Chronology November 16, 1976-February 15, 1977

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Source: Middle East Journal, Vol. 31, No. 2 (Spring, 1977), pp. 189-203
Published by: Middle East Institute
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/4325621 .
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 CHRONOLOGY

November 16, 1976-February15, 1977

ArabIsraeliConflict The UN General Assembly voted by 118 to 2 with

1976
Nov. 16: Israeli Major General Ariel Sharon, who had
resigned from the Likud opposition party the day
before, urged Israel to hold talks with the Palestinians
to secure a Middle East settlement. [NYT)
Nov. 17: Faru1qQaddiimi, a spokesman for the Palestine
Liberation Organization (PLO), said the PLO would
be ready to assume powers of government in the West
Bank and Gaza Strip after Israeli forces withdrew
from them. [NYTI
Nov. 18: The PLO formally registered with the US
Justice Department as a first step towards opening
an office in Washington. [NYT]
A UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organ-
ization (UNESCO) program commission voted by 73
to 6 with 30 abstentions to condemn Israel's cultural
and educational policies in the occupied Arab ter-
ritories. [NYT]
Nov. 19: A second UNESCO commission voted by 70
to 25 with 14 abstentions to reaffirm its con-
demnation of Israeli excavation and building projects
in Jerusalem. [NYTI
Nov. 20: Damascus Radio said Syria had agreed to
extend the mandate of the UN peacekeeping force
in the Jawlan region for 6 more months. [NYT]
Nov. 21: Rockets fired from Lebanon struck the Israeli
town of Nahariya. [NYTJ
Nov. 22: UNESCO voted by 61 to 5 with 28 ab-
stentions to condemn Israel's educational and cultural
policies in the occupied Arab territories as amount-
ing to "cultural assimilation." [NYT}
Israel was restored to full membership in
UNESCO. [NYT)
Nov. 23. A PLO representative who had come to
Washington to open a PLO office was told by the US
State Department to leave the country. [NYT}
2 abstentions for a resolution calling on Israel to halt
resettlement of Palestinian refugees in Gaza and to
return immediately all refugees to their camps. [NYTJ
Nov. 24: The UN General Assembly approved by 90
to 16 with 30 abstentions a report of the Committee
on the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People
which proclaimed the right of Palestinian Arab
refugees to establish their own state and reclaim
former properties in Israel. [NYTI
Nov. 26: UNESCO voted to affirm its condemnation
of Israel's excavations and building projects in
Jerusalem on the ground they were altering the
historic character of the city. [NYT]
Nov. 27: Israeli Premier Yitzhak Rabin called for the
convening of a Geneva peace conference modelled
on the European security conference at Helsinki in
1975. [NYTI
Nov. 30: The Security Council agreed by a vote of
12 to 0 with 3 abstentions to renew the mandate of
the UN Disengagement Observer Force in the
Jawlan region. [NYTI
Dec. 2: Egypt opened a General Assembly debate on
the Middle East by calling for the convening of the
Geneva peace conference early in 1977. [NYT)
Dec. 3: US officials said that Israel had asked the US
to approve a future sale of 250 F-16 fighter
planes. [NYT]
The JerusalemPost cited US State Department of-
ficials as saying the PLO had already registered
with the Justice Department as a foreign agent and
could open a Washington office any time. [JP]
Dec. 4: An explosion killed 3 Arabs in Hebron. A
military spokesman said they apparently had been
assembling a bomb. [NYT]
Delegates of the World Jewish Congress from 17
nations met in Madrid. Arab Ambassadors to Spain
denounced the meeting and about 30 Arabs demon-
strated against it. [NYT]
Dec. 5: PLO leader Yasir 'Arafat ended a 2 day visit
to Yugoslavia. [NYT]

Listof 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 international edition); JP, The Jeru-
salem Post; KT, The Kabul Times; KI, Kayhan (international edition); MEED, Middle East Eco-
nomic Digest; MEES, Middle East Economic Survey; LM, Le Monde (weekly English edition);
NYT, The New York Times; PO, Platt's Oilgram; TDN, Turkish Daily News; WP, The Washington
Post.

189
190 THE MIDDLE EAST JOURNAL
Dec. 6: Israel introduced a resolution in the UN
General Assembly calling for the convening of a
Geneva peace conference with participation of Egypt,
Israel, Jordan and Syria. [NYTI
Merchants in the West Bank closed their shops to
protest a Value Added Tax imposed by Israel. [NYT]
World Jewish Congress leaders withdrew a request
for a meeting with Spanish King Juan Carlos. [NYTI
Dec. 8. Israeli Foreign Minister Yigal Allon criticized
the Spanish government for its actions with respect
to the World Jewish Congress convention. [NYTI
Dec. 9. The UN General Assembly voted by 122 to 2
with 8 abstentions for a resolution calling for the
convening of the Geneva peace conference by March
1. [NYTI
The General Assembly voted by 81 to 11 with 29
abstentions to accept an Egyptian resolution con-
cerning the Geneva conference. [NYTI
Israeli Major General Sharon proposed a peace
plan for a Middle East settlement. [NYT]
Dec. 10: Israeli occupation authorities ended the deten-
tion of a Palestinian woman kept under house arrest
nearly 4 months in Ramallah. [NYT]
Policemen used tear gas and clubs to disperse Arabs
demonstrating in Nablus against the Value Added
Tax. [NYT]
Dec. 12: Israeli troops used tear gas to disperse Arab
demonstrators in Nablus and imposed a curfew on the
town. [NYTI
Dec. 13: Arabs in Jerusalem and 4 West Bank towns
demonstrated against Israeli rule. [NYT]
Dec. 14: At the end of a 3 day meeting of the
Palestine Central Council in Damascus, the leaders
of the PLO said the creation of an independent
Palestinian state was one of the "legitimate rights"
of the Palestinian people. [NYT)
Arab officials in the West Bank called for a 4 day
general strike to protest against the Value Added
Tax. [NYT]
Dec. 15: A general strike was observed by Arabs in the
West Bank and Gaza. [JPJ
Curfews were imposed on the centers of Nablus,
Ramallah and Kalandia in the wake of "riot at-
tempts." A boy from Kalandia was wounded. [JP]
Dec. 16. US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger met with
UN Secretary General Kurt Waldheim to discuss the
reconvening of the Geneva peace conference. [NYTI
The UN General Assembly approved 4 resolutions
on the Middle East. Israel opposed the reso-
lutions. [NYT]
Dec. 18. The Palestinian press agency WAFA quoted a
PLO official as denying reports that the PLO had
agreed to the establishment of a Palestinian state
in the West Bank and Gaza. [NYT]
Dec. 22: PLO leader 'Arafat said the Palestinian
movement would set up a state on "any piece of
liberated Palestinian soil." [NYTI
US officials said that President Gerald Ford had
decided to propose a $1.5 billion foreign aid
package for Israel in the 1978 fiscal year. [NYT}
Dec. 23: The Ambassadors of Egypt, Morocco, Somalia
and Syria met with US Secretary of State Kissinger
and said that American arms shipments to Israel
jeopardized chances for a Middle East settle-
ment. [NYT]
Dec. 24. Egyptian intelligence officials disclosed an 8
year espionage operation involving a double agent
which had uncovered a numberof Israeli spies. [NYT]
Dec. 28: Israeli troops dispersed Arab women demon-
strating in Gaza in sympathy with relatives in Israeli
jails. [NYTI
Dec. 29: The Washington Post reported that Egyptian
President Anwar al-Sadat had said that any Palestinian
state that is created must be formally linked with
Jordan. [WPI
Dec. 31: Israeli Foreign Minister Allon said he favored
"early informal consultations" between Israel, Jordan
and West Bank Palestinian leaders to decide how
the Palestinians could be represented in future
negotiations. [NYTI
1977
Jan. 1. An Israeli peace activist, Abie Nathan, sailed
a radio station "peace ship" to the Suez Canal and
was put under guard by Egyptian authorities. [NYTI
Jan. 2: Egypt permitted the "peace ship" to proceed
through the Suez Canal. [NYT)
Allon told the Israeli Cabinet that Egyptian Presi-
dent Sadat's proposal that a Palestinian state should
be linked with Jordan was a "not insignificant
step." [NYT}
The Israel Council for Israeli-Palestinian Peace
published a purported joint statement with the PLO
calling for Zionist and Palestinian states to coexist
peaceably. [NYT]
Jan. 3. The PLO denied it had participated in a joint
statement with the Israel Council for Israeli-Pales-
tinian Peace. [NYT]
Mahmud Salih, a former PLO representative in
France, was assassinated in Paris. [NYT]
Jan. 4. A/-Ahram cited Sadat as having said "there will
be no Geneva [peace conference] without the
PLO. [NYT]
Jan. 9. French intelligence authorities in Paris arrested
Abfu Datid, a member of the Revolutionary Council
of al-Fath, on suspicion of complicity in a terrorist
attack at the Munich Olympics in 1972. [NYT]
Jan. 11: French authorities freed Abu Da!dd after a
judicial hearing rejected West German and Israeli
requests that he be detained pending extradition
proceedings. [NYT]
Israel recalled its Ambassador to France for con-
sultations. [NYT]
Jan. 12.' Hundreds of demonstrators protested the re-
lease of Abu Da!dd outside the French Embassy in
Israel. [NYT]
Jan. 15. Sadat and Jordanian King Husayn called in
Aswan for a separate Palestinian delegation at the
Geneva peace conference. [NYT]
Jan. 19. Allon said Israel would not negotiate with
the PLO "anywhere or in any form." [NYT]
 CHRONOLOGY
Jan. 24: Saudi Arabian King Khalid said his government
would favor French participation in a Geneva peace
conference. [NYT)
Feb. 1: Israeli security forces used tear gas to break up
demonstrations in Nablus. [NYT)
Feb. 2: UN Secretary General Waldheim arrived in
Cairo for meetings with Egyptian leaders. [NYT)
Feb. 3: After meeting with Egyptian Foreign Minister
IsmX1llFahmi in Cairo, Waldheim said that Egypt was
flexible on the timing of a Geneva peace confer-
ence but was insisting on PLO participation. [NYT)
The chief delegates of the Soviet Union and Israel
to the UN held discussions on the Middle East
situation. [NYT)
Feb. 4: Israeli Premier Rabin flew to Geneva and met
with Ivory Coast President Felix Houphouet-Boigny
on the situation in the Middle East. [NYT)
Feb. 5: Waldheim met with Syrian President Hifiz
al-Asad and later with 'Arafat in Damascus. [NYT)
Feb. 6: An Israeli military communique said 9 Arabs
had been arrested in connection with a bombing in
Jerusalem in 1975. [NYT)
Waldheim met with Saudi leaders in Saudi Arabia
on the Middle East situation. [NYT)
Feb. 8: The US State Department said it had rejected
the visa application of a member of the PLO's na-
tional council who wished to visit the US. [NYT)
Thousands of Israeli and West Bank Arabs entered
the Israeli town of Musmus to be at the funeral
of the PLO press attache of the Palestine observer
group at the UN who had died the week before
in the US. [NYT)
Feb. 9: A US Congressional delegation that had visited
the Middle East in November, 1976, reported that
Egypt, Syria and Jordan were prepared to resume
Geneva peace negotiations in a single Arab dele-
gation with Palestinian participation. [NYT)
Feb. 10: Waldheim met with Israeli leaders to discuss
Israel's position on peace talks. [NYT)
The Anti-Defamation League of B'nai B'rith ac-
cused a Quaker group, the American Friends Service
Committee, of becoming a "mouthpiece" for the PLO.
The Committee had planned to have a PLO official
address a meeting in the US. [NYT)
Feb. 11: The American Friends Service Committee said
it "unequivocably supports steps to insure a free,
sovereign and secure state of Israel" and denied
charges that it was an outlet for PLO propa-
ganda. [NYT)
Waldheim ended his visit to Israel and flew to
Cairo for talks with Egyptian leaders. [NYT)
Feb. 14: The US State Department said that Israeli oil
drilling in the Gulf of Suez off Sinai was illegal and
"not helpful to efforts to get peace negotiations
under way." [NYTI
Feb. 15: US Secretary of State Cyrus Vance arrived in
Israel at the start of "a quest for peace." [NYT)
The UN Human Rights Commission adopted a
resolution accusing Israel of practicing "torture" and
the "pillaging of archeological and cultural property"
in occupied Arab territories. [NYT)
191
General
1976
Nov. 25: A 3 day conference of Arab and European
news agency directors ended in Tunis. [NYT]
Dec. 12: The Polisario Front reported that Moroccan
forces had suffered "substantial losses" at Smara in
Western Sahara as a result of an attack by Polisario
guerrillas on Dec. 8. [NYT]
Dec. 17: The Organization of Petroleum Exporting
Countries (OPEC) decided to increase assistance to
non-oil-producing nations by $800m. [NYT)
Dec. 23: The OPEC Special Fund extended a total of
$42.7m in loans to 6 developing countries including
Sudan and Pakistan. [MEES]
Dec. 27: The Polisario Front reported it had destroyed
a large section of an iron ore rail line to the
Mauritanian port of Nouadhibou. [NYT]
Middle East EconomicSurvey reported that the UN
General Assembly had approved a resolution which
increased the assessments of UN membership dues
for OPEC countries. [MEES)
1977
Jan. 1: The Polisario Front said it had killed 82
Mauritanians in guerrilla attacks just before the new
year. [WPJ
Jan. 10: OPEC concluded agreements with 24 develop-
ing nations providing for interest free loans totalling
$111m. [NYT}
An agreement between the US Justice Department
and the Bechtel Corporation ended a suit filed in
Federal Court against the company concerning the
Arab boycott. [NYTI
Jan. 15: A committee of Canadian citizens issued a
report charging compliance by Canadian government
agencies in the Arab boycott of Israel. [NYT}
Jan. 18: Trade and cooperation agreements were signed
between the European Economic Community and
Egypt, Jordan and Syria. [MEED]
Feb. 4: OPEC announced it had signed agreements
providing loans totaling $33.8m to 10 developing
nations. [NYT]
Feb. 13: The second session of the General Committee
of the Arab-European Dialogue ended in
Tunis. [MEES]
Petroleum
1976
Nov. 23: Ten Arab oil nations met in Kuwayt to seek
a common position on oil prices. [NYT)
Nov. 24: The Council of Ministers of the Organiza-
tion of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries
(OAPEC) ended a 2 day meeting in Kuwayt. [MEES)
192 THE MIDDLE EAST JOURNAL

Nov. 26: Saudi Arabian Petroleum Minister Shaykh Dec. 20: Health Minister Omar Abdollah met with
Ah.mad Zaki Yamrnin warned Western nations Iraqi President Ahmad Hasan al-Bakr in Bagh-
against countering future Arab oil embargoes with an dad. [FBIS]
oil sharing plan. [NYT)
Dec. 12: Oil experts from Organization of Petroleum
Exporting Countries (OPEC) nations met in Doha, 1977
Qatar for technical discussions. [NYTI Jan. 30: President Mohammad Daud opened the Loyah
Dec. 13: The New York Times reported that a US
Jirgah, or Grand Assembly, to approve the draft of
State Department cablegram leaked to the press in the a new constitution. [MEEDI
Netherlands had warned against linking concessions Feb. 14: The new constitution was approved by the
to developing nations at the Conference on Inter- Loyah Jirgah. [MEED]
national Economic Cooperation in Paris to price Daud was unanimously elected President by the
moderation at an upcoming OPEC meeting. [NYT)
Loyah Jirgah. [FBIS]
Dec. 14: Saudi Arabian Oil Minister Yamani urged
Feb. 15: Daud was sworn in and the Loyah Jirgah
OPEC to adopt a 6 month freeze on oil prices. [NYTI was dissolved. [FBISI
Dec. 15: OPEC opened a ministerial conference in
Doha, Qatar. [NYTI
Dec. 177: OPEC announced that 11 nations would raise
the base price for market crude oil by 10% on Algeria
Jan. 1 and a further 5% on July 1 of 1977.
Saudi Arabia and the UAA decided to raise prices
(Seealso, Libya, Tunisia)
by 5% only. [NYT]

1977 1976
Nov. 16: Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Fahd met with
Jan. 4. Kuwayt said it would reduce production of
President Houari Boumedienne in Algeria. [FBISJ
crude oil because its customers were reducing their
Nov. 19: Algerians went to the polls to approve a new
oil purchases. [NYT)
constitution. [NYT)
Jan. 11: The National Iranian Oil Company said that
Nov. 22: An agricultural cooperation agreement with
Iran's January oil exports had dropped by almost
Iraq was signed in Algiers. [MEED]
2m barrels a day compared to the same period
Nov. 24: The New York Times cited the government
in December. [NYT)
as saying the Constitution had been approved by over
Jan. 29: The UAA newspaper al-Wathba said that
99% with a voter turnout of 92%. [NYT]
Iraq had rejected a Soviet proposal to create an
Dec. 10: An election was held to elect a presi-
organization of "progressive" oil exporting na-
dent. [FBISJ
tions. [NYT)
Dec. 11: It was announced that Boumedienne had
Jan. 31: Middle East Economic Survey reported that
been elected President by a 95.23% margin. [FBISI
Bahrayni Finance Minister lbr5him 'Abd al-Karim
Dec. 14: Iraqi Deputy Chairman of the Revolution
had announced Bahrayn would raise the price of its
Command Council Saddam Husayn paid a 1 day visit
oil by 5%. [MEES)
to Algeria. [MEED}
Middle East EconomicSurvey said that Oman had
raised its oil price 9% retroactive to Jan. 1. [NYT)
OPEC Conference President Shaykh 'Abd al- 1977
'Aziz bin Khalifah Al Thin!, the Qatari Oil
Minister, visited Saudi Arabia on a tour of oil pro- Jan. 20: An amnesty for 76 foreign nationals was an-
ducing nations. [NYT) nounced by Foreign Minister Abdel-Aziz Boute-
Feb. 6: Yamani said Saudi Arabia had---rejected a flika. [MEED)
Qatari attempt to mediate a uniform OPEC price Feb. 5: Foreign Minister Bouteflika left for Saudi
increase. [NYT} Arabia to hold oil policy talks. [MEEDI
Feb. 13: OPEC's Economic Commission began a week
long session in Vienna. [MEED)
Bahrayn
Afghanistan
(Seealso, Petroleum Affairs)

1976
Dec. 9: The New York Times cited "reliable sources"
1976
as saying more than 50 people had been arrested and Nov. 19: Qatar News Agency reported that the editor
accused of a plot to overthrow the govern- of the magazine al-Mawsaqif had been mur-
ment. [NYT) dered. [FBISI
 CHRONOLOGY
Dec. 11: Iranian Foreign Minister 'Abbas 'All-i
Khal'atbari arrived in Bahrayn for talks. [FBIS]
Cyprus
1976
Nov. 24: The Soviet Union and Cyprus signed a 5 year
trade agreement in Nicosia. [MEED}
Dec. 13: The Times of London said it had UN military
documents reporting -large scale looting of Greek
Cypriot property by Turkish Cypriot and Turkish
authorities in Cyprus. [NYT)
Dec. 16: Turkish occupation troops moved about 25
yards into a Greek Cypriot area of Nicosia and
set up an observation post. [NYT]
Dec. 18: It was announced that Mustafa Cagatay had
been made Finance Minister of the self-declared
"Turkish Federated State of Cyprus." [MEED]
1977
Jan. 24: Turkey announced it was withdrawing 1,000
troops from Cyprus. [NYTJ
Jan. 26: Eleftherios Papadopoulos, a Greek Cypriot
journalist, was charged with having supported the
1974 coup against President Archbishop Ma-
karios. [NYT)
Jan. 27: Archbishop Makarios conferred with Turkish
Cypriot leader Rauf Denkta? in Nicosia. [NYTI
Feb. 4: Cypriot authorities charged 6 men in connec-
tion with the killing of American Ambassador
Rodger Davies and his secretary in 1974. [NYT)
Feb. 13: UN Secretary General Kurt Waldheim at-
tended a meeting between Turkish Cypriot leader
Denktaq and Archbishop Makarios. It was agreed
that negotiations by the 2 communities would
resume the following month. [NYTI
Egypt
(Seealso, Arab Israeli Conflict, General, Lebanon,
Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Syria, UAA)
1976
Nov. 17: Vice President Husni Mubirak left Cairo on
a tour of Gulf States and Syria. [FBIS)
Nov. 22: A cultural accord with Sudan was
signed. [MEED]
Nov. 25: About 500 members of the Egyptian Com-
munist League demonstrated outside the People's
Assembly demanding the right to organize a political
party. [NYT]
Dec. 9: France and Egypt signed agreements in Paris
under which France would extend 2 loans totaling
$108m. [MEES]
193
Dec. 12: The New York Times reported that Fathia
Ghali, sister of former King Fruiq, had been
shot to death by her estranged husband in the
US. [NYT]
Dec. 19: President Anwar al-Sadat and Syrian President
Hifiz al-Asad held talks in Cairo. [NYTI
Dec. 21: Syria and Egypt announced that they would
form a "united political leadership" and study the
possibility of a future union. [NYTI
Dec. 23: A former War Minister and 19 other people
were sentenced to 1 to 10 years hard labor for
torturing members of the armed forces after the
Arab-Israeli conflict of 1967. [NYTI
Dec. 25: An Egyptian jetliner crashed in Thailand,
killing everyone aboard. [NYT)
1977
Jan. 9. French Defense Minister Yvon Bourges ended
a 5 day visit to Egypt and promised French
technical assistance in setting up an Arab arms in-
dustry. [NYT)
Jan. 13: Jordanian King Husayn arrived in Egypt and
met with President Sadat. [NYT)
Jan. 15.' Foreign Ministers of 8 Arab states and a
representative of the Palestine Liberation Organiza-
tion (PLO) met in Cairo. [fEBIS
Jan. 18: Thousands of workers and students demon-
strated in Alexandria, Cairo and other cities against
price increases announced the day before by the
government. [NYT]
Jan. 19.' Rioting continued and a curfew was placed on
Cairo, Alexandria and Suez. [NYT)
Sadat cancelled the price increases. [NYT)
Jan. 21: Official figures indicated more than 65 people
had been killed during the rioting. [NYT)
Officials said that "known Communists and Com-
munist-led elements" had formed the majority of the
900 people arrested in connection with the riot-
ing. [NYT)
Jan. 24.' Al-Ahram reported that the International
Monetary Fund had agreed to lend Egypt
$140m. [NYT}
Jan. 26: The government banned demonstrations and
strikes. [NYT)
The Secretary General of the Arab Socialist
Union, a brother-in-law of Sadat, resigned for
"health reasons." [NYT)
Jan. 29: Premier Mamduh Salim said that Communists
in the National Progressive Unionist Party (the Left
Party) had tried to use the party to overthrow the
government in the riots over price increases. [NYT)
Jan. 30: Khilid Muhyl al-Din, the leader of the National
Progressive Union, denied the party had helped
instigate the riots and said the policies of the
government were to blame for them. [NYT)
Feb. 1.' The Cabinet was reshuffled:
Mamduh Salim: Premierand Interior
'Abd al-'Az4m Abu al-'Ati: Irrigation
'Abd al-'Azlz Husayn: State for Agricultural &
Industrial Complexes,Water Resourcesand Sudan
Affairs
194 THE MIDDLE EAST JOURNAL
Ibrahim Mahmuid Shukri: Agriculture
'Abd al-Mun'im Mahmud al-$iwi: Information &
Culture
Muhlibb Ramzi Istinu: Tourism & Civil Aviation
Amid 'Uthman: Insurance & Social Affairs
Muhammad Nabawi IsmXil: Deputy Interior
Kamil Khayrallah:Deputy Interior [FBIS]
Feb. 3: Sadat signed a decree banning strikes and
demonstrations. [NYT)
Feb. 5: Former Vice President Kamal al-Din Husayn
accused Sadat of "punishing the Egyptian people"
instead of the government after the food riots. [NYT)
Feb. 8: The National Progressive Union appealed to
voters to reject the decree making strikes and
demonstrations illegal. [NYT]
Feb. 100: A referendum was held on whether to ac-
cept the decree. [NYT}
Feb. 11: The government said that 99.4% of the voters
had approved the decree. [NYT]
Feb. 12. About 400 students protested against the new
law banning demonstrations. [NYT}
Feb. 14. Former Vice President Husayn was expelled
from the National Assembly. [NYT]
Iran
(Seealso, Petroleum Affairs, Bahrayn, Morocco,
Qatar, UAA, Yemen)
1976
Nov. 16: Officials said a terrorist linked to the killing
of 3 Americans in August had been killed with a
companion in a clash with police the day before.
[NYT]
Nov. 18: An agreement was signed with the British
Aircraft Corporation (BAC) under which BAC would
sell a Rapier missile system to Iran and receive oil
in payment. [NYT]
Nov. 22: Iraqi Foreign Minister Sa'dun Hammadi
arrived in Tehran for talks. [FBIS)
Dec. 6. The Grumman Corporation said it was being
sued for $114.6m concerning the sale of 80 Grum-
man F-14 jet fighters to Iran. [NYT)
Dec. 12: It was announced that Iran had purchased 2
Italian passenger liners. [NYT]
Dec. 20: Negotiations on trade and economic co-
operation with the European Economic Community
(EEC) were opened in Brussels by Minister of
Economy Hushang-i Ansari. [MEED)
Dec. 23: The government announced that security
forces had killed 8 guerrillas and captured 11 in 2
gun battles in Tehran. [NYT]
1977
Jan. 1: A report of the US State Department on human
rights in Iran was made public by a House of
Representatives Committee. [NYT}
Jan. 13: IraqiForeignMinisterSa'dunliammadiended
a 3 day officialvisit to Tehran.[MEED]
Jan. 25: SudaneseDefense MinisterBashirMuhammad
'Ali left Tehranaftera visit of a week. [MEED]
Feb. 7: Iran's air force commander,General Fazaval
Taddayanwas killed in a helicoptercrash.[NYT)
Iraq
(Seealso, Algeria,Iran,Kuwayt,Qatar,Syria)
1976
Nov.22: ForeignMinisterSa'dunHammadileft Bagh-
dad on a tour of Gulf States for talks concerning
the upcoming Gulf foreign ministers meeting in
Muscat.[FBIS]
Nov. 28: Minister of ForeignTrade Hikmat Ibrahim
returnedto Baghdadaftera visit to Moscow.[FBIS}
Dec. 10: The Soviet Union and Iraq signed contracts
in Moscow for 4 irrigationprojects for Iraq worth
over $1 billion. [MEED]
Dec. 14: Revolution CommandCouncil (RCC) Vice
Chairman$addamHusaynleft Yugoslaviaaftertalks
on politicaland economiccooperation.[MEED}
An explosion at Baghdadairportkilled 3 people.
[NYT]
Dec. 15: Iraq accused Syria of responsibilityfor the
airportblast. [NYT)
Dec. 16: A dissident Iraqi group called "Free Iraq"
claimedresponsibilityfor the bombing.[NYT?
Dec. 22: US officialssaid Iraqhad secretly purchased
100 submarineguns from a US concern and had
smuggled30 out of the US. [NYT]
1977
Jan. 3: The 981 kilometeroil pipelinefrom Kirkukto
Yumurtalikin Turkey was inauguratedin Kirkuk.
TurkishPresident SiuleymanDemirel attended the
ceremonies.[TDNI
Jan. 9: The Sunday Times of London cited Iraqi sources
as saying Iraq had shot down a Kuwaytijet plane
whichhad crossedthe Iraqiborder.[CSM)
Jan. 10: The Arab Ba!thSocialistPartyheld an extra-
ordinarysessionandincreasedthe membershipof the
RegionalCommandfrom 13 to 21. [MEED]
Jan. 14: The UN affiliatedInternationalLeague for
Human Rights made public a statement charging
Iraq with a "systematicattempt" to destroy the
Kurdishethnicgroup. [NYTI
Jan. 19: Vice President Taha Muh.yial-Din Ma!rdf
begana 6 day visit to Japan.[MEED]
Jan. 21: Middle East Economic Digest reported that
Kurdishguerrillaswere holding 5 East European
engineershostage.[MEED]
Jan. 23: The Cabinetwas reshuffledand the following
appointmentswere made:
 CHRONOLOGY
'Izzat Mutafa: Municipalities
Hasan 'Ali: International Trade and Acting Minister
of Foreign Trade
Najih. Muhammad Khalil: Industry & Minerals
Muhammad $adiq al-Mashshat: Higher Education &
Scientific Research
Babakir al-Bishdari: Labor & Social Affairs
Burhan al-Din'Abd al-Rahman: Youth
Hamad 'Alwan: State for Foreign
Na!im Hamid Haddad: State
Ghanim 'Abd al-Jalil: State and Director of RCC
Deputy Chairman's Office
TThir Tawfiq: State
'Abd al-Fattah Muhammad Amin: State
Saduin Shikir: State
Ja!far Qasim Hammudi: State
'Abdallah Fadhil: State
Fulayyih Hasan al-Jasim:State
'Adnan Khayrallah:State
Hikmat IbrThim:State
Muh.ammad'Ayish: State [FBIS}
Feb. 3. An Iraqi delegation led by Vice Chairman
Husayn ended a 3 day visit to the Soviet Union.
[MEEDI
Feb. 7: Rioting during the annual religious march from
Najaf to Karbala took place for the second straight
day. [MEED]
A man was arrested at the shrine of Imam
Husayn in Karbala while trying to plant a bomb.
[MEED}
Feb. 10: A government statement said that 1 man had
been killed when gunmen "in the pay of Zionist and
imperialist circles" had attacked a police station
during the march from Najaf to Karbala. [NYTI
Feb. 11.' Baghdad radio denied reports that Iraq had
closed its borders with Syria and Kuwayt and said
a Syrian newspaper account of clashes in the city of
Mosul were untrue. [NYT)
Feb. 14.' It was reported that Ahmad 'Abd al-Qadir
had been elected chairman of the legislative council
of the autonomous area of north Iraq. [FBIS]
Israel
(Seealso, Arab Israeli Conflict, General, Lebanon)
1976
Nov. 16: Ariel Sharon, a former leader in the Likud
opposition, announced he would bid for the Premier-
ship through his own party. [JPI
Nov. 22: Yigael Yadin announced the formation of a
new political party to be called the "Democratic
Movement." [NYTI
Nov. 24: The pound was devalued by 2%. [JP}
Nov. 28: Three senior Israeli officials flew to South
Africa for discussions on bilateral economic rela-
tions. [NYTI
195
The newspaperHayom Hazeh, started by former De-
fense Minister Moshe Dayan, published its final
issue as a daily. [NYT]
Dec. 10. A ceremony was held shortly before the
Sabbath to receive 3 American made F-15 jet
fighters. [NYT]
Dec. 11: The government declared all of Israel and the
occupied Arab territories a rabies danger area.
[NYT]
Dec. 13. Former Kupat Holim chairman Asher Yadlin
was indicted on 8 counts of bribery and fraud.
[NYT}
Dec. 14: A no confidence motion against Premier
Yitzhak Rabin for "desecration" of the Sabbath was
defeated in the Knesset by a vote of 55 to 48. Nine
members of the National Religious Party (NRP)
abstained. [JPJ
Dec. 19.' Premier Rabin ousted the NRP from the
coalition government. [NYT]
Dec. 20: After calling for new elections and the dis-
solution of the Knesset, Rabin submitted his resig-
nation to President Ephraim Katzir. [NYT]
1977
Jan. 3.' President Katzir asked Rabin to form a new
government. [NYTI
Minister of Housing Abraham Ofer committed
suicide. [NYTI
Jan. 5.' The Knesset voted to dissolve itself early and
provided that elections be held in May. [NYT]
At a state funeral for Housing Minister Ofer,
Rabin said he believed Ofer to have been innocent
of embezzlement charges reported by Israeli news-
papers. [NYT]
Jan. 7.' Minister of Police Shlomo Hillel said the in-
vestigation into the financial dealings of Ofer were
being suspended. [NYT]
Jan. 9.' The Cabinet decided that Ofer must be pre-
sumed legally innocent but agreed that a corruption
investigation of other members of the Labor Party
should be continued. [NYT]
Jan. 10.' The Likud opposition bloc asked for a Knesset
debate on the corruption allegations. [NYT]
Jan. 11: Defense Minister Shimon Peres announced
his candidacy for leadership of the Labor Party.
[NYT]
Jan. 17.' The US State Department said that it accepted
an explanation by Israel of an Israeli sale of
American airplane engines to Honduras. [NYT]
Jan. 18: The Knesset voted by 43-18 to accept a
decision to reshuffle Cabinet portfolios. The following
Ministries were affected:
Haim Zadok: Justice and Religious Affairs
Moshe Baram: Laborand Social Welfare
Shlomo Hillel: Policeand Interior
Shlomo Rosen: Immigrant Absorption and Housing
IJP]
Jan. 24: Former Foreign Minister Abba Eban an-
nounced his candidacy for Labor Party leader. [JP]
Jan. 31.' The Knesset passed a law legalizing abortion
in certain cases. [NYT]
196 THE MIDDLE EAST JOURNAL
Feb. 3: Former Foreign Minister Eban dropped his
candidacy for the Labor Party leadership and threw
his support to Defense Minister Peres. [JP]
Feb. 7: The US State Department said the US had
blocked an Israeli sale to Ecuador of 24 Kfir jet
fighters equipped with American jet engines. [NYT)
Feb. 9: The Christian Science Monitor reported that
Israel had asked the US State Department to re-
consider its veto of the sale of jets to Ecuador.
[CSMJ
Feb. 14: Former Kupat Holim chairman Yadlin pleaded
guilty to 4 counts of bribery and 1 of tax
evasion. [NYT)
Jordan
(Seealso, Arab Israeli Conflict, General, Egypt, Kuwayt,
Oman, Saudi Arabia, Syria)
1976
Nov. 16: Four Palestinian guerrillas of the Black June
group seized the Inter-Continental Hotel in 'Amman
and took hostages. Jordanian troops overpowered
them in an attack which left 7 people, including
3 terrorists, dead. [NYT)
Nov. 18: An Egyptian banker died of wounds re-
ceived during the guerrilla attack. [NYTI
Nov. 27: The Cabinet was reshuffled:
Mudar Bedran: Premier,Foreignand Defense
'Abd al-Salam al-Majiali: Education and State for
Cabinet Affairs
'Adnan Abu'Awdah: Information
Muhammad al-Bashir: Health
Ghalib Barakat: Tourism & Antiquities
'Abd al-Karim al-Tariwinah:Justice
$alal Jum'ah: Agriculture
Hasan Ibr&him: Reconstruction & Development and
State for Foreign
'Isam al-'Ajldni: Labor
Kamil al-Sharif:Awqcif, Islamic Affairs & Holy Places
Marwan al-Qisim: Supplies
Sulayman 'Arar: Interior
'Abd al-RaQdfal-Rawabidah: Communications
Ibrthim Ayyib: Municipal & Rural Affairs
Sharif Fawwaz Sharaf: Culture & Youth
Najm al-Din al-Dajani: Industry & Trade
Muhammad al-Dabbas: Finance
Sa!id Binil: Public Works
'All al-Suhaymat: Transport [FBIS)
Dec. 6: Syrian President Uhfiz al-Asad met with King
Hasan in 'Amman. [FBIS]
Dec. 8: Jordan and Syria announced their intention to
form a union. [NYT)
Dec. 18: King Hjusayn returned to 'Amman following a 1976
visit to the UAA and Qatar. [FBIS)
The surviving guerrilla was executed for his part Nov. 17: Syrian peacekeeping troops searched cars
in the attack on the Inter-Continental Hotel.
[NYTI
1977
Jan. 5: Syrian Premier'Abd al-Rahman Khulayfiwi left
'Ammin after a day of talks with King Husayn.
[MEEDJ
Jan. 26: King Ijusayn said contacts were under way for
a meeting between him and Palestine Liberation
Organization (PLO) leader Yasir 'Arafat. [NYT)
Feb. 9: Queen 'Alya' and Health Minister Bashir were
killed in a helicopter crash. [NYTI
Kuwayt
(Seealso, Petroleum Affairs, Iraq, Lebanon, Oman)
1976
Nov. 16: Iraqi Interior Minister 'Izzat Ibrahim al-Dun
had talks in Kuwayt with Minister of Interior &
Defense Shaykh Sa'd al-Abdallah al-Salim al-
Sabah,. [MEED]
Nov. 22: UAA Foreign Minister Ahmad Bin Khalifah
al-Suwaydi arrived in Kuwayt on a 2 day visit.
[MEED]
Iraqi Foreign Minister Sa'dun Hammaddiarrived in
Kuwayt for talks. [FBIS]
Dec. 6: The government suspended further registration
and trading in shares of the Sharjah Investment
Group formed by Kuwayti and UAA business
interests. [MEED]
Dec. 13: Acting Premier Jabir al-'AIi denied an Iraqi
statement that the islands of Warbah and Bubiyan
belonged by right to Iraq. [CSM)
Dec. 15: Jordanian Premier Mudar Badran visited
Kuwayt on a tour of the Gulf. [MEED]
Dec. 31: Al-Siyisah was ordered to close for 10 days
for contravening press laws. [MEED]
1977
Jan. 11: Iraqi Minister of Planning 'Adnan al-
Hamd&ni held talks with Planning Minister Yusuf
al-'Adasdni in Kuwayt. [MEED]
Jan. 24: Finance Minister 'Abd al-Rahman al-'Atiqi
left for Oman for talks on bilateral codperation.
[MEED]
Lebanon
(Seealso, Arab Israeli Conflict)
entering Beirut to prevent guns from being brought
into the capital. [NYT]
 CHRONOLOGY
Nov. 18: Christianand Muslimforces exchangedsmall
armsand mortarfire in southernLebanon.[NYT]
Fightingbroke out between 2 Palestiniangroups
in the Shatilarefugee camp on the southern fringe
of Beirut.Three people were killed. [NYTI
Nov. 19: Beirut'sairportreopened. [MEED]
Nov. 21: Syrianpeacekeepingtroops took control of
Tripoli,Sidon and the highwaysleadingfrom Beirut
to the 2 cities. [NYTJ
Nov.22: Israelconfirmedreportsthatit hadtransmitted
by way of the US a warningto Syria not to move
its troops in Lebanon too close to the Israeli
border.[NYT]
Nov. 23: Israel deployed its armed forces along the
Lebaneseborderfollowingreportsthat Syrianpeace-
keepingtroopswere consideringmovingcloserto the
border. [NYT)
Nov. 24: Syrianofficialscriticized Israel for saying it The New York Times reported that a ceasefire had
held Syriaresponsiblefor any attacksfrom Lebanon
while at the same time insisting that Syrianpeace- Bint Jbail district of southern Lebanon. [NYT]
keeping troops stay out of the borderarea.[NYT)
Nov. 25: It was reported that Muslim and Christian
factionshad agreedin principleto put their artillerycut in front of Sham'un's car. Five men were
under Syriansupervision.[NYT}
Arab Leagueofficialsconfirmedreportsthat Arab
peacekeepingforces would be sent to Tyre. [NYT}
Nov. 28: IsraeliPremierYitzhakRabin said the pres-
ence of Syrianor Palestinianunits on the Lebanese
borderwould be "intolerable"and said thatonly the
LebaneseArmyshould be there. [NYT]
Nov. 29: Syria threatened to use military force if
necessaryto remove heavyweaponsfrom Palestinian
guerrillasandLebanesemilitiaunits. [NYT}
Muslimand Christianmilitiamentradedautomatic
weaponfire northof the Israeliborder.[NYT]
Libya said it was withdrawingits contingent of
peacekeepingtroops on the groundthat the mission
of Arab forces had changedfrom "peacekeepingto
deterring."[NYT]
Dec. 3: Syrian President Hifiz al-Asad met with
PalestineLiberationOrganization(PLO)leaderYasir
'Arafat.[NYTI
Dec. 4: The New York Times cited "Arab sources" as
saying that PLO leader 'Arafat had promised that
Palestinianforceswould surrenderheavyweaponsto
Syriain returnfor Syrianprotection.[NYT]
A car carryingdynamiteexploded near the Beirut
residenceof ProgressiveSocialistPartyleaderKamal
Junblat.Two people were killed and 15 wounded.
[NYT]
Dec. 5: The New York Times reported that President Dec. 17: Rival Palestinian factions battled in a Beirut
Ilyas Sarkis had extended the deadline for the
collectionof heavyweapons.[NYT)
Dec.8: Palestinianguerrillasfrom a refugee campnear
Tripoli were relocated in the Syrian controlled
Biqa'valley. [NYT]
The New York Times reported that the First
National Bank of Chicago had become the first Dec. 21: Hu44 returned from a tour of Saudi Arabia
American bank to reopen for business in Beirut.
[NYT]
197
Dec. 9: A new Cabinet was appointed:
Salim al-Hu$5: Premier,Economy& Trade, Industry &
Oil and Information
Fu'ad Butrus: Deputy Premier, Foreign & Expatriates
and Defense
$alah Salman: Interior and Housing & Cooperatives
Ibrahim Shu'ayti: Health and Water & Electricity
Amin al-Bizri: Public Works, Transport & Tourism
MishadDumid: Planning
As'ad Riziq: Labor& Social Affairs, Education & Fine
Arts and Agriculture
FarlidRifala'l:Justice,Finance and PTT [FBIS]
Dec. 10: Premier al-Hu.4 said that government con-
trolled information media had been unified and that
2 official radio stations would be merged. [NYT}
Dec. 11: Gunmen attacked and wounded Christian
leader Raymond Edd6 (Iddah) in Beirut. [NYT]
been reached between Muslims and Christians in the
Dec. 12: Bodyguards of former President Camille
Sham'in fought with 2 men whose automobile had
wounded. [NYTI
The executive committee of the PLO met in
Damascus to discuss Palestinian unity but 3 guerrilla
organizations boycotted the meeting. [NYT}
Dec. 13: The New York Times reported that former
President Sham'un had said the National Liberal
Party was withdrawing its militia from the unified
Christian command but had later agreed to rescind
the decision. [NYT}
Dec. 14: A time bomb exploded under the car of a
Phalanges Party official after he had left it. [NYT)
A peace supervisory committee formed of repre-
sentatives from Saudi Arabia, Kuwayt, Egypt and
Syria met under President Sarkis and discussed the
collection of heavy weapons from rival factions.
[NYT]
Dec. 15. Beirut's port reopened. [NYT]
Arab peacekeeping troops raided the Beirut offices
of 2 journals. [NYT)
Special envoy to Washington Ghassan Tuwayni
met with US Undersecretary of State for Political
Affairs Philip Habib concerning US economic aid to
Lebanon. [NYT]
Dec. 16: The peace supervisory committee met to dis-
cuss the collection of heavy weapons, but the talks
were adjourned inconclusively. 'Arafat asked for time
for further discussions with other guerrilla leaders.
[NYT]
suburb. [NYT]
Syrian troops occupied the premises of the news-
paper al-Safir. It was the fourth periodical taken
over during the week. [NYT]
Dec. 19: Syrian troops closed down 3 newspapers,
including al-Nahar and L'Orient-LeJour. [NYT]
and Kuwayt during which the Lebanese economic
situation was discussed. [FBIS]
198 THE MIDDLE EAST JOURNAL
Rival Palestinian groups battled in southeast
Beirut. Joint intervention by Syrian troops and al-
Fath guerrillas restored calm. [NYT]
Dec. 22: Al-$aiqah guerrillas fought with pro-Iraqi
Palestinians for the second straight day. [NYT]
Dec. 23: HIu. submitted to Parliament a bill which
would authorize the government to rule by decree for
6 months. [NYT}
Dec. 24: Parliament voted by 72 to 0 to approve the
bill authorizing the government to rule by decree.
[NYT)
A central committee member of the Popular
Front for the Liberation of Palestine and his wife
were assassinated in Beirut. [NYT]
Dec. 25: Shells hit a town and village held by Muslim
and Palestinian factions in southern Lebanon, wound-
ing 3 civilians. [NYT)
Dec. 27: HuIu conferred with Sarkis on the subject
of a tour to a number of Arab countries planned
for the following day. [NYTI
Dec. 28: About 1,500 peacekeeping soldiers from the
UAA entered Lebanon from Syria and moved toward
Tyre. [NYT)
Dec. 31: The Christian radio station Voice of Lebanon
reported that Palestinian gunners had shelled 3
Christian towns in southern Lebanon during the day.
[NYT]
1977
Jan. 1: The government decided to impose censorship
on the press. [NYT)
Four persons were killed in a shootout between
$aiqah guerrillas and a rival group. [NYT)
Jan. 3: Syrian peacekeeping troops ended occupation
of the offices of 7 periodicals. [NYT)
Press censorship went into effect. [NYT)
A bomb exploded near the Phalanges Party head-
quarters in Beirut, killing at least 16 people.
[NYT)
Jan. 4: Gunmen identified as members of the Arab
Communist Organization killed 4 people in a
Christian sector of north Beirut. [NYT)
Phalanges Party leader Pierre Jumayyil met with
Minister of Foreign Affairs Butrus on the bombing.
[NYT)
Christians in east Beirut went on strike to protest the
bombing. [NYT)
Jan. 5: It was reported that a time bomb had exploded
the night before at Byblos. [NYT)
Jan. 7: It was announced that the final deadline for
turning in heavy weapons would be Jan. 12. Regular
Palestinian forces that had entered Lebanon from
Syria during the civil war were to leave by the same
date. [NYT)
Jan. 9: A regiment of Arab peacekeeping forces took
up positions in mountainous areas south of Beirut.
[NYT)
Jan. 10: Former President Sulayman Franjiyyah said
that unless heavy weapons controlled by Palestinians
were removed from Lebanon, Christian groups would
not hand in their arms. [NYT)
Huss left Beirut for a tour of Gulf states. [MEED]
Jan. 13: Beirut radio reported that the collection of
heavy weapons had been completed. [NYT}
Jan. 14: Al-'Amal reported that the Syrian representa-
tive to the peace supervisory committee had been
dissatisfied with the number of weapons collected.
[NYT}
Jan. 17. Domestic and foreign banks resumed full
service in Beirut. [NYTJ
Jan. 24: Christians in East Beirut went on strike to
protest the presence of Arab peacekeeping forces in
their district. [NYT]
Christian militiamen battled Palestinian and Mus-
lim forces in southern Lebanon. [NYTI
Jan. 25: Censorship on outgoing dispatches of foreign
news bureaus was lifted but remained in force for
the domestic press. [NYT]
Syrian forces moved simultaneously into Christian
areas of East Beirut and Palestinian held Nabatiyah
in the south of Lebanon. [NYTI
Jan. 26: An Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman said
the movement of Syrian soldiers to Nabatiyah was a
cause of serious concern. [NYT]
Arab peacekeeping forces occupied 3 barracks in
West Beirut and a fourth in Sidon. All 4 had been
under control of the Lebanese Arab Army. [NYT]
Jan. 29: The Arab peacekeeping force defused ex-
plosives in 2 cars in Sidon before they could go off.
[NYT]
Jan. 31: Israeli Foreign Minister Yigal Allon pro-
posed an agreement stating how close to the Israeli
border non-Lebanese forces could be deployed.
[NYT)
Feb. 2: Sarkis met with Syrian President Asad in
Damascus. Later the 2 countries said they would
formulate a joint strategy for policy coordination.
[NYT]
Feb. 3: The New York Times reported that Asad had
told Sarkis he would not withdraw Syrian peace-
keeping troops from Israeli border areas despite
Israeli demands. [NYTI
Feb. 10: Heavy fighting broke out in Beirut's outskirts
between Syrian peacekeeping troops and Palestinian
guerrillas of the "rejection front". [NYT)
Feb. 11: Fighting in Beirut between Syrian troops and
Palestinian guerrillas intensified. [NYT]
Feb. 12: Israeli officials said Syrian forces had begun
withdrawing from border positions in southern
Lebanon. [NYT)
Feb. 13: The new US Ambassador to Lebanon, Richard
Parker, arrived in Beirut. [NYT]
Feb. 15: Syrian peacekeeping troops completed a with-
drawal from the Nabatiyah area of Southern
Lebanon. [NYT]
 CHRONOLOGY
Libya
(Seealso, Lebanon, Tunisia)
1976
Nov. 17: Libya and the Philippines signed 2 agree-
ments on bilateral cooperation during a visit by
Imelda Marcos. [FBIS)
Nov. 18: The Philippine government said that negoti-
ations under Libyan auspices between Philippine
Muslim insurgents and the Philippine government
had been arranged during the visit to Libya by Mrs.
Marcos. [NYTI
Nov. 22. The Arab Revolution News Agency reported
that the country's official designation had been
changed to the "Libyan People's Arab Republic."
[MEED)
Nov. 23. Revolution Command Council (RCC) Chair-
man Mu'ammar al-Qadhdh5fi met with Algerian
President Houari Boumedienne and President Seyni
Kountch6 of Niger. It was agreed to set up a
permanent tripartite commission. [MEED)
Nov. 24: The General People's Congress of the Arab
Socialist Union ended its second annual session.
[MEEDI
Dec. 1. The chairman of Fiat of Italy announced
that Libya had purchased 10% of the company
through stock purchase and other financial arrange-
ments. [NYT)
Dec. 6. RCC Chairman Qadhdh.fi arrived in Moscow
for talks with Soviet leaders. [MEEDI
Dec. 9" Libya and the Soviet Union signed 3 co-
operation agreements. [MEEDI
Dec. 25.' Libya and Bulgaria signed 5 agreements on
trade and bilateral cooperation. [NYT)
1977
Jan. 19: Yugoslav President Tito conferred with
Qadhdh5fi during a 3 day visit to Libya. [NYT)
Jan. 24: Libya and Mauritania signed an agreement
for economic, technical and scientific cooperation.
[FBISJ
Jan. 31: France thanked Libya for its help in securing
the release of 2 French persons held by rebels in
Chad. [NYT)
Feb. 11. Middle East Economic Digest reported that
the Italian government had given final approval for
the acquisition of a stake in Fiat by the Libyan
Arab Foreign Bank. [MEED)
Morocco
(Seealso, Arab Israeli Conflict, General)
1976
Nov. 16: Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Fahd arrived in
Marrakech from Algiers. [FBIS)
199
Nov. 17: Three people died when 2 Moroccan F-5 jets
collided and crashed. [NYTI
Nov. 22: King Hasan began a state visit to France for
talks on bilateral relations and nuclear energy.
[MEED]
Nov. 26: Middle East Economic Digest reported that
Independents had won about 2/3 of the seats in
local elections held on November 12. [MEED]
Nov. 29: US Commerce Secretary Elliot Richardson
arrived in Morocco for talks on bilateral trade. [NYT}
1977
Jan. 3: The trial of 178 people accused of complicity
in a 1973 abortive coup began in Casablanca. [MEED]
Jan. 15: Saudi Arabian Second Deputy Premier Prince
'Abdallah bin 'Abd al-'Azlz arrived in Morocco.
[MEED]
Jan. 21: Premier Ahmad Osman arrived in Mauritania
on a 3 day visit for talks on economic integra-
tion. [MEED]
Jan. 25: Elections were held for 513 councillors of 33
provinces and cities. [MEED]
Feb. 2: Iranian Premier Amir'Abbas-i Huvayda ended
a visit to Morocco during which a trade agreement
was concluded. [MEED]
Nahum Goldmann, President of the World Jewish
Congress, met with King Hasan in private talks.
[MEED]
Feb. 15: A court imposed sentences on 176 people
for plotting to overthrow King Hasan. [NYT}
Oman
(Seealso, Petroleum Affairs, Kuwayt)
1976
Nov. 17: UAA President Shaykh Zayd bin Sultan
Al Nuhayyan arrived in Muscat and met with
Sultan Qabus bin Sa!ld. [FBIS]
Egyptian Vice President Husni Mubarak arrived
in Oman for talks on bilateral relations. [MEED]
Nov. 25: Sultan Qabus opened the Gulf states foreign
ministers conference in Muscat. Foreign ministers of
8 nations participated. [FBIS)
Nov. 26: The Gulf foreign ministers conference ended.
[MEED}
1977
Jan. 9: It was announced in Abu Dhabi that the UAA
would finance a 132 kilometer road linking Ibri to
Nizwa. [MEED]
Jan. 24: Kuwayti Finance Minister 'Abd al-Rah.man
Salim al-'Atiqi arrived in Muscat for talks on bilateral
relations. [FBIS}
200 THE MIDDLE EAST JOURNAL

Jan. 26: SultanQabusmet with UAA ForeignMinister Nov. 23: Iranian Foreign Minister 'Abbas 'Ali-i
AhmadKhalifahal-Suwaydiin Muscat.[FBIS] Khal'atbariarrived in Doha on a 1 day visit.
Jan. 27: Iranannouncedit waswithdrawingsome of its [FBIS)
troopsfrom Oman. [NYT} Nov. 27: Amir ShaykhKhalifahbin HamadAl Thini
Jan. 31: JordanianKing Ijusayn left Omanat the end received Syrian Foreign Minister 'Abd al-Hallm
of a 3 day privatevisit. [MEED} Khaddamin Doha. [FBIS]
Feb.3: Ministerof State for Foreign AffairsQays al- Dec. 12: Financeand PetroleumMinisterShaykh'Abd
Zawawidenied publishedreports that Oman might al-'Aziz bin KhalifahAl Thini said that tentative
grant bases on Maqirahisland to a foreign country agreementon the complete takeover of the Shell
afterdepartureof the British.[MEED} Companyof Qatarhad been reached.[MEED)

Pakistan 1977
Jan. 12: Iraqi PlanningMinister'Adnan al-Hamdani
(Seealso, General) left Doha after talks. [MEED]
Feb. 9: The Qatar General Petroleum Company
1976 (QGPC)andRoyalDutch Shell signedan agreement
for the takeoverof Shell's remaining40% share of
Dec. 16: Pakistanand Greece signed an economic co- Shell Qatar.[MEED]
operationagreementin Rawalpindi.[FBIS]
Dec. 27: PremierZulfikarAli Bhutto returnedfrom a
visit to Tehran. [FBIS}
SaudiArabia
1977
(Seealso, ArabIsraeliConflict,PetroleumAffairs,
Jan. 3: Minister of Defense and Foreign Affairs Algeria,Lebanon,Morocco,Tunisia)
Aziz Ahmed said Pakistanwouldgo throughwith its
purchaseof a nuclearreprocessingplantfromFrance
despite oppositionby the US and Canada.[NYT) 1976
Jan. 5: PremierBhutto announceda series of agrarian
reforms.[NYT] Dec. 17: Oil Minister Shaykh Ahmad Zaki Yamani
The governmentsaid it would release 6 Indians said SaudiArabiaexpected the West to "appreciate"
who had hijacked an Indian airlinerto Lahore in its standon oil prices. [NYT)
September.[NYT) Dec.24: An Egyptianpassengership carryingpilgrims
Jan. 6: India protested the decision to release the returningfrom Mecca burned and sank in the Red
hijackers.[NYT) Sea. [NYT}
Jan. 7: Bhuttoannouncedthatgeneralelectionswould Dec. 27: Al-Ahram reported that 95 people were
be held in March.[NYT) missingafter the sinkingof the pilgrimship. [NYT)
Jan. 9: Rival political groups clashed at rallies in the Dec.29: The US SecuritiesandExchangeCommission
Northwest FrontierProvinceand 6 people were re- chargedthatthe AmericanHospitalSupplyCorpora-
ported killed. [NYT) tion had paid millions of dollars of questionable
Jan. 10: Newspapers reported that former chief fees in order to obtain contractsto equip the King
minister of the Northwest Frontier Province FaisalSpecialistHospitalin Riyadh.[NYT)
InayatullahKhan Gandapurhad been arrestedfol-
lowing the clashes.[NYT)
Karachi OverseasServicereported that the National 1977
Assemblyhad been dissolved.[FBIS)
Feb. 9: UAA President Shaykh Zayd bin Sultan Al Jan. 8: Saudi Arabiasaid it would require American
Nuhayyan arrived in Pakistan and was met by oil companiesto submit reports to prove oil price
Bhutto. [FBIS) benefitswere beingpassedon to consumers.[MEES)
Jan. 9: The ForeignMinistersof 8 Arabstates met in
Riyadhto discussfinancialaid to Egypt,Jordanand
Qatar Syria.[NYT]
Jan. 13: Al-Ahramsaid that the ForeignMinistersof
5 Arab states had pledged $1.4 billion a year to
(Seealso, PetroleumAffairs,Jordan,SaudiArabia) Egypt, Syria,Jordanand the PLO at the conference
in Riyadh.[NYTI
Jan. 22: French President Valery Giscard d'Estaing
1976 arrivedin Riyadhfor an officialvisit. [NYT)
Nov. 21: EgyptianVice PresidentHusni Mubarakar- Jan. 23: FrenchPresidentGiscardd'Estaingmet with
rived in Doha on an officialvisit. [MEED] King KhIlid and CrownPrinceFahd.[NYT)
 CHRONOLOGY
Jan. 24: A 3 year contractwas signed with the French
oil company Elf-Erapfor the delivery of 299.5m
barrelsof Saudioil. (NYT]
Jan. 29: The Saudi-YemeniCoordinationCouncilmet
in Riyadh.[MEED]
Feb. 8: The Mobil Oil Corporation said that its
pipeline subsidiarywould build a $1.55 billion 750
mile pipeline from oilfieldsnear the PersianGulf to
Yanbuon the Red Sea. [NYTI
Feb. 10: QatariAmir ShaykhKhalifahbin HamadAl
Thanimet with King Khald in Riyadh.[MEED)
Feb. 11: King Khalid flew to London for surgery.
[MEED]
Feb. 15: It was announced that oil production in
January1977 hadaveraged8.28m barrelsa day.This
comparedto a daily averageof about 8m barrelsin
1976. [NYT]
South Yemen
(Seealso, Yemen)
1976
Nov. 22: An agreementwas signed in Kuwaytunder
which the Kuwayt Fund for Arab Economic De-
velopment (KFAED)would extend a loan of $9.3m Feb. 9: Numayri asked Premieral-Rashidal-T5hirto
to South Yemen. [MEES)
Nov. 25: South Yemen said it had shot down an Feb. 11: Numayri issued a decree forming a new
Iranianfighterplane thathadcrossedits borderfrom
Oman. [NYTI
Omansaid an unarmedIranianplane on a training
flight was missing after being fired at from across
the South Yemeni border.[NYTI
Nov. 26: South Yemen said it had captured the
survivingpilot of an Iranian"spyplane"shot down
by defense forces. A second pilot was killed.
[NYT]
Dec. 15: Foreign Minister Muh.ammad$liih Muti'
returned to Aden after visits to France, Algeria
and Egypt.[FBIS)
Dec. 21. Aden DomesticServicereported that the Iranian
pilot had been turned over to a Saudi Arabian
delegationat Aden InternationalAirport.[FBIS]
1977
Jan. 19: Ministerof FinanceFadhilMuhsin'Abdallah
returnedto Aden from Vienna,where he had signed
a $4.4m loan agreementwith OPEC. [MEED]
Feb. 8: Foreign Minister Muti' ended a visit to the
People'sRepublicof China.IMEED)
Sudan
(Seealso, General,Egypt,Iran)
1976
Nov. 18: Ugandan President Idi Amin met with
PresidentJa'faral-Numayriin Sudan.[FBIS)
201
Dec.10: An economicagreementwith SouthKoreawas
signed in Seoul during a 7 day visit by Minister
of Trade& SupplyHarunal-'Awad..[MEED]
1977
Jan. 1: President Numayri said that Ethiopia was
"harboringandtrainingSudanesedissidents."[NYT)
Jan. 4: The New York Times reported that Numayri
had recalledhis Ambassadorto Ethiopia.[NYT)
Jan. 7: It was reportedthat 3 Ethiopianarmyofficers
and 93 solidiers had taken refuge in Sudan after a
battlewith Eritreanrebels. [NYT)
Jan. 15: A joint defense pact with Egypt was signed
in Cairo.[MEED]
Jan. 16: SudanAirwaysflights between Khartim and
Addis Ababawere suspended.[MEED]
Jan. 24: The World Health Organizationsaid that
travel restrictionsimposed in the southern region
the previous year during an epidemic of green
monkeydiseasehad been lifted. [MEED]
Feb.2.' Governmentforcescrushedan attemptby rebel
air defense units to seize Juba airportin southern
Sudan.Ten people were reportedkilled. [NYT)
form a new Cabinet.[NYT)
Cabinet:
Bashir Muhaammad'Ali: Defense and Commanderin
Chief of Armed Forces
'Abd al-Wahhab Ibr5him: Interior and Head of
Public Security
Ma'man 'Awad Aba Zayd: Local Popular Government
Mans, r Khilid: Foreign and Assistant to President
for Coordination
Zayn al-'AbidinMuhammadAhmad'Abd al-Qadir:
Youth & Sports
Na?ral-Din Mustafi:Planning
al-Sharlfal-Khatim:Finance & Economy
Karamallah al-'Awad:Public Service& Administrative
Reform
'Abd al-Rahman'Abdallah:Industry& Mining
KhalidHasan'Abbais: Health
Daf'alla.hal-HajjYuisuf:Education
Bashir'Abbadi:Transport& Communications
Buna Malwal:Culture & Information
Harunal-'Awad:Trade & Supply
'Awn al-SharifQa.sim:ReligiousAffairs & Awqif
$ughayruinal-Zayn: Irrigation & HydroelectricPower
Fatimah'Abd al-Mahmuid: SocialAffairs
Mutafi'Uthmin: Construction& Public Works
'Abdallih Ahmad 'Abdalfih: Agriculture, Nutrition
& Natural Resources
MuhammadHa,shim'Awad:Cooperation
Francis Deng: State for Foreign
'Izz al-Din Haimid:State for Egyptian Affairs
MuhammadTahir:State
MahmadBashlrJama':State
Amin Abui Sanninah:State for Agriculture
Muhammad al-Shadhili 'Uthman: Statefor Agriculture
202 THE MIDDLE EAST JOURNAL

'Abd al-RahilmMakki: State for Agriculture 1977

'Uthman 'Abd al-Salam:State for Finance
Isma'il al-Hajj Musa: State for Culture
'Ali Shummiu:State for Youth
Hasan Ahmad Yusuf: State for Education
Ahmad 'Abd al-Karim Badri: State for Transport
Hasan 'Abidin: State [FBIS]
Syria
(Seealso, Arab Israeli Conflict, General, Egypt, Iraq,
Jordan, Lebanon, Qatar, Saudi Arabia)
1976
Nov. 21: Jordanian King Husayn paid a surprise visit Feb. 8. Algerian Foreign Minister Abdel-Aziz Boute-
to Syria to confer with President Hafiz al-Asad.
[NYT)
Nov. 25: It was announced in Damascus that Iraq and
Syria had withdrawn most military forces from their
border. [NYTI
Dec. 1: Foreign Minister'Abd al-Halim Khaddam was
shot and wounded by unidentified assailants. [NYT)
Dec. 2: Iraqi radio said that the Black June group
had claimed responsibility for the attack on Foreign
Minister Khadda.m. [NYT}
Dec. 4. Security officers arrested a gunman involved
in the wounding of Khaddam. [NYT]
Dec. 28: The Kuwayti newspaper al-Qabasreported that
Syria had ended travel and other restrictions on its Nov. 25: Snow hampered earthquake relief efforts.
Jewish population. [NYT}
1977
Jan. 6: A Palestinian and 2 Syrians were executed for
their part in a series of bombings in Syria which Nov. 27: The official earthquake death toll reached
the government said had been carried out with Iraqi
complicity. An announcement said 9 other Syrians Nov. 28: Government radio reported new earth tremors
had been convicted of similar charges and sentenced
to prison terms. [NYT]
Feb. 4: Syria and Egypt announced formation of a 10
man unified political command. [NYT}
Feb. 6: King Husayn arrived in Damascus for meetings Nov. 29: The New York Times reported that the mayor
with President Asad. [NYT]
Tunisia
(Seealso, General)
1976
Nov. 22: Foreign Minister Habib Chatti arrived in
Saudi Arabia for talks with King Khalid. [MEEDI
Dec. 9: Cheddi Klibi was appointed Minister for 1977
Cultural Affairs and Information. [MEEDI
Dec. 13: French Defense Minister Yvon Bourges ended Jan. 20: An economic cooperation agreement with
a 4 day visit to Tunisia. [MEED)
Jan. 9: Spanish Foreign Minister Marcelino Oreja
arrived in Tunisia for talks with Premier Hedi
Nouira and Foreign Minister Chatti. [MEED]
Jan. 12: Bulgarian Minister of Public Health Angel
Todorov arrived in Tunis for talks. [MEED]
Jan. 14: President Habib Bourguiba returned to
Tunisia after a 3 month absence for medical treat-
ment in Europe. [FBIS)
Jan. 18: President Bourguiba granted an amnesty for
35 people on the 25th anniversary of the revolu-
tion. [MEED]
Feb. 2: Interior Minister Tahar Belkhodja left Tripoli
after a 1 day visit during which he met with
Revolution Command Council Chairman Mu'ammar
Qadhdhafl. [FBIS]
flika arrived in Tunis for talks with Bourguiba.
[MEED]
Turkey
(Seealso, Cyprus, Iraq)
1976
Nov. 24: A major earthquake struck Van Province.
[NYTI
[NYT]
Nov. 26: Middle East Economic Digest reported that
Turkey and Greece had signed an agreement on
November 11, under which they would set up a joint
committee to draw up guidelines for negotiations.
[MEED]
3,700. [NYT]
had occurred near Lake Van, but no further casual-
ties were recorded. [NYT]
The Governor of Van Province announced a
mobilization of citizens for relief work. [NYT]
of Muradiye had been removed from office because
of his criticism of earthquake relief measures. [NYT]
Dec. 1: Premier Siileyman Demirel said the "U.S.
Congress has undermined Turkey's defense strength"
through its arms embargo. [NYT]
Dec. 10: Fighting between rival student political groups
left 2 people dead in Ankara. [NYT]
Dec. 11: Turkey and Greece reopened a direct tele-
phone link between their tactical air commands.
[NYT]
Bulgaria was signed in Ankara. [MEED]
 CHRONOLOGY 203

jan. 31: Turkey and Greece began secret talks in Shaykh Sultan Bin Ahmad Al Mu'alld:Economy&
London.[MEED] Trade
Feb.9: The militaryprosecutorof the Turkishgeneral ShaykhAhmadBin Hamad:Information
staff cleared all militarypersonnelof chargesof re- MuhammadSa'ldAl-Mu'all.:Communications
ceivingpayoffsfrom the LockheedAircraftCorpora- MuhaammadKhalifahal-Kindi:PublicWorks& Housing
tion. [NYT] ShaykhAhmadBin SultanAl Qisimi: StateWithout
Portfolio
Sa'id al-Ghayth: State for Cabinet Affairs
Shaykh'Abd al-'Aziz Al Qisimi: Statefor Supreme
United ArabAmirates Council Affairs
SayfBin Sa!idal-Ghubish:Statefor Foreign
Hammudah Bin 'Ali: State for Interior
(Seealso, PetroleumAffairs,Jordan,Kuwayt,Lebanon, 'Abdallah'UmranTarayim:Education, Youth & Sport
Oman) Mana' Sa!id al-'Utaybah:Petroleum & Mineral Re-
sources
Thin! Bin 'Isa Bin Hirib: Electricity & Water
1976 Resources
Nov. 22: Egyptian War Minister 'Abd al-Ghani al- Muhammad'Abd al-Rahmanal-Bakr:Justice and
Jamasilarrivedin AbuiDhabi for talks on military Islamic Affairs & Awqif
cooperation.[MEED] Khalfanal-Riami: Health
Nov. 28: President Shaykh Zayd bin Sultan Al Sa'id al-Raqbani: Fishery Resources
Nuhayyanissued a decree extendingthe validityof Sa'idal-Ghubish:Planning
the provisionalconstitutionfor 5 years. [FBISJ 'Abdallahal-Mazrii'i: Labor & Social Affairs
PresidentShaykhZaydacceptedthe resignationof
the Cabinetbut asked that it continuein office until
a new one was formed. [FBIS]
Nov. 30: The SupremeCouncilunanimouslyreelected
Yemen
Shaykh Zayd as President and ShaykhRa,shidbin
Sa!idAl Maktumas Vice President.[FBIS] (Seealso, UAA)
The SupremeCouncilapprovedan agreementbe-
tween the rulers of Dubayy and Sharjah which 1976
had settled the border dispute between the two
shaykhdoms.[FBIS] Nov. 27: Yemen charged that "enemy aircraft"had
Dec. 16: The UAA and Iran signed an economic and twice violated its air space in the last 10 days near
tradeprotocolat the end of a 6 day visit to the UAA the Bib al-Mandab.[NYT]
by Iranian Finance Minister Hushang-i An*rii. Nov. 29: Yemen said it would close its air space over
[FBIS] the Bib al-Mandab.[JPJ
Dec.19. YemeniCommandCouncilChairmanIbrThim Dec. 20: Command Council ChairmanIbrihim al-
al-Hamdimet with the rulerof Sharjahin the UAA. Hamdimet with Chineseleadersin Peking.[NYT]
[FBISJ Dec.28: CommandCouncilChairmanHamdiended an
officialvisit to North Korea.[MEED]
1977
1977
Jan. 3: A new Councilof Ministerswas formed:
ShaykhMaktuimbin RashidAl Maktfim:Premier Jan. 15: IranianForeign Minister'Abbis 'Ali-i Khal-
Shaykh Hamdan bin Muh.ammadAl Nuhayyan: 'atbari arrived in $an'!' on a 4 day official visit.
Deputy Premier [MEED]
ShaykhHamdanBin RashidAl Maktum:Finance& Jan. 31: The appointmentof Muh.ammad'Abd al-
Industry WahhabJubayli as Minister of Economy was an-
Shaykh Mubarak Bin Muh.ammadAl Nuhayyan: nounced.[MEED]
Interior Feb. 15: South Yemeni Chairmanof the Presidential
ShaykhMuhammadBin RashidAl Maktuim: Defense CouncilSglimRubayy''Ali arrivedin Yemen andwas
AhmadKhalifahal-Suwavdi:Foreign met by jamdi. [FBIS]