC along with other officials wanted over the Darfur conflict.
April 26, 2023 – Unconfirmed reports claim Bashir is among the prisoners released from Kober prison. However, the media office of Sudan’s Police and sources familiar with the matter tell CNN that Bashir was transferred to Alia Specialized Hospital a year ago due to health problems.
by tyler | Dec 18, 2023 | CNN, world
Here is a look at FIFA (Fédération Internationale de Football Association), international soccer’s governing body and organizer of global tournaments including the World Cup.
When FIFA was founded in 1904, there were seven member countries: France, Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland. The United States joined the Zurich, Switzerland-based organization in 1913.
There are 211 member nations.
FIFA’s six confederations represent different regions of the world: UEFA (Europe), CAF (Africa), CONCACAF (North and Central America), CONMEBOL (South America), OFC (New Zealand and South Pacific island nations) and AFC (Asia).
In addition to the World Cup, which takes place every four years, FIFA organizes the FIFA Club World Cup, which began in 2000. Seven men’s teams participate: winners from each of the six confederations, plus the winning team from the host country.
May 21, 1904 – FIFA is founded in Paris, to promote international football (soccer) tournaments.
1905 – England, which has its own Football Association dating back to 1863, becomes a member nation. The British initially resisted joining FIFA.
1913 – The United States Football Association, now called the United States Soccer Federation, joins FIFA.
July 13-30, 1930 – Uruguay hosts the first World Cup. Thirteen teams compete and Uruguay wins the tournament, defeating Argentina. Team USA places third.
1975 – Joseph “Sepp” Blatter of Switzerland joins FIFA as director of technical development programs, serving under President João Havelange of Brazil.
1981 – FIFA’s executive committee names Blatter general secretary of the organization.
November 16-30, 1991 – China hosts the first Women’s World Cup. Team USA defeats Norway in the final match.
June 8, 1998 – Blatter is elected president of FIFA, defeating Swedish soccer stalwart Lennart Johansson.
May 21, 2001 – A company closely affiliated with FIFA, International Sports Media and Marketing (ISMM) is declared bankrupt in Swiss Court. ISMM was the parent company of International Sports and Leisure (ISL), which sold World Cup television rights and negotiated corporate sponsorships. FIFA brings charges against ISMM, claiming company executives diverted a $60 million payment from a licensee and deposited it in a secret bank account.
July 7, 2001 – During a FIFA meeting in Buenos Aires, Blatter delivers a lengthy report about the impact of the ISMM bankruptcy on the organization and he pledges to usher in a new era of transparency.
February 28, 2002 – Farah Addo, vice president of the CAF confederation, tells the Daily Mail he was offered $100,000 to help Blatter win the election in 1998 but he turned the money down. He says 18 other officials accepted payments from Blatter’s associates in exchange for votes. Blatter fires back that the allegations are baseless, with a statement on FIFA.com.
March 7, 2002 – FIFA’s executive committee authorizes an internal investigation into the organization’s finances.
May 3, 2002 – In a review not released to the public, FIFA General Secretary Michel Zen-Ruffinen claims there is such widespread corruption within the organization, criminal charges may be warranted, according to the Los Angeles Times. The newspaper reports five top officials demand Blatter step down. He vows to fight the charges.
May 10, 2002 – Members of FIFA’s Executive Committee file a formal complaint against Blatter with Swiss authorities. Blatter issues a statement in response, “I remain unperturbed by the prospect of a possible investigation.”
May 29, 2002 – Blatter is reelected FIFA president, defeating Issa Hayatou of Cameroon by a wide margin, 139-56.
May 31, 2002 – FIFA’s Executive Committee withdraws its complaint against Blatter. Zen-Ruffinen, the author of the report alleging criminal misconduct, resigns.
October 6, 2004 – The Executive Committee approves a code of ethics.
June 9, 2006 – FIFA establishes an ethics committee to address allegations of bribery, match fixing, betting and other illegal practices.
September 15, 2006 – Former Olympic champ Lord Sebastian Coe of England is appointed chairman of FIFA’s new ethics committee. Coe says in a statement, “Inspiring young people into sport is a personal passion of mine. To do this, we must protect and promote the ethics and morals of sport for future generations.”
October 23, 2006 – FIFA’s Ethics Committee holds its first meeting. In a statement, Blatter says the group will enforce a revised code of ethics.
October 20, 2010 – Two members of FIFA’s Executive Committee are suspended after a British newspaper reports they offered to sell their World Cup votes.
November 18, 2010 – FIFA confirms the suspension of four additional officials for suspected ethical breaches.
November 29, 2010 – Ahead of the vote for the host countries of the 2018 and 2022 World Cup tournaments, the BBC reports three senior FIFA officials who will participate in the selection process took bribes from International Sports & Leisure during the 1990s. One of the officials, Ricardo Teixeira, is the former son-in-law of former FIFA President João Havelange.
May 24, 2011 – Chuck Blazer, an American member of the executive committee, accuses FIFA officials Jack Warner and Mohamed Bin Hammam of bribery. He alleges the two gave money to members of the Caribbean Football Union to cast ballots for Bin Hammam in his campaign to become FIFA’s new president.
May 29, 2011 – FIFA suspends Warner and Bin Hammam as it launches a probe into the alleged vote buying scam. According to a statement, FIFA’s Ethics Committee also looked into possible violations by Blatter, at Bin Hammam’s request. The committee concluded, however, Blatter had not breached the organization’s code of ethics.
June 1, 2011 – Running unopposed, Blatter is elected to a fourth term as FIFA president. He announces a change in the process of selecting World Cup host countries. Instead of having the small, 24-member executive committee pick future World Cup hosts, the full FIFA congress will participate, with one vote for each member nation.
July 17, 2012 – FIFA announces former US Attorney Michael J. Garcia and former German prosecutor Hans-Joachim Eckert have been appointed chairmen of the ethics committee, tasked with probing various allegations of wrongdoing.
2013 – As Brazil preps for the 2014 World Cup, at least five workers die in construction accidents. Thousands of protesters clash with police during the early summer and the unrest continues throughout the year leading up to the soccer tournament.
March 2014 – The International Trade Union Confederation, a labor rights group, publishes a report, “The Case Against Qatar.” The ITUC projects 4,000 migrant laborers will die before the 2022 World Cup.
May 21, 2015 – Amnesty International calls on FIFA to step up its efforts preventing the exploitation of migrant workers building World Cup stadiums in Qatar. The human rights group reports the Qatari government has failed to implement many of the worker safety protections it had previously promised. FIFA responds with a statement: “FIFA has repeatedly urged publicly and with the highest authorities in Qatar that fair working conditions for all workers in Qatar are imperative.”
May 27, 2015 – Nine FIFA officials and five soccer marketing executives are charged with racketeering, wire fraud and money laundering, after a lengthy investigation by the US Department of Justice (DOJ). Swiss police conduct an overnight raid at FIFA headquarters in Zurich to arrest several of the officials. Soon after the raid, authorities in Switzerland announce they will begin their own investigation into the bidding process for the 2018 and 2022 World Cup games.
May 29, 2015 – Blatter is elected for a fifth term as FIFA president.
June 2, 2015 – Blatter says he will resign in 2016, acknowledging the organization needs “a profound overhaul.” Meanwhile, New York prosecutors release a 40-page court transcript with an admission from Chuck Blazer he took bribes over the course of nearly two decades, including a payment that swayed him to vote for South Africa rather than Morocco as 2010 World Cup host country.
September 17, 2015 – FIFA suspends General Secretary Jérôme Valcke amid allegations he participated in a scheme involving illegal World Cup ticket sales. Valcke’s attorney says his client has been falsely accused.
September 25, 2015 – Swiss authorities announce they are investigating Blatter, looking into suspected financial mismanagement related to an illegal payment. Blatter’s attorney tells CNN “no mismanagement has occurred.”
October 8, 2015 – FIFA’s Ethics Committee suspends Blatter for 90 days. Valcke and Platini are also banned for 90 days. Blatter requests an appeal hearing.
December 3, 2015 – Two more high ranking FIFA executives are arrested by Swiss police for allegedly taking millions of dollars in bribes. Separately, the DOJ announces its corruption probe has expanded, unsealing a 92-count indictment naming 16 new defendants in the case, all affiliated with FIFA’s North and South American confederations.
December 21, 2015 – FIFA’s ethics committee suspends Blatter and Platini for eight years. During a press conference, Blatter declares himself “a man of principles” and promises to appeal the ban.
January 9, 2016 – FIFA dismisses Valcke as general secretary. Dr. Markus Kattner is chosen as the acting replacement.
February 12, 2016 – FIFA announces that its Ethics Committee has banned Valcke for 12 years from any football-related activities on a national and international level, effective immediately. The ban is later reduced to 10 years.
February 25, 2016 – Blatter and Platini lose their appeals to vacate their eight-year bans. However, the presidential committee does reduce the bans for both men to six years, stating that “some strong mitigating factors for Mr. Platini and Mr. Blatter were not taken into account when establishing the sanction.”
February 26, 2016 – FIFA announces numerous reforms to help repair the organization’s reputation. The reforms include limiting the organization’s president to three terms in office, while a new 36-member council will replace the executive committee. Later in the day, after two rounds of voting, world football’s governing body elects Gianni Infantino as the new president of FIFA. Infantino of Switzerland has been the general secretary of the European governing body UEFA.
May 13, 2016 – FIFA announces that Fatma Samba Diouf Samoura of Senegal will be FIFA’s new general secretary. Samoura will be the first woman and first African to hold the job.
June 3, 2016 – Lawyers representing FIFA claim that Blatter and two ousted officials paid themselves $80 million in raises and bonuses between 2011 and 2015. FIFA says that its ethics committee will look into the matter.
September 9, 2016 – FIFA’s ethics committee announces that it is investigating allegations of bribery, corruption and conflict of interest violations involving Blatter as well as two other former officials.
November 10, 2016 – Rafael Esquivel, the former president of the Venezuelan soccer federation, pleads guilty to racketeering, wire fraud and money laundering related to bribery schemes that involved the awarding of contracts for media and marketing rights to international soccer competitions.
December 5, 2016 – The Swiss Court of Arbitration for Sport upholds Blatter’s six-year ban from FIFA, which he had appealed. He says that he accepts the court’s decision and will not try to get a higher court to reverse the ruling.
December 8, 2016 – FIFA faces legal action in Switzerland over allegations it has been jointly responsible for the mistreatment of migrants who are working on projects for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
November 21, 2018 – FIFA announces that it has ousted Sundra Rajoo, a member of its ethics committee. Rajoo is accused of financial misconduct after an investigation by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission.
June 5, 2019 – Infantino, running unopposed, is reelected as president of FIFA.
February 20, 2020 – Valcke is charged by the Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland with accepting bribes, several counts of aggravated criminal mismanagement and falsifying documents related to the awarding of media rights for various World Cups and Confederations Cups. In October, Valcke is found guilty of forging documents, but acquitted of accepting bribes and criminal mismanagement.
March 24, 2021 – Blatter and Valcke are found guilty of various ethics violations and issued a new ban of six years and eight months from all football-related activities.
August 24, 2021 – Following a six-year corruption investigation into bribery schemes in multiple world football organizations, the US DOJ awards $201 million to FIFA, CONCACAF, CONMEBOL and other affected entities. The DOJ determined the organizations had been victims of decades-long bribery schemes that have corrupted football and stunted the game’s development. A DOJ statement says FIFA, CONCACAF, and CONMEBOL will distribute funds from the reward into a newly created World Football Remission Fund, which will be established under the FIFA Foundation “that is focused on youth programs, community outreach and humanitarian needs.”
November 2, 2021 – Blatter and Platini are indicted for fraud in Switzerland, according to the country’s attorney general. On July 8, 2022, they are both acquitted.
May 18, 2022 – US Soccer reaches a historic deal to become “the first Federation in the world to equalize FIFA World Cup prize money” awarded to both its men’s and women’s national teams for participating in World Cups.
May 19, 2022 – FIFA announces that the upcoming men’s World Cup in Qator will feature women referees for the first time in the event’s history. Stéphanie Frappart from France, Salima Mukansanga from Rwanda and Yoshimi Yamashita from Japan are included on the list to referee the event, which will begin in November.
March 16, 2023 – Infantino is reelected for another term as president of FIFA.
