PA negotiators say 3-way summit btwn. Egypt, Israel, PA to clinch a deal on Hebron may occur 12/7, though no date has been set. Arafat, Netanyahu say they are willing to meet. (WT 12/7; JP 12/14...
Japanese FM Ikeda, Pres. Asad, signs bilateral economic agmt. under which Japan will give Syria a $9.6-m. grant toward energy projects. Ikeda leaves for Jordan. (RJ, RMC 8/24 in WNC 8/27; al-Ba...
Israel asks U.S. to pass message to Syria, saying Israeli is ready to resume negotiations without preconditions, is not planning an attack. Syria sends Israel assurances it is not planning a...
In 2d day of bread riots in Jordan, demonstrations spread fr. Karak to Amman, Ma'an, Tafila, where 1,000s of protesters clash violently with police, burn buildings. King Hussein visits Karak,...
Israeli government orders IDF to draw up an operational concept for s. Lebanon for increased "initiated actions" outside the self-declared security zone, for possible implementation if attacks by...
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PA negotiators say 3-way summit btwn. Egypt, Israel, PA to clinch a deal on Hebron may occur 12/7, though no date has been set. Arafat, Netanyahu say they are willing to meet. (WT 12/7; JP 12/14)
In Damascus, EU special envoy Miguel Angel Moratinos delivers Pres. Asad a message fr. PM Netanyahu, saying that Israel is interested in resuming negotiations, easing tensions. (MM 12/6; SATN 12/6 in WNC 12/10; MEI 1/24)
In Karak, Jordanian PM Kabariti issues an unprecedented public apology to Iraq for accusing Iraq of instigating the 8/16-18 bread riots. (MEI 12/20)
4 Africans are officially nominated to succeed UN Secy. Gen. Butros-Ghali: Mauritania's Ahmedou Ould Abdallah, Niger's Hamid Algabid, Ghana's Kofi Annan, Ivory Coast's Amara Essy. (NYT, WT 12/7)
IDF lifts ban prohibiting Israelis fr. entering the PA self-rule area of Bethlehem. The ban has been in place since the 9/24-28 clashes. (JP 12/14)
PA military court sentences Palestinian guard Assam Jalaita, who shot to death prisoner Fityani 12/3, to life in prison with hard labor. (NYT 12/7; JP 12/14)
U.S. Court of Appeals rules (8-2) that the Federal Election Commission (FEC) misapplied the federal campaign finance law in a 1992 decision that the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) did not fall under the FEC's jurisdiction, suggesting that AIPAC should register as a political action comm. (PAC) rather than a lobby. The FEC has 90 days to appeal the ruling to the Supreme Court, find another reason why AIPAC should not be registered as a PAC, or declare AIPAC a PAC. (WJW 12/12, 12/19)
Palestinians observer 4-hr. general strike in West Bank, Gaza, East Jerusalem. (MM 8/29; CSM, NYT, PR, WP, WT 8/30; MEI 9/6)
To dispel tensions with the PA, Israeli PM Netanyahu dispatches his personal atty. Yitzhak Molho to meet with Arafat in Ramallah; authorizes adviser Gold to meet later in day with Arafat adviser Abbas. Senior Israeli negotiator IDF chief of staff Lt. Gen. Dan Shomron holds 1-hr. talk with PA counterpart PA Local Government M Saeb Erakat in Jerusalem, agrees to resume PISMC mtgs. next wk. (RMC 8/29 in WNC 8/30; NYT, WP, WT 8/30; MBC 8/30 in WNC 9/4; MM 9/2)
In Rome, Egypt's Baz, Italy's FM Lamberto Dini discuss peace process, 8/27-28 mtgs. in Paris. (RE 8/29 in WNC 9/3)
Israeli government approves construction of 2,000 new housing units in West Bank settlements around Jerusalem. (CSM, WP 8/30)
Deputy Jerusalem Mayor Shmuel Meir says the government has issued demolition orders for 70 Palestinian homes in the city that have been constructed without permits. (YA 8/30 in WNC 9/5; PR 9/6)
Israel blames Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) for shooting at bus 8/28, arrests 1 suspect. (HA 8/29 in IL 8/29)
Jordanian police raid JPD headquarters in Karak, arrest a number of party leaders. (SATN 8/29 in WNC 9/3) (see 8/18)
Hizballah ambushes IDF patrol in s. Lebanon, killing 1 soldier. Both sides then exchange gunfire, wounding 2 Lebanese civilians. (RL 8/29 in WNC 9/3; MM 8/30; QY 8/30 in IL 8/30; JP 9/7)
U.S.-brokered cease-fire goes into effect in n. Iraq. PUK, KDP agree to hold peace talks in London 8/30. (MM 8/29) (see 8/28)
Japanese FM Ikeda, Pres. Asad, signs bilateral economic agmt. under which Japan will give Syria a $9.6-m. grant toward energy projects. Ikeda leaves for Jordan. (RJ, RMC 8/24 in WNC 8/27; al-Ba`th 8/25 in WNC 10/11)
PSF mbrs. acting in Arafat's name ban sale of books by Arafat critic and fmr. top PLO mbr., Columbia University Prof. Edward W. Said. PA Information Min. orders books by Said confiscated fr. a Ramallah book shop to be returned but not sold. Police ignore the order. (NYT 8/25; MM 8/28; PR 8/30; JP 8/31)
Jordanian army withdraws fr. Karak; government begins releasing detainees taken into custody during the riots. (JT, al-Ra'i, RJ, RMC 8/24 in WNC 8/27; WP, WT 8/25; JT 8/25 in WNC 8/27; RMC 8/29 in WNC 8/30)
Israel asks U.S. to pass message to Syria, saying Israeli is ready to resume negotiations without preconditions, is not planning an attack. Syria sends Israel assurances it is not planning a strike either. (IDF Radio 8/21 in WNC 8/23; ITV 8/24 in WNC 8/24; MM, WT 8/22; WT 8/23) (see 8/20)
Japanese FM Yukihiko Ikeda arrives in Cairo on 1st leg of regional tour to discuss renewal of peace process, Japan's contribution to negotiations. (HA 8/22 in IL 8/22)
Jordan lifts curfew on Karak. (RJ 8/21 in WNC 8/23; JT, RJ 8/22 in WNC 8/27) (see 8/20)
SLA announces that several days ago it abducted 2 alleged Hizballah mbrs. during a raid beyond the self-declared security zone in the Biqa`. The pair is undergoing interrogation. (RL 8/21 in WNC 8/24)
Lebanese FM Faris Buwayz calls on the Interior Min. to investigate illegal practices at polling stations during the 8/18 vote. (RL 8/21 in WNC 8/24)
Israel demolishes 2 Palestinian homes in Jerusalem suburbs for being built without a permit. (LAWE 8/21)
In s. Lebanon, 2 IDF soldier are killed when one IDF patrol fires on another by mistake. (MM 8/20; RL 8/20 in WNC 8/22; ITV 8/20 in WNC 8/23; MM, WT 8/21; MM 8/22) (see 8/16, 8/19)
Jordan eases curfew on Karak, arrests at least 14 mbrs. of the ASB, which says it had nothing to do with instigating riots. Information M Marwan Mu`asher say 4 journalists for al-Bilad (incl. its publisher, chief editor), 1 fr. al-Aswaq have been detained on charges of carrying inaccurate and misleading reports, direct involvement in recent riots. (CSM, MM 8/20; RJ 8/20 in WNC 8/22; JT, RJ 8/20, RJ 8/21 in WNC 8/23; JT 8/20, 8/21 in WNC 8/24; CSM, MM, NYT, WT 8/21; WT 8/22; al-Dustur, JT 8/22, al-Ra'i 8/24 in WNC 8/27; JT 9/5 in WNC 9/6) (see 8/18)
In 2d day of bread riots in Jordan, demonstrations spread fr. Karak to Amman, Ma'an, Tafila, where 1,000s of protesters clash violently with police, burn buildings. King Hussein visits Karak, blames Iraq for instigating the protests. Iraq denies the accusation. (JTV, RJ 8/17, MBC 8/18 in WNC 8/21; RMC 8/17, 8/18 in WNC 8/22; NYT, WP, WT 8/18; JT 8/18 in WNC 8/22; CSM, MM 8/19; MEI 9/6)
In Hebron, IDF arrests 19 mbrs. of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) for having knowledge of armed attacks in Israel. (PR 8/23)
In Alexandria, Pres. Mubarak, Kuwaiti heir apparent Shaykh Sa`d Abdullah al-Sabah discuss peace process, implementing decisions taken at Arab Summit 6/22-23. (RE 8/19 in WNC 8/22)
Syrian PM Mahmud al-Zu'bi arrives in Tehran with delegation for 3-days of talks on political, economic, cultural, technical relations with Iranian officials. Syrian, Iranian Trade Ms discuss expanding economic ties. (VIRI 8/17, IRIB Television [Tehran] 8/18 in WNC 8/21; IRNA 8/18 in WNC 8/22; Tehran Times 8/18 in WNC 8/29; MM 8/19; CSM 8/23)
Israel fortifies IDF, SLA positions in s. Lebanon. (RL 8/17 in WNC 8/21)
Worst fighting since 1995 erupts btwn. rival Kurdish factions, the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), in n. Iraq. At issue are border trade with Turkey (currently worth $250,000/day in tariffs) and informal taxes, which are expected to increase dramatically when the 5/20 UN oil-for-food deal goes into effect in 9/96; control of the provincial administrative center of Irbil, considered the capital of Kurdish Iraq. The PUK accuses the KDP of collaborating with the Saddam Hussein government, initiating clashes. KDP accuses Iran of backing the PUK, starting the fighting. (MM 8/19, 8/20, 8/27)
Israeli government orders IDF to draw up an operational concept for s. Lebanon for increased "initiated actions" outside the self-declared security zone, for possible implementation if attacks by Hizballah increase. (MM 8/16; CSM 8/23)
In Karak, Jordan, 1,000s of Jordanian riot against IMF-backed increases in bread prices, stone cars, burn buildings. Army deploys to enforce curfews to restore clam. King Hussein immediately suspends extraordinary session of parliament until 10/96. (NYT 8/16; WT 8/17; JTV 8/16, RMC 8/17, JT 8/19 in WNC 8/21; JT 8/17 in WNC 8/22; CSM, MM 8/19; MEI 9/6) (see 8/13)
