The Palestine Chronology

Pres. Asad meets with Chmn. Arafat, PLO officials, and delegation mbrs. in Latakiafirst Asad-Arafat meeting in over a year. PLO group then travels to Amman. (WP, WT 4/20; RJN, SARR 4/20 in FBIS 4/20)

Peace Now calls on PM Rabin to seize the moment for peace, presents 10 principles. (MM 4/19)

Ten Palestinian rejectionist factions issue statement condemning current diplomacy seeking to resume peace talks. (QPAR 4/19 in FBIS 4/20)

Palestinian dentist, an UNRWA and Red Crescent official, is assassinated in Sidon, Lebanon. Fateh blames FRC, Mossad. Two FRC mbrs. are found dead in Sidon. (RFL 4/19 in FBIS 4/20; Voice of the PLO [Baghdad] 4/20 in FBIS 4/21)

Saudi FM Prince Saud Faisal calls on Gulf states to release funds to PLO, including the 5% "PLO tax" on Palestinian workers halted after the Gulf war. King Fahd pledges a contribution to the Jerusalem Fund. (MM 4/20; WT 4/20; SPA 4/19 in FBIS 4/20)

IDF undercover units shoot 1 Palestinian dead in West Bank, 1 in Gaza Strip. (MM 4/20)

FMs of Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt, and Palestine (PLO pol. dept. head Faruk Qaddumi) meet in Damascus at invitation of Syrian FM Faruk al-Shara' to coordinate negotiating strategy. Haydar 'Abd al-Shafi and other Palestinian delegation members also attend talks. Egypt and the Palestinians reportedly support the Israeli-American plan for an autonomy agreement by 10/30; Syria, Lebanon, and Jordan oppose this. (Radio Lebanon, SANA 7/24 in FBIS 7/24; MM 7/24)

King Hussein meets with Pres. Asad in Damascus. (Syrian Arab Republic Radio 7/24 in FBIS 7/27)

Prominent Palestinian Israelis meet in Tunis with PLO officials. (ITV 7/23 in FBIS 7/24)

PLO Exec. Comm. issues memo rejecting Israel's "theatrical step" of cancelling 6,600 o.t. housing contracts that were only imaginary projects of Shamir and Sharon. (Algiers VOP 7/24 in FBIS 7/27)

At news conference with Saudi FM Prince Saud al-Faisal in Jidda, Secy. of State Baker praises Israel's partial freeze of new settlement construction but says U.S. will need to decide whether the action meets conditions for granting loan guarantees. (NYT 7/25)

Israeli jets raid Hizballah targets in Jabal Safi, Iqlim al-Tuffah regions, S.Lebanon, following up 7/24 attacks. (Qol Yisra'el 7/24 in FBIS 7/24; MM 7/24)

Fateh Revolutionary Council blames Mossad in collaboration with PLO in 7/23 killing of Walid Khalid (Al-Anwar 7/24 in FBIS 7/28)

Lebanese govt. sets dates for first general elections in 20 years, despite Christian opposition to holding the vote before Syrian withdrawal. Regional elections rounds will be held 8/23, 8/30, and 9/6. (WP 7/25)

Def. Sec. Cheney fires Air Force chief of staff Gen. Dugan for remarks made 9/15. Dismissal is approved by Pres. Bush [NYT, LAT, WT, WP 9/18; CSM 9/19; FJ 9/24].

Saudi Arabia and Soviet Union sign agreement in Moscow restoring diplomatic relations after 52-year hiatus; agreement signed by Saudi F.M. Saud al-Faisal [MEM 9/17; NYT, WP, LAT, WT 9/18; MET 9/25].

Foreign ministers of the 12 EC nations agree to expel military personnel from Iraqi embassies in their capitals and to limit travel of other Iraqi diplomats in Europe [NYT, WP, LAT, WT 9/18; CSM 9/19].

Israeli D.M. Moshe Arens, in Washington for 2d visit in 2 months, meets with U.S. officials, expresses concern about expected $20 billion in U.S. arms sales to Saudi Arabia and asks for additional $1 billion military aid to Israel [NYT, WP, LAT, WT 9/18].

Conference of Arab Popular Movements in Amman ends; issues statement denouncing military buildup in Gulf, demanding Arab solution for crisis, and calling for linkage with settlement of Arab-Israeli conflict [MEM 9/17; NYT, LAT, WP 9/18; RAY 9/18 in FBIS 9/18].

Israeli gov't decides not to seek injunction against sales of Ostrovsky and Hoy's book By Way of Deception. A Devastating Insider's Portrait of the Mossad [LAT 9/18].

Simcha Dinitz, chrmn. of Jewish Agency, says up to 2 million Soviet immigrants could arrive in Israel by end of 1995, raising current 4.5 million population by nearly 45% [WT 9/18].

Palestinians throughout O.T. observe general strike to mark 8th anniversary of Sabra and Shatila massacre [FJ 9/24; MET 9/25].