The Palestine Chronology

Arafat meets with Egyptian pres. Husni Mubarak in Cairo. (MENA 2/20 in WNC 2/22)

PA High Court orders the PA General Intelligence Service (GIS) to release Wael Farraj, jailed without charge since 4/25/96. GIS refuses to release him. (PR 2/26; PCHR 3/1; MEI 4/23)

In Amman, King Abdallah meets with Chmn. of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Henry Shelton on cementing security ties, boosting bilateral aid. (WP 2/21; MEI 2/26)

Jewish settlers seize 100 dunams of Palestinian land nr. Nablus for settlement expansion. (al-Hayat al-Jadida 2/21 in WNC 2/22)

Arab League condemns Turkey's latest incursion into n. Iraq, calls for immediate withdrawal. (RE 2/20 in WNC 2/22) (see 2/18)

Israel's Labor party holds its primary in advance of the 5/17 elections. Party Chmn. Ehud Barak takes top position on the slate. (MM, NYT 2/17; CSM 2/18)

Netherlands FM Van Aartsen says Turkey's handling of the Ocalan trial should be a test for Turkey's membership in the European Union (EU). Kurds continue protests in Europe (home to 850,000 Kurdish refugees), Turkey over Ocalan's 2/16 capture. In Berlin, Israeli security guards fire on 100s of protesters who storm the Israeli consulate, killing 3, wounding 16. (MM, NYT, WP, WT 2/18; De Volkskrant, al-Rayah 2/18 in WNC 2/19; Frankfurter Rundschau 2/19 in WNC 2/22; MM 2/22; WJW 2/25)

Syria agrees to pay $500,000 to the U.S. to repair the U.S. emb. in Damascus, damaged 12/19 during protests against the U.S.-led attack on Iraq. U.S. says it considers diplomatic tensions over, will begin resuming visa services (suspended 12/22) on 2/28. (NYT, WP, WT 2/18; MM 2/25)

UN says it will hand over $84 m. to Kuwait for reparations to victims of the 1990 Iraqi invasion. Funds will be taken fr. Iraqi oil exports, which have produced $2.7 b. in compensation payments to date. (NYT 2/18; MEI 2/26)

Israel Defense Force (IDF) blocks Jewish settlers fr. occupying a building in East Jerusalem, which they claim to have bought fr. a Palestinian family. The family denies it sold the building. (JP, PR 2/26)

Secy. of State Albright travels to Bahrain, Egypt to discuss Iraq issue. Bahrain agrees to allow U.S. forces to stage strikes fr. its air bases if necessary. Both Bahrain, Egypt call for diplomatic solution but agree to U.S. phrasing that if the U.S. attacks Iraq it would be Saddam Hussein's fault. (MM 2/3; MENA 2/3 in WNC 2/4, 2/6; MM, WP, WT 2/4; MEI 2/13) (see 2/2)

Turkey's army chief Gen. Hussein Kizriko_lu begins 4-day visit to Israel to discuss military cooperation. (WT 2/4; see also MM 1/12)

Iran's Majles speaker Ali Akbar Nateq-Nuri arrives in Syria for 3-day visit; discussions on developing economic, commercial ties. (IRNA, SATN 2/3 in WNC 2/4; IRNA 2/3, IRNA, SATN 2/4, IRNA 2/5 in WNC 2/6; IRNA 2/5 in WNC 2/6)

To mark end of Ramadan, PA grants pardons or early releases to 31 Palestinian prisoners, including 2 convicted in connection with the 1/22/95 Beit Lid bombing that killed 21 Israelis. Israel similarly releases 23 Palestinian prisoners. (WP 2/4; JP 2/7)

In the West Bank, Palestinians protest Israel plans to confiscate land for expansion of Modi'in settlement. (PR 2/13)