The Palestine Chronology

Orient House head Faisal Husseini makes 1-day trip to Ankara to meet with Turkish pres. Demirel, FM Cem. (Anatolia 7/2 in WNC 7/6)

Syrian pres. Asad appoints Gen. Ali Aslan to replace Gen. Hikmat Shihabi, who is retiring, as chief of staff for the Syrian armed forces. Aslan, an Alawite with a distinguished military career and no record of political involvement, is currently dept. chief of staff. (MM 7/3; al-Quds al-Arabi 7/3, al-Aswaq 7/4 in WNC 7/7; al-Quds al-Arabi 7/5 in WNC 7/13; PR 7/17)

The UN asks Spain to provide a brigade of soldiers to work in UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) to replace Norwegian troops. Norway decided in 6/98 to reduce its UNIFIL force by 66% at the end of 1998 for financial reasons. (ABC [Madrid] 7/3 in WNC 7/7)

In Amman, technical comm. on refugees opens 2 days of talks. (WT 9/13; CSM 9/15)

PM Rabin arrives in Moscow for 3-day visit. (MM 9/12; QY, YA 9/12 in FBIS 9/12; DAVAR 9/17 in FBIS 9/20)

Arafat holds emergency mtg. in Alexandria with Pres. Mubarak, FM Musa to discuss Libyan expulsions, peace process. (VOP 9/12 in FBIS 9/13; NYT 9/13; CSM 9/15) (see 9/10)

In Madrid, Arafat adviser Faisal Husseini meets with FM Javier Solana. (EFE [Madrid] 9/12 in FBIS 9/13)

In Amman, Spain's PM Gonzalez meets with Jordan's King Hussein, PM Bin Shakir; heads to Damascus to meet with Pres. Asad. (RJ, RNE-1 Radio [Madrid], SARR 9/12, SARR 9/13 in FBIS 9/13; MM 9/13; RJ 9/12 in FBIS 9/15)

In Washington, Pres. Clinton awards Rabbi Abraham Shemtov, acting on behalf of the late Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, the Congressional Gold Medal, honoring moral and educational inspiration. Congress mbrs voted unanimously to award the medal (one of only 100 ever bestowed) to the late rabbi. (WJW 9/21; JP 9/26)

Faisal Husseini, Hanan Ashrawi hold meeting at Islamic College of Hebron to explain what transpired at Madrid. Fights break out between supporters, opponents of peace process. (Qol Yisra'el 11/13 in FBIS 11/14)

Additional members of the political committees resign (See 11/12) (Qol Yisra'el 11/13 in FBIS 11/14)

In Washington, West Bank academic Sari Nusseibeh, the driving force behind creation of the political committees, meets with State Department officials, requests U.S. intervention with Israel to assure Palestinians in o.t. be given freedom to express themselves politically, an essential step if the committees and other forms of political expression are to succeed. (MEM 11/14)

In Damascus, Fateh Central Comm. mbr. 'Abbas Zaki states that Fateh, Syria have agreed to normalize relations. Fateh-Syrian discussions have been ongoing since a Fateh delegation's arrival in Damascus 11/8. (AFP 11/13 in FBIS 11/14)

PLO Executive Committee begins meeting in Tunis to discuss the venue for second phase of peace talks. (MEM 11/14)