In report submitted to Sec. Council, UN Sec.-Gen. Perez de Cuellar suggests that the 164 nations that signed 1949 Fourth Geneva Convention on protecting civilians in wartime should meet to discuss new ways to ensure safety of Palestinians in O.T. (cf. 11/4) [WP, NYT, MEM 11/2].
Saddam Hussein orders the release of 4 elderly and sick American hostages [INA 11/1 in FBIS 11/2; WP 11/2; NYT 11/3].
Amnesty International says it has evidence that Saudi forces detained and tortured hundreds of Yemenis over their country's stand in the Gulf crisis, and urges King Fahd to conduct enquiry [WP 11/2].
Pres. Bush says he is "not trying to prepare our country for war," but admits a diplomatic solution to Gulf crisis is no nearer, and that status quo cannot remain forever [WP, NYT 11/2].
Gen. H. Norman Schwarzkopf, commander of U.S. forces in Gulf, says his troops could obliterate Iraq but cautions that total destruction might not be "in the interest of the long-term balance of power in this region" [NYT 11/2].
Number of Soviet immigrants arriving in Israel during October topped 20,000 for 1st time, with 20,324 for a 1990 total of 121,752 [NYT 11/2].
Arab League begins its official work at its new headquarters in Cairo; acting Sec.-Gen. As'ad meets with Egypt's F.M. Majid to discuss Gulf crisis [MEM 11/1; CDS, MENA 11/1 in FBIS 11/2].
Israeli warplanes bomb targets in Lebanon's Biqa' Valley for 2d time in 8 days, no casualty figures are reported [IDF 11/1 in FBIS 11/1; BDS 11/1 in FBIS 11/2; WP 11/2].