In Damascus, Jordan's King Abdallah, Syria's Pres. Asad hold 3 rounds of talks on promoting bilateral ties, marking a thaw in relations that deteriorated after Jordan, Israel signed a...
Clinton flies into Gaza airport by helicopter to attend the PNC session on the PLO charter, becoming the 1st sitting president to set foot on Palestinian soil. PNC mbrs., other officials approve...
Clash between IDF and Syrian troops near Syrian border; Syria releases 9 Phalangists, including top military man, in conciliatory gesture; Lebanese Army makes no major...
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In Damascus, Jordan's King Abdallah, Syria's Pres. Asad hold 3 rounds of talks on promoting bilateral ties, marking a thaw in relations that deteriorated after Jordan, Israel signed a peace treaty in 1994. (MM, WT 4/21; SATN 4/21 in WNC 4/22; al-Thawra 4/21 in WNC 4/26; NYT 4/22; JTV, al-Ra'i 4/22 in WNC 4/23; CSM 4/23)
In Cairo, Arafat meets with Pres. Mubarak, Arab League secy. gen. (MENA 4/21 in WNC 4/22; WP 4/22; al-Quds 4/22 in WNC 4/26)
Jordanian officials report that Israel has dropped plans to cut water supplies to the kingdom this yr. due to drought. (AFP, JT 4/21 in WNC 4/22; HA [international edition] 4/23; al-Ra'i 4/28 in WNC 4/30; MEI 5/7) (see 3/14)
Faisal Husseini, in his capacity as a PLO official, holds political briefing at Orient House in East Jerusalem for 30 foreign diplomats, incl. EU officials, several Arab ambs. Husseini is also the PA's minister for Jerusalem affairs. (MM, WP, WT 4/23; JP, MM, PR 4/30) (see 3/18)
IDF lifts closure on the West Bank, Gaza that was imposed on 4/19. (NYT 4/23)
Clinton flies into Gaza airport by helicopter to attend the PNC session on the PLO charter, becoming the 1st sitting president to set foot on Palestinian soil. PNC mbrs., other officials approve the nullification of clauses of the PLO charter by show of hands. PM Netanyahu says he is satisfied but still will not carry out the next stage of the FRD on 12/18. U.S. says it will not press Netanyahu on the issue because of the upcoming Knesset no-confidence vote 12/21. In a luncheon speech, Pres. Clinton refers the Palestinian people's "chance to determine their own destiny on their own land," but does not speak of the right to self-determination or statehood directly. Palestinians view his visit to Gaza as tacit U.S. acknowledgement of their right to sovereignty. (CSM, MM 12/14; al-Aswaq, al-Dustur, IDF Radio, ITV, JT, MENA, al-Ra`i RE, al-Safir 12/14 in WNC 12/15; IDF Radio, ITV 12/14, AFP, JT, MA, RE 12/15 in WNC 12/16; CSM, NYT, WP, WT 12/15; WJW 12/17; ITAR-TASS 12/17 in WNC 12/21; Tishrin 12/16, al-Thawra 12/17 in WNC 12/28; PR 12/18; JP 12/21; MEI 12/25)
Hillary Clinton visits a Palestinian refugee camp in Gaza, the Israeli-Palestinian town of Neve Shalom. (CSM 12/14; WP, WT 12/15; PR 12/18)
U.S. Commerce Secy. William Daley attends the official opening of th Qarni industrial zone. Coca Cola will be the first U.S. company to open operations in the zone. A total of 22 factories in the zone are ready for operation; 14 have been leased. (JP 12/21, 12/28)
Secy. Albright meets with Israeli DM Mordechai to discuss Wye implementation, Lebanon. (IDF Radio 12/14 in WNC 12/15)
Palestinians in Lebanese, Syrian refugee camps demonstrate against Wye agmt., amendment of the PLO charter. (VOL 12/14 in WNC 12/15; SATN 12/14 in WNC 12/16)
Jordan confirms that it recently deported, but did not turn over to the IDF, 3 Palestinians carrying PA passports fr. the kingdom because they are mbrs. of Hamas's Izzeddin al-Qassam Brigades, pose a security threat. (JT 12/15 in WNC 12/16; al-Dustur 12/15 in WNC 12/17)
In the West Bank, 2 Palestinians are wounded in clash with IDF. (AFP [Internet] 12/15)
Iran announces it has signed a deal with Anglo-Dutch Royal Dutch/Shell and the British Lasmo to explore Caspian Sea oil reserves. The $19.8-m. deal is just below the threshold set by the U.S. under its Iran-Libya Sanctions Act, which threatens economic reprisals against any company investing more than $20 m. in those countries oil industries. (WT 12/16)
Military Action:
Clash between IDF and Syrian troops near Syrian border; Syria releases 9 Phalangists, including top military man, in conciliatory gesture; Lebanese Army makes no major searches in West Beirut for first time in 8 days.
Casualties:
IDF announces 368 killed, 2,383 wounded in Lebanon war from June 6 to October 10.
Political Responses:
Israel/ Occupied Territories: American nurse and 6 medical colleagues from Gaza Hospital in Sabra camp offer to testify before Israeli Commission of Inquiry; 3 Kiryat Arba settlers arrested for storing explosives; Peres calls for peace settlement through a Jordanian-Palestinian framework with Jewish settlements remaining in demilitarized territory and IDF along Jordan River (says Labor Party does not renounce Israel's historic right to the territory); Sharon asks United Jewish Appeal delegation in Israel for support for Israeli withdrawal stance; Israel plans to request a $160 m. loan from IMF.
Palestinians/ Lebanese: Gemayel and Wazzan meet with justice officials and department overseeing Palestinian affairs; Camille Chamoun tells US officials he believes "Christian militias" should be retained until all Israeli and Syrian troops have left, states peace treaty would cut off Lebanon from Arab world; Arafat claims US and Israel broke agreement allowing PLO to leave Beirut; PLO weekly Falastin al-Thawra resumes publication in Cyprus; Arafat meets French Foreign Minister Cheysson then travels to Jordan.
Arab Governments: Egypt, in letter to Shultz, welcomes Reagan proposals but expresses some reservations; British Foreign Minister Pym, visiting Egypt to discuss Reagan initiative, says Cairo, Damascus approaches to plan are same.
US and Other Countries: US Assistant Defense Secretary Carlucci arrives in Beirut to visit Marines; Draper returns to help prepare for upcoming high-level meetings with Israeli and Arab leaders.
