Israeli-Palestinian clashes, which have left 365 Palestinians, 19 Israeli Arabs, and 58 Israeli soldiers, settlers, and civilians dead, stretch into their 5th mo. The most severe...
The PA cancels a planned mtg. btwn. Arafat, Barak; suspends negotiations with Israel to wait for U.S. proposals to get talks back on track. (WT 2/7; AFP 2/7 in WNC 2/8; CSM 2/8) (see 2/5)
Funeral for King Hussein is held in Amman. 10s of world leaders attend, including large Israeli, U.S. delegation. On the sidelines, Clinton meets briefly with King Abdallah, Asad, Arafat,...
Arafat goes to Amman to meet with newly designated Crown Prince Abdallah. (RJ 1/30 in WNC 2/2; NYT 1/31; WT 2/3)
IDF reserve pilots' strike ends after sides reach agmt. on insurance. (MA 1/...
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Israeli-Palestinian clashes, which have left 365 Palestinians, 19 Israeli Arabs, and 58 Israeli soldiers, settlers, and civilians dead, stretch into their 5th mo. The most severe clashes are in Ramallah. 2 Palestinians are killed by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). Palestinian Auhority (PA) General Intelligence Service (GIS) officer Anwar Mar'i is stabbed to death by Palestinian assailants nr. Salfit; the PA claims it is an IDF-backed assassination. A 4th Palestinian dies of a heart attack when the IDF delays his passage through a checkpoint to a hospital for over 1 hr. The IDF bulldozes Palestinian land nr. the Rafah border, demolishing 7 Palestinian homes, 10 greenhouses; shells residential areas nr. al-Bireh. (WT 2/17; LAW 2/18; SA 2/19 in WNC 2/21; LAW 2/22)
Outgoing Israeli Labor PM Ehud Barak announces he will join a unity government with Likud's PM-elect Ariel Sharon as DM, pending finalization of the government guidelines and the coalition. (MM 2/16; WT 2/17; AYM 2/17 in WNC 2/22; AYM 2/18 in WNC 2/21; MM 2/19; NYT 2/20)
Hizballah fires mortars at an IDF convoy in the disputed Shaba` Farms area of the occupied Golan Heights, killing 1 soldier, wounding 2. In response, the IDF bombards s. Lebanon, using tanks, artillery, helicopter gunships. (NYT, WP, WT 2/17; MM 2/19-21; WJW 2/22)
The U.S., Britain bomb 5 Iraqi sites, marking the 1st strikes outside the no-fly zones since 12/98, signalling a more confrontational approach to Baghdad by the new administration of U.S. Pres. George W. Bush. 3 Iraqi civilians are killed, 25 are injured. France, Turkey, the Arab states condemn the action. (ATL 2/16, ATL, MENA, MIL 2/17, ATL, HJ, JT, al-Quds 2/18, JT, MA, MENA 2/19 in WNC 2/20; NYT, WP, WT 2/17; MIL 2/17, 2/18 in WNC 2/21; NYT, WP, WT 2/18; MM, WP, WT 2/19; MM 2/20; HJ 2/20 in WNC 2/22; MM, WT 2/21; WP 2/22; MIL 2/22 in WNC 2/23; MEI, MM 2/23; al-Quds 2/23 in WNC 2/27; AP, WP 2/25; JP 3/2)
The PA cancels a planned mtg. btwn. Arafat, Barak; suspends negotiations with Israel to wait for U.S. proposals to get talks back on track. (WT 2/7; AFP 2/7 in WNC 2/8; CSM 2/8) (see 2/5)
PM Barak goes to Jordan to discuss the peace process with King Abdallah, outlines Israel's positions on resuming talks with Syria. (NYT, WT 2/7; MEI 2/11; DUS, JT 2/7 in WNC 2/8)
Arafat makes brief visit to Cairo to meet with Mubarak on the peace process. (MENA 2/6 in WNC 2/7; NYT, WT 2/7; MENA 2/6, JT 2/7 in WNC 2/8)
Also in Cairo, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, the PA convene high-level quadripartite talks on the future of 1967 Palestinian refugees. (MENA 2/6 in WNC 2/7; MENA 2/6, 2/7 in WNC 2/8; NYT 2/7; MENA 2/8 in WNC 2/10)
In retaliation for the IDF's 2/4 assassination attempt, Hizballah attacks another IDF patrol in s. Lebanon, killing 1 IDF soldier, wounding 7. The battle is broadcast on Israeli television, causing a public uproar. Barak calls an emergency mtg. of his security cabinet. (RL 2/6 in WNC 2/7; AFP 2/6 in WNC 2/8; MM, NYT, WT 2/7; MEI 2/11; JP 2/18)
In Israel, Turkey, Israel open 4-day joint economic comm. mtg. on expanding bilateral trade volume. (ATL 2/6 in WNC 2/7; ATL 2/8, 2/9 in WNC 2/10; ATL 2/11 in WNC 2/14)
Funeral for King Hussein is held in Amman. 10s of world leaders attend, including large Israeli, U.S. delegation. On the sidelines, Clinton meets briefly with King Abdallah, Asad, Arafat, Netanyahu. DFLP head Nayif Hawatmah shakes hands with Israeli pres. Weizman. (MM 2/8; ATL, Interfax, ITAR-TASS, Kyodo, LPA, Weiner Zeitung 2/8 in WNC 2/9; MM, NYT, WP, WT 2/9; MM 2/10)
Turkey rejects Iran's call to resume tripartite talks with Syria on situation in n. Iraq, other regional issues. Tripartite talks began in 1992 but were halted by Turkey in 1994 to protest Syria's alleged increase in support to the PKK. (ATL 2/8 in WNC 2/9)
Arafat goes to Amman to meet with newly designated Crown Prince Abdallah. (RJ 1/30 in WNC 2/2; NYT 1/31; WT 2/3)
IDF reserve pilots' strike ends after sides reach agmt. on insurance. (MA 1/31 in WNC 2/2) (see 1/29)
U.S. Asst. Secy. of State Indyk, special rep. Ricciardone meet with emirs of Bahrain, Qatar on 1st leg of Gulf tour to rally support for U.S. policy of overthrowing Iraqi pres. Saddam Hussein. Bahrain is currently a nonpermanent mbr. of the UNSC. (WT 1/31; MM 2/1) (see 1/29)
UN agrees to create 3 panels to review all aspects of Iraq's relations with the UN as the 1st step toward devising a new policy toward Iraq. (NYT, WP 1/31; WP, WT 2/1; ATL 2/3 in WNC 2/4)
In the largest attack since Operation Desert Fox, U.S. planes attack 6 Iraqi air defense sites in the n. no-fly zone. (WP, WT 1/31)
