The Palestine Chronology

Middle East peace conference opens in the royal palace in Madrid with delegations from Israel, Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, and the joint Palestinian-Jordanian delegation present. Conference begins with short speech by Spanish PM Felipe Gonzalez, followed by addresses by conference co-conveners Presidents Bush and Gorbachev, and Dutch FM Hans van den Broek, representating the European Community. Soviet FM Boris Pankin and Secy. of State Baker were also present at the negotiating table. Saudi ambassador to the U.S. Prince Bandar bin Sultan and 'Abdullah Bishara, secy. gen. of the Gulf Cooperation Council, also attend the conference, but are not seated at the table. Egyptian FM 'Amr Musa delivers the first address by one of the negotiating delegations. Secy. of State Baker confirms that it was not certain whether or not second phase bilateral talks between Israel and the Arab delegations would commence 11/2 as scheduled due to disagreement between Israel, Arab delegations over venue of such talks. Israel is pushing for holding the negotiations in the Middle East, while Arab delegations seek to continue to hold such talks in Madrid. (NYT 10/31)

Hamas calls for a general strike to protest the peace conference. But 2,000 Palestinian supporters of Fateh, some armed with clubs and knives and waving Palestinian flags, march in favor of the peace talks in Gaza as Israeli troops follow them but make no effort to disperse the gathering. The marchers clashed with supporters of Hamas, injuring four. Five thousand other PLO supporters march in Khan Yunis. Pro-peace conference activists in Qalqiliya, Jenin force shopkeepers to open their shops which had been closed following orders by Hamas to observe ageneral strike. Elsewhere, Israeli security forces kill one Palestinian in Hebron, wound at least 24 in Gaza and 11 in Nablus during clashes. (NYT, WP, MEM 10/31)

Iraqi National Assembly condemns peace conference, attacks Syria, Egypt for their participation. (MEM 10/31)

Some 10,000 Lebanese march in Beirut against peace conference. (WP 10/31)

Israeli, South Lebanon Army forces bombard villages near Nabatiyya, S. Lebanon, in retaliation for 10/29 attacks on Israeli troops. (NYT 10/31)

Pres. Bush, saying he is making "one last attempt" to avoid war in Gulf, proposes Sec. Baker meet with Iraqi F.M. Aziz between 1/7 and 1/9 in Geneva [MEM 1/3; NYT, WP, WT, LAT, WP 1/4].

Libyan leader Qaddafi predicts Iraq will leave Kuwait to avoid international "catastrophe"; Qaddafi hosts hastily arranged 3-hour meeting with Pres. Mubarak, Pres. Asad, and Sudanese leader Omar Bashir to discuss Gulf crisis [MENA 1/3 in FBIS 1/3; DDS, SANA, RMC, JANA 1/3 in FBIS 1/4; MEM 1/3; WP, WT, LAT 1/4].

Sources in Algerian gov't. say Saddam has sought guarantees before evacuating Kuwait that Iraq will not be attacked subsequently by U.S. or Israel [WP 1/4].

Group of international judges say UN Sec. Council resolution authorizing use of force against Iraq is invalid because China, as a permanent member, had not backed it. Judges cite Article 27 of UN Charter as saying decisions of the Council require "affirmative vote" of all 5 permanent members [WT 1/4].

Citing national security and Iraqi threats, Britain expels 8 Iraqi embassy staff members and 67 other Iraqi nationals [NYT, WP, WT, LAT, MEM 1/4].

Guido de Marco, president of UN Gen. Assembly and 1st to visit o.t., witnesses stones being thrown at Israeli troops and soldiers answering with tear gas and rubber bullets during visit to Jabaliya camp [WP, WT 1/4].

Israeli troops shoot dead Palestinian and wound 6 others in Gaza; military reports soldiers chased masked Palestinians in Khan Yunis and opened fire when they would not halt [WT 1/4].

Pentagon reports number of Iraqi troops in and near Kuwait has grown to over 530,000 and multinational force arrayed against them now totals more than 580,000 [NYT 1/4].

Jerusalem court sentences reserve army Lt. Col. Yair Klein to 12 months in prison, suspends him for 3 years, and fines him $75,000 for training armed groups linked to drug barons in Columbia [JPD 1/4 in FBIS 1/4; WP 1/4].

Syrian D.M. and deputy P.M. Gen. Mustafa Talas arrives in Riyadh for meetings with Saudi defense officials [SPA, RIDS 1/3 in FBIS 1/4].