The Palestine Chronology

In Cairo, Egyptian FM Musa, PA Planning M Shaath discuss peace process, Mubarak mtg. with Albright 2/3. (MENA 2/5 in WNC 2/6)

Turkey's Gen. Kivrikoglu meets with DM Mordechai. (IGPO 2/5)

Iranian Majles speaker Nateq-Nuri arrives in Lebanon for 2-day visit, talks on cultivating trade ties. (RL 2/5 in WNC 2/6; IRNA 2/5, RL 2/6 in WNC 2/10)

Saying that it "retains its right to self-defense and will operate according to its security interests," Israel rebuffs U.S. request to not retaliate against Iraq should it target Israel as a result of U.S. air strikes. (MM 2/5; MM, WP 2/6; WJW 2/12)

Iraqi pres. Saddam Hussein orders release of all 1,200-1,300 Arab prisoners in apparent move to win sympathy in his dispute with the U.S. (NYT, WP 2/6; al-Aswaq [Amman], MENA 2/12 in WNC 2/15)

13 mbrs. of the Israeli Islamic Movement hold quiet demonstration against potential U.S. attack on Iraq in front of the U.S. embassy in Tel Aviv. (IDF Radio 2/5 in WNC 2/6)

SLA mbrs. block road in s. Lebanon in attempt to prevent French delegation fr. reaching ILMG mtg. UNIFIL intervenes, reopens road. (RL 2/5 in WNC 2/6; RL 2/6 in WNC 2/10)

In Gaza, the Palestinian Council (PC) meets for the 1st time to swear in its mbrs. (MM 3/7; QY, VOP 3/7 in FBIS 3/7; PBC 3/7 in FBIS 3/8; CSM, MM, NYT, WP, WT 3/8; MEI 3/15)

Lebanon closes all the crossing points into the Israeli self-declared security zone in s. Lebanon to prevent entry of any Palestinians who might be deported by Israel in connection with the recent bombings. (VOL 3/7 in FBIS 3/7)

Israeli FM Ehud Barak warns Arafat that if he does not crack down on Islamists in Gaza soon, Israel will send troops into Gaza. (WT 3/9)

Israeli police detain Sulayman Ahmad Aghbariyya, an Israeli-Arab who is deputy mayor of Umm al-Fahm and head of the charity organization the Islamic Salvation Committee, on suspicion of transferring over $3 m. fr. abroad to relatives of Hamas mbrs. (QY 3/7 in FBIS 3/7) (see 3/6)

Hamas issues a leaflet dissociating itself fr. the 3/5 Qassam Brigades leaflet announcing it will disarm, fr. all Yahya Ayyash Units leaflets; calls them an attempt by Israel to undermine the movement. (JMCC 3/7 in FBIS 3/7)

Islamic Jihad takes responsibility for 3/4 Tel Aviv bombing. (VOL 3/7 in FBIS 3/8) (see 3/6)

The Pentagon announces that U.S. warplanes will be stationed temporarily in Jordan next mo. to carry out surveillance flights over s. Iraq. It will be the 1st time Jordan has allowed U.S. warplanes to use its territory to overfly Iraq. (RJ 3/8, RMC 3/9, JT 3/10 in FBIS 3/11; WT 3/11; NYT 4/9; MM 3/15; JT 4/9 in FBIS 4/9)