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  • October 16, 2000

    Arafat, Barak, Clinton, Mubarak, King Abdallah, the UN's Annan, the EU's Solana meet in Sharm al-Shaykh. Talks continue for 16 hrs., stretching past midnight, without success. A separate, very...

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  • March 17, 2000

    The U.S. announces a "major gesture" to Iran, acknowledging (but not apologizing for) past meddling in Iran, including the 1953 CIA-backed coup that restored the monarchy; promising...

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Arafat, Barak, Clinton, Mubarak, King Abdallah, the UN's Annan, the EU's Solana meet in Sharm al-Shaykh. Talks continue for 16 hrs., stretching past midnight, without success. A separate, very heated mtg. is held among Secy. of State Albright, Israel's acting FM Ben-Ami, the PA's Local Government M Erakat, Egyptian FM Musa to draft an outline of the rules of disengagement. (MM 10/16; ITAR-TASS, MENA, RL 10/16 in WNC 10/17; al-Quds 10/16, JT 10/17 in WNC 10/18; CSM, NYT, WP, WT 10/17; AYM 10/17 in WNC 10/9)

Israeli-Palestinian clashes continue at the same level of the past few days, with most clashes occurring on the outskirts of Palestinian cities, which are encircled by IDF troops. 2 Palestinians are killed by Israeli gunfire; 1 Palestinian dies of illness after being denied access to medical treatment by the IDF for 2 days because of the internal closure; 190 Palestinians are injured. The IDF expands its Netzarim Junction base, begins clearing agricultural land along roads nr. Khan Yunis. (ADM, LAW 10/16; CSM, NYT, WP, WT 10/17; Globes [Internet] 10/25)

In Gaza, Fatah, Hamas stage demonstrations against Arafat's participation in the Sharm al-Shaykh talks. Palestinian refugees in Lebanon, hold similar protests in `Ayn al-Hilwa, Baalbek, Tyre. In Iran, 1,000s of students march to the local UN offices to urge UN support for the Palestinians, condemnation of Israel. Smaller rallies in solidarity with the Palestinians are held in Amman, Ankara, Tokyo. In the U.S., demonstrations are held in Madison, San Francisco. (UPI 10/16; ATL, RL 10/16 in WNC 10/17; JT 10/17 in WNC 10/18)

The UNGA, citing a rule that allows it to take up matters of international peace and security when the UNSC proves unable or unwilling to do so, begins preparing for an emergency session to debate a resolution condemning recent Israeli violence. U.S. Amb. Holbrooke protests. (WT 10/17; WP 10/18; WJW 10/19; MEI 10/27) (see 10/12)

Hizballah says that Tenenbaum, the 4th IDF solider taken captive, approached Lebanese contacts in Europe, claiming to be an intelligence agent for a country other than Israel. He was lured to Beirut, traveling on a fake passport, on the pretense of meeting with a Hizballah official. Israel does not comment. At the request of Shin Bet, the Israeli High Court imposes a ban on publishing information about the affair. (NYT, WP 10/17; WJW 10/19) (see 10/15)

The U.S. announces a "major gesture" to Iran, acknowledging (but not apologizing for) past meddling in Iran, including the 1953 CIA-backed coup that restored the monarchy; promising steps toward the return of assets frozen since the 1979 revolution; lifting a ban on imports of Iranian luxury goods; easing restrictions on Iranian academics and athletes visiting the U.S. Secy. of State Albright adds that the U.S. will also consider the upcoming trial 13 Iranian Jews as a "barometer of U.S.-Iran relations." (NYT, WP, WT 3/17; NYT, WP 3/18; IRNA 3/18, 3/19 in WNC 3/21; NYT 3/19; MM 3/20; AYM 3/21 in WNC 3/23; CSM, MM 3/24; NY 4/27) (see 2/2)

Lebanon grants asylum to 1 of 5 Japanese Red Army mbrs. who just completed prison terms for passport forgery. The other 4 mbrs. are deported to Jordan, which hands them over to Japanese officials for extradition to Tokyo, where they will stand trial for bombings they carried out there in the 1970s. When they hear the news, angry demonstrators rally outside Lebanese PM Salim al-Huss's home. Huss claims Lebanon did not have an agmt. with Jordan, Japan to send the 4 back to Tokyo. (NYT, WP 3/18; al-Safir 3/18 in WNC 3/21; NYT 3/19; MM 3/21; WP, WT 3/22; MEI 5/5) (see 7/31/97)