The Palestine Chronology

Pres. Clinton accepts in principle the new terms of the agmt. reached btwn. the UN and Iraq, but reserves "the unilateral right to respond" if Iraq does not adhere to requirements. U.S. will maintain current level of forces in the region indefinitely. Although Joint Chiefs chmn. Gen. Henry Shelton says the military is pleased "to see the cup pass. . . . We had a tough time seeing where this thing was going to take us." Sen. Trent Lott (R-MS), who has led the call in Congress for a military overthrow of Saddam Hussein, accuses Clinton of having "subcontracted" U.S. foreign policy to the UN. (MM 2/23; CSM, NYT, WP, WT 2/24; JT 2/24 in WNC 2/26; WT 2/25; NYT, WT 3/2)

PM Netanyahu proposes Israel, the PA hold Camp David-style summit under U.S. auspices to discuss "core issues" in the stalled peace process. (WT 2/24; La Libre [Brussels] 2/25 in WNC 3/3)

PISMC cochairs meet in Jericho. (IGPO 2/23; WJW 2/26; PR 3/6) (see 2/18)

Federal judge in Manhattan jails Abdelhaleem Ashqar, a Palestinian in the U.S. on a student visa, for refusing to testify before a secret grand jury investigating Hamas fundraising in the U.S. No further information is available as all documents in the case are sealed. (NYT 4/18)

1 SLA mbr. is injured in a clash with Hizballah in s. Lebanon. (IDF Radio 2/23 in WNC 2/26)

UN Secy. Gen. Annan reaches agmt. (signed 2/23) with Iraq on resuming unrestricted inspections under which UN Special Committee (UNSCOM) teams of technical experts will be accompanied by senior diplomats appointed by Annan to act as observers. The UNSC must approve the agmt. U.S. expresses cautious optimism. (RJ 2/22, ITV, MENA, RJ 2/23, al-Ahram, al-Ra'i, RL 2/24 in WNC 2/26; CSM, MM, NYT, WP, WT 2/23; Le Soir [Brussels] 2/25 in WNC 3/3; MEI, PR 2/27)

Violent clashes continue in Ma'an, Jordan, for 3d straight day. (JTV, MBC, RJ 2/22, JT, JTV, RJ 2/23 in WNC 2/26; MM, WP, WT 2/23; WP 2/26; MEI 2/27) (see 2/21)

In Cairo, 15,000 students fr. `Ayn Shams, Cairo university demonstrate against U.S. policy toward Iraq. (MENA, RMC 2/22 in WNC 2/26)

3 Palestinians are injured when IDF breaks up "pro-Iraq" demonstration in Birzeit. Another protest is held at al-Najah University in Nablus. (ITV 2/22 in WNC 2/26; PR 2/27)

Jordan arrests 3 Jordanians for plotting attacks on Israeli targets, possession of explosives. (SA 2/23 in WNC 2/26)

Following phone conversation with Secy. of State Albright 1/25 regarding her talks with Arafat, PM Netanyahu tells coalition mbrs. that he now supports U.S. proposal for staged FRD based on the principle of reciprocity, says that Israel cannot "rule out the possibility of an interim terrace." (ITV 1/26 in WNC 1/27; MM 1/27; IDF Radio 1/27 in WNC 1/30)

After mtg. with UK PM Tony Blair in London, Arafat calls for an Arab summit to discuss the peace process. (MM, WT 1/27; RE, RMC, YA 1/27 in WNC 1/30)

Israeli DM Mordechai meets with Jordan's King Hussein in Amman to brief the king on Netanyahu's trip to Washington, discuss the need to continue the peace process, strengthen security cooperation. (JTV 1/26 in WNC 1/27; IGPO, MM 1/27)

EU FMs mtg. is held in Brussels. Participants agree to become more involved in resolving the Arab-Israeli conflict, Middle Eastern politics. (MM 1/27)

PA Labor M Samir Ghawshah resigns to protests Arafat's failure to ratify civil service law, take steps against corruption. (JP 2/7)

Israel arrests 2 Israeli-Arab bedouin for planning a suicide attack. Israeli Internal Security M Avigdor Kahalani praises PA for its cooperation, but PM Netanyahu objects that PA assistance came "at the end of the road, not the beginning." (MM 1/27; MA 1/28 in WNC 2/2; WT 2/7)

Jordan's Supreme Court suspends controversial press law, saying parliament should have been given time to debate the draft law before it was put into effect by the government, allowing to reopen 13 papers that had been forced to close. Parliament will begin debate on the measure when it reconvenes in 2/98. (RJ 1/26 in WNC 1/27; JT 1/27 in WNC 1/30; JT 2/5 in WNC 2/6) (see 5/17/97, 9/27/97)