The Palestine Chronology

Arab League ministerial meeting opens in Cairo; in unopposed election, Arab League chooses Egyptian F.M. Esmat Abdel Meguid as its Sec.-Gen. for the next 5 years [MEM 5/15; WP, NYT 5/16; CDS, RMC, MENA 5/15 in FBIS 5/16].

Meeting in Israel, Sec. Baker and P.M. Shamir draw up confidential document that acknowledges the obstacles to holding regional peace conference, but points toward fresh attempt to start Israeli-Palestinian talks [WP, LAT 5/16]. But Israel rejects Sec. Baker's proposals for bridging differences with Syria [MEM 5/15; NYT 5/16].

U.S. diplomatic and intelligence sources say that roughly 10 days ago, Israel told American military attaches in Tel Aviv that Israeli military action in southern Lebanon was possible; warning is seen as message to Lebanon and Syria not to take action against Israel-backed SLA [WP 5/16].

34-member team of international specialists arrive in Baghdad for week of on-site inspections of Iraq's nuclear facilities to ensure compliance with UN resolutions prohibiting Iraqi possession of weapons of mass destruction [MEM 5/15; WP, NYT, LAT 5/16].

Palestinians who met with Sec. Baker say that he told them American initiative did not envision eventual creation of Palestinian state: "Less than a state, more than autonomy," is how one participant put it [NYT, MEM 5/16].

On conclusion of 5-day meeting in Tunis Fateh Revolutionary Council calls for meeting of Egypt, Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, and PLO to coordinate stands on Middle East issues [MENA 5/15, DUS 5/16 in FBIS 5/16].

U.S.-Soviet joint statement says allied assault on Iraq could end now if Saddam Hussein makes "unequivocal commitment" to withdraw from Kuwait; statement appears to soften past U.S. insistence that only "massive withdrawal" by Iraq would stop war (cf. 1/30) [NYT, LAT, WT, WP 1/30].

Pres. Bush, in State of the Union address, says Iraq's capacity to sustain war is being destroyed [NYT, LAT, WT, WP 1/30].

U.S. says it will shoot down any Iraqi plane trying to rejoin war after taking refuge in Iran; White House says it has received fresh assurances from Teheran that Iraqi planes will not be allowed to leave [LAT, WP 1/30].

Chancellor Kohl pledges additional $5.5 billion to war effort, and orders German anti-aircraft missile systems to Turkey [LAT, WP 1/30].

Pres. Bush meets in Washington with Egyptian F.M. Esmat Abdel Meguid; Egypt pushes for U.S. commitment to pressure Israel for settlement with Palestinians once Gulf war has ended [NYT, LAT, WP 1/30].

Law enforcement and intelligence agencies say they have detected more than 700 cases in which firms and individuals worldwide have tried to sell munitions and other goods to Iraq, including 20 incidents since August in U.S. [LAT 1/30].

Fateh official Abu Ziad [Rafiq Shafiq Qiblawi] is assassinated in ambush outside his home in Iraq-occupied Kuwait [WT 1/30].

French D.M. Jean-Pierre Chevenement, who had openly expressed his doubts about war with Iraq, is forced from office, and replaced by Interior Min. Pierre Joxe [WP 1/30].

Israel orders Palestinian leader Sari Nusseiben jailed without trial for 6 months as a spy for Iraq [WP 1/30].

Israeli gunboats and helicopters attack Fateh camps in S. Lebanon after barrage of rockets explode in "security zone" [WP 1/30].