February/March 1996, Pages 30-35

Issues in the News

Compiled by Shawn L. Twing

ARABIAN PENINSULA

Bahrain

Bahrain Celebrates National Day, Declares Amnesty for Prisoners:

Bahrain celebrated the 24th anniversary of its independence on Dec. 16 and, as a gesture of good will, the Emir of Bahrain, Sheikh Isa bin Salman Al-Khalifa, ordered an amnesty for some of the prisoners arrested during a four-month period of political unrest that gripped the Arabian Gulf country early last year. According to Bahrain's official Gulf News Agency, an unspecified number of detainees were freed and others were allowed to re-enter the country. The amnesty does not apply to Sheikh Ali Salman, whose arrest in December 1994 sparked four months of violent protests in Bahrain. Sheikh Salman has lived in Britain since he was expelled from Bahrain in January, 1995.

Oman

Oman Economy Grew Sharply In 1995:

Oman's economy grew sharply in 1995 because of higher oil prices and economic reforms, according to Omani officials reporting in Abu Dhabi. The country's gross domestic product (GDP) surged 12.7 percent to 2.46 billion Omani riyals ($6.4 billion) in the first half of 1995, from 2.18 billion Omani riyals ($5.66 billion) in the first half of 1994. Economic restructuring led to a 20.9 percent upsurge in the non-oil sectors of the economy, while a modest increase in oil prices and increased petroleum output led to an overall 8.3 percent increase in oil revenues in 1995. Mahmud Al Jarwani, director of the Muscat Stock Exchange, estimated that Oman's overall increase in GDP will exceed 3 percent, up from less than 2 percent in 1994.

Oman, Israel To Establish Diplomatic Ties:

Omani Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Yusuf bin Alawi bin Abdullah announced on Dec. 26 Oman's decision to establish limited diplomatic relations with Israel. According to statements made in Cairo by the foreign minister, Oman and Israel will exchange trade offices in early 1996, which will allow Israel to establish its first office in any Gulf state. Bin Alawi, reacting to Syrian criticism of Arab states normalizing relations with Israel, argued that the decision to establish diplomatic ties was the sovereign prerogative of individual Arab states regardless of the pace of progress of a comprehensive regional peace settlement.

Oman, Turkey Sign Bilateral Trade Pact:

Oman and Turkey signed a bilateral agreement in December that both countries hope will expand and diversify trade between them. Oman's Minister of Commerce and Industry Maqbool bin Ali bin Sultan, and Turkish First Under-Secretary for External Trade Necet Eren signed the Trade Exchange and Economic, Technical and Scientific Cooperation Agreement in Muscat. Issues covered by the pact are marketing of locally manufactured products in both countries, the exchange of visits by private sector companies and joint trade exhibitions by the two countries. Mr. Eren described the accord as "an historical step in economic and commercial relations between the two countries."

Kuwait

Kuwait, China Sign Joint Oil Deal:

Kuwait Oil Company (KOC) and China Petroleum Engineering and Construction Corporation signed a $391 million contract on Jan. 1 for two Chinese-operated oil gathering facilities in Kuwait. The two facilities, which together comprise one of the largest oil-related construction projects in Kuwait since the 1991 Gulf war, will add an estimated 410,000 barrels per day (bpd) to the country's oil production capabilities that currently stand at 2.5 million bpd. In keeping with the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries' (OPEC) quotas, Kuwait is allowed to export only 2 million bpd. This number is expected to increase to 3 million bpd by 2005 and Kuwaiti and Chinese officials hope the new projects will help Kuwait reach that output level.

Saudi Arabia

Fahd Appoints Crown Prince Abdullah:

A spokesman for Saudi Arabia's King Fahd bin Abdul Aziz announced on Jan. 1 that Crown Prince Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz will assume leadership of the kingdom while the king recuperates from a stroke he suffered in early December. The Saudi monarch, who suffers from diabetes and a heart condition, relinquished his duties to his half-brother on the advice of doctors who prescribed a period of extended rest for the king.

Saudia Pilots Prevent Hijacking:

The pilots of Saudia Flight 427 traveling from Jeddah to Addis Ababa via Asmara successfully prevented a hijacking attempt on Dec. 26. Shortly after taking off from Asmara, an Ethiopian passenger identified as Nabil Mohammad Emin rushed toward the cabin with a knife and broken bottle. The pilots maneuvered the plane sharply, forcing the would-be hijacker off-balance long enough for members of the crew to restrain him. Flight 427 then flew back to Asmara, where Emin was handed over to airport security authorities. The only injury resulting from the attack on board the 183-passenger flight was to a member of the crew who hurt his hand while restraining the attacker.

Qatar

Qatar Signs WTO Agreement:

Qatar signed the "accession protocol" for membership in the World Trade Organization (WTO) on Dec. 14 after 18 months of negotiation with the members of the group's General Council. Kuwait joined the WTO's predecessor, the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), in 1963, but was the only Gulf state member until Bahrain joined the WTO in 1993.

McDonald's to Open in Qatar:

McDonald's Corp. announced in December that it will open restaurants in Qatar as part of the company's plan to expand the number of its restaurants in the Middle East from 70 to 100 in 1996. Since its arrival in the region in 1993, the Illinois-based company also has opened in Bahrain, Egypt, Israel, Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

Israeli Officials Visit Qatar:

A delegation from the Israeli Foreign Ministry's International Cooperation Department visited Qatar from Dec. 22 through 26, the first visit of its kind to a Gulf country. Qatar's Ministry of Agriculture hosted the Israeli delegation during the five-day visit during which officials from both countries exchanged ideas for improving Qatar's agricultural production and analyzed potential areas of mutual cooperation. A report by the Israeli delegation is scheduled to be forwarded to the Qatari government in the near future. Possible cooperative efforts are expected to include participation of Qatari students in agriculture-related courses in Israel and the sending of Israeli advisers to Qatar.

United Arab Emirates

Record Rains Force Evacuations:

Record rainfall throughout the Arabian peninsula flooded roads, forced school closings and led to the evacuation of hundreds of people from their homes in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in December. The worst hit of the countries was the UAE, where rain falling for 11 successive days led to a record-setting accumulation of four inches. UAE President Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan ordered 750 homes damaged or destroyed by the rains to be rebuilt and repaired. On a positive note, UAE officials said that the record rainfall has raised reservoir levels and will boost the country's agricultural production which includes dates, oranges, mangos, bananas and a variety of vegetables.

France Pledges Troops, Arms To Protect UAE:

France pledged to rush 70,000 troops and over 300 aircraft from its rapid reaction force to the defense of the UAE if it is attacked, according to a Dec. 26 statement by French and Arab military sources. The agreement, a follow-up to a January 1995 bilateral defense accord signed in Paris, is the strongest pact yet arranged between the UAE and the Western world. The UAE also has a defense arrangement with the United States and has been working on a similar accord with Britain. The UAE's principal concern is Iran's aggressive rearmament campaign and its occupation and militarization of three UAE-owned islands in the Gulf. Talks between Iran and the UAE concerning the islands broke down again in December. Discussing the breakdowns, UAE Foreign Minister Rashid Abdullah Al Nuaimi told reporters, "When we raise the voice of peace, Iran raises the voice of war and threats."

UAE Curbs Tanker Waste Dumping:

The UAE announced that it will take stronger action against oil tankers polluting its waters with industrial waste and petroleum sludge after a recent increase in these activities. The Federal Environment Committee announced in December that a draft law on the protection of the Emirates' sea, land and air was complete. On Dec. 31, UAE President Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan ratified the law which authorizes fines up to 500,000 dirhams ($136,240) for ships dumping sludge, industrial waste and polluted water.

Yemen

Yemen, Eritrea Battle Over Islands:

Yemen and Eritrea began a series of military exchanges on Dec. 17 over control of the disputed island of Hanish Al Kabir in the Red Sea. Tensions rose between the two countries on Nov. 11 when Eritrea ordered Yemeni civilians to leave Hanish Al Kabir, telling them to "stop work on building a tourist resort." Despite announcements by both countries that the issue would be resolved diplomatically, possibly by the International Court of Justice at The Hague, Eritrean forces deployed to the island on Dec. 15 and a battle ensued with 500 Yemeni troops garrisoned there. Dozens of soldiers reportedly were killed and at least 180 Yemeni soldiers were taken prisoner when Eritrea completed its occupation of the island on Dec. 18. The Arab League offered its support to Yemen, a League member, and condemned what it called "Eritrean military aggression."

FERTILE CRESCENT

Jordan

Jordan Will Receive U.S. F-16s:

U.S. Secretary of Defense William Perry announced in Amman on Jan. 7 that the United States will provide a squadron of used F-16 A/B multi-role attack aircraft to Jordan at no cost as a reward for making peace with Israel. U.S. officials said that the Pentagon plans to lease 12 to 16 of the aircraft to Jordan. The F-16s can be delivered to Jordan quickly under the lease program because, unlike a gift transfer of military hardware, a no-cost lease does not require congressional approval.

Jordan had originally requested 72 F-16s, but U.S. officials said budgetary constraints prevented the transfer of more than the 12 to 16 offered by Secretary Perry. A remaining problem is Jordan's inability to finance any part of the arrangement, which will cost an estimated $100 million for maintenance, spare parts, training and the delivery of the aircraft, and another $60 million annually for operational expenses. The Pentagon reportedly is hoping to include these costs in its fiscal year 1997 budget proposal.

The Israeli government lobbied on Jordan's behalf for the aircraft transfer, initially hoping that the upgrades necessary for the F-16s would be done in Israel. According to a Defense Department official interviewed by Defense News, however, no money is available to upgrade the aircraft now.

Jordan Approves Foreign Ownership Laws:

The Jordanian cabinet approved two laws allowing an increase in foreign ownership and direct entry into its stock market on Dec. 17, according to Jordanian Finance Minister Basel Jardaneh. Jardaneh said the passage of the laws will allow foreign investors to purchase stocks directly in Jordan's financial markets provided that foreign ownership of individual publicly listed companies does not exceed 50 percent. Other aspects of the laws include the elimination of numerous cabinet-level approvals for foreign investment and granting of tax exemptions for investment in less-developed areas of Jordan.

Syria

Arab Ministers Discuss Peace Process:

Foreign ministers from eight Arab countries met in Damascus Dec. 27 through 29 to discuss the Middle East peace process and regional developments. In response to a question about Israeli-Syrian peace talks being held in Washington, D.C., Syrian Foreign Minister Farouk Charaa told reporters that "we are optimistic." The eight foreign ministers gathered for the conference repre-

sented the six countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)—Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates—as well as Syria and Egypt. These countries formed a loose alliance in March 1991, sometimes called "GCC + 2," pledging to incorporate Egyptian and Syrian ground forces into a GCC defense framework called "Peninsula Shield." Since then, the member-states of the so-called "Damascus Declaration" have urged unity on negotiations with Israel. The GCC member-states have pledged to withhold full diplomatic recognition of Israel until it completes a peace agreement with Syria.

IRAN/IRAQ

Iran

Parliament Speaker Calls for Counterintelligence Funds:

Iran's speaker of parliament Ali Akbar Nateq Nuri urged his colleagues in the assembly to approve additional funds for Iran's intelligence ministry to combat the $20 million recently appropriated by the United States to fund covert anti-Iranian activities. Nateq Nuri's request came in response to a U.S. House of Representatives vote in December to include the covert funds, a scaled down version of an earlier proposal which called for the attempted covert overthrow of the Iranian government. The new House proposal also is supported by President Clinton. The speaker said the money would be used to "finance a fight against U.S. political interference in Iran and other countries."

Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Velayati also sent a letter to U.N. Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali demanding a "swift reaction" from the United Nations to the U.S. proposal which he described as a violation of Iran's sovereign rights, calling it "nothing but flagrant support of state terrorism in a clear and official form."

Iran Conducts Naval Exercises:

Iranian warships began four days of training exercises beginning on Dec. 23 with numerous warships and missile-launching vessels taking part. The maneuvers, code-named Raad ("thunder"), were held in Iran's territorial waters near Kharg island in the northern part of the Persian/Arabian Gulf. The commander of the operation, Colonel Parviz Ghosi, told the Iranian News Agency that the first phase of the exercises, which involved launching short- and long-range ground-to-air missiles at mock enemy troops, was successful.

Iran Calls Off Visit To Damascus:

Iran called off a high-level diplomatic visit to Syria three days before it was scheduled to take place in order to demonstrate Iranian opposition to the latest round of Syrian-Israeli peace talks. The Iranian News Agency announced on Dec. 31 that First Vice President Hassan Habibi would not attend the planned Jan. 3 meeting of the joint Syrian-Iranian Supreme Commission and that the trip had not been rescheduled. Scheduled to attend the meeting also had been Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Velayati.

Iraq

Iraq Allows U.S. to Retrieve Pilot's Remains:

Iraqi President Saddam Hussain approved in December a Pentagon plan to search for the remains of Lt. Cmdr. Michael Scott Speicher, a naval aviator whose carrier-based FA-18 crashed in western Iraq on Jan. 16, 1991 during the first night of coalition airstrikes against Iraq. Although the mission was conducted under the auspices of the International Committee of the Red Cross, it represented the first official visit of U.S. military personnel to Iraq since the end of the Gulf war. Speicher was the only downed American pilot whose remains had not been recovered.

Missile Equipment Found:

United Nations investigators announced on Dec. 21 that they had dredged recently imported advanced missile guidance equipment from the Tigris River in Iraq, citing it as another in a series of discoveries that Iraq is continuing to work on a clandestine ballistic missile program. Members of the U.N. Special Commission charged with dismantling Iraq's unconventional weapons programs and their associated delivery systems announced that they had retrieved Russian-made gyroscopes used for guiding tactical ballistic missiles with ranges up to 3,000 kilometers. The gyroscopes were similar to those intercepted last November in Amman where they were awaiting customs clearance en route to Iraq.

Other materials that have been confiscated include high-tech machine tools used in the fabrication of missile components and substances which could be used to produce chemical weapons. U.S. officials maintain that the missile equipment bears Russian identification and said they are consulting with Moscow to ascertain whether their export was sanctioned by Russia or was the result of black marketeering. The head of the U.N. Special Commission, Rolf Ekeus, told members of the U.N. Security Council that "there is evidence this acquisition is for long-range missiles and thus further indicates continued activities in Iraq in the area of proscribed missiles."

ISRAEL/PALESTINE

Israel

Extremist Arrested In Plot to Blow Up Al Aqsa:

Israeli authorities arrested a right-wing Jewish extremist in Jerusalem's Old City on Dec. 30, later discovering his plans to blow up the Al Aqsa mosque. Eyal Keinan attacked a policeman with a knife when he was arrested after police found him in the Old City in defiance of a court order banning him from the area. After his arrest police learned that Keinan planned to attack the Al Aqsa mosque with a rocket-propelled grenade. Keinan was not charged in the planned attack but again was forbidden from entering Jerusalem's Old City.

U.N. Compensates Israel for Iraqi Scud Attacks:

The United Nations has paid $307,500 to 93 Israelis as compensation for Scud missile attacks launched by Iraq during the 1991 Gulf war. Eti Eshed, spokeswoman for Israel's Justice Ministry, said that the payment covered both damage to property and physical injuries.

Former Shin Bet Chief Admits Ordering Executions:

A former chief of Shin Bet, Israel's domestic security agency, admitted on tape to ordering the execution of two Palestinians arrested in 1984 for hijacking a bus, according to a book recently published in Israel. The author of the book, Yehiel Gutman, told Israeli television that former Shin Bet chief Abraham Shalom admitted on tape to ordering the executions, which resolved years of speculation concerning the attack. Initial Israeli army reports said the Palestinian hijackers were killed when Israeli commandoes freed the hostages, but photos published the day after the attack showed the Palestinians being led away from the bus by Israeli security forces. Shalom and other senior Shin Bet officials were forced to resign. Despite the recent revelation from Gutman, no one has been charged with the executions of the two hijackers.

Knesset Offers Bill to Legalize "Home" Prostitution:

Israel's Knesset introduced a bill in December that legalizes male and female prostitution as long as it is conducted in private apartments. MK Avraham Poraz, a member of the dovish Meretz party, initiated the bill that bans prostitution in public places, but legalizes it in private settings provided that it is not "a nuisance to neighbors."

King Hussein Visits Israel:

Jordan's King Hussein attended a Jan. 10 ceremony at Tel Aviv's Ichilov hospital to rename the trauma center after the late Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, marking the king's first official visit to Israel. "I know how deeply the prime minister respected you. Your father was the first leader who sought peace with Israel and you are continuing this tradition which has been passed down in your family," Israeli Prime Minister Shimon Peres said.

Hussein told the audience that "We have walked a long way together. We must continue to implement peace for a future...of peace, justice and the pride of people who have become one family." Leah Rabin, wife of slain Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, thanked Hussein for his participation in the naming ceremony and emphasized the respect her husband had for the Jordanian monarch.

Angry Crowd Disrupts Wedding of Yigal Amir's Sister:

A fight erupted at the Tel Aviv wedding of the sister of Yigal Amir, confessed assassin of Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, between invited guests and demonstrators who arrived with banners saying "The country is crying and the Amir family celebrates." Media members were among the injured when the demonstrators were attacked. Israeli undercover police were unable to halt the fight, which eventually was broken up by uniformed police.

Palestine

New Islamic Party Supports Peace Process:

A group of former members of the Palestinian Islamic organization Hamas announced on Jan. 15 the creation of a new Islamist political party in Gaza called the "Islamic National Union." The founders of the new party said that they left Hamas because of its unwillingness to accept the peace process as a "fait accompli" that cannot be ignored. They also expressed their opposition to terrorism and violence and promised to support peaceful coexistence with Israel.

Settlement Journal Editor Suggests Dialogue With PNA:

Uri Elitzur, editor of the settlement journal Nekuda, created a controversy among Jewish settlers when he advocated talking with the Palestinian National Authority in a December issue of the journal. Elitzur wrote: "The reality has changed...now the question is not whether it is good or bad, but how to live with [it]." He added that "we have 1,000 things to arrange with our new neighbors, and I suggest we start talking about them now." The settlement council, comprising leaders from Jewish settlements in Gaza and the West Bank, promptly responded with a statement saying that it is opposed to any dialogue with what it called a "terror organization calling for the transfer of Jews." In its statement, the council maintained that "a dialogue of the type Elitzur suggests ignores the Oslo accords, [which will result in] parts of the homeland [being] turned over to foreigners."

Donors Allocate $1.365 Billion for Palestinian Authority:

Countries donating to the Palestinian National Authority announced on Jan. 8 a total of $1.365 billion for the upcoming year during a meeting in Paris among donors, Israel, and the PNA. After a disagreement between Yasser Arafat and Israeli Foreign Minster Ehud Barak con-
cerning a disputed clause regarding Israel's latitude in protecting its citizens, the parties signed the agreement.

Palestinian Police Rescue IDF Soldier in Ramallah:

An armed Israel Defense Force reserve soldier was rescued in January by Palestinian police after he wandered from his West Bank army base into the center of the West Bank town of Ramallah. As Palestinian youths surrounded his car, a resident called Palestinian authorities, who arrived minutes later to escort the soldier to the joint Israeli-Palestinian liaison office. Israeli security authorities praised the Palestinian police for their rapid response and professionalism during the incident.

THE NILE VALLEY

Egypt

Mubarak Names New Prime Minister:

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak named Kamal Ganzouri as Egypt's new prime minister on Jan. 2, after accepting the resignation of Atef Sedki who had held the post since 1986, longer than any prime minister in the country's history. Ganzouri, a 62-year-old economist, was deputy prime minister prior to Sedki's resignation. Ganzouri's appointment was viewed as a response by the Egyptian government to its staggering economic problems. The move was foreshadowed by Mubarak in a Dec. 16 speech before parliament when he promised a "big leap" forward for Egypt's faltering economy. In announcing the appointment, Mubarak told reporters in Cairo that "the government changes, but its goals don't."

75 Killed in Train Accident:

Seventy-five people were killed and 150 injured when two passenger trains collided Dec. 21 in Badrshein, 30 kilometers south of Cairo. According to Egypt's Interior Ministry, one train traveling to Beni Sueif 125 kilometers south of Cairo collided with another also traveling south on its way to Aswan. Investigators cited the first train's slow speed resulting from dense fog as the cause of the collision. Nine days later two more people were killed and eight injured in a similar accident when a northbound train from Al Minya rear-ended another train on its way to Cairo. Following the second accident, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak issued a presidential decree calling for the removal from his post of Abdel Salam Shaath, the head of Egypt's railway authority.

Sudan

Southerners Want More Political Power:

Politicians from southern Sudan called on the Sudanese parliament to reserve the position of first vice president, the second highest position in the government, for a resident of the mostly animist and Christian southern region of the country. The position currently is occupied by Major General Al Zubair Muhammad Salih, who is from the mainly Muslim and Arab northern part of the country. Regional tensions based on ethnic and religious differences have fueled a civil war in Sudan for the past decade, and politicians from the south hope that a decision by parliament to reserve the position of first vice president for a southerner will alleviate some of these tensions.

NORTH AFRICA

Algeria

Algeria, BP Sign $3.5 Billion Gas Agreement:

British Petroleum and Algeria's state-owned oil and gas company, Sonatrach, signed a $3.5 billion agreement on Dec. 22 to search for and produce natural gas in the Sahara desert. The agreement calls for the joint development of gas fields in the In-Salah region of Algeria, 1,200 kilometers south of Algiers. If the exploration phase produces sufficient reserves, the gas will be shipped via pipeline to northern Algeria for export to Europe. The deal requires the agreement of the European Union as well as ratification by Algerian authorities, but both parties were optimistic about the like-

lihood of approval. John Brown, chief executive officer for BP, called the deal a "landmark agreement" that could boost his company's worldwide gas production by 30 percent.

Libya

Qaddafi Meets Nation of Islam Delegation:

Libyan president Muammar Qaddafi met in December with representatives from Louis Farrakhan's Nation of Islam who were visiting Libya to enlist support for the American-based organization. According to Libyan television, the delegation was in Libya to "coordinate the action program which was launched by the march of two million Blacks, which shook the American capital last October."

Libya Gives Britain IRA Weapons Details:

Libya provided Britain with extensive details about its 20 years of financial and military support for the Irish Republican Army, according to a December report appearing in London's Sunday Times. According to British security sources, Libya provided weapons, money, explosives and paramilitary training to the IRA to aid its campaign against British rule in Northern Ireland. Estimates suggest that approximately one-half of the weapons were used or recovered by British security forces but the remainder, which experts suggest could last the IRA up to 15 years, is thought to be stored in underground bunkers for possible later use. Weapons exports from Libya to Northern Ireland peaked between 1985 and 1987. During that three-year period, Libyan officials estimate that they provided 130,000 tons of weapons to the IRA.

Morocco

Islamist Leader's House Arrest Lifted:

The Moroccan government announced on Dec. 14 that Sheikh Abdassalam Yassine, Morocco's most famous Islamist and critic of the regime, was no longer under house arrest. Sheikh Yassine is the leader of the al-Adl wa al-Ihsane (Justice and Charity) organization, Morocco's most influential Islamist movement. He was arrested and jailed for two years in 1984 for criticizing the policies of King Hassan II in a 114-page open letter, saying among other things that the Moroccan government was "not observing Islamic precepts and [was] copying Western values." Although the house arrest order was lifted, Sheikh Yassine remains under close governmental supervision and is forbidden from speaking to the press.

Tunisia

Tunisia Opens Interest Office in Israel:

The Tunisian government planned to announce establishment of low-level diplomatic ties with Israel during U.S. Vice President Al Gore's January visit to Tunisia. According to the agreement, Tunisia and Israel will open interest offices within the Belgian embassies in each of the two countries. Details of the diplomatic exchange were to be arranged in Washington during a planned January meeting of the two countries' foreign ministers.

SUBCONTINENT

Afghanistan

Government "Regrets" Expulsion of Diplomat:

The Afghan government expressed regret over the Dec. 24 expulsion of its ambassador to Pakistan following a massive car bomb explosion in the Pakistani city of Peshawar which Pakistani officials said was linked to Afghanistan. Pakistan declared Afghan Consul General Musa Khan persona non grata and gave him 48 hours to leave the country after security officials charged he was involved in "activities incompatible with his status." This was the third such expulsion since a mob attacked the Pakistani embassy in Kabul last September, beating diplomats and staff and ransacking the building.

Pakistan

Report Says 2,052 Dead in 1995 Karachi Confrontations:

A report compiled from police records in Pakistan's largest city of Karachi shows that 2,052 people died violently in 1995, including 121 terrorists and 221 members of the city's security forces. Karachi has witnessed a decade of violent confrontation between successive governments and the ethnic Mohajir Qaumi Movement (MQM) and 1995 was the worst year yet. Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto's government launched a major police offensive last June after a 29-month-long military action against what the government called "MQM terrorists." Despite efforts in Karachi to curtail the violence, especially between security officials and the MQM, it has increased dramatically and remains on the rise.

Blast Kills 60 In Peshawar:

Pakistani police offered one million rupees ($29,000) on Dec. 22 for information leading to the arrest of those responsible for a December car bomb explosion that left 60 dead and over 200 wounded in the northwestern city of Peshawar. Pakistani government officials publicly blamed Afghanistan for the attack, expelling its senior diplomat shortly after the explosion.

Dozens of suspects were arrested in the days following the attack, including several members of non-governmental organizations operating in the city. Initial speculation about the source of the attack focused on supporters of Afghanistan's embattled President Burhanuddin Rabbani who accuses Pakistan of supporting the Taleban militia besieging Kabul, and Egyptian militants who allegedly threatened to make Pakistan "pay a heavy price" if it continued to extradite Egyptian militants. U.S. bomb experts reportedly assisted Pakistan's investigation.

U.S. Arrests Suspected Drug Lord:

U.S. security officials arrested Ayub Afridi, allegedly one of the most powerful drug traffickers in the world, after he voluntarily arrived in Dubai to face trial in the United States. The U.S. had been trying to extradite Afridi but was unable to ascertain his location prior to his decision to confront U.S. officials in December. Afridi argues that he made his fortune, which includes an enormous fortress home in the Khyber Pass, by selling tires and tableware. He told U.S. officials that "if any government has any real proof I am ready to face that."

Pakistan Receives $350 Million For Hydro Plant:

The World Bank announced on Dec. 20 that it had approved a $350 million loan to help finance Pakistan's $2.25 billion Ghazi Barotha hydroelectric power plant. Bank officials who announced the decision described the project as "environmentally sustainable and economically highly attractive." The remainder of the project will be financed by Japan ($350 million), Germany ($150 million), the Asian Development Bank ($300 million), the European Development Bank ($60 million), the Islamic Development Bank ($40 million) and Pakistan's state-owned Water and Power Development Authority ($1 billion). When complete, the Ghazi Barotha power facility, located on the Indus River in northwest Pakistan, will add an average 6.6 billion kilowatt hours of energy to the national grid annually.

THE UNITED STATES

U.N. Calls for Complete Israeli Withdrawal:

The United Nations General Assembly voted overwhelmingly on Dec. 15 in favor of self-determination for the Palestinian people and for Israel to withdraw from all of the territories it has occupied since the end of the 1967 war. The General Assembly passed the resolution 143-3-3, with only Israel, the United States and Micronesia voting against and Russia, Costa Rica and the Marshall Islands abstaining. The General Assembly and U.N. Security Council repeatedly have called for the end of Israeli occupation in Gaza, the Sinai peninsula, the West Bank and the Golan Heights, but the United States has used its veto power more than 70 times to protect Israel from Security Council censure.

Peru Outraged At U.S.-Sanctioned Sale of Israeli Warplane:

Peruvian authorities expressed disappointment and anger over Washington's decision to authorize the sale of four Israeli-made Kfir warplanes to Ecuador after the United States brokered a peace pact between the two countries following weeks of border clashes in January and February of 1995. Peru's President Alberto Fujimori recalled his envoy to the United States "because of the importance of the situation and in order to evaluate in detail its possible consequences." Israel had to seek approval from the United States for the sale of the Kfir aircraft because they are built with U.S.-made engines.

RAND To Release Nuclear Weapons Study:

The Santa Monica-based RAND Corporation, a U.S. government-sponsored research organization, is scheduled to release an in-depth study of nuclear proliferation in countries which do not openly acknowledge their nuclear weapons programs or which actively attempt to conceal them. The report, authored by RAND physicist Brian Chow, uses physics to determine how much fissile material these countries could have at their disposal to use in nuclear weapons. Topping the list with an estimated 350 kilograms of weapons-grade fissile material is Israel, an estimate that Leonard Spector, senior associate at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, says is on "the low end."

The report also examines the potential capabilities of Iraq, Iran, Syria, Algeria and Libya. According to Chow, none of these countries currently possess the ability to produce the materials necessary for constructing a nuclear weapon, but he added that Iran's "enthusiasm for nuclear power" leads him to assume "there is something going on."

Israeli Astronaut Will Train With NASA:

U.S. President Bill Clinton announced in January that an Israeli astronaut will begin training at a NASA base in Houston, Texas for participation in an upcoming Space Shuttle mission as part of a plan to increase U.S.-Israeli cooperation in space exploration and research. U.S.-Israeli space cooperation created serious international controversy in February 1994, when the United States decided to allow Israel to export its space-launch technology to the United States. Israel's space-launch vehicle, the Shavit rocket, is a modified three-stage rocket nearly identical to Israel's two-stage Jericho-II ballistic missile. Critics of the Clinton decision argued that the United States is undermining its role in the Missile Technology Control Regime and encouraging Israel's ballistic missile proliferation.