The Palestine Chronology

Soviet pres. Gorbachev holds talks with PM Shamir in Madrid, the first summit meeting ever held by leaders of Israel, USSR. (WP 10/30)

Israel concedes to U.S. decision to allow 45 minutes to both Palestinian, Jordanian sections of Palestinian-Jordanian delegation for opening remarks at peace conference. (MEM 10/29)

PFLP claims responsibility for 10/28 attack on bus carrying Israeli settlers. (AFP 10/29 in FBIS 10/29)

Some 1,000 supporters of Fateh stage propeace conference demonstration in Gaza city, shaking hands with Israeli soldiers and handing them olive branches. Another pro-peace conference march held in Jenin. (MEM 10/29)

Roadside bomb kills three Israeli soldiers, injures a fourth near 'Aramta, S. Lebanon; Islamic Resistance coalition (led by Hizbullah) claims responsibility. In a separate incident, guerrillas attempting to infiltrate into Israel near town of Biranit ambush Israeli patrol, wounding five; two are killed. Islamic Jihad Movement of Palestine [Fathi Shaqaqi] claims responsibility. Israeli helicopters attack area near Rashidiyya refugee camp, Hizbullah office in Nabatiyya. (Qol Yisra'el 10/29 in FBIS 10/30; MEM 10/29; WP, MEM 10/30; NYT 11/2)

Some 5,000 Islamists, leftists, Nasirists demonstrate against peace conference at Cairo University in wake of police crackdown on anti-conference activists. (MEM 10/30)

One Israeli soldier killed in ambush near Jenin. Troops kill Buraq Salih al-Masrin Nablus. (NYT 9/16)

One Nepalese UN soldier killed, second wounded near Yatir, S. Lebanon, duringun battle. One guerrilla killed. (WP 9/15)

Palestinian fighters inboats are forced to land at Naqura inside Israel's Lebanese "security zone," by Israeli naval patrol boats. The guerrillas take several UNIFIL soldiers hostage. One guerrilla, one Swedish UNFIL soldier, five other UN troops wounded in subsequent clash, which UN states was started when SLA troops opened fire during negotiations to free the hostages. (NYT 9/14)

One of captured fighters claim group belonged to Fateh. (Qol Yisra'el 9/14 in FBIS 9/18)

New York Times reports that Bush admin. began planning offensive campaign to remove Iraq from Kuwait as early as September 1990, despite public insistence that U.S. troops were to defend Saudi Arabia and enforce UN sanctions [NYT 3/3].

Allied officials and Iraqi refugees report chaos and near anarchy in Basra as Iraqi troops leaving Kuwait arrive [NYT, WP 3/3].

American officer reports that dozens of Iraqi tanks, perhaps lost and without communications, attacked U.S. troops in worse violation of cease-fire. American forces repel attack, destroying about 60 vehicles and capturing about 80 tanks and personnel carriers; there are no American casualties [NYT, WP 3/3].

Senior U.S. admin. officials say Washington wants to maintain much larger military presence in Gulf region than it had before Iraq invaded Kuwait in order to deter aggression against U.S. allies [NYT 3/3].

UN Sec. Council adopts, by 11-1 vote, resolution 686 which reaffirms, in more detail, cease-fire conditions imposed on Iraq (cf. 3/3) [WP, MEM 3/4].

PLO leadership meets in Tunis, calls for urgent" measures to halt attacks and arrests of Palestinians in Kuwait [TDS, AFP 3/3 in FBIS 3/4; AVP 3/3 in FBIS 3/5].

Lebanon's Pres. Hrawi warns in speech that Palestinian guerrillas will no longer be allowed to attack Israel from Lebanon: we will not tolerate the use of Katyusha rockets to provoke an invasion of this country. The liberation of Palestine cannot be fulfilled by the firing of Katyusha rockets" [NYT 3/4; MEM 3/5]. 

Pres. Bush discusses Gulf war with Emir of Qatar over telephone, expresses appreciation for Qatari force's role in battle for Khafji; Bush also calls King Fahd [SPA 2/2, WAKH 2/3 in FBIS 2/4].

American command says it has destroyed Iraqi naval power in Gulf; U.S. spokesman says 24 boats, many captured from Kuwait, have been sunk, 31 others disabled [NYT, WP 2/3; MEM 2/4].

Iraqi anti-aircraft fire hits 2 U.S. planes, A-10 Thunderbolt and A-6 Intruder; both are listed as missing. Aircraft losses stand at 15 U.S. planes, 7 other allied craft [NYT, WP 2/3].

U.S. soldier is killed, 2 are wounded when convoy is bombed, apparently by American warplane; it is 2d incident of "friendly fire" killing U.S. troops since war began [NYT, WP, WT 2/3].

In renewed affirmation of neutrality, Iran rejects appeals from senior Iraqi officials to allow Iraqi planes to return to combat after having sought refuge in Iran. Sources say Iran is almost certainly allowing steady supply of food and other goods to reach Iraq in contravention of spirit, if not the letter, of UN sanctions [NYT 2/3].

IDF artillery shells Palestinian bases in S. Lebanon; gov't. warns that if guerrilla rockets continue to land in "security zone," Israeli reaction will be more harsh [IDF 2/2 in FBIS 2/4].