The Palestine Chronology

Chmn. Arafat meets Pres. al-Asad in Damascus, the first time the two bitter rivals have met since 1983. The two reportedly agree that the multilateral Arab-Israeli talks on regional cooperation, envisaged as the third-stage of the peace process, would be futile unless Israel agrees to withdraw from the o.t. (MEM 10/21)

Asad had earlier met with Soviet FM Pankin, while FM al-Sharaa received the U.S., Soviet ambassadors who issued invitation to attend the peace conference. Syria indicated it would formally respond to the invitation in a few days' time. (WP 10/20)

Palestinian negotiator Faisal Husseini submits list of 14 Palestinian delegates to peace conference to U.S. consul in Jerusalem. (WP 10/20)

Jordan formally accepts the U.S.-Soviet invitation to attend peace conference. (WP 10/20)

Gulf Cooperation Council Secy. Gen. 'Abdullah Bishara indicates he will head GCC delegation to peace conference. (AFP 10/19 in FBIS 10/21)

Israel reports it has received positive information that one of its five missing soldiers in Lebanon, Yossi Fink, is dead, in a move which may expedite the ongoing comprehensive prisoner-hostage exchange negotiations. (WP 10/20)

"International Conference in Support of the Islamic Revolution in Palestine" opens in Tehran with 800 delegates from 60 countries in attendance. PNC Speaker 'Abd al-Hamid Sa'ih, delegates from the main constituent PLO groups attend, as do representatives of Hamas, Islamic Jihad of Palestine [Fathi Shaqaqi], and groups within the Palestinian National Salvation Front. Iranian pres. Hashimi Rafasanjani declares Iran is willing to send troops to help establish a Palestinian state. (WP 10/20; MEM 10/21, 10/23)

Syrian FM Faruq al-Sharaa confirms Syria will attend peace conference but will not participate in subsequent talks on regional issues unless Israel displays willingness to withdraw from occupied Arab territories [see 9/26]. Al-Sharaa also states he will not shake hands with Israeli delegates at conference. (MEM, WP 10/17)

Tunisia, Morocco indicate they will take part in peace conference as observers. (MEM 10/17)

Secy. of State Baker travels to Jerusalem, holds discussions with PM Shamir, Palestinian negotiators. Talks with Palestinians centered on Palestinian delegation to peace conference. Two sides continue to disagree over Israeli demand that such a delegation not include Palestinians from East Jerusalem, a demand which Baker has urged Palestinian negotiators to accede to in order that the Palestinians not be left out of the peace process. (WP 10/17)

PLO delegation in Amman reportedly reaches agreement with Jordanian government over composition of joint Palestinian-Jordanian delegation under joint leadership of King Hussein and Chmn. Arafat. But Jordanian government states it has discussed the issue not with the PLO but "people from the occupied territories" in effort to stem Israeli objections to PLO role in choosing Palestinian delegates. (MEM 10/16; WP 10/17)

PLO Central Comm. meets in Tunis to discuss Palestinian participation in peace conference. (WP 10/17)

Clandestine al-Quds Palestinian Arab Radio reports statement has been issued in o.t. by PFLP-GC, Hamas, Fateh-Revolutionary Council [Abu Nidal], Islamic Jihad, Mujahid Islamic Trend, and Fateh-Uprising [Abu Musa] rejecting "conference of humiliation." (al-Quds Palestinian Arab Radio 10/16, in FBIS 10/17)

Israeli military court sentences Shaykh Aimad Yasin, founder of the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), to life imprisonment for ordering the deaths of several alleged Palestinian collaborators. Yasin was arrested in May 1989. (NYT 10/17)

Lebanese daily al-Hayat publishes advertisement signed by Hamas, Islamic Jihad, and several groups from the Palestinian National Salvation Front, including PFLP-GC, Fateh-Uprising (Abu Musa), Fateh-Revolutionary Council (Abu Nidal), condemning PLO for agreeing to participation in peace conference. (MEM 10/11)

Two Israeli soldiers die, eleven are wounded when a West Bank man drives a stolen vehicle into a group of soldiers standing beside a road in central Israel. (MEM 10/11)

PNSF Chairman Khalid al-Fahum states organization did not attend 9/2 meeting with PLO in Sanaa because it had not received a response from Chmn. Arafat to a PNSF demand that any meeting include all PNSF groups, as well as Islamic Jihad and Islarnic Resistance Movement (Hamas). (MEM 9/4)

At economic summit in Britain, Group of Seven leaders (U.S., Canada, France, Italy, Britain, Japan, and Germany) endorse U.S.-led peace efforts, call for end to both Arab boycott of Israel and Israeli settlement-building. Prime Min. Shamir reacts to linkage of two issues with "disgust." (LAT 7/17; WP 7/20)

Fateh central committee mbr. Khalid al-Hasan criticizes PLO leadership for supporting Iraq in recent Gulf war, urges formation of provisional government comprised of Palestinian independents. He urged restoration of Palestinian-Arab relations. (MEM 7/17)

Hizballah fighters ambush Israeli troops in Kufr Huna, north of Israel's "security zone" in S. Lebanon. Three Israelis killed, including two officers; four others were wounded. One Hizballah fighter died. Clash was most lethal for Israeli troopsince Nov. 1990. Israel has recently begun dispatching patrols north of the "security zone" to engage anti-Israeli forces before their arrival in zone. (WP, MEM 7/18)

Lebanese Def. Min. Michel al-Murr accuses PLO of hiding medium and heavy weapons in refugee camps near Tyre, vows continued blockade of camps until weapons are surrendered. PLO denies it holds such weapons. Issue centers on definition of "medium" weapon: Lebanese army considers rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs) as medium weapons; PLO does not. Lebanese army now has some 10,000 troops deployed in S. Lebanon. (MEM 7/16, 7/18)

PLO committee meeting in Tunis agrees to convene Palestine National Council (PNC) within three months, urges PLO executive committee to seek rapprochement with Hamas, Palestinian National Salvation Front groups, which boycotted the meeting after PLO invited only those PNSF groups which had membership in the Palestine National Council before 1983 to participate. PNSF, Islamic Jihad, Fateh-Revolutionary Council (Abu Nidal) later call on committee to "reconsider" call for convening PNC in order to preserve "unity of Palestinian ranks." Committee also urged greaterepresentation from occupied territories within PNC. PNC currently has 637 seats, including 186 allocated to representatives from the occupied territories. PNC meeting would be first since August 1988, when it declared existence of independent Palestinian state, accepted U.N. Security Council resolution 242. (MEM 7/18, 7/26)

Egyptian-Syrian commission agrees to formulate joint foreign policies between the countries. (LAT 7/18)

Meeting of 6 March Damascus Declaration signatoriesnds. The eight states indicate "total agreement" about amendments to declaration but refuse to state what they are. Observers see move as signalling the effective end of the Syrian-Egyptian-led Gulf security plan. (MEM 7/17)