The Palestine Chronology

The IDF fatally shoots 2 Palestinians attempting to sneak into Israel fr. Gaza; fatally shoots 1 Palestinian in Tulkarm when he fails to heed orders to halt; opens fire on Palestinian stone throwers in Nablus, injuring 12; demolishes a Palestinian home in Nablus; conducts arrest raids, house searches in Abud, Tamun, Tura. A 4th Palestinian dies of injuries received on 2/11. (AP, HA, WT 2/21; HA, NYT, WT 2/22; LAW 2/23; LAW, PCHR 2/27)

PLO Exec. Comm. gen. secy. and senior PA negotiator Mahmud Abbas says that the PA is calling for a 1-yr. demilitarization of the intifada. The AMB, Hamas, Islamic Jihad, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) reject the call. (HA 2/21; Interfax 2/21, SA 2/23 in WNC 2/24; NYT 2/23; al-Quds, JT 2/24 in WNC 2/25; AYM 2/24 in WNC 2/26)

At Camp David, Arafat passes a letter to Clinton saying he sees no reason to continue talks, since Barak has adopted a take-it-or-leave-it position regarding U.S. proposals on Jerusalem. After a final set of 1-on-1 mtgs. with Arafat and Barak, Clinton declares an end to the Camp David summit. The U.S., Israel, the PA issue a 5-point statement of negotiating principles, express hope that a deal may still be reached by 9/13. In announcing the failure of the summit, Clinton essentially lays the blame on Arafat, stating that Barak showed more flexibility. (Interfax, MENA 7/25 in WNC 7/26; MENA, XIN 7/25, ABC [Madrid], ATL, Interfax, IRNA, ITAR-TASS, MA, MENA, al-Quds, SA 7/26 in WNC 7/27; MM, NYT, PR [Internet], WP, WT 7/26; AYM, DUS 7/26, Le Monde, SA, TT 7/27 in WNC 7/28; Arab News [Jeddah] 7/26, JT 7/30 in WNC 7/31; HA [Internet], NYT, WJW 7/27; AYM 7/28 in WNC 8/2; MIL 7/28 in WNC 8/3; NYT 7/29; WP 7/30)

UN Secy.-Gen. Annan suspends the UNIFIL deployment in light of new Israeli violations of the blue line. (XIN 7/25 in WNC 7/27; WP 7/26; MEI 7/28)

The London-based daily al-Hayat reports that Syrian pres. Bashar al-Asad recently received fmr. chief of staff Shihabi on his return fr. medical treatment in the U.S., suggesting anticorruption charges against him have been dropped. (MM 7/25; SA 7/30 in WNC 7/31) (see 6/6)

Jewish settlers level 25 dunams of Palestinian land nr. Qalqilya. (LAW 8/10)

Israeli PM Barak, Syrian FM Shara` resume substantive peace talks in Shepherdstown, West Virginia. Pres. Clinton, Secy. Albright both meet separately with Barak, Shara`; these mtgs. run long, forcing the cancellation of a 3-way mtg. among Barak, Clinton, Shara`. Talks focus on Israel's demand that talks start with security issues, Syria's demand that they start with the extent of Israel's withdrawal fr. the Golan. The U.S. convinces them to discuss all issues simultaneously. (AFP, IRNA 1/3 in WNC 1/4; AYM 1/3, DUS, al-Quds 1/4 in WNC 1/5; CSM, MM, NYT, WP, WT 1/4; WP 1/5; Tehran Times 1/5 in WNC 1/6; WJW 1/6; MEI 1/14)

During their private mtg., Barak asks Clinton for a $17-b. military assistance package to ensure Israeli security in the event of a Golan withdrawal. (MM 1/4; MM, WP 1/5; NYT, WJW, WT, WP 1/6; SA 1/6 in WNC 1/7; MM 1/7; MEI 1/14)

In Beirut, Ahmad Raja Abu Kharub, a Palestinian refugee angered by Russia's war in Chechnya, fires 4 grenades at the Russian emb., killing a policeman, injuring 7 civilians before being killed by security forces. (ITAR-TASS, RL 1/3 in WNC 1/4; MM, WT 1/4; Interfax, ITAR-TASS, RL 1/4 in WNC 1/5; ITAR-TASS 1/5 in WNC 1/6; MM 1/6; RL 1/10 in WNC 1/11; MEI 1/14) (see 12/8)

Lebanese soldiers storm a village in the Diniyya region, where mbrs. of Takfir wa al-Hijra, on the run from authorities following their 12/31 attack, are hiding out. 11 Takfir mbrs., 2 civilians, 1 soldier taken hostage on 12/31, 3 other soldiers are killed in the clash. (SA 1/3 in WNC 1/4; MM, WP 1/4; AFP 1/4 in WNC 1/5; al-Nahar 1/5 in WNC 1/6; RL 1/7 in WNC 1/10; MEI 1/14; al-Safir 1/21 in WNC 2/1)

In Ramallah, a group of armed Palestinian youths fr. al-Amari refugee camp close off the Jerusalem-Ramallah road, roam downtown Ramallah, occasionally fire into the air in an attempt to pressure the PA into releasing a camp resident serving a life sentence in a PA jail. PA security forces disperse the youths, reopen the road, take up positions downtown to ensure residents safety. (AYM 1/4 in WNC 1/6)