Bilateral Israeli-Syrian, Israeli-Lebanese peace talks resume in Washington. But talks between Israel, Jordanians, Palestinians fail to take place when Israel rejects 2-track approach of meeting...
After meetings with Pres. Mubarak in Cairo, Sec. Baker arrives in Jeddah; says he is trying to organize 2-phase peace conference, with Israel and its bordering Arab states negotiating their...
Before Congress, Sec. Baker says U.S. and allies might help rebuild post-war Iraq, and outlines elements of post-war settlement; Baker also says that continued U.S. military role in region may be...
Allied bombers attack 10-mile column of thousands of Iraqi troops and as many as 1,000 vehicles as they move in southern Kuwait; allied command says it is not apparent whether Iraqis are...
Israeli officials warn that Iraqi missile attack could not stand without retaliation. Yet after telephone calls from Pres. Bush and Sec. Baker to P.M. Shamir, U.S. admin. says Israel will not...
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Bilateral Israeli-Syrian, Israeli-Lebanese peace talks resume in Washington. But talks between Israel, Jordanians, Palestinians fail to take place when Israel rejects 2-track approach of meeting separately with Palestinian and Jordanian components of joint J-P delegation and insists on meeting only with combined delegation in one room. (WP 12/11)
At Islamic Conference Organization (ICO) meeting in Dakar, Senegal, Saudi Crown Prince 'Abdallah bin 'Abd al-'Aziz underscores continued Saudi anger at PLO and Jordan by shaking hands but refusing to embrace Chmn. Arafat in traditional Arab greeting of friendship, and avoiding greeting King Hussein altogether. (WP 12/1 1)
Israel decides to establish direct dialing telephone service to 11 Arab countries (Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Lebanon, Kuwait, Yemen, Bahrain, Qatar, United Arab Emirates) [see 12/5]. Calls will be completed by satellite connection which routes them through U.S. (MM 12/11)
U.S. refuses Arab demand to reschedule negotiations due to Israeli refusal to attend 12/4 talks in Washington. (WP 12/6)
Islamic Resistance Movement fires rockets into Marjayun, S. Lebanon in retaliation for Israeli, SLA shelling of Shiite villages. (NYT 12/9)
Israeli communications ministry and telephone company Bezek end several days' experiment by which selected customers were allowed to call unnamed Arab countries directly through American installations. Experiment came in order to prepare Israel in the event that peace talks lead to agreement on direct communications between Israel, Arab world. Palestinian negotiator Faisal Husseini was among those who called, speaking to his brother in Jordan. (MM 12/5, 12/6)
After meetings with Pres. Mubarak in Cairo, Sec. Baker arrives in Jeddah; says he is trying to organize 2-phase peace conference, with Israel and its bordering Arab states negotiating their differences in main talks. In 2d phase, Israel and other Arab nations would discuss regional issues [NYT, MEM 4/22; MENA, RIDS 4/21 in FBIS 4/22].
Saudi Arabia confirms that it will not take part in any Middle East peace conference with Israel, and there are growing signs that Arab gov'ts. want to limit negotiations with Israel to only Palestinian problem [WP, LAT 4/22].
PLO Central Council - the link between PLO Exec. Committee and PNC - opens meetings in Tunis to assess repercussions of Gulf war of PLO's relations with Arab and European states (cf. 4/23) [MEM 4/23; TDS 4/22 in FBIS 4/22; AVP 4/22, TDS 4/23 in FBIS 4/23]
Construction of new settlement, Talmon Bet, outside Ramallah, is completed allowing settlers to begin to move in (cf. 4/23) [HAA 4/23 in FBIS 4/23].
U.S. ambassador to UN Thomas Pickering tells Jewish group in New York that Kuwait has agreed to stop participating in Arab League boycott of U.S. firms that do business with Israel, at least during reconstruction of the emirate [MEM 4/23; CSM 4/24].
Israeli soldiers shoot dead 2 Palestinian fighters who had cut through Lebanon border fence; in Damascus, Fateh Uprising group claims responsibility [MEM 4/22; NYT 4/23; JDS 4/22 in FBIS 4/22].
Before Congress, Sec. Baker says U.S. and allies might help rebuild post-war Iraq, and outlines elements of post-war settlement; Baker also says that continued U.S. military role in region may be inevitable [LAT, NYT, WP, WT 2/7].
Sec. Baker says that U.S. has not moved forward with $400 million in loan guarantees for Israel to house Soviet Jews because Israel has yet to provide settlement information; Israel reacts angrily, saying information has been provided. Earlier this week, Israel said between 1,500 and 3,000 Soviet Jews settled in o.t., which would be as much as 17% of all Jewish settlers [NYT, WP 2/8].
Iraqi POWs report that more than 1/4 of positions in Iraq's regular army in Kuwait are deserted or undermanned, raising questions about Iraq's ability to defend against ground assault [LAT 2/7].
Allied planes shoot down 2 Iraqi fighter jets headed for Iran; bringing total air-combat (dog-fight) losses to 33 Iraqi planes, 0 allied planes [LAT, NYT 2/7].
Military sources revise estimates to say about 120 Iraqi planes have landed in Iran [LAT, WT 2/7].
Iraq announces that it is severing all re- maining diplomatic relations with 6 leading members of coalition: U.S., Britain, France, Italy, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt. Warplanes from all those nations, except Egypt, have attacked Iraq (cf. 2/7) [INA 2/6 in FBIS 2/7; MEM 2/6; LAT, NYT, WP, WT 2/7].
In nationwide address, King Hussein describes Gulf war as effort by outsiders to destroy Iraq and carve up Arab world; that war was against all Arabs and all Muslims, not just Iraq; he calls on Arab and Muslims to "make the alliance accept a cease-fire" (cf. 2/7, 2/8, 2/10) [ADS 2/6 in FBIS 2/7; LAT, NYT, WP, WT, MEM 2/7].
Saudi F.M. Prince Faisal arrives in Cairo for meetings with Pres. Mubarak [MENA 2/6 in FBIS 2/7].
Lebanese Army regulars move into positions in S. Lebanon for 1st time since 1975; the 2,500 troops are within sight of Israel's "security zone"; Israeli army again shells Pal- estinian positions in S. Lebanon [MEM 2/6; LAT, NYT, WP 2/7].
Allied bombers attack 10-mile column of thousands of Iraqi troops and as many as 1,000 vehicles as they move in southern Kuwait; allied command says it is not apparent whether Iraqis are regrouping or massing for attack [WP, NYT 2/1].
Saudi and Qatari forces, backed by U.S. artillery retake Saudi border town of Khafji, capture 167 Iraqi soldiers [WP, NYT, LAT 2/1].
Envoys from France, Algeria, Yemen, and Iraq arrive in Iran on separate diplomatic missions designed to end Gulf war; Iran tells Iraq it will hold on to Iraqi airplanes until end of war [WP, NYT, LAT 2/1].
Israeli F.M. David Levy outlines possible 5-point post-war plan, linking Israel's discussion of Palestinian issue with simultaneous bilateral peace talks with Arab nations [WP 2/1].
Pres. Mubarak affirms that 45,000 Egyptian soldiers would not be used to attack Iraq [LAT 2/1].
Rocket and artillery clashes between Israel and PLO fighters in S. Lebanon continue; radio stations call it "mini-war"; Israel says PLO is trying to open 2d front in war [NYT, LAT 2/1].
Iraq fires SCUD missile at Israel; it disintegrates in flight, falling debris lands in West Bank [NYT, LAT 2/1].
State Dep't. official says that about 70 acts of terrorism have been committed against U.S. and allied interests outside U.S. since Gulf war began; most are small property damage [NYT, LAT 2/1].
Red Cross convoy carrying 19 tons of emergency medical supplies for Iraqi civilians crosses from Iran into Iraq; 1st such mission since war began [LAT 2/1].
War toll according to allies includes: 30,000 sorties flown; 23 allied planes lost, 18 in combat; 11 Americans killed in action; 161 Iraqi prisoners; 59 Iraqi planes destroyed. Iraq claims to have shot down 180 allied aircraft; captured 20 prisoners; and that 320 civilians and 90 soldiers have been killed [LAT 2/1].
Israeli officials warn that Iraqi missile attack could not stand without retaliation. Yet after telephone calls from Pres. Bush and Sec. Baker to P.M. Shamir, U.S. admin. says Israel will not retaliate for the time being. Saudi officials say Arab nations would face additional pressure if Israel entered fight, but probably would not desert coalition. More than 20 countries, including 13 in Europe, and UN Sec.-Gen. condemn Iraqi attack and urge Israeli restraint; USSR urges Israel and allied Arab nations to avoid turning war against Saddam into Arab-Israeli conflict [IDF, AFP, TET 1/18 in FBIS 1/81; NYT, LAT, WP 1/19; MEM 1/21; IDF 1/18 in FBIS 1/22].
Open elation in Jordan over missiles hitting Israel; some Tunisians, Syrians, and Lebanese also show support for Saddam's attack. PLO says attack represents "effective entry of Israel into the conflict" [MEM 1/18; LAT 1/19].
Allied warplanes mount hugh effort to destroy Iraq's remaining mobile SCUD missile launchers, partly in effort to keep Saddam Hussein from attacking Israel again. [NYT, LAT, WP 1/19; MEM 1/21].
U.S. Patriot anti-missile defense system destroys incoming Iraqi SCUD missile aimed at Saudi air base [NYT, LAT 1/19]; 2 SCUDs hit Tel Aviv [WP 1/19].
After 3d day of bombing, Baghdad is without electricity and telephone service, and is suffering severe shortage of water, according to Western media in Iraq [NYT, LAT, WP 1/19].
Jordan reopens its border with Iraq after 9 days, official says "we don't want anymore suffering" [JTE 1/19 in FBIS 1/22; LAT 1/19].
Officials say U.S. ambassador to Lebanon Ryan Crocker and his staff have flown to Cyprus, fearing anti-U.S. backlash in Beirut [LAT 1/19].
Jordanian lower house of parliament statement backs Iraq in Gulf war, brands U.S. as "Great Satan" [LAT 1/19].
Pres. Gorbachev sends letter to Saddam Hussein asking for Iraqi withdrawal from Kuwait (cf. 1/21) [BADS 1/21 in FBIS 1/22].
