The Palestine Chronology

Secy. Albright holds 2d round of mtgs. with Arafat, Netanyahu. Netanyahu then heads to Ariel settlement for celebration marking Ariel's new city status (see 6/11) also attended by DM Mordechai, Infrastructures M Ariel Sharon. (MM 10/6; ITV 10/6, JT 10/7 in WNC 10/8; NYT, WP 10/7; ITV 10/7 in WNC 10/9; NYT 10/8; PR 10/9; MEI 10/16; JP 10/17)

CIA Dir. George Tenet meets with Israeli, PA officials on security MOU. Israel, PA reach understanding on long-delayed opening of Gaza industrial park after an FRD agmt. is finalized, discuss forming an "anti-incitement" comm. (WP 10/8; ITV, QY 10/13 in WNC 10/15; MEI, PR 10/16) (see 9/8)

While Egypt's Mubarak shuttles btwn. Turkey's Demirel in Ankara and Syria's Asad in Damascus, Turkish PM Mesut Yilmaz cancels leaves for all troops, gives Syria a "last warning" on support for Kurdish separatists. (MM 10/6; ATL, ESC Television, INA, ITAR-TASS, MENA 10/6 in WNC 10/7; MENA, al-Sabil, SATN 10/6, ATL, al-Dustur 10/7 in WNC 10/8; CSM, MM, WP, WT 10/7; ATL, HA, HUR, Iran News, al-Liwa', MENA, MIL 10/7, ATL, MIL 10/8 in WNC 10/9; MM 10/8; MA 10/9 in WNC 10/14) (see 10/5)

In s. Lebanon, Hizbullah mbrs. detonate roadside bombs as an IDF convoy passes, killing 2 soldiers, wounding 6. (MM 10/6; WT 10/7; JP 10/17)

Egyptian FM Musa arrives in Saudi Arabia for talks with Crown Prince `Abdullah on possible Arab summit. Trip was previously unplanned, prompted by Arafat's surprise visit to the kingdom, which ended 5/26. (MM 5/27, 6/1)

House Speaker Gingrich, Arafat meet in Ramallah. U.S. congressional delegation then leaves for Jordan. (NYT, WP, WT 5/28; MM, PR 5/29; al-Thawra 5/31 in WNC 6/8; MEI, MM 6/5; JP 6/6)

Syria's Pres. Asad receives congressional delegation led by Sen. Joseph Lieberman (D-CT). (MM 5/28)

Iran, Saudi Arabia sign wide-ranging cooperation agmt. (WP, WT 5/28)

Knesset passes (50-45, with 1 abstention) 1st reading (of 3) of motion to change Israel's election system back to pre-5/96 process, eliminating direct election of PM. Motion is expected to be overturned. (MM 5/28; MEI 6/5)

In s. Lebanon, 2 Golani Brigade mbrs. are killed, 2 wounded by Hizballah roadside bomb. Separately, 1 civilian is injured by IDF shelling. (MM 5/28; RL 6/3 in WNC 6/4; JP 6/6)

U.S. special envoy Ross meets again with PM Netanyahu, insists that Israel add another 4% to its FRD proposal. Netanyahu refuses, also says that Israel must have a role in monitoring PA security compliance in an FRD agmt. Ross then meets with Arafat. (WT 3/29; MA 3/29 in WNC 3/30; JP 4/4)

In Washington, Secy. Albright meets with Israeli DM Mordechai, warns him that the U.S. is reaching the point where it would simply let Israel, the PA work things out themselves. Mordechai briefs Albright on Israel's proposal for conditional withdrawal fr. s. Lebanon. (MM 3/30;RMC 4/12 in WNC 4/15)

Iranian FM Kamal Kharrazi arrives in Syria for 2-day visit, meets with Pres. Asad. One focus of talks is Israel's s. Lebanon withdrawal offer, which is opposed by both states. (IRNA, SANA 3/28, IRNA, SATN, VIRI 3/29, IRNA, VIRI 3/30 in WNC 3/31)

Iran's Culture and Islamic Guidance M Atollah Mohajerani says that if Israel withdraws fr. s. Lebanon with guarantees for a fixed border, "there will be no further need for Hizballah's resistance operations there." (MM 4/1, 4/2)

1,000s of Israeli Arabs hold march nr. Shaykh Danun, Israel, to mark the destruction of 418 Arab villages destroyed by Jewish forces in 1948. (NYT 3/29; MM 4/6)

In Nablus, IDF opens fire with rubber bullets on Palestinians holding antisettlement demonstration. (NYT 3/29)