In Rome, King Abdallah of Jordan holds talks with Italian officials, who agree to forgive or reschedule $130 m. of Jordan's debt. The king then heads to Aqaba, where he receives Israeli PM Barak...
U.S. Asst. Secy. Indyk briefs ambs. of Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Tunisia, the UAE on the Wye agmt. (al-Akhbar, al-Ba'th, al-Jumhuriyya...
After 21 straight hrs. of talks with Pres. Clinton, Israel, PA reach an agmt. at Wye. Following a delay caused by Netanyahu's last minute claim that the U.S. backed out of a promise to release spy...
PM Netanyahu's personal atty. Yitzhak Molho (acting as the PM's special envoy), PA Local Government M Erakat meet in an attempt to create momentum for higher level mtg. No progress is made. (QY 5/...
Israeli ministerial comm. unanimously approves Har Homa construction plan, says 3,015 housing units for Arabs may be built adjacent to the Har Homa settlement, but does not approve any funding for...
Shaykh 'Abd al-Hamid al-Sa'ih, 86, announces he will resign as PNC speaker at next PNC session, citing disagreements with the conduct of the peace process. (AFP, RMC 5/22 in FBIS 5/24; WT 5/23)...
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In Rome, King Abdallah of Jordan holds talks with Italian officials, who agree to forgive or reschedule $130 m. of Jordan's debt. The king then heads to Aqaba, where he receives Israeli PM Barak for brief talks on the peace process. Barak promises to honor all agmts. with the Palestinians, including the Wye accord; says he has received positive messages fr. Damascus, hopes that negotiations with Syria will resume soon. (RJ 7/13, JT 7/14 in WNC 7/15; JT [Internet], MM, NYT 7/14)
PA Planning M Shaath says that the PA, under U.S. pressure to avoid friction with the new Israeli government, will seek the speedy adjournment of the 7/15 UN mtg. of the signatories to the Fourth Geneva Convention. The mtg. was planned as an open-ended session to consider possible sanctions against Israel for human rights violations and settlement activity in the occupied territories. (AFP, MBC 7/13 in WNC 7/15; NYT, WT 7/14)
In Iran, student demonstrations devolve into riots, with clashes btwn. student groups, other individuals on the one hand and police, Ansar-e Hezbollah mbrs. on the other. Some 1,400 demonstrators have been arrested over the past 6 days. (GIU, MM 7/13; AFP, IDF Radio, IRIB Television 7/13 in WNC 7/15; CSM, MM, NYT, WP 7/14; MEI 7/16; WP 7/18)
Lebanon asks the UN to investigate reports that Israel has again been stealing soil fr. s. Lebanon. The UN, U.S. intervened with Israel in 11/98 after the IDF confirmed that Israelis were hauling fertile topsoil fr. occupied s. Lebanon into Israel. (VOL 7/13 in WNC 7/15; WT 7/14; al-Ba`th 7/19 in WNC 7/23) (see 11/6/98)
In Tripoli, Iranian, Libyan officials discuss expanding bilateral ties. (IRNA 7/14 in WNC 7/15)
ILMG meets for 1st time since 6/24 incidents; discusses 16 Lebanese complaints, 21 Israeli complaints. (RL 7/13 in WNC 7/15; Tishrin 7/15 in WNC 7/20) (see 7/8)
U.S. Asst. Secy. Indyk briefs ambs. of Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Tunisia, the UAE on the Wye agmt. (al-Akhbar, al-Ba'th, al-Jumhuriyya, MENA, RL 10/26, AFP 10/27 in WNC 10/28; MM, NYT, WP 10/27; MM 10/28; al-Ba'th 10/28 in WNC 11/2; al-Quds 10/28, SA 10/30, al-Ahram 11/2 in WNC 11/6; MM 10/29, 10/30; MM 11/2; WP 11/6)
In the Knesset, PM Netanyahu survives no-confidence motion, but Knesset Law Comm. agrees (9-7) to hear 1st reading of bill calling for the dissolution of parliament, new elections in 100 days. MKs criticize Netanyahu for linking Pollard with the peace process. (CSM, WP, WT 10/27)
In Gaza, the Arab Liberation Front, the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP), Hamas, Islamic Jihad, the Islamic National Salvation Party, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) issue statement denouncing the Wye agmt. (MENA 10/26 in WNC 10/27; PR 10/30)
200 Jewish settlers hold rally outside PM Netanyahu's office in Jerusalem, protesting the Wye agmt. At least 24 are detained by Israeli police. (ITV 10/26 in WNC 10/27; WP 10/27; YA 10/27 in WNC 10/28; MM 10/28)
Jordan, Israel begin long-delayed $1.65-m. joint project to build the `Adasiyya diversion wall to diver Yarmuk River water. (JT, RJ 10/27 in WNC 10/28; JP 211/9)
An Israeli settler is killed in Israeli-controlled Hebron in an apparent attack by Palestinians. IDF places curfew on Palestinians in Hebron's Israeli-controlled zone. Later, the body of a Palestinian is found outside Itamar settlement nr. Nablus. An anonymous caller claims Palestinian was killed to avenge the settler's death. (IDF Radio, ITV 10/26 in WNC 10/27; ITV 10/26 in WNC 10/28; CSM, LAW, MM, NYT, WP 10/27; MM 10/28; WJW 10/29; PR 10/30)
In Ramallah, Palestinians observe general strike, 100s of Fatah mbrs. march to protest 10/25 events, call on Arafat to punish security services. (NYT, WP 10/27; PR 10/30)
International experts submit final report Iraqi missile fragments to the UNSC, say results are inconclusive. Tests by Switzerland show no traces of VX; 1 sample in the 3d test by France shows traces of nerve agent that could be VX. French, Swiss, U.S. tests all show traces of unknown compound that could mask biological agents. (NYT, WP 10/27; MEI 10/30) (6/22)
U.S. says that a UN proposal to try the Pan Am bombing suspects in the Hague under Scottish law, tentatively agreed to by all parties, is in jeopardy because of Libyan demands that the 2 suspects not be imprisoned in Scotland if found guilty. (WP 10/27; WT 10/28) (see 9/29)
After 21 straight hrs. of talks with Pres. Clinton, Israel, PA reach an agmt. at Wye. Following a delay caused by Netanyahu's last minute claim that the U.S. backed out of a promise to release spy for Israel Pollard as part of the deal, the agmt. is signed at the White House. (MM, PR 10/23; IDF Radio, ITV, MENA 10/23 in WNC 10/26; IDF Radio, ITV, JTV, MENA 10/23, ATL, ITAR-TASS, JT, MENA, RE, RJ, al-Thawra 10/24, al-Ahram, al-Aswaq, ITV, MENA, al-Ra'i, RL, YA 10/25, MA, RL, al-Wafd 10/26 in WNC 10/27; NYT, WP, WT 10/24; WT 10/25; al-Ahram 10/25. al-Akhbar, al-Ba'th, al-Jumhuriyya, MENA 10/26, AFP 10/27 in WNC 10/28; MM 10/26; WJW 10/29; MEI 10/30; SA 10/30 in WNC 11/6; JP 11/2; NYT 11/11; WT 11/12; MM 11/13)
PM Netanyahu's personal atty. Yitzhak Molho (acting as the PM's special envoy), PA Local Government M Erakat meet in an attempt to create momentum for higher level mtg. No progress is made. (QY 5/20 in WNC 5/21)
In Doha, Syrian FM Faruq al-Shara` asks Qatari emir Shaykh Hamad Bin Khalifa al-Thani to suspend, or at least not invite Israel to, the Middle East and North Africa economic summit scheduled to open in Doha 11/16. The emir refuses but says it supports Syria's negotiating position. Shara` then leaves for Saudi Arabia to joint VP `Abd al-Halim Khaddam for similar talks with King Fahd. (MM 5/19, 5/21; al-Nahar 5/21 in WNC 5/23; al-Watan al-Arabi 5/30 in WNC 6/9)
Following rumors that the PM, FM are dissatisfied with his performance, Israeli amb. to the U.S. Ben-Elissar returns to Israel to meet with PM Netanyahu, FM Levy to "clarify his situation." (ITV 5/19 in WNC 5/22)
For the 1st time since 1981, when the border btwn. Syria and Iraq was closed, a private-sector delegation representing Syrian trade unions travels to Iraq to establish trade links. (RMC 5/19 in WNC 5/22; MM 5/20; SA 5/20 in WNC 5/21; MM 5/21, 5/22; RMC 5/22 in WNC 5/23; NYT 5/25; MM 5/28; SA 5/30 in WNC 6/2)
The pro-Iraqi Kurdish Democratic Party (KDP) joins forces with the Turkish military; attacks rival PKK offices in Irbil, killing 58 PKK mbrs., losing 53 men. (NYT 5/20) (see 5/17)
Lebanon's Constitutional Council voids the election of 4 parliamentary deputies, including a government minister; orders new elections for their seats; rejects the 15 other appeals submitted by defeated candidates after last summer's elections. (WP 5/20; RL 5/20 in WNC 5/21) (see 8/18/96)
To protests Israel's naval blockade of s. Lebanon, Amal attempts a suicide attack against an Israeli patrol boat off the Lebanese coast, blowing up its own boat but causing no Israeli injuries. (AFP 5/19 in WNC 5/22)
Israeli ministerial comm. unanimously approves Har Homa construction plan, says 3,015 housing units for Arabs may be built adjacent to the Har Homa settlement, but does not approve any funding for their construction. (Since 1990, Israel has allowed Arabs to build only 663 units in East Jerusalem, while allowing Israelis to build 13,835 units.) (MM 2/26; SANA 2/26 in WNC 2/27; MM, NYT, WP, WT 2/27; WP 3/2; JP 3/8) (see 2/19)
King Hussein sends an envoy to Israel to urge Netanyahu to reconsider the Har Homa decision. (WP 2/27) (see 2/25)
The Jordan-Israel Aqaba-Elat Comm. convenes in Aqaba. (al-Aswaq 2/27+n28 in WNC 3/3)
3 leftist Jordanian parties (Jordanian Arab Ba'th Socialist Party, the pan-Arab National Action Party, the Arab Land Party) announce they are merging to form the Jordanian Nationalist Democratic Front. Jordanian elections are 9 mos. away; Jordan's 26 official parties are trying to work out common platforms to field candidates on united lists. (JT 2/27 in WNC 3/3)
Turkey says it is considering recalling its envoys fr. Tehran amid a diplomatic crisis sparked by Iran's perceived support for Turkish Islamists who are politically opposed to the Turkish military, which advocates government secularism. (AFP 2/27 in WNC 3/4)
In Washington, the family of Alisa Flatow, killed in the 4/9/95 suicide bombing in the Gaza Strip, file a $150-m. lawsuit against Iran. The federal Antiterrorism Act of 1996 allows families of victims of terrorism to bring civil actions against countries designated by the State Dept. as sponsors of terrorism. Lawyers claim the bombing was carried out by Islamic Jihad, with Iran's financial backing. (WT 2/27; WJW 3/6; JP 3/8)
Shaykh 'Abd al-Hamid al-Sa'ih, 86, announces he will resign as PNC speaker at next PNC session, citing disagreements with the conduct of the peace process. (AFP, RMC 5/22 in FBIS 5/24; WT 5/23)
Fateh issues leaflet in Gaza Strip calling for 1 strike day per month, preferably the 9th (intifada day). (Davar 5/23 in FBIS 5/24)
King Hussein openly breaks off support for Iraq, citing opposition to continued rule of both Saddam Hussein and the Ba'th party. (NYT 5/26)
