Washington Report, February 7, 1983, Page 6

Facts For Your Files: A Chronology of U.S.-Middle East Relations

January 18:

The United States and 12 other members of the United Nations Security Council voted to extend for six months the mandate of the U.N. Interim Force (UNFIL) which performs peacekeeping duties in southern Lebanon. The Soviet Union and Poland abstained.

January 7:

Ten million dollars worth of U.S. military equipment—including 24 armored personnel carriers, several heavy trucks and spare parts—arrived at the port of Beirut as part of a U.S. effort to help rebuild the Lebanese army.

January 10:

State Department spokesman John Hughes said that on several occasions in early January Israeli soldiers "challenged" U.S. marines positioned near the Beirut airport by trying to "pass through the marine lines." He added: "We have expressed our concern to the Israeli government, and have made it clear that the zone of deployment of the multinational force (in which the marines are serving) is closed to all military forces other than those of Lebanon and the MNF.

January 11:

State Department spokesman John Hughes said that the Israeli government's use of newspaper advertisements to attract Israelis to settle in the occupied West Bank is "unfortunate and counter productive."

January 15:

Responding to reports that senior Pentagon officials were apprehensive about the safety of U.S. marines in Lebanon, White House spokesman Larry Speakes said that the marines 11 are not in conflict, not in contact with anybody that could produce a major incident" and that "it is our (the Administration's) desire...that they stay there as long as necessary to ensure stability in the Lebanese government."

January 17:

Two U.S. soldiers serving in the Multinational Force and Observers unit in Egypt's Sinai Peninsula were wounded by a mine explosion. The U.S. is providing 1,100 troops out of a total force of 2,600 which has been patrolling the eastern edge of the Sinai since Israel withdrew last April.

January 17:

U.S., Israeli and Lebanese officials held their first formal session of negotiations on an agenda that was agreed to January 13. The agenda calls for "the termination of the state of war" between Israel and Lebanon, "a framework for mutual relations," and arrangements for the withdrawal of Israeli troops from Lebanon "within the context of the evacuation of all foreign forces."

January 21:

Referring to repeated attempts by Israeli soldiers to enter zones in Beirut patrolled by U.S. marines, Secretary of Defense Caspar Weinberger said on a U.S. television program that "I am very worried about these incidents, and they are continuing."

January 25:

State Department spokesman John Hughes said there was no substance" to Israeli charges that U.S. marines with the multinational force in Lebanon were acting as a "buffer" which protected members of the PLO.

January 27:

President Reagan met at the White House with Egypt's President Hosni Mubarak, who said in remarks following the session A that "top priority must be given to reaching agreement on the withdrawal of Israeli forces (from Lebanon).

January 28:

The U.S. Embassy in Beirut said that a "good understanding" had been reached at a meeting between U.S. Middle East envoy Morris Draper and Israeli Maj. Gen. Amir Drori to discuss ways of preventing future "incidents" between U.S. marines and Israeli soldiers.

February 2:

Commenting on an attempt Feb. 2 by three Israeli tanks to pass through a U.S. manned checkpoint in Beirut, State Department spokesman Alan Romberg said: "The recurrence of challenges to the marines by Israeli Defense Forces is unacceptable."

February 2:

Nicholas Veliotes, Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern and South Asian Affairs, told a House Foreign Affairs subcommittee that is was his "personal guesstimate" that the United States marines would have to stay in Lebanon another year.