In Brussels for international economic meetings, Sec. of State Baker rejects Soviet envoy Yevgeny Primakov's suggestion that solution to Gulf crisis be linked to Palestine question [LAT 11/17]....
In testimony to House Foreign Affairs Committee, Sec. Baker calls for creation of U.S.-led NATO-style security structure in Middle East to prevent renewed Iraqi aggression even if present crisis...
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John Major is selected as next prime minister of Britain [NYT, LAT, WT, WP 11/28; CSM 11/29].
Bush admin. announces that Chinese F.M. Qian has been invited to Washington for talks with Sec. Baker, in what appears to be compensation to Beijing for its support for draft UN resolution authorizing force against Iraq [NYT, WT 11/28].
Saddam Hussein tells reporters that Iraq does not have nuclear weapons; International Atomic Energy Agency reports Iraq's small stock of highly enriched reactor fuel has not been diverted to build nuclear weapons [NYT, WT, WP, MEM 11/28].
2 PFLP fighters and 5 Israeli soldiers are killed, 6th is wounded during firefight near Shabaa, S. Lebanon. Hours later, Israeli air force bombs PFLP and DFLP bases east of Sidon, and Israeli long-range artillery hits villages north of "security zone" [AFP, IDF, BDS, JDS 11/27 in FBIS 11/27; MEM 11/27; NYT, LAT. WT, WP 11/28; CSM 11/29; JPI 12/8; MET 12/11].
Rear Adm. Gene La Rocque (Ret.) tells congressional committee that 6-month Gulf war would result in deaths of 10,000 U.S. soldiers, wounding of 35,000 others, and cost $80 billion [LAT 11/28].
In Tunis, Yasir Arafat confers separately with ambassadors of the 5 permanent members of UN Sec. Council, discussing Gulf crisis and situation in o.t.; Arafat tells ambassadors to demand Sec. Council issue same ultimatum to Israel that it intends to address to Iraq [MEM 11/28; MAP 11/28 in FBIS 11/29].
Saudi official says his country's gratitude toward USSR for its support in Gulf crisis has motivated Saudi Arabia to lend Moscow as much as $1 billion as part of GCC "financial cooperation program" [MEM 11/27, 11/29; WP 11/29].
In Brussels for international economic meetings, Sec. of State Baker rejects Soviet envoy Yevgeny Primakov's suggestion that solution to Gulf crisis be linked to Palestine question [LAT 11/17].
Soviet envoy Alexander Belonogov meets in Cairo with Pres. Mubarak to discuss Gulf crisis; Belonogov then leaves for Saudi Arabia [MENA 11/16, CDS 11/17 in FBIS 11/20].
Ultra-Orthodox Agudat Israel party joins P.M. Shamir's ruling coalition; belated agreement increases Likud majority from 62 Knesset seats out of 120, to 66 seats [JDS 11/16 in FBIS 11/16; NYT, LAT 11/17; CSM, MEM 11/19; JPI 11/24; MET 11/27].
Arab and nonaligned nations introduce Sec. Council resolution calling for UN observer force in occupied territories (o.t.) and for conference of 164 signators of Fourth Geneva Convention [LAT 11/17; MEM 11/19].
Iran and Iraq announce agreement on series of steps to end major disputes lingering from 8-year war; Iranian F.M. Velayati says he detects willingness by Iraq to end crisis by withdrawing from Kuwait [NYT 11/17].
700 members of U.S. Council of Jewish Federations pass without dissent resolution backing Bush admin. policy in Gulf, but say they will fight U.S. plans to sell weapons to Saudia Arabia [NYT 11/17].
IDF bars Gaza Strip and West Bank residents from Jerusalem as preventive measure against anticipated protests following prayers on Haram al-Sharif [FJ 11/19].
Israeli Immigration Minister Yitzhak Peretz ignites political row by calling for curbs on Soviet immigration, saying 4 of 10 newcomers are not Jewish [MEM 11/1].
In testimony to House Foreign Affairs Committee, Sec. Baker calls for creation of U.S.-led NATO-style security structure in Middle East to prevent renewed Iraqi aggression even if present crisis ends without warfare (cf. 9/5) [LAT, NYT, WP, MEM 9/5; CSM 9/6].
Speaking in Vladivostok, Soviet F.M. Shevardnadze calls for international conference on the Middle East that would include the Gulf crisis, the Arab-Israeli conflict, and Lebanon [WT, WP 9/5]; Israel sharply rejects the idea [JPI 9/15].
Washington Post reports that U.S. commander in Saudi Arabia Gen. H. Norman Schwarzkopf complained to Defense Dep't and White House about Saudi Lt. Gen. Khaled bin Sultan's remarks on 8/29 that any decision to use U.S. forces deployed in Kingdom would have to follow consultations between King Fahd and Pres. Bush. Bush conveyed to Saudi ambassador "military concern that U.S. forces be unquestionably under U.S. command," and ambassador reiterated what Saudis contend was original agreement between Fahd and Def. Sec. Cheney that U.S. forces were invited to Kingdom to defend Saudi Arabia from attack by Iraq [WP, MEM 9/4].
Cheney says U.S. would "consult closely" with Saudis before launching offensive action from Saudi territory, but stops short of saying whether Saudi approval would be required [MEM 9/5].
Bush admin. begins asking economic allies for at least $25 billion to help defray American military expenses and support countries that have been hurt by embargo on Iraq and Kuwait [LAT, WP 9/5].
Israeli finance minister Yitzhak Modai says if U.S. forgives Egypt's debt, Israel will demand that most of its $4.6 billion debt also be erased [LAT 9/5; MET 9/18].
Qatar expels more than 70 Palestinian families, including several PLO members, apparently because of Palestinian support for Iraq [NYT 9/5; MET 9/18].
Media report of growing crisis in Jordan as hundreds of thousands of refugees flee Kuwait and Iraq for the Hashemite kingdom [NYT, WP 9/5; MET 9/18].
As'ad al-As'ad, ass't sec.-gen. of Arab League, is named as acting sec.-gen. until replacement for Chedli Klibi is determined [TDS 9/4 in FBIS 9/5].
