Chronology November 16, 1974-February 15, 1975

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Source: Middle East Journal, Vol. 29, No. 2 (Spring, 1975), pp. 179-198
Published by: Middle East Institute
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/4325357 .
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 CHRONOLOGY

November16, 1974-February15, 1975

ArabIsraeliConflict Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO)

1974
Nov. 16: Israeli Defense Minister Shimon Peres
said Israel's partial mobilization of reserves was
a response to "unexplained"Syrian troop move-
ments. [NYT]
The US said it was continuing to work diplo-
matically to ease tension caused by a partial
Israeli mobilization on Nov. 15. Spokesmen said
both Israel and the Arabs had made assurances
that they did not intend to open hostilities and
the US reportedthat only a few of the 20 Soviet
ships in Syria's port of Latakiyahwere unloading
arms. [NYT]
Israeli security forces clashed with Arab dem-
onstrators in the West Bank and one Arab girl
was killed. [NYT]
UN Secretary General Kurt Waldheim ex-
pressed concern over political deteriorationin the
Middle East and met with Arab and Israeli diplo-
mats at the UN. [NYT]
Nov. 17: Israeli Premier Yitzhak Rabin said a
"very limited number" of Israeli reserves were
mobilized to avoid being taken by surpriseby any
Syrian action. [NYT]
Protests continued in the West Bank as Arab
demonstratorsclashed with police. [NYT]
Nov. 18: Lebanon said Israeli gunboats shelled a
Palestinian refugee camp near Tyre. [NYT]
Israeli troops and police clashed for the 6th
day with Arab demonstratorsholding protests in
Jerusalem. [NYT]
leader Yasir 'Arafat called on Arabs in the occu-
pied territories to "continue and escalate your
resistance and sacrifices . . ." INYT]
Nov. 19: Three Arab commandosand four Israeli
civilians were killed when the commandosraided
an apartmentbuilding in Beit Shean in northeast
Israel. [NYT]
PLO leader 'Arafat arrived in Cairo for talks
on the Middle East situation with Egyptian Pres-
ident Anwar al-Sadat. [NYT]
Arab demonstrations continued in Jerusalem.
[NYT]
A spokesman for the Popular Democratic
Front for the Liberationof Palestine (PDFLP)
claimed responsibilityfor the Beit Shean raid and
said such raids would continueuntil Israel agrees
to negotiate with the PLO. [NYT]
UN Secretary General Waldheim called on all
parties to "redoubletheir efforts to make progress
through negotiationtoward a settlement."[NYT]
Nov. 20: Britain, France and Italy told the UN
that they favored a settlement which would
permit Israel to exist within the pre 1967 war
borders. [NYT]
The United Nations EducationalScientific and
CulturalOrganization (UNESCO) voted to deny
aid to Israel because of Israel's "persistence in
altering the historical features" of Jerusalem.
[NYT]
The USSR announcedthat Communist Party
leader Leonid Brezhnev would travel to Syria and
Iraq after a visit to Egypt in January 1975.
[NYT]
Nov. 21: UNESCO voted to exclude Israel from
its European regional group. [NYT]

List of Abbreviations
ARR, Arab Report and Record; AW, The Arab World; B, Brief; CSM, The Christian Science
Monitor; CB, Cyprus Bulletin; E, The Economist; FBIS, Foreign Broadcast Information Service
Daily Report-Middle East and Africa; G, The Guardian(weekly internationaledition); JP, The Jeru-
salem Post; KT, The Kabul Times; KI, Kayhan (international edition); MEED, Middle East Eco-
nomic Digest; MEES, Middle East Economtic Survey; LM, Le Monde (weekly English edition);
NYT, The New York Times; TDN, Turkish Daily News; WP, The Washington Post.

179
180 THE MIDDLE EAST JOURNAL
Israel deported five Arab leaders from Ramal-
lah and cut off trade between Ramallah and the
East Bank in retaliation for demonstrationsand
a general strike in Ramallah. [NYT]
Nov. 22: Israel charged in the UN that Arab and
Communist states had turned UNESCO from a
neutral forum into a political battlefield. [NYT]
Israeli soldiers broke up a demonstration by
Arabs in the Old City of Jerusalem. [NYT]
The UN General Assembly approved two
resolutionson the Middle East. The first affirmed
the right of the Palestinian people to national
independenceand self determinationwithout "ex-
ternal interference,"reaffirmedthe right of the
Palestinians to "returnto their homes and prop-
erty from which they have been displaced,"and
appealedto all nations to supportthe Palestinians
in their "struggle to restore" their rights. The
vote was 89 to 8 with 37 abstentions.The second
granted the PLO permanent observer status at
the UN by a vote of 95 to 17 with 19 abstentions.
[NYT]
A British airliner was hijacked in Dubay by
Palestinians and flown to Tunisia. [NYT]
Nov. 23: Israel's Information Minister Shimon
Peres said Israel was considering granting local
autonomy in stages to the West Bank that could
lead to a federated status for the area but he
ruled out any dealing with the PLO. [NYT]
The Palestinians holding an airliner in Tunisia
demandedthe release of 13 Palestinians impris-
oned in Cairo. Egypt refused and the PLO said
it supportedthe Egyptian stand. [NYT]
A PLO spokesman in Syria said the PLO
would put more emphasis on political activity,
rather than military, since the PLO was accepted
to UN observer status. [AIC]
Nov. 24: The hijackers in Tunisia killed a German
hostage aboard the plane and released 13 others.
They threatened the lives of the remaining hos-
tages unless their demand was met. Egypt re-
leased five Palestinians from jail and flew them
to Tunisia in an effort to save the lives of the
hostages. Egypt said the release was a humani-
tarian act which would not be repeated and ac-
cused Libya of training the hijackers in Tunisia.
[NYT]
Israel announcedplans for developing a major
industrial center in the occupied West Bank 10
miles east of Jerusalem. [NYT]
Following talks in Vladivostok between US
President Ford and Soviet Communist Party
leader Brezhnev,the US and USSR issued a com-
muniquecalling for a lasting peace in the Middle
East based on UN Resolution 338 "with due ac-
count taken of the legitimate interests of all
peoples of the area including the Palestinian peo-
ple, and respect for the right of all the states of
the area to independentexistence. The sides be-
lieve that the Geneva Conferenceshould play an
importantpart in the establishmentof a just and
lasting peace in the Middle East and should re-
sume its work as soon as possible." [NYT]
Waldheim began a trip to Egypt, Syria and
Israel to discuss renewing the mandate for UN
buffer forces in the Jawlan region. [NYT]
Nov. 25: Waldheim met with Syrian President
H1fiz al-Asad and said afterwardthat he expected
the UN force in Jawlan to be extended for six
months. [NYT]
Tunisia agreed to grant asylum to 11 Pales-
tinian guerrillas who were holding a British air-
liner and its passengers hostage at Carthage
airport. The PLO, Iraq and Libya denouncedthe
hijacking. The PLO said it would expose "the
group that committed this crime." [NYT]
The hijackers in Tunisia surrendered.Tunisian
Foreign Minister Habib Chatti said his govern-
ment "verbally accepted"the hijackers' condition
that they not be turned over to the PLO but
added that this was not binding. The PLO vowed
that the four hijackers would "bearresponsibility
and pay" for their acts. [NYT]
Nov. 26: Waldheimmet with Israeli Premier Rabin
in Jerusalem to discuss the UN force on the line
between Israeli and Syrian troops. [NYT]
Nov. 27: A PLO spokesman said 26 "extremist
renegades"were arrested in connection with the
hijacking of a British airliner to Tunisia and
that the PLO would "bear its responsibility
more and more in putting an end to such kinds
of operations." [JP]
King Husayn of Jordan said that the PLO
had reneged on its secret agreement in Rabat to
end opposition to the government of Jordan.
[NYT]
Nov. 28: 'Arafat met in Moscow with Foreign
Minister Andrei Gromyko. The Soviet govern-
ment issued a statement reaffirmingits support
for "the right to independent existence of all
states" in the Middle East. [NYT]
Waldheim ended talks in Egypt and flew to
New York. He said he expected a new Middle
East war by mid 1975 unless a breakthroughin
negotiations is achieved. [NYT]
The UN Security Council approved a six
month extension of the peace keeping force in
the Jawlan region. [NYT]
Nov. 29: Israel reportedfive Arab infiltratorswere
killed in a clash near the Lebanese border.
[NYT]
The UN GeneralAssembly adopteda resolution
condemning Israel for "the evacuation, deporta-
tion, expulsion,displacementand transfer of Arab
inhabitants of the occupied territories and the
denial of their right to return."The vote was 95
to 4 with 31 abstentions. [JP]
Nov. 30: Israel reported an air raid into southern
Lebanon. [NYT]
Dec. 1: Israel said two Arab commandoskilled an
 CHRONOLOGY
Israeli Muslim villager before surrendering to
police in Rihaniyah. [NYTI
Israel said it would retaliate against the base
in Lebanon of the two Arab raiders who killed
a villager in Rihaniyah. [NYT]
Dec. 2: Lebanon said it opened fire on an Israeli
ship that approachedthe coast near Tyre. [NYT]
UNESCO said it hoped Israeli scientists and
scholars would continue contributing to the or-
ganizationiand explained that recent decisions of
UNESCO had not excluded Israel from member-
ship. [NYT]
Israeli President Ephraim Katzir said Israel
had the knowledge to produce nuclear weapons
but would not be the first to introduce them into
the region. [NYT]
Dec. 3: Israeli Foreign Minister Yigal Allon said
Egypt had agreed secretly in January 1974 to
permit Israel bound cargo to pass through the
Suez Canal once it would be opened. [NYT]
A PLO spokesman said the PLO would seek
closer ties with the European Economic Commu-
nity. [JP]
Egypt's Ambassadorto Britain said Egypt has
the ability and the right to manufacturenuclear
weaponsin responseto the atomic threat of Israel.
[JPJ
Dcc. 4: Israel's Yedidth Ahronoth reported that
Israeli leaders met at least twice with King
Husayn to try to reach an agreementon the West
Bank. [NYT]
In an interview with Haaretz Israeli Premier
Rabin said Israel faced "seven lean years" because
of Westerni dependence on Arab oil but added
that Israel might accept a private Egyptian
pledge of non-belligerency,in place of a formal
public declaration,in exchange for a pullbackon
the Sinai. [NYT]
The New York Timnescited Arab diplomatic
sources in Beirut as saying the USSR assured
four Arab states that they would be providedwith
nuclear weapons if it was proven that Israel had
nuclear weapons. [NYT]
Dec. 5: Rabin said Israel was ready to make far
reaching territorial compromiseswith the Arabs
but would not return to the lines which existed
before the 1967 war. [NYT]
Dec. 6: Palestinian commandosraided the kibbutz
of Rosh Haniqra near the Lebanese border.
[NYT]
Dec. 7: A minor skirmish was reported on the
Israeli-Lebaneseborder. [NYT]
Dec. 9: Israeli Foreign Minister Allon met in
Washington with Kissinger to discuss "general
concepts"to be conveyed to Egypt. [NYT]
Egyptian Foreign Minister Isma'il Fahmi said
Egypt needed Soviet friendship as well as US
supportto achieve peace and that he expected the
visit of Brezhnev to Egypt in January to result
in new Soviet military assistanceunderthe friend-
181
ship treaty of 1971. [NYT]
Dec. 10: Rockets fired by unknown persons hit
three offices of the PLO in Beirut. The PLO said
Israeli intelligence agents were responsible.
[NYT]
Dec. 11: Allon said Israel would veto the partici-
pation of the PLO in the Geneva peace talks if
those talks were reconvened. [JP]
Dec. 12: Israeli planes attacked two Palestinian
refugee camps near Beirut. Lebanon said one
Israeli plane was shot down and 11 civilians killed
or wounded. Israel said its planes attacked only
"military"objectives and that all returnedsafely.
[NYT]
Israeli troops exchanged rocket and artillery
fire with Palestinians across the Lebaneseborder.
[NYT]
Two persons were killed and 50 injured when
grenades were thrown by a terrorist in a Tel
Aviv movie theatre. The PLO claimed responsi-
bility and said it was retaliation for rocket at-
tacks against its offices in Beirut. [NYT]
Dec. 13: Beirut's Al-Hawddithlquoted the Shah of
Iran as saying that "it will be our war this time,"
when he was asked if a new Arab Israeli war
would "involve the Islamic states." [WP]
US Ambassador to Egypt Herman Eilts re-
ported to Sadat on the results of Kissinger's
meeting in Washington with Israeli Foreign
Minister Allon.
Egyptian Foreign Minister Fahmi said that in
a peace agreement Israel would have "to pledge
to freeze her populationat the existing level and
to undertake not to increase the number of im-
migrants over the next 50 years." [NYT]
Dec. 14: Israeli troops killed four Arab commandos
and lost one of their own after the Arabs infil-
trated the border from Jordan. [NYT]
Lebanese Premier Rashid al-Sulh returned
from a visit to Syria where he met with 'Arafat
and President al-Asad. Sulh said Syria offered
military assistance against attacks by Israel.
[NYT]
Dec. 15: Syrian Foreign Minister 'Abd al-Halim
Khaddam ended a two day visit to Jordan and
said the two countrieshad agreed on a joint mili-
tary policy to confront Israel. [JP]
Eyewitnesses said four Israeli planes raiding
near Tyre in Lebanonwere driven off by surface
to air missiles fired by Palestinian commandos.
[WP]
Dec. 16: It was reported that the PLO Central
Committee decided to halt all anti Jordanian
campaigns. [WP]
Egyptian President Sadat said the region was
a bomb that would explode if momentumtoward
a peaceful settlement was not revived. He added
that Egypt could acquireatomic weapons if Israel
brings them to the region but that "we would not
be the first to use atomic arms." [NYT]
182 THE MIDDLE EAST JOURNAL
Rabin said Egypt's demand for Israel to halt
immigration could disrupt chances for a peace
agreement. [NYT]
Dec. 17: The US said it would supply Egypt and
Israel with nuclear reactors "in tandem or sepa-
rately" as long as US safeguards and interna-
tional safeguards would be agreed. [NYT]
Israeli Defense Minister Peres said Soviet
troops were manning Syrian missile defenses near
Cairo and that the USSR had more than resup-
plied Syria's losses of the October war. [NYT]
The US Defense Department denied that the
US was training soldiers to seize Middle Eastern
oil fields. [NYT]
Dec. 18: An Israeli force destroyed six houses in
the Lebanese village of Majd al-Ziin. [NYT]
Dec. 19: Former Israeli Defense Minister Moshe
Dayan said the US had threatenedto fly supplies
to surrounded Egyptian troops in the October
1973 war if Israel would not allow supplies to
pass through the lines. [NYT]
Dec. 20: A bomb exploded in Jerusalem's Zion Jan. 6: Peres charged that Palestinian commandos
Square causing minor injuries.
The New York Times reported that the UN
arranged a truce under which Israel would not
shell Lebanese olive groves and Palestinian com-
mandos would withdraw from the groves during
the olive harvest. [NYT]
Dec. 21: Kissinger discussed the Mideast situation
with Waldheimand UN GeneralAssembly Pres-
ident Abdul Aziz Bouteflika in New York. Kis-
singer said there were no "dramatic, new"
developments. [NYT]
Dec. 22: A busload of Christian pilgrims was Jan. 8: Rabin told Le Figaro of Paris that Israel
struck by a grenade near Jerusalem injuring two
people. Palestinian sources in Beirut warned
tourists not to go near "occupiedPalestine" be-
cause of the escalation of commando activity.
[NYT]
Dec. 24: Israeli artillery shelled targets in the
Arqiubregion of Lebanon. [NYT]
Dec. 27: The Shah of Iran said his statement of
Dec. 13 was wrongly interpreted and that it
would be "out of the question"for Iran to "par- Jan. 9: Beirut's 4Al-Naharreported that the Shah
ticipate in the fighting" of any new Arab Israeli
war. [MEES]
Dec. 30: The USSR announcedthat Party leader
Brezhnev's January scheduledvisit to Egypt was
canceled. Israeli officials said the cancellation
could clear the way for talks between Israel and
Egypt on a second Sinai agreement. [NYT]
Dec. 31: Israeli troops killed three Arab infil-
trators near the Lebanese border and then blew Jan. 11: Iran's Premier 'Abbas Huvayda said "Iran
up a house in the Lebanese village of Aytariin
and abductedtwo youths. [NYT]
1975
Jan. 2: Israel reported that her troops blew up a
house in Lebanon after commandos inside fired
on the Israelis. [NYTI
Israeli troops staged several raids into Leba-
non during the night. Syrian Foreign Minister
Khaddammet in Beirut with President Sulayman
Franjiyyah to discuss Israeli attacks. [NYT]
Jan. 3: The Foreign Ministers of Jordan, Syria
and Egypt and representativesof the PLO began
talks in Cairo to settle the differences between
the PLO and Jordan. [NYT]
Clashes between Israeli troops and Arab com-
mandos were reported in the region of the UN
arranged olive harvest ceasefire. [NYT]
Jant.4: After a meeting of the Foreign Ministers
of Jordan, Egypt and Syria and Faruiq Kadfimi
of the PLO, it was announcedthat agreementwas
reached to hold regular consultations to resolve
issues between the PLO and Jordan. [NYT]
Lebanon reported that Israeli troops crossed
the border and opened fire on a group of shep-
herds. [NYT]
in Lebanon had been reinforced by Palestinian
forces from Syria and warned that a Syrian at-
tempt to "take a foothold" outside Syria would
be considered an "extension of aggression" that
would start a confrontation. [NYT]
Jan. 7: Presidents Franjiyyah of Lebanon and
Asad of Syria met near their common border in
the Lebanese village of Shaytuirahto discuss the
conflict with Israel. A joint communique said
Syria pledgedits "military,political and economic
support"for Lebanon'ssovereignty. [NYT]
would return most of the Sinai including the
strategic passes and oil fields and excluding
Sharm al-Shaykh and a land link to it in return
for a true peace. [NYT]
After an official visit to Jordan by the Shah of
Iran a joint communiquesaid King Ijusayn and
the Shah discussed the Middle East situation and
"agreedon the need to continueefforts to achieve
peace based on justice . . ." [NYT]
of Iran offered to supply Israel with the oil neces-
sary to compensatefor giving up the Sinai fields
in a peace agreement or a disengagementaccord.
[NYT]
The Shah of Iran met in Cairo with Sadat to
discuss the Middle East problem. [NYT]
India extended full diplomatic status to the
PLO representativein New Delhi. [NYT]
will not participatein an oil embargo imposedby
the Arab countries if a new conflict breaks out in
the Middle East. For us oil is an economicproduct
like any other which should not be used as a
political weapon." [MEES]
Jan. 12: Lebanon reported that Palestinian com-
mandos engaged a force of 200 Israelis which
 CHRONOLOGY 183

crossed the Lebanese border. [NYT] settlement of Zarit. [NYT]

Israel's Herut Party opened its national con- Jan. 19: King Faysal left Jordan after talks with
vention in Qiryat Arba on the occupied West King Ijusayn. It was announcedthat Saudi Ara-
Bank. Security was heavy because leftist demon- bia granted Jordan $57 million, $47 million of
strators protested at President Ephraim Katzir's which was for "urgent needs." [NYT]
residencethat the choice of site for the convention Faysal and Sadat met in Aswan to discuss the
was a provocationof the Arabs. [NYT] Arab Israeli conflict. [NYT]
The Shah ended his visit to Egypt and a joint Eight persons were wounded in a shoot out at
communiquesaid the two countries supported a Orly Airport after three Arabs attempted to
return to the Geneva Peace Conferencewith the rocket an El Al jet. The Arabs took hostages
PLO speaking for the Palestinians, the complete and were holding out in a washroom. [NYT]
Israeli withdrawal from occupied territory and Jan. 20: Fay$al left Egypt for Saudi Arabia after
an end to Israel's developing of the city of Jeru- endorsing Egypt's policy of negotiating with
salem. [NYT] Kissinger. [NYT]
Jan..13: Palestinians in Beirut reported that a The PLO condemned the terrorist attack at
large force of Israelis with armor attacked Orly. [NYT]
across the border for the second straight day. The three Arabs holding out at Orly released
Israel said its troops blew up five houses in Leb- their 10 hostages in return for a jetliner which
anon used by guerrillas. [NYT] took off for the Middle East. The three claimed
Two men fired rockets at an El Al jetliner to be members of the Muhammad Budiyah or-
at Orly airport in France but missed their target. ganization. [NYT]
A group calling itself the Muhammad Budiyah Israel sent a letter to Waldheim charging that
Commandclaimed responsibility.The PLO called the PLO must bear responsibilityfor the attack
the action a "conspiracyagainst the Palestinian at Orly because it was the umbrella organization
people." [NYT] for terrorist groups. [NYT]
Jan. 14: Waldheim said he doubted that the man- Jan. 21: Baghdad Radio said the plane carrying
dates of the UN peace forces between Israel and the three terrorists from France was allowed to
the Arabs would be renewed in the spring. land because it was low on gas and that Iraq
[NYT] would not allow such a hijacked plane to land
Austria's Die Presse quoted the Shah of Iran in Iraq in the future. [NYT]
as saying Iran would not join an oil embargo in Switzerlandannouncedthat the PLO had given
the event of a new Middle East war. [NYT] formal notice in December of the PLO's accep-
Saudi King Fay?al flew to Syria to discuss tance of the four Geneva Conventionsof 1949 on
the Middle East situation. [NYT] the treatmentof war prisoners. [NYT]
Jan. 15: Allon began talks in Washington on how Lebanon filed complaintat the UN that Israel
to resume diplomatic progress toward a peace. raided the village of Shuba between Jan. 11 and
[NYT] 17 wounding 11, capturing six and leaving the
Jan. 16: Lebanon filed a complaint with the UN village deserted. [NYT]
against "repeatedand condemnable"acts of ag- Afghani Special Envoy MuhammadNaim said
gression by Israel. Artillery exchanges were re- at the end of a visit to Kuwayt that the govern-
ported along the Israeli Lebaneseborder. [NYT] ment had told the PLO that a PLO office would
Sadat was quoted in Beirut's Al-Nahar as say- be welcome in Kabul. [JP]
ing Israel must withdraw within three months The three Orly terrorists landed in Baghdad
from some Syrian, Jordanianand Egyptian terri- and surrendered to police. Their plane was re-
tory or Egypt would abandon the US backed fused permissionto land in Lebanon, Syria, Ku-
step-by-step approachto a settlement. [NYT] wayt, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and South Yemen.
Allon met with Ford in Washington. [NYT] [NYT]
Jant.17: Concludinghis talks in the US, Allon said Jan. 22: Le Monde quoted Sadat as saying the
he had a "notion"that Egypt was ready to nego- Soviets had an "unfriendly attitude" toward
tiate a new withdrawal agreement in the Sinai Egypt in that they refuse to supply Egypt with
with Israel. [NYT] the needed military material, while supplying
King Fay$al flew from Syria to Jordan after Syria with the same, and that they oppose "any
announcing an immediate grant of $150 million military action against Israel, even limited."
for "pressing needs." He said it was his duty to [NYT]
supply aid because of Syria's heavy losses in the Jant.23: Rabin said of Sadat's three month deadline
October War. [NYT] for a new withdrawal that such deadlines have
Israeli and Lebanese artillery exchanged fire "no validity whatsoever for Israel." [NYT]
for the seventh day in the Arquibregion. [NYT] Europe No. 1 Radio quoted Sadat as saying
Jan. 18: Fighting was reported near the Lebanese Egypt and Syria "will never start a war unless
borderwhen Palestiniansattackednear the Israeli Israel attacks us first." [NYT]
184 THE MIDDLE EAST JOURNAL
Jan. 24: Japan's Premier Takeo Miki urged Israel
to withdraw from occupied Arab territory, to
recognize the "just rights of the Palestinians"
and to reach a "solution to the Jerusalem prob-
lem." [NYT]
France's Le Figaro quoted Sadat as saying he
had "reasonto believe" that the US would recog-
nize the PLO. A US spokesman in Washington
said the US had no "intentionof recognizing the
PLO under present circumstances."[NYT]
Jan. 25: Rabin said that the Arabs would find Israel
"more generous than they think" if peace talks
were held. [NYT]
The PLO announced that the men who hi-
jacked a plane to Tunisia in Nov. had been
severely punished.[NYT]
Two children were wounded in Gaza when
Israeli soldiers opened fire after a grenade was
thrown at their jeep. [NYT]
Back from a trip to the Mideast, US Senator
Charles Percy said Israel was "unrealistic"to
avoid talks with the PLO and warned that Israel
could not count on US backing "right or wrong."
[NYT]
Jan. 26: Israeli geologists reportedthe discovery of
oil deposits, possibly large, near Ramallah in the
occupiedWest Bank. [NYT]
Peres said Egypt was reinforcingmilitary posi-
tions near the Suez Canal. [NYT]
Jan. 29: The PLO announcedthat it would impose
death penalties on hijackers who take the lives of
others and 15 year prison sentences on hijackers
whose actions do not lead to loss of life. [NYT]
Australia refused to permit five PLO repre-
sentatives to enter the country. [NYT]
Jan. 31: The New York Times reported that the
US State Department would grant Syria $25
million from a special Mideast contingency fund
as incentive for Syria to adopt a moderate ap-
proach to the Arab Israeli conflict. [NYT]
Feb. 2: Soviet Foreign Minister Gromyko met in
Syria with Asad and 'Arafat to discuss the Mid-
east situation. [NYT]
Sadat said it would "amountto treason" to re-
ject an Israeli offer to withdraw from the Gidi
and Mitla passes and the Abul Rudays oil fields.
[NYT]
Feb. 3: Gromykoended his talks in Syria and flew
to Cairo. A joint communiquesaid the USSR,
Syria and the PLO agreed to press for a resump-
tion of the Geneva talks by early March.
In Egypt, Gromykomet with Foreign Minister
Fahmi. [NYT]
Feb. 4: Gromyko met with Sadat and it was an-
nounced that Brezhnev would visit the region.
[NYT]
Feb. 5: The Arab League Joint Defense Council
approved a Lebanese request for aid against
Israeli attacks. [NYT]
Feb. 6: Sources in Beirut said the Arab League's
Joint Defense Council pledged only $27 million
to Lebanon, mostly for reconstructing villages
and that no decision was taken to deploy Arab
forces from other countries in Lebanon. [NYT]
Feb. 7: The New York Times reported that "at
least a dozen" European banking firms "con-
nected with prominent Jewish families" were
blacklisted by Arab governments. [NYTI
Feb. 8: A bomb destroyed a store in Ashdod,
Israel. The Palestinian News Agency, WAFA,
said Palestinian guerrillas were responsible.
[NYT]
Feb. 9: Kissinger left the US for a tour of the
Middle East to "explore"the chancesfor a second
stage agreement between Egypt and Israel.
[NYT]
The Israeli Cabinet said it was "united" in
support of Kissinger's new mission. [NYT]
Sadat warned that time was running out on
Kissinger's step by step strategy to solving the
Mideastproblem.[NYT]
Feb. 10: Kissinger began talks in Israel with Rabin.
[NYT]
Liktud,the main Israeli oppositionparty, called
on Rabin to hold new elections before agreeing
to give up strategic passes and oil fields in the
Sinai. [NYT]
Feb. 11: Kissinger met for seven hours with Israeli
leaders and said he was optimistic about the pos-
sibilities of a new accord with Egypt. [NYT]
Beirut's L'Orient Le Jour quoted George Ha-
bash, leader of the Popular Front for the Libera-
tion of Palestine (PFLP), as saying the PFLP
would try to provoke a new war with Israel.
[NYT]
The offices of the American Life InsuraniceCo.
in Tyre, Lebanon,were destroyed by a bomb. A
group calling itself the Arab Communist Orga-
nization claimed responsibilityand said it was a
protest against the Kissinger trip. [NYT]
Feb. 12: Kissinger met in Cairo with Sadat and
said progress was made in clarifying the issues
between Egypt and Israel. [NYT]
Rabin told the Knesset that Israel would not
withdraw from the Gidi or Mitla passes or from
the Abu Rudays oil fields "as long as Egypt does
not withdraw from the war." [NYT]
Beirut's Al-Sayyad reported that the PLO
agreed at the Arab Joint Defense Councilmeeting
in Cairo to suspendoperationsagainst Israel from
south Lebanon unless fighting erupted on the
Syrian or Egyptian fronts. [NYT]
Feb. 13: Kissinger met in Syria with Asad and de-
scribed the talks as "friendly and constructive."
[MEED]
Kissinger flew back to Israel for more talks.
It was announced that he would return to the
-region in March in the hope of concluding an
Egyptian-Israeli agreement. [NYT]
Egyptian officials said they were encouragedby
 CHRONOLOGY
the talks with Kissinger.
Feb. 15: Kissinger met in Jordan with King Hu-
sayn and in Saudi Arabia with King Faysal.
[NYT]
General
1974
Nov. 17: At the end of the World Food Conference
in Rome Egypt's Ahmad Mara'!, Secretary Gen-
eral of the Conference,said the Arab states would
contribute "hundredsof millions" of dollars to an
agricultural development fund for Third World
countries. [NYT]
Nov. 19: The Central Treaty Organization's an-
nual naval maneuvers, "Midlink,"began in the
Indian Ocean off the coast of Pakistan. They
were the largest such maneuvers held by
CENTO. [NYT]
A meeting of EEC Foreign Ministers con-
cluded without agreeing to Arab League demands
that the Palestine Liberation Organization be
granted observer status at EEC-Arab League
talks. The Arab League EEC negotiations sched-
uled for Nov. 26 were postponed. [MEES]
Nov. 20: Indian Defense Minister Swaran Singh
expressed "deepconcern"over a naval exercise in
the Indian Ocean conducted by CENTO. He
said Pakistan was host to the exercises which
were the "biggest ever" in the region. [NYT]
1975
Jan. 2: Business Week quoted Kissinger as saying
that the use of force against oil producing coun-
tries "would be considered only in the gravest
emergency." "I am not saying that there's no
circumstanceswhere we would not use force . . .
But it is one thing to use it in the case of a dis-
pute over price; it's another where there is some
actual strangulation of the industrializedworld."
[NYT]
Jan. 7: Egypt's Information Minister Kamal 'Abd
al-Majd said Kissinger's remarks to Business
Week on the possible use of force in the region
were "unnecessary,untimely,"and do "not serve
the cause of American-Arab relations." [NYTI
Afghanistan
(See also Arab Israeli Conflict)
1974
Dec. 20: Middle East Economic Digest reported
that the first trade agreement with Canada was
185
signed. [MEED]
1975
Jan. 3: Middle East Economic Digest reported
that President MuhammadDawud's special en-
voy Muhammad Naim concluded an economic
cooperationagreement with China and then flew
to Japan. [MEED]
Algeria
(See also Oil Affairs)
1974
Nov. 18: Oil Minister Belaid Abdessalam flew to
France for a ten day official visit to discuss a
"new order" in bilateral relations. [MEED]
Dec. 10: Interior Minister Ahmad Medeghri died
following a "tragicaccident"in his home. [FBIS]
Dec. 20: Middle East EconomticDigest reported
that a loan of $40 million was obtained from
Japan for telecommunicationsprojects. [MEED]
Dec. 22: It was announced that Mohamed Ben
Ahmed was appointedInterior Minister. [FBIS]
1975
Jan. 1: The government raised the price of gaso-
line by 50%o.[NYT]
Jan. 5: The state budget for 1975 was announced
to be AD 22 billion, up 54% from 1974. [MEED]
Feb. 15: President Houari Boumedienneopened a
ministerial conference of 80 developing nations
discussing a joint strategy for dealing with the
worldwide economic slump. [NYT]
Cyprus
(See also Turkey)
1974
Nov. 18: Newly elected Greek Premier Constantine
Caramanlis said the government could at last
concentrateon the "crucialproblems"of political
reformand Cyprus. [NYT]
Nov. 21: Acting President Glafkos Clerides said
Archbishop Markarios would return to Cyprus
"to resume his Presidency" early in December.
Clerides and Makarios met for seven hours in
London.[NYT]
Nov. 25: President Clerides and Turkish leader
Rauf Denktas met to discuss reopening Nicosia
airport. [NYT]
186 THE MIDDLE EAST JOURNAL

Nov. 29: Makarios said he would offer an "olive "substance of the Cyprus problem." [NYT]
branch"to the Turks when he returnedto Cyprus. Jan. 14: Denktas and Clerides resumed their nego-
He said the Turkish Cypriots would have the tiations after a six week break. They said their
"right to self government" but that he would meeting was "useful."[NYT]
not agree to "the forcible movement of popula- Jan. 15: The following Cabinet was announced:
tions or the creation of conditions which would John Christophides:Foreign
lead to the possible partition of the island." Andreas Patsalides: Finance
[NYT] George Ionnides: Justice
Nov. 30: Makarios and Clerides began talks in Michael Colocassides: Commerce& Indwstry
Athens with Greek Premier Caramanlis on the Markos Spanos: Labor & Social Insurance
Cyprusproblem.[NYT] ChristodoulosVeniamin: Interior and Defense
Turkish Premier Sadi Irmak said the planned Andreas Mixellides: Education
return of Makarios to Cyprus had made the Frixos Kolotas: Agriculture & Natural Re-
situation "critical again." [WP] sources
Nov. 31: Turkey's Premier Irmak said the situa- George Tombazos: Comnmunications& Public
tion on Cyprus was critical and that the expectedWorks
return of Makarios "cannot be considered as a Britain announced that Turkish refugees on
sign of improvedconditio'ns."Martial law in four the Episkopibase would be permittedto leave by
Turkish provinces was extended for one month air for Turkey. [NYT]
Jan. 16: Turkish Foreign Minister Melih Esenbel
"in view of recent developmentsin Cyprus liable
to increasetension." [JP] said an airlift would be organized to evacuate the
Dec. 1: Following meetings in Athens, it was an- Turkish Cypriot refugees at Episkopi. [NYT]
Jant.17: Clerides and Denkta? met to discuss the
nounced that Makarios, Clerides and Greek lead-
ers had reached agreement on a "common line" status of the airport at Nicosia. Greek Cypriots
in negotiations with the Turkish parties. [NYT] demonstratedat Episkopi to protest the evacua-
Dec. 7: Makarios returnedfrom Athens to Cyprus tion of Turkish Cypriot refugees. [NYT]
Jan. 18: The first three planeloads of Turkish
and in a public speech offered amnesty to those
who overthrew him in July. He also restated thatCypriot refugees flew out of the British base at
he would not accept the geographical division ofAkrotiri. In Nicosia 5,000 Greek Cypriot demon-
the island. [NYT] strators ransacked British offices and burned
Dec. 8: Denktas said Makarios' speech offered part of the American Embassy in protest against
"very, very slight hope"for a settlement. [NYT] Britain's decision to release Turkish refugees.
Dec. 9: Makarios visited refugee camps in Larnaca. The US expressed "graveconcern"to the govern-
[NYT] ment and said Cyprus must "provide full pro-
Dec. 10: Makarios said negotiationswith the Turks tection for the embassy and all American per-
would begin "within the next 10 days" and that sonnel." [NYT]
Clerides would representthe Greek side. [WP] Jan. 20: Greek demonstrators attacked the US
Dec. 11: Kissinger met in Brussels with the ForeignEmbassy but were eventually led away by the
Ministers of Greece and Turkey in an effort to interventionof Makarios.The US warned Cyprus
break the deadlock in the Cyprus situation. that it would withdraw its staff and end its medi-
[NYT] ating role if the embassy were not protected.
Dec. 12: Kissinger and British Foreign Secretary [NYT]
Jant.26: A census and inventory was taken in the
James Callaghan continued meetings in Brussels
with Greek and Turkish officials but no progressTurkish held region to provide data to draw up a
was reported.[NYT] five year developmentplan. [NYT]
Dec. 13: The UN Security Council voted to ex- Jant.28: Turkey announcedit would withdraw 1,000
tend the UN force on Cyprus for six months and troops from Cyprus by Jan. 31. [NYT]
endorsed unanimouslya General Assembly reso- Jan. 31: Denkta?said after a meeting with Clerides
lution passed on Nov. 1 calling for both sides to
that the Turks agreed to let 8,000 Greeks return
find a "mutuallyacceptable political settlement."to their homes in the Turkish held sector. [Econ-
[NYT] omist]
Dec. 17: Turkish protestors prevented Makarios Denktaa said Greek proposals for opening
from visiting a Turkish Cypriot refugee camp on Nicosia airport and use of Famagusta port by
the British base at Episkopi. [NYT] Greek Cypriots were rejected by the Turkish
side. [NYT]
1975 Skirmishes were reported between Greeks and
Turks in the Western region. [NYT]
Jan. 8: After a meeting between Clerides and Feb. 1: Small arms fire was reportedaround Nico-
Denktas, it was announcedthat talks would re- sia Airport. [NYT]
sume on Jan. 14 on humanitarianissues and the Feb. 2: The UN reportedone Turkish soldier was
 CHRONOLOGY
killed in fighting in the Nicosia area. [NYT]
Feb. 5: Denktas said the cut off of US aid to
Turkey could provoke the proclamation of an
independentTurkish Cypriot state. [NYT]
Feb. 13: Denktas announced the formation of a
separate Turkish state in the northernregion and
invited the Greek Cypriot community to join it
in a federation.He said this was "not a unilateral
declarationof independence"but the formationof
a separate political entity under his administra-
tion. [NYT] Greece called the proclamationan
illegal act "endangeringthe peace in this deli-
cate region." [NYT]
Feb. 15: Greek Cypriots held demonstrationspro-
testing the declarationof a separateTurkish state.
[NYT]
Egypt
(See also Arab Israeli Conflict, General, Iraq, Ku-
wayt, Persian Gulf, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Oil
Affairs)
1974
Nov. 16: A trial opened of 92 men accused of try-
ing to overthrow the government.The men were
arrested in April after an attack on the Engineer-
ing College in Heliopolis in which 11 persons
died. [NYT]
Nov. 19: Associated Press reported that France
had begun delivering Mirage jets to Egypt.
[NYT]
Nov. 20: Sudan's President Ja'far al-Numayri
arrived from Libya and met with President An-
war al-Sadat. [MEED]
Four Egyptian vessels completeda trip through
the Suez Canal, the first since 1967. [NYT]
Nov. 24: Premier 'Abd al-'Azlz Hijdzi returned
from a tour of Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the
United Arab Amirates and said $1,195million had
been pledgedby those states for developmentproj-
ects in Egypt. [MEES]
Nov. 25: Iran signed several economicand technical
cooperation agreements for joint projects worth
$650 million. [MEES]
MENA reportedthe following Cabinetappoint-
ments:
Hamdi al-Nashshar: Finace
Muhammad 'Abd al-Fattah: Social Insurance.
[FBIS]
A husband and wife were sentenced to death
for spying for Israel. [JP]
Dec. 2: The Soviet Weekly reportedthat the USSR
would supply Egypt with a nuclear reactor.
[NYT]
Dec. 14: The trial of 92 men, accused of attacking
a military academy in the spring, was postponed
187
to give the defense more time for preparation.
[NYT]
Dec. 20: President S-dat met with Italian Presi-
dent Giovanni Leone in Cairo. [NYT]
Dec. 23: Iran's Chief of Staff Ghulam Riza Azar!
left Cairo after a one week visit. [FBIS]
Dec. 25: War Minister Isma'il 'Ali died of cancer
in London. [JP]
Dec. 26: Sadat appointedGeneral Muhammad'Abd
al-Ghani al-Gam&sito be Commanderin Chief
and Defense Minister. [JP]
Dec. 29: Jordan's Premier Zayd al-Rifa'i arrived
for an official visit at the invitation of Sadat.
[FBIS]
Soviet Party leader Leonid Brezhnev met in
Moscow with Foreign Minister Ismd'il Fahmi
and Defense Minister Gamasi. [NYT]
Dec. 30: The USSR cancelled the January sched-
uled visit of Party leader Brezhnev to Egypt.
[NYT]
Dec. 31: Fahmi and Gamasl returnedfrom Moscow
after a three day visit. [NYT]
1975
Jan. 1: Hundreds of industrial workers rioted in
Cairo in protest against economic conditions.
After several hours they were dispersedby police.
[NYT]
Jan. 2: Sadat said he understood the reasons for
the cancellationof Brezhnev's trip and that once
these reasons are removed "a new page will open
in Soviet Egyptian relations." [NYT]
Thousands of students demonstrated on the
campusof Cairo University in supportof workers'
demonstrationson Jan. 1. [NYT]
Jan. 3: Akhbar al-Yawm reported that Brezhnev
cancelled his trip because of bronchitis. [NYT]
Jan. 4: The New York Times reportedthat Egyp-
tian officials told the US that Brezhnev's trip to
Egypt was called off becauseof policy differences
and Brezhnev's case of pneumonia. [NYT]
The government reported that a secret Com-
munist group was discovered to have worked to
cause the riots of Jan. 1 and that its members
were arrested. [NYT]
Sidat appointed Muhammad 'All Fahmi as
Chief of Staff of the armed forces.
Jan. 5: Middle East Newvs Agency reported that
120 persons were arrested for "antistate"activi-
ties on Jan. 1. [NYT]
Jat. 8: The Shah of Iran arrived for an officialfive
day visit. [NYT]
Beirut's Al-Anwar quoted Sadat as saying
Fahmi and Gamts! found the USSR unwilling to
replace Egypt's October War losses and supply
Egypt with weapons developedsince the war. He
added that the rescheduling of Egypt's debt to
Moscow was postponed because of Brezhnev's
188 THE MIDDLE EAST JOURNAL
decision not to visit Cairo. [NYTI
Jan. 11: Sadat said Iran saved Egypt from an en-
ergy crisis in Decemberby sending an emergency
supply of 650,000 barrels of oil. [NYT]
Jan. 12: The Shah of Iran concludedhis visit and a
joint communique said Iran would help Egypt
widen the Suez Canal and rebuild Port Said.
[NYT]
Jan. 25: It was announced that Soviet Foreign
Minister Andrei Gromyko would visit Cairo on
Feb. 3 for "continuingconsultations." [NYT]
Jan. 27: SidAt arrived in France and met with
French President Valery Giscard d'Estaing.
[NYT]
Jan. 29: Sadat concluded his visit to France and
said France agreed to sell Mirage fighters to
Egypt. [NYT]
Feb. 3: Popular singer Umm kalthOm died in
Cairo. [WP]
Feb. 5: Soviet Foreign Minister Gromyko ended a
two day visit. The New York Times cited Egyp-
tian diplomats as saying the talks "improvedthe
atmosphere"between the two countries and that
Gromyko had given "limited satisfaction" to
Egypt's request for arms. [NYT]
Feb. 15: Al-Ahram reported that police broke up
a plot by Islamic extremists to take over the
government. [MEED]
Iran
(See also Arab Israeli Conflict, Egypt, Iraq,
Jordan, Oil Affairs)
1974
Nov. 19: A preliminaryagreementwas signed with
a West German firm for the purchase of two
nuclearpower plants. [MEES]
Nov. 20: The Shah concludeda three day visit to
the USSR where he held talks on bilateral eco-
nomic relations and the Middle East situation.
[MEED]
Nov. 21: Bulgaria's Communist Party leader, To-
dor Zhikov, arrived for talks on expanding
trade. [MEED]
Nov. 25: Omani Foreign Minister Qays al-Zaw4wi
arrived for talks. [MEED]
Dec. 1: Premier 'Abbas Huvayda presenteda bud-
get of $36.2 billion to the Majlis for 1975/76.
[MEES]
Dec. 6: A roof collapsed under the weight of snow
at Tehran Airport killing an estimated 34 per-
sons. [NYT]
Dec. 10: Premier Huvayda arrived in Canada for
talks on the possibility of joint economic ven-
tures. [MEED]
Dec. 20: An agreement for economic and techno-
logical cooperation was signed with Italy at the
end of a visit to Tehran by Italian President
GiovanniLeone. [NYT]
Dec. 21: The Shah called on Americanbusinessmen
to be more aggressive in seeking contracts in
Iran and invited skilled Americans to come to
Iran to alleviate the shortage of skilled man-
power. [NYT]
Dec. 23: France announcedthe signing of economic
agreements worth $6 billion including the con-
struction of a subway system in Tehran, a $120
million steel plant, 200,000 housing units and an
automobileplant. [NYT]
1975
Jan. 3: France announced that Iran loaned the
French Atomic Energy Commission$1 billion for
15 years for a 10% share in a planned uranium
enrichmentplant in the Rhone Valley. [NYT]
Jan. 11: Huvayda said Iran had spent $250 million
on caring for Kurdish refugees from Iraq whose
number reached 120,000. [NYT]
Jan. 29: Britain's Secretary of State for Trade,
Peter Shore, signed a major trade protocol while
in Tehran. Shore said the agreement could pro-
duce over $1 billion in trade over a year or more.
[MEED]
Feb. 2: Trans World Airlines announcedthe sale
of six Boeing 747's to Iran for $99 million.
[NYT]
Feb. 9: Pars News Agency said Iraqi troops
attacked border positions but were driven back
by borderpolice. [WP]
Feb. 10: The National Iranian Oil Co. announced
signing of a $5.9 billion joint venture with a US-
Belgian consortiumto supply the US and Europe
with liquified natural gas. [NYT]
Feb. 12: The Central Bank announced that the
Iranian Rial's tie to the US Dollar was severed.
[JP]
Iraq
(See also Iran, Kuwayt, Persian Gulf, South Ye-
men)
1974
Nov. 22: East German Premier Horst Sindermann
concludeda visit by signing a protocol setting up
a commissionto study developinglong term trade
relations. [MEED]
Nov. 26: The Christian Science Monitor reported
that Iran and Kurdish spoke3mendenied rumors
 CHRONOLOGY
that Kurdish rebel leader Mustafa Barazani had
been killed in recent fighting. [CSM]
Dec. 2: Communist Party organ Tariq al-Sha'b
reported that Party leader Salim Khabbaz was
assassinatedby Kurds. [JP]
The government agreed to loan France $1 bil-
lion to help pay for oil imports. French Premier
Jacques Chiral concludeda two day visit. [NYT]
Dec. 6: Diplomatic sources in Beirut reported that
President Hasan al-Bakr was critically ill.
[NYT]
Dec. 12: Vice ChairmanSiddam Husayn al-Takriti
concludeda visit to Spain and a joint communique
said the two countries shared a desire to expand
economicrelations. [MEES]
Dec. 16: The governmentsaid two Iraqi jet fighters
were shot down near the Iranianborderby Amer-
ican made Hawk missiles. [NYT]
Dec. 18: Iran said it had shot down two Iraqi
planes which had violated Iranian airspace.
[NYTI
Dec. 22: Egypt's Al-Ahram reported that Presi-
dent Anwar al-Sadat was in contact with Iraq
and Iran to help improvethe deterioratingborder
situation. [FBIS]
Dec. 29: Egypt's Secretary of Foreign Affairs
Ashraf Marwan arrived for talks with Presi-
dent al-Bakr. [MEED]
Dec. 31: The government accused Iran of shelling
Iraqi villages on Dec. 29 and 30. [JP]
1975
Jan. 3: Al-Thawrah called for a quick response
from Kuwayt to Iraq's "practical and flexible
proposals"for ending the border dispute and said
that any visit to Kuwayt by Vice President
Siddam Husayn to discuss the issue must have
the "prerequisites of success." [MEED]
Jan. 8: A special diplomaticdelegation departedfor
visits to Abfi Dhabi, Bahrayn, Yemen and South
Yemen to explain Iraqi policy in the Iraq Iran
borderdispute. [MEED]
Jan. 19: It was announced that a group of pro- Dec. 15: Former Major General Ariel Sharon re-
Iranian spies were executed. [NYT]
Talks in Istanbul with Iranian officials on the reserve military appointment. [WP]
Kurdish and Shatt al-Arab problems broke off Dec. 19: The Jerusalem Post reported that Israel
after four days. Iran's Foreign Minister 'Abbas
Khalat'bari said "no decisions" were made.
[NYT]
Jan. 31: The governmentannouncedthe purchaseof Dec. 20: The Intergovernmental
six American built Boeing jetliners including two
747's. [NYT]
Feb. 1: Irrigation Minister Muharramal-Ta'labani
returned from Turkey and said Turkish Premier
Sadi Irmak had promisedto do "everythingpossi- Dec. 22: Former Premier Golda Meir
ble" to alleviate Iraq's water shortage. [MEED]
Feb. 8: Higher EducationMinister Ghanim'Abd al-
Jalil said a huge oilfield was discovered under
189
the western environs of Baghdad. [NYT]
Feb. 9: Beirut's al-Anwar reportedthe Chairmanof
Iraqi Company for Oil Operations as saying a
large oil field was discovered under Baghdad.
[MEED]
Feb. 10: The New York Times cited sources in
Beirut as saying Iraq was seeking a conference
of Arab states of the Persian Gulf region to pro-
test Iranian aid to the Kurds. [NYT]
Israel
(See also Arab Israeli Conflict)
1974
Nov. 19: The New York Times reported US De-
fense officials as saying that the US was having
trouble for the first time satisfying Israeli needs
for military suppliesas well as US needs. [NYT]
Dec. 1: The Labor Federation,Histadrut, approved
a cost of living increase compromisereachedwith
the government.[JP]
Dec. 3: Premier Yitzhak Rabin said the country
faces seven lean years and that the economicdiffi-
culties of Israel were reaching a point where they
would restrict military strength. [JP]
Foreign Minister Yigal Allon said Israel was
open to any Soviet initiative to restore diplo-
matic relations. [JP]
Dec. 8: The Gahal opposition parties accused
Premier Rabin of proposing "political retreats
that jeopardizethe security of the country"in an
interview with Haaretz in which Rabin said
Israel might accept a private pledge of non-
belligerency from Egypt in exchange for Sinai
territory. [NYT]
Dec. 9: The head of the Greek Catholic Churchin
Jerusalem, Archbishop Hilarion Capucci, was
convicted of smuggling arms for Palestinian
commandosand sentenced to 12 years in prison.
[NYT]
signed his seat in the Knesset and accepted a
would enter into a customs union with the Euro-
pean Economic Communityunder an agreement
negotiated"last week." [JP]
Committee on
European Migration reported that the emigra-
tion of Soviet Jews to Israel had declined by
50% in 1974 from 32,500 in 1973 to 16,537.
[NYT]
concludeda
fund raising tour of the US and called on Ameri-
can Jews to give more aid to Israel because of
Israel's financialproblems.[NYT]
190 THE MIDDLE EAST JOURNAL
Dec. 27: El Al Airlines groundedall its planes for
the first time because of a strike of company
workers. [JP]
1975
Jan. 4: The El Al strike ended and flights were
resumed. [FBIS]
Jan. 15: Information Minister Aharon Yariv said
the voiding by Moscow of the 1972 trade accord
with the US, which provided for Jewish emigra-
tion from the USSR, could be a loss to Israel. Nov. 24: Information Minister Salah Abu Zayd
But he added that Israel would continue to press
for free emigration. [NYT]
Jan. 20: Israel asked the US for $2 billion in mili-
tary and economic aid, it was reported by the Dec. 14: A US destroyer arrived in Aqaba for a
Israeli Embassy in Washington. [NYT]
Jan. 23: The US Defense Departmentsaid it would
sell Israel 200 short range Lance missiles capable
of carrying nuclear warheads. [NYT]
Jan. 27: Rabin urged the USSR to renew diplo-
matic contacts with Israel if the USSR wanted
"to play a meaningful r6le in the Middle East." Dec. 28: The Cabinet approvedthe proposed state
[NYT]
Jan. 29: Information Minister Yariv resigned
charging that the government was conducting
affairs in a way "inappropriateand inadequate 1975
to meet the needs of the current situation."
[NYT]
Jan. 30: The Agranat Commissioninvestigating the
October War released its complete report saying
setbacks early in the fighting resulted from com-
mand, control and communicationfailures and to
faulty intelligence and lax discipline. [NYT]
Feb. 2: The Cabinet voted to set up a Ministerial
Committee within the Cabinet to control mili-
tary operations. [NYT]
Jordan
(See also Arab Israeli Conflict,Egypt)
1974
Nov. 21: Premier Zayd Rifa'i resigned. [NYT]
Nov. 23: King Ijusayn dissolved the Parliament
and a new Cabinetwas appointed:
Zayd al-Rifd'i: Premier, Foreign and Defentse
Subhi Amin 'Amr: Reconstruction & Develop-
mentt
Salah Abfi Zayd: Information & Culture
Khalid al-Hajjjlasan: Transport
Dhuqan Hindawi: Education
Sami Ayyfub: Social Affairs & Labor
Salim Mas'adih: Finance
Ghalib Barakat: Tourism & Antiquities
Ahmad al-Shawbaki: Comtmtunications
'All Hasan 'Udah: Supplies
Marwan al-Hammfid: Agriculture
'Abd al-'Aziz Khayyat: Awqaf
Sadiq al-Shara: State for Foreign Affairs
MahmuidHawamdah: Public Works
Tharwat al-Talhiuni: Interior
Inad al-Jazi: State for Premier's Office
Husayn al-Tarawinah: Justice
Muhammadal-Zabin: Municipal& RutralAffairs
Raja al-Mu'ashshir: Economy
warned that the "disruptionof the sacred unity
between the Jordanian and Palestinian peoples"
in Jordan would be regarded as treason. [JP]
five day visit. [NYT]
Oman's Foreign Minister Qays al-Zawawi ar-
rived for talks with King Ijusayn. [MEED]
Dec. 15: Syrian Foreign Minister 'Abd al-Halim
Khaddam concluded a visit and said his talks
with King IHusaynwere "fruitful." [WP]
budget of JD 218 million. [FBIS]
Jani.7: The US said it had approved the transfer
of 20 F5A jet fighters from Iran to Jordan.
[NYT]
Concludingan officialvisit and talks with King
Husayn, the Shah of Iran said his country would
increase financial aid to help Jordan "to become
a sovereign, prosperous and strongly developed
country."[NYT]
Jan. 11: The governmentreceived $51 million from
Saudi Arabia as part of the assistance promised
to "front line" states. [MEED]
Jan. 19: King Faysal left after granting Jordan
$57 million. [NYT]
Kuwayt
(See also Arab Israeli Conflict, Iraq, Sudan, Oil
Affairs)
1974
Nov. 22: Middle East Econontic Survey reported
the governmentwould loan Hungary $40 million.
[MEES]
Dec. 1: Al-Ray al-Am reported that Iraqi troops
had infiltratedup to two miles inside the border
and set up military posts. [JP]
 CHRONOLOGY
Dec. 2: West Germany announced that Kuwayt
had purchased 14% of the Daimler-Benz Co. at
a cost estimated between $250 million and $420
million. [WP]
Dec. 3: Egyptian Premier 'Abd al-'Aziz HIijazi
ended a four day visit and a joint communique
said joint projects were agreed on worth $1,300
million. [MEES]
Foreign Affairs CommitteeChairman'Abd al-
'Aziz Musayd said Iraq was trying to seize con-
trol of two Kuwayti islands. [JP]
Dec. 8: Czechoslovakia'sPremier LubomirStrougal
arrived for an official visit. [MEED]
Dec. 9: Defense Minister Shaykh Sa'd al-'Abdallah
al-Sabah said an agreement was signed with the
US to purchase "the most up to date surface to
air missiles" and a large number of jet fighter
planes. [NYT]
Dec. 27: Oil Minister 'Abd al-Rahman al-Atiqi
said Kuwayt would not reduce oil production so
much that Britain or the US would be affected
because Kuwayt keeps investmentsin those coun-
tries. He added that nationalizationof oil com-
panies had become only secondary to selling oil
through participation agreements which are
"better than nationalization." [NYT]
1975
Jan. 13: Iraqi Foreign Minister Sa'dun Hammadi
arrived for talks with the Amir on their common
border dispute and the situation in the Gulf re-
gion. [MEED]
Jan. 17: Middle East Economic Digest reported
that the Oil Ministry said oil productionwould
be cut to 2 million barrels per day in 1975 com-
pared with an average 2.7 million in 1974.
[MEED]
General elections were held for the National
Assembly. [JP]
Feb. 9: A new Cabinet was appointed:
Sabah al-Ahmad al-Jabir al-Sabah: Premier
Jabir al-'All al-Salim al-Sabah: Deputy Premier
Jasim Dawuid al-Marziuq: Education
Hamad Mubarak al-'Iyyar: Housing
Sa'd al-'Abdallahal-Sabah: Defense and Interior
Salim Sabah al-Salim al-Sabah: Social Affairs &
Labor
Sulayman al-Zayd al-Khalid: Communications
Sabah al-Ahmad al-Jabir al-Sabah: Foreign
'Abd al-Rahman al-'Atiqi: Finance
'Abd al-Rahman al-'Awddi: Health
'Abd al-'Aziz Husayn: State for CabinetAffairs
'Abdallah Ibrihim Mufarrij: Justice and Awqaf
'AbdallahYiisuifal-Ghanim: Electricity & Water
'Abd al-Muttalib 'Abd al-Husayn: Oil
Yiisuf al-Nafisi: Trade
Hummiid Yusuif al-Nisr: Housing
191
Lebanon
(See also Arab Israeli Conflict)
1974
Nov. 22: Premier Rashid al-Sulh said of President
Sulayman Franjiyyah's visit to the UN: "The
improper US Government behavior, which oc-
curred as the President arrived at a New York
airport was unanimously denounced by . . . the
Arab world." A US official said it was not cus-
tomary for American officials to greet heads of
state visiting the UN. [NYT]
Nov. 25: The US issued an apology to Lebanon
for a customs search of President Franjiyyah's
plane when it landed in New York on Nov. 10.
[NYT]
Dec. 16: Premier Sulh said the governmentwould
seek to purchase Soviet missiles to counter Is-
raeli air attacks. [WP]
Dec. 21: A military court sentenced to death a
Frenchman, Frangois Ronget, found guilty of
aiding Israeli commandosin a raid in Beirut in
1973. [NYT]
1975
Jan. 2: Franjiyyah received a Syrian delegation
headed by Deputy Defense Minister Naji Jamil.
[MEED]
Jan. 6: Defense Minister Josef Sakaf returned
from Saudi Arabia and said King Faysal had
offered Lebanon military assistance. [MEED]
Jan. 7: Syria's President H-Ifiz al-Asad met with
Franjiyyah to discuss Lebanon's defense needs
and economic relations. [MEED]
Jan. 11: Maronite leader Cardinal Paul Meoushi
died at age 80. [MEED]
Jan. 14: Nine people were injured when villagers
and security police clashed in the southernvillage
of Marjayfin.The villagers were protesting lack
of protection against Israeli attacks. [MEED]
Jan. 17: The US said it was supplying Lebanon
with wire-guided antitank missiles under an
agreement reached in May 1974. [NYT]
Feb. 3: The Maronite Church elected Antonius
Khreish as Patriarch. [NYT]
Feb. 6: Import duties were raised on cars, refriger-
ators and other electrical appliances to reduce
the treasury deficit. [MEED]
Libya
(See also Morocco,Sudan,Turkey)
1974
Nov. 19: Sudan's President Ja'far al-Numayri met
192 THE MIDDLE EAST JOURNAL

with Revolution Command Council Chairman Jan. 12: The Union Socialiste des Forces Populaires
Mu'amaral-Qadhdhifi in Tripoli before flying to (UNFP) concludedits first Party Congress and
Egypt. [MEED] called for the nationalizationof all vital produc-
Dec. 5: Premier 'Abd al-Salam Jalluid arrived in tion, trade, transport and financial institutions.
Londonfor "privatemedicaltreatment."[MEED] [MEED]
Dec. 22: It was agreed with Malta to step up cul- Feb. 7: Middle East Economic Digest reportedthat
tural, technical and economic ties after a two a new political party was formed, the Action
day visit to Malta by ChairmanQadhdhafi. [JP] Party, favoring "a realistic and developing de-
Dec. 31: Al-Safir reported that the government mocracy" and the "deprived popular classes."
offered to supply Lebanon "immediately"with [MEED]
$46 million in arms to help "repel Israeli attacks Spain said she would take all legitimate steps
against the south." [JP] to defend Ceuta and Melilla. [NYT]
Feb. 8: Spain moved naval units and troops into
Ceuta and Melilla. [NYT]
1975 Feb. 10: Full diplomatic relations were resumed
with Libya. [JP]
Jan. 3: Middle East Economic Survey reported Feb. 11: Spanish naval vessels left Ceuta and
Libya had quietly lifted its ban on oil exports to Melilla after a two day visit in response to Mo-
the US. [MEES] rocco's claim to the two cities. [JP]
Jan. 13: Beirut's al-Nahar quoted Qadhdhafi as
saying Libya would establish a "science city" to
encourage scientists abroad to return to the Arab
world. [MEED] Pakistan

(See also General)

Morocco
1974
Dec. 13: Middle East Economic Digest reported
that the USSR signed a major phosphatebarter
agreement that could total $5 billion providing Nov. 30: A protocol was signed with India ending
the USSR with up to 10 million tons of phos-
phate a year for 25 to 30 years. [MEED]
Dec. 30: Finance Minister Abdul Kader Benslimane
said the 1975 state budget would be up 88.5%
over 1974's with a new deficit of MD 2.2 billion.
He said the deficit would result from "imported"
inflation aggravated by a lack of agricultural
growth and an increase in the money supply.
[MEED]
1975
Jan. 2: Saudi Planning Minister Hisham Nazir
ended a five day visit after talks on Saudi back-
ing for development projects. [MEED]
Jan. 6: The government announced that Esso 1975
Standard Maroc, a subsidiary of Exxon, was
nationalized for failing to turn over control to Jan. 1: Saudi Arabia donated$10 million for earth-
Moroccans by December 31, 1974. [NYT]
Jan. 7: It was announcedthat diplomatic relations Jan. 29: President Bhutto called for a one day
were restoredwith Libya. [JP]
Jan. 11: The Istiqlal Party announced it would
participatein national elections if the government
would guarantee freedom of choice. [MEED]
1974
Nov. 23: The New York Times reported that an
Indian delegation left Pakistan on Nov. 22 after
five days of talks on bilateral reconciliationthat
"never got off the ground." [NYT]
the trade embargo in effect since 1965. [NYT]
Dec. 20: President Zulfikar Ali Bhutto said Paki-
stan would develop nuclear weapons if "conven-
tional weapons are not supplied . . . under treaty
obligations, and if the disparity in conventional
armaments increases to the extent that it
threatens the stability of the subcontinent . .
[FBIS]
Dec. 29: A nighttime earthquake destroyed the
northern village of Patan and killed between
300 and 1,000 people. [NYT]
Dec. 30: It was reportedby officials that the earth-
quake in Patan killed 4,700 persons and injured
15,000.[NYT]
quakerelief. [NYT]
general strike in Pakistan and Kashmir if any
settlement would be reached between the Indian
government and Kashmiri leader Shaykh Mu-
hammad Abdallah. Bhutto said Pakistan would
 CHRONOLOGY
oppose any move compromising the Kashmiri
right to self determination. [WP]
Feb. 4: Bhutto arrived in the US for talks with
President Gerald Ford. [NYT]
Feb. 5: Ford told Bhutto that the US would give
"activeconsideration"to lifting the arms embargo
on Pakistan. [NYT]
Feb. 8: The governor of North West Province,
MuhammadKhan Sherpao, was killed by a ter-
rorist bomb at Peshawar University. [JP]
Feb. 9: National Awami Party (NAP) President
Abdul Wali Khan, and 10 other NAP leaders
were arrested. [JP]
Feb. 10: The government banned the NAP and
confiscated its property and funds. [NYT]
The government charged that the NAP was
acting "in a mannerprejudicialto the sovereignty
and integrity of Pakistan." [JP]
Thousands of demonstrators rioted in Pesha-
war and attacked NAP offices calling for ven-
geance for the assassination of the Provincial
governor. [JP]
Persian Gulf
(See also Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, South Yemen,
Sudan)
1974
Nov. 17: Muhammad Yuisuf Jalal, President of
Bahrayn's Chamberof Commerce,arrived in Pe-
king with a 10 man delegation to discuss expand-
ing trade. [MEED]
Nov. 19: The following Cabinet changes were an-
nouncedin Oman:
Hilal ibn Hamad: Justice
Fahar ibn Taymur: Interior
Karim Ahmad al-Hardmi: Public Works
'Abd al-Hafi al-Salim: Communications
MuhammadZubayr: Trade & Industry
Ahmad al-Shanfari: Agriculture & Mineral Re-
sources
MubarakQaddiiri: Health
'Asim al-Jamill: State
Tariq ibn Hamad al-Ja'fari: State
Nov. 23: A Qatari contributionof $102 million to
Egyptian economic development was announced
at the end of a visit to Doha by Egyptian Pre-
mier 'Abd al-'Aziz al-Hijazi. [MEED]
Nov. 25: The US aircraft carrier Constellationand
2 destroyers entered the Gulf on a "familiariza-
tion deployment"during CENTO naval maneu-
vers in the Indian Ocean. [NYT]
Nov. 26: The US said the Constellationhad com- Nov. 19: Egyptian Premier 'Abd al-'Aziz Hij zT
pleted its exercises in the Gulf and was return-
ing to the CENTO exercises in the Indian
Ocean. [CSM]
193
Nov. 29: Middle East Economic Digest reported
that an Iraqi naval unit commandedby 'Abduh
al-Dirn concludeda goodwill tour "last week" of
Arab Gulf state ports. Al-Dirl called for setting
up a joint Arab naval force in the Gulf to "pro-
tect Arab interests" against "threats against the
tranquilityof the region." [MEED]
Nov. 30: Bahrayn and Bahrain Petroleum Co.
formally signed an agreement giving the govern-
ment 60% share in the company. [MEED]
Dec. 15: French Foreign Secretary for Trade Nor-
bert Segard began talks in Oman on developing
economic and technical cooperation. [WP]
Dec. 22: Qatar announcedit would begin talks with
oil companies immediately on taking ownership
of the remaining40% share of the industryowned
by foreign companies.[NYT]
1975
Jan. 4: United Arab Amirates President Shaykh
Zayd ibn Sultan al-Nuhayyan ended a 4 day
visit to India and announced an agreement to
supply India with oil which "we hope will go a
long way to meet its requirements.' [MEES]
Jan. 10: Oman's Sultan Qabfis met in Washington,
D.C., with President Ford who described US
relations with Oman as "excellent." [MEED]
Jan. 20: Britain announcedthat the US was seeking
"occasionaluse of airfield facilities" on Masirah
Island off the coast of Oman. The US confirmed
this, saying use of the base was needed on a
"contingencybasis" as an alternate landing base
for carrier planes. [NYT]
Jan. 27: The talks scheduled between the United
Arab Amirates and 2 oil companies,Abiu Dhabi
Petroleum Company and Abfi Dhabi Marine
Areas, were cancelled by the UAA in protest
against a drop in oil production. [MEED]
Feb. 2: Oman's Army commander,T. M. Creasy,
said Iran "guaranteed"Oman's airspace by com-
mitting Iranian planes to defend Oman against
intrudersif Oman would request it. [NYT]
Feb. 8: The New York Times reported that US
antitank missiles and several instructors had
arrived in Oman "recently." [NYT]
SaudiArabia
(See also Arab Israeli Conflict, Egypt, Jordan,
Lebanon, Morocco, Pakistan, Syria, Yemen, Oil
Affairs)
1974
concluded an official visit and it was announced
that the government would loan Egypt $161
million for development projects. [MEES]
194 THE MIDDLE EAST JOURNAL
Nov. 27: A decree was issued raising the income
tax rate on foreign oil companies to 85%oof net
income. [MEES]
Nov. 29: The New York Times reported that
Aramco made a "serious"offer to sell complete
ownership of the company to the Saudi govern-
ment thus breaking a long deadlock in negotia-
tions. [NYT]
Dec. 4: The French Defense Ministry reportedthat
a contract had been signed to supply Saudi
Arabia with $800 million in military arms.
[NYT]
Dec. 10: Negotiations for the full takeover of
Aramco by the government were suspended.No
date for a resumptionwas announced. [NYT]
Dec. 12: British Chancellorof the ExchequerDenis
Healy concluded a visit after it was agreed to
establish a joint committee to expand trade.
[MEED]
The embassy in Italy said Saudi Arabia would
contribute $7 million for a mosque in Rome.
[NYT]
Dec. 17: The government announcedit would loan
the World Bank $750 million. [NYT]
Dec. 28: Sudan's President Ja'far al-Numayri met
in Jiddah with King Faysal. [FBIS]
1975
Jan. 9: It was announced that the US agreed to
sell 60 F5 jet fighters for $750 million. The US
said the sale would contribute to the "legitimate
self-defense needs" of Saudi Arabia. [NYT]
Jan. 11: Iraqi Foreign Minister Sa'dfin Hammadi
arrived and held talks with King Faysal which
were describedas "frankand fraternal."[MEED]
Jan. 24: The New York Timnesreportedthat terms
were agreed upon for the complete takeover of
Aramco by the government. [NYT]
Feb. 2: The InternationalMonetary Fund reported
that Saudi Arabia's monetary reserves reached
$14 billion by the end of 1974 and were the 3rd
largest in the world after West Germanyand the
US. [MEED]
Feb. 8: It was reportedin the US that US military
veterans were being recruited by a private firm
under a Defense Department contract to train
Saudi troops to defend oilfields. [NYT]
Feb. 12: UN Secretary General Kurt Waldheim
arrived for talks with King Faysal on interna-
tional problems. [FBIS]
South Yemen
(See also Arab Israeli Conflict, Iraq, Yemen)
1974
Nov. 22: Middle East Economic Digest reported
that a technical cooperation treaty was signed
with China during an official visit to Peking by
President Salim Rubay 'All. [MEED]
1975
Jan. 3: MEED reportedthat President Rubay 'All
visited North Korea and signed an agreement
providing North Korean economic and technical
aid.
MEED also cited Foreign Minister Mu-
hammad Sailih Mu'ti as saying the government
was prepared to establish diplomatic relations
with Bahrayn, Qatar and the United Arab Amir-
ates but not with Oman which had the presence
of foreign troops. [MEED]
Feb. 7: Middle East Economic Digest reported
Iraq was increasing aid with recent agreements
to set up a joint fishing company, send Iraqi
medical teams and grant $10 million. [MEED]
Sudan
(See also Egypt, Libya, Saudi Arabia)
1974
Nov. 20: President Ja'far al-Numayri returned
from visits to Libya and Egypt and it was an-
nounced that there would soon be "tangible im-
provement in Egyptian-Libyan-Sudanese"rela-
tions. [MEED]
Nov. 22: Middle East Economic Digest reported
that President al-Numayri announcedapprovalof
645 oil prospectingpermitscovering %of Sudan's
area. [MEED]
Nov. 26: Numayri began a 5 day state visit to
India for talks with Premier Indira Gandhi.
[MEED]
Dec. 4: Numayri concluded a visit to the United
Arab Amirates and it was announcedthat a com-
mission would be set up to plan bilateral eco-
nomic cooperation.Numayri flew on to Bahrayn.
[MEED]
1975
Jan. 3: Middle East Economic Digest reportedthat
Libya agreed to reschedule the Sudanese debt
repaymenton easier terms than Libya had orig-
inally demanded.[MEED]
Ja.n.11: Vice President Abel Alier arrived in Ku-
wayt after visits to Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the
United Arab Amirates. [MEED]
Jan. 22: Numayri met with Chase Manhattan
 CHRONOLOGY
Bank's President David Rockefeller and it was
announcedChase would open a branch in Khar-
tum. [MEED]
Jan. 25: Numay"ri dismissed Finance Minister
Sayyid Ibrdhim Numaym and 2 of his aides
after they were accused in the National Assembly 1974
of corruption.[JP]
The following Cabinet appointmentswere an- Nov. 17: President Habib Bourguiba concluded
nounced:
Muhammadal-Baqir Ahmad: Interior
MuhammadAhmad 'Abd al-Qadir: Youth,Sports
& Welfare
MansuirKhalid: Education
Badr al-Din Sulayman: Industry & Mining
Ahmad 'Abd al-Halim: Information & Culture Dec. 22: Thirty people were sentenced to prison
al-Sharif H,.shim: Religious Affairs
Mustafa 'Uthm.anHasan: Con-struiction & Public
Works
Karrar Ahmad Karrar: Local Government,
Houtsing & Social Development
Ma'muinBihayri: Finance and Economy
Syria
(See also Arab Israeli Conflict, Jordan, Lebanon)
1974
Nov. 20: An agreement was signed with the US
to buy 100,000tons of American wheat and rice
worth about $22 million. [NYT]
Nov. 25: East German Premier Horst Sindermann
concluded a visit and it was announced that a
long term economiccooperationagreement would
be signed. [MEED]
Dec. 10: Bulgaria agreed to loan the government
$73 million at 2.5% interest for industrial and
agricultural projects. [MEES]
1975
Jan. 3: Bombs exploded in the Egyptian and Jor-
danian embassies in Damascus injuring 4 people.
[NYT]
Jan. 6: Tunisian Premier Hedi Nouira concluded
a 4 day visit after signing 2 agreements for eco- Zeyyat Baykara: Deputy Premier
nomic and cultural cooperation. [MEED]
Jan. 14: King Faysal of Saudi Arabia arrived for
an officialvisit. [NYT]
Jan. 17: Faysal concludedhis visit and announced
a $200 million loan for economic development
projects. [NYT]
Jan. 20: The police released an American reporter
for Associated Press after holding him for 3 days Bedri Gursoy: Finance
and questioninghim about his dispatches. [NYT]
Feb. 1: Soviet Foreign Minister Andrei Gromyko
arrived for an official visit. [NYT]
195
Tunisia
(See also Arab Israeli Conflict,Syria)
talks in France with President Giscard d'Estaing
on bilateral relations and energy problems.
[MEED]
Dec. 7: Tunisia reported that the 4 Palestinians
who hijacked a plane to Tunis in Nov. had sur-
rendered voluntarily to the PLO. [NYT]
terms for plotting against the state. [JP]
1975
Jan. 1: The price of phosphateexports was raised
8% to $56.70 per ton. [MEED]
Jan. 10: Middle East Economic Digest cited For-
eign Minister Habib Chatti as saying relations
with Libya were "frozen"because of differences
over the merger agreement of Jan. 1974.
[MEED]
Jan. 28: Planning Minister Chebli Ayari returned
from a 3 week tour of Canadaand the US where
he discussed joint cooperation in Tunisian de-
velopment. [MEED]
Feb. 1: Economy Minister Abdul Aziz Lasram was
quoted by Le Monde of Paris as saying Tunisia
expects more help from France in improving
Tunisia's balance of payments. [MEED]
Turkey
(See also Cyprus)
1974
Nov. 17: A new Cabinetwas formed:
Sadi Irmak: Premier
MehmetOzgune?:State
Muslih Fer: State
Salih Yildiz: State
Melih Esenbel: Foreign
Hayri Mumcuoglu:Justice
Ilhami Sancar: Defentse
MukkaderOztekin: Interior
Safa Reisoglu: Education
Yefa Tanir: Public Works
HaluikCillov: Commerce
196 THE MIDDLE EAST JOURNAL
Kemal Demir: Health & Welfare
Baran Tuncer: Customs & Monopolies
ReaatAktan: Food & Agriculture
SebahattinOzbek: Transport
Turhan Esener: Labor
Mehmet Golhan: Industry
Erhan Isil: Energy
Ilhan Evelaoglu: Tourismz& Information
Selahattin Buroglu: Housing
Ismail Aydinoglu: RuiralAffairs
Fikret Saatcioglu: Forestry
Zekal Baloglu: Sports
Nermin Neici: Culture
Sadik Side: Social Security
Nov. 24: Premier Irmak presented his govern-
ment's program to the National Assembly. He
called for creation of an independentarms in-
dustry because of rising prices and "restrictions
developing in foreign military aid." He said
Turkey would not seek to annex territory on
Cyprusor to alter the island's autonomy. [NYT]
Nov. 25: Police and student demonstratorsclashed
at Istanbul University in what the police said
was an attempt by pro-fascist students to disrupt
the university. [JP]
Nov. 27: The lira was devaluedagainst 9 European
currencies including the West German deutsch-
mark and the French frank. [MEED]
Nov. 29: The National Assembly gave a vote of
no confidence to Irmak's Cabinet. The vote was
362 to 11. [NYT]
Dec. 1: The governmentproposeda 50% increase in
defense spending because of a threatened cut in
US military aid. [NYT]
Dec. 10: The US State Department said military
aid was being cut off in accordancewith legisla-
tion passed in Octoberwhich stipulatedthat "sub-
stantial progress" toward a Cyprus settlement
was a condition for continuing aid. [NYT]
1975
Jan. 1: Chief of Staff Samih Sancar, speaking of
the political stalemate, said the army would not Dec.
"stay away from the nation's problems"and "it
is distressing to the Armed Forces that measures
to solve these problems have not been taken." Dec. 29: South Yemen's Foreign
[MEED]
Jan. 3: Premier Irmak met in Ankara with Libyan
Premier 'Abd al-Salam Jallfid and said the 2
sides were "determinedto support and comple-
ment each other with all their means." [JP]
Jan. 7: Libya's Premier Jalluidconcluded his visit
after signing 5 major agreements for cooperation JaI. 4: Former Premier Hasan al-'Amri returned
and trade in oil, industrial, financialand military
projects. [MEED]
Jan. 14: The US aircraft carrier Saratoga arrived
in Izmir for the first visit by an American naval
vessel in several years. [MEED]
Jan. 20: Defense Minister Ilhami Sancar warned
that Turkey would impose sanctions against US
bases in Turkey if the US persisted in its arms
embargo. [NYT]
Jan. 25: About 25,000 students marchedin Istanbul
protestingagainst a "growing tide of armed raids
by Fascist elements."[NYT]
Jan. 29: The lira was devaluedagainst some Euro-
pean currencies for the 3rd time in 3 months.
[MEED]
Feb. 1: Turkish Airlines pilots ended a 24 hour
strike in support of better safety measures.
[NYT]
Feb. 4: Premier Irmak said a suspension of US
military aid would force Turkey to reconsiderits
membershipin NATO. [NYT]
Feb. 5: US military aid was officially cut off. The
governmentcanceleda scheduledmeeting between
Foreign Minister Melih Esenbel and Henry Kis-
singer. [NYT]
Feb. 6: Irmak said his governmentwould not take
Turkey out of Nato. [JP]
Yemen
(See also Iraq)
1974
Nov. 21: The following Cabinetappointmentswere
announced:
'Abdallih Barakat: Social Affairs
Yahya Jaghnimn:Foreign Affairs
Nov. 22: Middle East Economic Survey reported
Libya agreed to grant the government$11 million.
[MEES]
Middle East Economic Digest reported that
CommanndCouncil Chairman Ibrihim Hamadi
received pledges for $34 million in Arab aid
during his visits to Arab capitals. He said the
money was to "overcomethe effects of inflation."
[MEED]
1: The government announcedthat all dem-
onstrations and public gatherings were banned.
[JP]
Minister Muham-
mad Mu'ti left after meeting with Chairmanal-
Hamadi. Mu'ti said his visit was "positive and
fruitful." [FBIS]
1975
after an exile of several years. [MEED]
Jan. 16: ChairmanIbrahim,Hamad! dismissed Pre-
mier Muhsin al-'Ayn! on the grounds that he no
longer had the confidence of the Consultative
Assembly. [NYT]
 CHRONOLOGY
Jan. 23: It was announcedthat the governor of the
Central Bank, 'Abd al-'Azlz 'Abd al-Ghanil,was
named Premier. [WP]
Jan. 25: A new Cabinetwas announced:
'Abd al-'Aziz 'Abd al-Ghani: Premier
Yahya Jaghman: Foreign, Economy, and Deputy
Premytier
Yahya al-Mutawakkil: Interior
'Abdallah Hasan Barakat: Deputy Premier for
Interior
'Abd al-Latif Dayfallah: Communications
Ahmad Abd al-Sa'id: State
Muhammadal-Janayd: Finance
'Abd al-Karim al-Jansi: State
'Abd al-Malik al-Tayyib: Local Administration
'All Lutfi al-Thawar: Economy
'Abdallahal-Asnaj: Foreign
Ahmad Dhamash: Informationt
'Abd al-Karim al-Iryani: Developmnent
'Ali al-Dammam: Justice
SalThal-Masri: State
Amin AbuiRa's: State
Hasan al-Buqtumi: Education
MuhammadLutfi al-Sabani: Awqaf
Sa'id Muhammadal-Habibi: Supply
Mashsharal-Nadir: MunicipalAffairs
'Abd al-Malik Muhammad'Abdallah: Health
'Abdallah Husayn al-Halal1: Social & Labor
Affairs
Muhammadal-Khadim al-Wajih
Jan. 29: Beirut's al-Nahar quoted CommandCoun-
cil Chairman IbrThim al-Hamadi as saying the
country was too poor to afford arms and there-
fore accepted arms from the USSR as well as
from the US, through Saudi Arabia, "as long as
there are no strings attached." [JP]
Oil Affairs
1974
Nov. 18: The International Energy Agency, an
organization of oil consuming nations, was for-
mally set up within the framework of the Orga-
nization for Economic Cooperationand Develop-
ment (OECD). The founding members were:
Japan, Canada,West Germany,Holland, Belgium,
Luxembourg, Denmark, Britain, Ireland, Italy,
Austria, Switzerland, Sweden, Spain, Turkey and
the US. [MEED]
Nov. 30: US Treasury Secretary William Simon
told Beirut's Daily Star that the US was not
contemplatingmilitary intervention to secure oil
supplies or lower prices. [NYT]
Saudi Oil Minister Shaykh Ahmad Zaki Ya-
mani said the Arab states would soon be full
owners of their oil resources. [NYT]
197
Dec. 10: Exxon said Saudi Arabia informedAram-
co that it did not "desire" any more payments
for oil in sterling. The New York Times said
reports that the Persian Gulf oil states would
no longer accept sterling drove the pound to
"historic lows" on the world money markets.
[NYT]
Dec. 13: Saudi Arabia said it was not planning a
major liquidationof sterling investments. [NYT]
OPEC decided to freeze the price of oil for
the first nine months of 1975. [NYT]
Dec. 14: Saudi Oil Minister Shaykh Yamani said
that it was Aramco dropping sterling holdings
that caused the sterling to fall in world markets.
[NYT]
Dec. 19: The Shah of Iran warned that increases
in the price of gold would present a "very grave
problem"to oil producing states and that higher
oil prices would "surely follow." [MEES]
1975
Jan. 8: The US Treasury said it opposes any loans
by international lending agencies to the newly
rich oil producingstates. [NYT]
Jan. 9: Egypt's President Anwar al-Sadat said the
Arabs would blow up their oil wells before allow-
ing outside powers to take over the oil by force.
[NYT]
Jan. 13: Titne Magazine quoted President Ford as
saying he backed Kissinger's statement on the
possible use of force in the Middle East in the
event of energy "strangulation"of the industrial-
ized countries. [NYT]
Jan. 24: The US White House denied rumors that
3 divisions of troops were being trained for use
in the Middle East. [NYT]
A conferenceof OPEC members'Oil Ministers
openedin Algeria. [NYT]
Jan. 25: The Oil Ministers of OPEC meeting in
Algiers agreed to arrange a summit meeting of
their heads of state in 5 weeks to seek common
positions before talks with oil consumer nations.
[NYT]
Jan. 26: OPEC Ministers ended their meeting in
Algeria with a formal invitation to oil consuming
nations for a conferenceon energy, raw materials
and world developmentsaying that economicdiffi-
culties in all countries constitute "a growing
threat to world peace and stability." A decision
was also made to freeze oil prices for the rest of
1975. [NYT]
Jan. 30: US Treasury Secretary Simon said the
build up of petrodollarswould be much less than
estimated a year before and that the international
financialaspects of the oil situation are "manage-
able." [NYT]
Feb. 2: Kuwayt's Oil Minister 'Abd al-Rahmanal-
Atiqi called for a meeting of OPEC to discuss
198 THE MIDDLE EAST JOURNAL

oil prices in the light of a 6% decline in the value
of the dollar. [NYT]
Feb. 3: Kissinger proposed that oil consuming na-
tions agree on a plan to put a floor on oil prices
below the current world market price but high
enough to encourage investment in other forms
of energy. He said it was vital for consumersand
producers to agree on an oil price which would
ease the payments problem for consumers while
assuring producers of a "reasonablelevel of in-
come over a period of time." [NYT]
Feb. 6: Saudi Oil Minister Shaykh Yamani said
his country remainedstrongly opposed to further
oil price increases. [NYT]
Feb. 15: Kissinger met in Saudi Arabia with King
Faysal to discuss the American plan for a long
term oil agreement between oil producers and
consumers. [NYT]

Middle East Problem Papers Nos. 1 14

The ProblemPapers Nos. 1-14, publishedby the Middle East

Institutefor the exclusiveuse of its members,are now availableas
a boxedset. AppearingbetweenJanuary1974 and March1975, the
series includes papersby Elizabeth Monroe on "Israel'sEastern
Frontier,"RagaeiEl Mallakhon "The Economicsof a Reopened
Suez Canal,"SamirMakdision "Oil PriceIncreasesand the World
Economy"and LuciusD. Battleand Dennis\Villiamson "Cyprus:
A Decadeof Crisis." $5.95.

Orderdirectlyfrom:
The Middle East Institute
1761 N Street, N. W.
Washington, D. C. 20036