Monday, March 20, 2000

Pres. Clinton announces that he will meet Syrian pres. Asad in Geneva on 3/26 in hopes of restarting Syrian-Israeli talks. (MM 3/20; CSM, MM, NYT, WP, WT 3/21; MENA 3/21 in WNC 3/22; MM 3/22; MENA 3/21, Le Monde 3/22 in WNC 3/23; MM, WJW 3/23; MEI 3/24; JP 3/31) (see 3/1)

Pope John Paul II arrives in Jordan on the 1st leg of a 1-wk. Middle East tour, meets with King Abdallah. The pope's theme for the trip is that regional leaders should do more to reach a lasting peace, to promote Christian-Jewish-Muslim understanding. (MM 3/20; al-Quds 3/20 in WNC 3/22; CSM, NYT, WT 3/21; al-Quds 3/21 in WNC 3/23; MEI 3/24)

IDF soldiers open fire on a Palestinian car at a West Bank checkpoint, killing a woman, wounding her husband. The IDF shooting, which was apparently unprovoked, followed a drive-by shooting at nearby Tsurif settlement that wounded 4 Jewish settlers. (WP 3/21; WJW 3/23; MEI 3/24; NYT 4/21)