The Palestine Chronology

Pres. Bush says he has invited Iraqi F.M. Aziz to Washington and is ready to send Sec. Baker to Baghdad in an attempt to find peaceful solution to Gulf crisis. [NYT, LAT, WP 12/1; CSM 12/3].

Iraqi Revolutionary Command Council brands 11/29 UN ultimatum illegal and accuses U.S. of buying Sec. Council votes [LAT 12/1; MET 12/11].

PLO statement condemns 11/29 UN resolution; another statement "welcomes the U.S. inclination toward negotiation and dialogue" after Pres. Bush offers to send Sec. Baker to Iraq (cf. 12/1) [AFP, AVP 12/1 in FBIS 12/3; CDS 11/30 in FBIS 12/4].

UNLU call no. 64, "the call of pledge and continuity," asks for international protection for Palestinians and heralds beginning of in- tifada's 4th year [BVP 12/3 in FBIS 12/5].

Iraqi troops deliver fruit, vegetables, and cigarettes to the U.S. embassy in Kuwait, promise American diplomats they would return with more food and medical supplies; Pres. Bush says "this could be a positive sign" [NYT, LAT, WP 12/1].

Former U.S. def. secretaries Harold Brown and Robert McNamara urge Bush admin. to allow time for sanctions to work in Iraq before resorting to military action [NYT 12/3].

Israeli military order renews closure of 4 Palestinian universities in o.t. for additional 3 months [MEM 11/30; FJ 12/3].

UN Sec. Council unanimously approves 6-month renewal, until 31 May 1991, of UN Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) as buffer between Syrian and Israeli armies in Golan Heights [MEM 12/3].

Official Saudi source says Saudia Arabia has cancelled debts owed to it by Egypt; debts estimated at $4 billion [MEM 12/3].

Jerusalem Report magazine poll taken between 11/19 and 11/29 of 1,200 Israeli Jews finds 42% have become more hawkish toward Palestinians in o.t. in the past 3 years. Only 6% say intifada has brought about more dovish attitude, while 2 out of 3 Israeli Jews say they want to bar Palestinians from working in Israel. (Poll is not published until 12 December) [WT 12/7; MEM 12/13]