Military Action: IDF jets bomb Palestinian areas of Beirut for fifth day, blowing up major PLO ammunition dump in Ramlet el-Baida (raid initiated at 2:42 PM, same number as UN resolution); jets...
IDF armored units trade intermittent artillery fire with PLO in W. Beirut following night of fierce shelling; IDF shelling wrecks Algeria's six-story embassy and Summerland...
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Israeli-PLO security, civilian affairs comm. negotiations continue in Taba. Security comm. discusses release of Palestinian prisoners, establishment of Palestinian police. Israeli negotiator Gen. Amnon Shahak says draft paper on Palestinian police force "almost achieved." Civilian Affairs comm. divides into subcoms. on electricity and civil planning, communications. Palestinian negotiator Radwan Abu-Ayyash estimates cost of Palestinian broadcast network at $30 m.-$50 m. (MENA 2/16 in FBIS 2/16, 2/17; MM 2/16)
Bilateral Arab-Israeli talks resume in Washington. (Qol Yisra'el 2/16 in FBIS 2/16)
Egyptian State Broadcasting Authority renews official contact with Israeli Broadcasting Authority, broken during 1982 Lebanon war. (MM 2/17; JP 2/26)
Higher Jordanian-Palestinian Comm. completes 2 days of mtgs. in Amman. Jordanian Information M. Jawad al-Anani says PLO and Jordan have agreed on joint strategy in economic talks with Israel set for Paris. Israel-Jordan joint economic comm. meets in Washington with U.S. participation. (RJ 2/16 in FBIS 2/16, 2/17; MM 2/16, 2/17)
AFP reports 1st all-Palestinian bank in o.t., "Commercial Bank of Palestine," will start operations 3/15 in Ramallah. Bank, with capital of $14 m., is headed by businessman Suhail Jad`awn. (AFP 2/16 in FBIS 2/17)
U.S. State Dept. announces Secy. of State Christopher will visit Middle East during 3/94. (MM 2/17)
PLO Chmn. Arafat accuses "Israeli officers" of condoning arms trade in o.t., warning flow of weapons "could lead to another Afghanistan among the Palestinians." (NYT 2/17)
IDF kills purported PFLP mbr. Najwan Mahmud Muhammad al-`Izza, 21, in Halhul, West Bank. (MM 2/17) [CHALLENGE--2/15]
122-mm. katyusha rocket fired on northern Israel fr. southern Lebanon in 1st incident in 6 mos. IDF blames attack on Palestinian opposition groups. IDF tanks, artillery come to aid of SLA patrol ambushed by Hizballah. Hizballah claims 12 SLA mbrs. killed or wounded. (NYT, MM, WT 2/17; MM 2/18)
Israeli cabinet extends term of IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Ehud Barak to 1/95. Barak had been set to retire 4/94. (MM 2/16)
PM Rabin's spokesman Oded Ben-Ami defends allowing 30 elite IDF veterans to serve in Congo as advisers, denying soldiers are mercenaries. Opponents cite Congolese civil war as reason to bar Israeli support of Brazzaville regime. Press reports say over 2,000 IDF veterans have served in Africa since 1960s. (NYT 2/17)
FRC mbrs. Yusuf Sha`ban, Salim Mahyub confess to killing Jordanian diplomat Na'ib al-Ma'aytah in Beirut 1/29. Bassam Atiya, also arrested, denies involvement. (RL 2/16 in FBIS 2/17; MM 2/17)
Israeli court convicts 4 banks--Leumi, Hapoalim, Discount, and Mizrahi--and 9 bank executives in connection with 10/83 stock market crash precipitated by news of banks propping up own stocks. Crash cost $7 b. in Israeli govt. payments to investors. (CSM 2/17)
U.S. Pres. Clinton, Saudi amb. Prince Bandar announce Saudia Airlines will purchase 50 U.S.-made Boeing 747 and McDonnell-Douglas MD-11, MD-80, and MD-90 commercial aircraft worth $6 b. Deal will be financed in part through U.S. Export-Import Bank loan guarantees. (CSM, NYT, MM, WT 2/17)
Military Action: IDF jets bomb Palestinian areas of Beirut for fifth day, blowing up major PLO ammunition dump in Ramlet el-Baida (raid initiated at 2:42 PM, same number as UN resolution); jets hit Shatila, Sabra, Burj al-Barajneh, Fakhani, Bir Hassan, Spinney's, Corniche Mazraa; IDF naval artillery pound areas, including Ouzai; artillery, rocket duels between IDF and PLO; French media asserts IDF bringing up toxic chemical shells for use in Beirut (reportedly used in battle for Beaufort Castle).
Casualties: Beirut radio reports 15 killed, 47 wounded today; 8 IDF soldiers wounded near Choueifat, south of Beirut; fires burn near stadium; ICRC resumes visits to Ansar detention camp after stoppage due to "IDF interference with ICRC work"; electricity remains cut off to West Beirut.
Political Responses: Israel/ Occupied Territories: Habib, Begin plan meeting today; Foreign Ministry spokesman Avi Pazner rules out direct negotiations with the PLO, even if it does recognize Israel; petrol prices rise 17 percent, cooking gas 24 percent because of invasion of Lebanon; Israel dismisses mayor, town council of Kalkilya (ninth municipality dissolved since March); IDF Army Colonel Eli Geva, commander of tank brigade outside Beirut, resigns, refusing to order his men to enter Beirut; Israeli newspaper Davar reports Israeli delegation is in US seeking mercenaries (especially US veterans) to fight in Lebanese war for Israel.
Palestinians/ Lebanese: PLO claims IDF attacks are designed to "soften up" Beirut before assault on city, exhaust PLO ammunition.
Arab Governments: Egypt welcomes Arafat statement, calls on US to recognize PLO.
US and Other Countries: Rep. McCloskey calls for cut-off of military aid to Israel because of use of cluster bombs; controversy continues around statement signed by Arafat in meeting with Congressional delegation (White House rejects statement as "unclear"); Representative Rahall (D-WV) notes "hellish destruction" in West Beirut; Habib meets Jordan's King Hussein in London, briefs UK Foreign Secretary Pym, flies to Israel; Canada plans to send $1.8 million in humanitarian aid to Lebanon; France hails Arafat statement.
Military Action:
IDF armored units trade intermittent artillery fire with PLO in W. Beirut following night of fierce shelling; IDF shelling wrecks Algeria's six-story embassy and Summerland resort hotel, damages embassies of Kuwait, Iran, Iraq and UAE; PLO shells injure guard at presidential palace, land near residence of US Ambassador; IDF jets drop flares; 8 IDF shells hit Beirut racetrack; Phalangists resume blockade of food and fuel from West Beirut after IDF eased blockade yesterday; IDF units report capture of 600-700 PLO fighters, mainly in the Chouf mountains in the past week; IDF soldiers patrol villages in the area to prevent violence between Druze and Christian villagers.
Casualties:
Nine IDF soldiers reportedly wounded in past 24 hours; private Lebanese radio station reports 12 Palestinians killed, 18 wounded; Israeli Economy Minister Meridor, heading aid program in southern Lebanon, claims only 10 Sidon buildings damaged beyond repair (Sidon's mayor says hundreds); 50-60 people are being arrested each week in the Sidon area alone on suspicion of being PLO members/ sympathizers; ICRC still denied access to IDF's "civilian detainees" except for 18 injured being held in an Israeli hospital; refugee estimates of civilian dead in Ain el-Hilweh run to "thousands"; despite reports by IDF Druze unit which attacked camp with little PLO resistance, large areas of camp were devastated, hundreds buried under the rubble; death toll for Beirut alone since June 4 put at 2,683.
Political Responses:
Israel/ Occupied Territories: Israel reportedly sent Reagan documents indicating "mercenaries" from Asia/Africa fought with PLO and that M-16 rifles sold by the US to Saudi Arabia were found in southern Lebanon; Sharon says all PLO and Syrian forces must leave Lebanon before IDF will withdraw; Israel rejects use of multinational force as "buffer" between IDF and PLO forces; Foreign Ministry official Kimche and Israeli military intelligence officer Saguy meet with Habib in Beirut; several cabinet ministers opposed to IDF assault on Beirut even if negotiations fail; 300 IDF reservists in Tel Aviv call for an end to the war in Lebanon.
Palestinians/ Lebanese: Negotiations make little headway as PLO insists on political concessions, protection for Palestinian refugees in return for evacuation; PLO also reported to insist on retaining heavy as well as light weapons; Habib meets with Wazzan, Sarkis, Butros; Salam accuses Sharon of ordering Friday bombardment to sabotage talks; Wazzan insists US and other peacekeeping troops be deployed in W. Beirut before the PLO evacuation to protect Muslims from possible reprisals by Phalangists; Habib suggests PLO evacuation by sea using French, Canadian, Belgian or Greek navy escort; PLO's Khalaf predicts IDF will take Beirut "bit by bit."
Arab Governments: Syria continues to refuse to accept more than PLO leadership.
US and Other Countries: France agrees "in principle" to send peacekeeping troops to Beirut if all parties to the conflict and the UN agree; Draper, in Syria, fails to persuade it to accept PLO guerrillas; White House officials say the US "would welcome" use of French troops in Lebanon; USSR warns France not to submit to Washington's "dangerous plans"; Habib sets August 1 as date to begin PLO evacuation; Greece offers ships to facilitate PLO evacuation; Pope sends message to president of Israel urging honorable treatment of defeated Palestinians.
UN: UNIFIL spokesman says the number of persons in the UNIFIL area has doubled with the influx of refugees fleeing fighting in the north, many with no roof over their heads.
