The Palestine Chronology

Iraq's deputy P.M. Ramadan says Iraq prefers war to capitulation and that any decision to pull out of Kuwait must be linked to Israeli withdrawal from O.T. [WP 10/5].

Kuwaiti and Western officials report Kuwait's underground resistance movement is giving up much of its armed struggle after wave of executions by Iraqi troops that has left up to several hundred civilians dead [WP, LAT 10/5].

Soviet envoy Primakov arrives in Baghdad with message from Pres. Gorbachev, meets with F.M. Aziz and is to meet with Saddam (cf. 10/6) [INA 10/4 in FBIS 10/5; MEM 10/4; NYT, LAT, WT 10/5]; F.M. Shevardnadze meets Saudi F.M. Saud al-Faisal in New York [SPA 10/4 in FBIS 10/4].

Japanese P.M. Kaifu meets in Amman with Iraq's deputy P.M. Ramadan, then with King Hussein and offers Jordan $250 million in development loans [MEM 10/4; NYT, LAT, WT 10/5].

Pres. Mitterrand meets King Fahd in Jeddah, assures Saudis of French solidarity against Iraq NYT, LAT, MEM 10/5].

Aircraft carrier USS Independence leaves the Gulf after 3 days [LAT, NYT, WT 10/5].

British F.M. Hurd and Italian F.M. de Michelis say in separate interviews that Israel must move quickly to make peace with Palestinians as soon as Gulf crisis is over. "Algeria has told us: 'Within one minute of the end of the crisis, we Arabs, including the moderate, will demand that the UN impose exactly the same sanctions on Israel as on Iraq.' They have a right to do so and plenty of reasons.... Israel must open up on this" says de Michelis [WT, MEM 10/5].

Sec. Baker says U.S. will release $400 million in loan guarantees for housing Soviet Jewish immigrants as a result of Israeli assurances [JDS 10/2 in FBIS 10/3; NYT, LAT, WP, MEM 10/3].

Joint resolution expressing Congress' approval of Pres. Bush's handling of Gulf crisis passes Senate by vote of 96-3 [WP, LAT, NYT, WT 10/3].

Soviet Union complains Iraq is delaying exit visas for Soviet specialists whose contracts have expired and who want to return home [LAT 10/3].

Senate Appropriations subcommittee on foreign operations approves admin. proposal to forgive Egypt's $7 billion military debt; also authorizes Israel to redirect up to $200 million of U.S. economic assistance to "defense purposes" during the Gulf crisis [CDS 10/3 in FBIS 10/5; WP 10/3].

Chief of Soviet General Staff, Gen. Mikhail A. Moiseyev, says economic sanctions against Iraq are working and that no force should be used in Gulf unless it is approved by the UN [NYT 10/3].

Addressing UN Gen. Assembly, Saudi F.M. Prince Saud al-Faisal urges Iraq to leave Kuwait in order to strengthen rights of Palestinians [NYT, MEM 10/3].

Bethlehem University reopens, becoming the 1st university to open after 30 months [IDF 10/2 in FBIS 10/2].

Japanese P.M. Toshiki Kaifu arrives in Cairo for meeting with Pres. Mubarak [MENA 10/2 in FBIS 10/3; WT 10/3].

IDF troops shoot dead 3 W. Bank Palestinians, another dies from wounds received last week, in one of the highest single-day death tolls in recent months [MEM 10/3].

Jordan reopens its borders to Gulf-bound trucks; ban had interrupted flow of Lebanese, Syrian, and Turkish produce and meat to Gulf states. Jordan says it lifted ban to "test the good intentions" of Saudi gov't, implying ban would be reimposed if trucks were not given passage through Saudi Arabia; Saudis claim Jordan "caved in" to Syrian pressure [MEM 10/3]. 

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].