Appearing before Senate Armed Services Committee, 2 former chrmn. of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Adm. William Crowe and Gen. David Jones, urge Bush admin. to postpone military action against Iraq...
Iraq announces it will release all foreign hostages over 3 months starting Christmas Day "if nothing happens to disturb the atmosphere of peace." U.S. calls offer "cynical manipulation" [BADS 11/...
Bush admin. decides to expand the number of U.S. forces in Gulf and may send as many as 100,000 more troops in addition to the planned deployment of 240,000 [NYT, LAT, WP, WT 10/26].
Iraqi soldiers storm the French, Canadian, and Belgian diplomatic quarters in Kuwait, briefly detaining U.S. consul and other diplomats; Pres. Bush declares action "outrageous," hints at possible...
Israeli cabinet unanimously approves new tax package designed to raise $450 million to pay for absorption of Soviet Jewish immigrants [NYT, MEM 9/14].
Meanwhile Ariel Sharon ends week-long...
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Soviet F.M. Eduard Shevardnadze abruptly resigns warning that "reactionaries" threatened USSR with dictatorship; specula- tion concerning effect on Gulf crisis [NYT, WT, WP 12/21].
UN Sec. Council adopts resolution 681 deploring Israel's recent deportation of 4 Palestinians and indirectly endorsing international peace conference on Middle East [DDS 12/21 in FBIS 12/21; NYT, WT, WP, MEM 12/21; JPI 12/29].
General strike called for by UNLU is observed throughout o.t. [FJ 12/24].
Media in Damascus report Kuwaiti gov't.- in-exile has granted Syria $110 million loan [MEM 12/21].
Appearing before Senate Armed Services Committee, 2 former chrmn. of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Adm. William Crowe and Gen. David Jones, urge Bush admin. to postpone military action against Iraq and to give sanctions a year or more to work [NYT, LAT, WT, WP 11/29; CSM 11/30].
Britain and Syria restore diplomatic relations, severed 4 years ago when Britain accused Syria of sponsoring terrorism. Communique from Damascus confirms resumption of ties, renounces terrorism, but adds "Syria does not consider resistance against Israeli occupation as terrorism" [MEM 11/28; NYT, WP 11/29].
UN Sec, Council passes res. 677 condemning Iraq's attempts to change Kuwait's demographic composition [MEM 11/29].
Israeli Cabinet votes to raise personal income taxes by 5% and to raise national sales tax from 16% to 18% in order to help pay for resettlement of Soviet Jewish immigrants. Measures take effect in 1991 pending Knesset approval (cf. 12/2) [MEM 11/28; NYT 11/29; MET 12/11].
Hard-line statement by King Fahd serves warning to Iraq that "no other solution will be accepted" than unconditional withdrawal from Kuwait [NYT 11/29].
Iraqi gov't. statement lashes out at U.S. for sponsoring UN resolution authorizing use of force, says it would ignore any deadline set by UN; in separate statement Saddam Hussein accuses UN of double standard in dealing with Middle East issues, particularly dealings with Israel [NYT, LAT 11/29].
Two IDF reservists who refuse to serve in o.t. are sentenced to 2 and 4 weeks in prison; since beginning of intifada 128 reservists have refused to serve in o.t. (cf. 12/1) [JDS 11/28 in FBIS 11/29].
Al-Fajr poll of 550 Nablus residents finds 34% believe war is inevitable and that 54% believe Iraq would triumph over coalition forces in the war [FJ 11/28].
Soviet F.M. Shevardnadze arrives in New York for UN Sec. Council meeting [TASS 11/28 in FBIS 11/29].
Iraq announces it will release all foreign hostages over 3 months starting Christmas Day "if nothing happens to disturb the atmosphere of peace." U.S. calls offer "cynical manipulation" [BADS 11/18 in FBIS 11/19; LAT, NYT, WT, WP, MEM 11/19; CSM 11/20; MET 11/27].
In Rome for audience with Pope John Paul 11, Soviet Pres. Gorbachev says he is "convinced" Gulf crisis could be solved without war [NYT 11/19].
In Tel Aviv address, P.M. Shamir speaks of the need "to keep the land of Israel from the sea to the Jordan for the generations to come . . . " (cf. 11/19, 11/20, 11/21, 11/26) [JDS 11/18 in FBIS 11/19; WT, MEM 11/19; CSM 11/20; FJ 11/26].
After meeting with King Fahd in Jeddah, Soviet envoy Belonogov arrives in Damascus for unscheduled talks with Pres. Asad [TASS 11/18 in FBIS 11/19; AFP 11/18 in FBIS 11/20; WT 11/19; MET 11/27].
Following brief meeting in Germany on Gulf crisis with Chancellor Helmut Kohl, Pres. Bush arrives in Paris, discusses crisis with Pres. Mitterrand [WP, MEM 11/19].
Israeli cabinet announces establishment of interministerial committee for Jerusalem, to be headed by P.M. Shamir. The committee, which must be approved by full Knesset, will replace just-established interministerial panel on "Temple Mount," which was advocated by Zamir Commission inquiry into 10/8 killings [MEM 11/19].
Bush admin. decides to expand the number of U.S. forces in Gulf and may send as many as 100,000 more troops in addition to the planned deployment of 240,000 [NYT, LAT, WP, WT 10/26].
Pres. of Yemen, Ali Abdullah Saleh, criticizes Saudi Arabia for inviting U.S. forces into the kingdom and for rescinding residency status for Yemenis working in Saudi Arabia [NYT 10/26].
Israel rejects UN Sec. Council's 10/24 resolution and levels harsh criticism at U.S. for supporting resolution [MEM 10/25; NYT, WT 10/26].
Washington Post reports Jordan has halted all exports to Iraq, including humanitarian aid [WP 10/25].
Soviet envoy Primakov meets in Damascus with Pres. Asad to discuss Gulf crisis [DDS 10/25 in FBIS 10/25].
Senior Saudi official says roughly 120,000 Kuwaitis have fled across the border into Saudi Arabia since 9/15 when Iraqi troops began to allow them to leave [AFP 10/25 in FBIS 10/26].
Jerusalem police report that 18, not 21, Palestinians were killed in Haram al-Sharif incident [JDS 10/25 in FBIS 10/26].
Iraqi soldiers storm the French, Canadian, and Belgian diplomatic quarters in Kuwait, briefly detaining U.S. consul and other diplomats; Pres. Bush declares action "outrageous," hints at possible U.S. response [LAT, NYT, WP 9/15; LAT 9/16; MET 9/25].
In what would be the largest military sale in U.S. history (previous largest: 1981 $9 billion AWACS deal), officials report Bush admin. is planning to sell Saudi Arabia about $20 billion in sophisticated weaponry to help bolster that nation against future Gulf unrest [LAT, NYT, WP 9/15; MEM 9/17; JPI 9/22].
In sharp departure after weeks of Iraqi cooperation, Iraqi tanker in Gulf of Oman ignores U.S. demands to stop and submit to search; U.S. and Australian ships fire across taker's bow, forcibly board it, then allow it to continue after search [LAT, NYT, WP 9/15].
In 4-hour Damascus meeting, Sec. Baker and Pres. Asad discuss Gulf situation, future regional security structure, terrorism; agree that Arab world must take the lead in confronting Iraq's occupation of Kuwait, and that American troops must be withdrawn from the region as soon as crisis ends [DDS 9/14 in FBIS 9/14; MEM 9/14, 9/17; NYT, LAT, WP 9/15].
Signaling shift in Soviet policy, Pres. Gorbachev meets 2 senior Israeli cabinet members in Moscow in first such meeting since 1967 [LAT 9/15; JPI 9/22; MET 9/25].
Bonn, Tokyo, and London announce details of each nation's further contributions to multinational force in Middle East [WP 9/14; NYT 9/15].
Israeli cabinet unanimously approves new tax package designed to raise $450 million to pay for absorption of Soviet Jewish immigrants [NYT, MEM 9/14].
Meanwhile Ariel Sharon ends week-long visit to Moscow to discuss arrangements with Soviet firm to build pre-fabricated housing in Israel [MEM 9/14].
Greek ambassador to Israel presents credentials; Greece is last member of the EC to establish full diplomatic ties with Israel [MEM 9/14].
Western diplomats in Damascus say Syria has agreed to send 10,000 additional troops and 300 tanks to Saudi Arabia [NYT 9/14].
PLO Chrmn. Arafat arrives unexpectedly in Baghdad, meets with F.M. Tarik Aziz [WT 9/14; MET 9/25].
UN Sec. Council approves shipment of food through UN blockade of Iraq and Kuwait in humanitarian cases provided food is distributed through UN and similar bodies (13 members for, Cuba and Yemen against) [MEM 9/14; MET 9/25].
