Washington Report on Middle East Affairs, May/June 1998, Pages 38-42

Issues in the News

Compiled by Shawn L. Twing

Arabian Peninsula

Gulf Economy Growing in 1998:

The economies of the six Gulf Cooperation Council countries—Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates—are expected to expand again in 1998, despite the sharp decline in oil prices worldwide, Gulf economists announced in March. “The economies of the Gulf Cooperation Council will slow down sharply this year because of lower oil prices, but I don’t think there will be a contraction,” Saudi economist Ihsan Abu Huleika told reporters in Abu Dhabi. “There will be a decline in the oil sector but it should be noted that this sector contributed only a third of the gross domestic product” for the region, he continued.

In 1996 and 1997, the gross domestic product of GCC states increased 5 to 15 percent annually, primarily because of a rise in crude oil prices.

GCC to Form Information Network:

The secretaries general of the Gulf Cooperation Council national assemblies and shura (consultative) councils agreed in March to establish a GCC-wide information network, the English-language daily Saudi Gazette reported March 20. The GCC ministers concluded the agreement following three days of meetings in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Details on the regional computer network remain to be worked out, including the type and volume of information that will be shared.

Bahrain OKs Extension of U.S. Air Force Mission:

Bahrain agreed March 23 to a 60-day extension for a U.S. Air Expeditionary Force (AEF) based there since November 1997, Jane’s Defence Weekly reported in April. The air wing, which included F-16s, KC-135 refueling aircraft and B-1B bombers from Mountain Home Air Base, Idaho, was deployed to Bahrain last year following increased tensions with Iraq. In a first-ever change in U.S. strategy, they will be replaced with another Air Expeditionary Force that includes F-15Es capable of carrying 5,000-lb. “bunker busting” bombs that could be used against hardened Iraqi targets. The rotation, particularly its inclusion of F-15s, “clearly signals the U.S. intention to maintain its current force levels in the Gulf,” according to Jane’s.

Kuwait to Split Artillery Purchase:

Kuwait will split its purchase of artillery pieces between Chinese and U.S. suppliers “to reap maximum political benefit,” Defense News reported in April. A team of U.S. governmental and industry representatives will arrive in Kuwait in April to sign an estimated $500 million contract for two battalions of M109A Paladin 155mm self-propelled artillery pieces. Kuwait earlier had awarded a $186.5 million contract for 27 Chinese PLZ-45 artillery pieces. Following the Gulf war, Kuwait has awarded defense contracts to each of the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council—Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States—in thanks for their help and support in liberating Kuwait from Iraqi invaders. China was the last of the five members to receive a contract.

Oman Will Produce Oil 50 More Years:

Oman has at least 50 more years of oil left, according to a high-ranking official interviewed by the official Oman News Agency. “I am convinced that we will still be producing oil in 50 years,” Oil Minister Muhammad bin Hamad Al-Romhi told ONA March 21. Oman, which is not a member of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, is thought to have the least oil left of any of the six Gulf Cooperation Council members.

Qatar Dissolves Information Ministry:

In a move intended to improve press freedom, Qatar dissolved its Information Ministry March 30, handing over its activities to other ministries, Reuters news service reported. Qatar’s emir, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, issued a decree transferring the department of foreign publicity and publication, and the official Qatar News Agency, to the Foreign Ministry. A new body will be set up by Qatar’s cabinet with responsibility for culture, the arts, and heritage, which previously had been supervised by the Information Ministry. The fate of the foreign press censorship department has not yet been determined. The Information Ministry “was the last vestige of restriction on the press,” an unnamed editor told Reuters. “The emir deserves our praise for dismantling it.”

Qatar Says Ties With Israel Frozen:

“The [Middle East] peace process is currently deadlocked because of Israel, and this has pushed [Qatar] to adopt a stand which is in keeping with that of Israel,” Qatar’s Foreign Minister, Sheikh Hamad bin Jassem bin Jabr Al Thani told the Qatar News Agency March 22.“We have frozen all relations with Israel over the last year because we have felt that the Israeli government is playing for time,” the foreign minister continued. Following the September 1993 signing of the Declaration of Principles on the White House lawn, Qatar and Oman both established low-level commercial ties with Israel.

Qatar Calls for Better U.S.-Iran Ties:

Qatar wants the United States and Iran to improve their relationship, Qatar’s Foreign Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassem bin Jabr Al Thani told U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright during an April visit to Washington, DC. Albright, who said that the United States continues to be “intrigued by” recent statements made by Iranian President Mohammed Khatami, said that the U.S. is waiting for definitive changes in Iran’s opposition to the Arab-Israeli peace process, its sponsorship of international terrorism, and its alleged proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. In response to a question about Iran’s opposition to the peace process, Sheikh Hamad told reporters that Qatar envisions “some changes” in Iran’s attitude on that subject. In the recent past Iranian officials have indicated that the peace process “belongs to the people of Palestine and the neighborhood with Israel,” he said.

Mirage Fighters Arrive in Qatar:

Qatar took delivery April 1 of three Mirage 2000-5 advanced combat aircraft, part of a 12-aircraft order from France, the English-language daily Kuwait Times reported. This was the second batch of Mirages delivered, with the first three arriving in December 1997.

Khobar Towers Investigation Ends:

Saudi officials announced in March that their investigation into the June 1996 bombing of the Khobar Towers complex that killed 19 U.S. Air Force personnel is complete, the English-language daily Arab News reported March 30. Speaking to the press after touring the holy sites in Mecca, Interior Minister Prince Naif bin Abdel Aziz said that “all of the facts about this crime are now in our hands.” Prince Naif also reiterated Saudi Arabia’s extradition request to the United States for Saudi national Hani Al-Sayegh, who allegedly played a role in the bombing.

Thirteenth Jenadriyah Festival Held in Saudi Arabia:

The Thirteenth National Culture and Heritage Festival was held in March, drawing hundreds of thousands of visitors from across Saudi Arabia and the Arab world. The two-week festival, which celebrates Saudi Arabia’s rich and diverse cultural heritage, included poetry reading, crafts from Saudi artisans, displays featuring the technological advances of Saudi society, as well as traditional camel and Arabian horse races. For the first time since its inception, this year’s festival was broadcast in its entirety by 30 television stations throughout Saudi Arabia and the rest of the Arab world.

Millions Gather for Hajj:

Some 2.3 million Muslims from around the world gathered in Mecca and Medina in Saudi Arabia in March and April to perform hajj, one of the five pillars of the Islamic faith. This year’s pilgrimage, thought to be the largest in history, was marred by the deaths of more than 100 hajjis who were killed when a pedestrian bridge collapsed. Prior to that tragedy, Saudi and international officials said that this was one of the smoothest-running pilgrimages in history. Saudi Arabia spends billions of dollars annually for food and other provisions for the millions who attend hajj, and the Kingdom also pays the travel expenses for thousands of Muslims who could not otherwise attend for financial reasons.

First Theme Park to Open in Gulf:

Officials from the UAE emirate of Dubai announced the planned inauguration in 2001 of “Magic World,” the Middle East’s first major theme park, Agence France Presse reported. The 300-acre, $600 million park “will rival the best parks in Europe and North America,” said an official from Dubai’s Civil Aviation Department. Some 118 companies from the Middle East, Europe and the United States attended an exhibition in Dubai in March prior to bidding for 80 contracts associated with the park. UAE officials estimate that the “Magic World” will attract as many as 2.5 million visitors its first year of operation, further helping the UAE reduce its reliance on petroleum and related forms of revenue.

UAE Holds Tridex ’98:

The United Arab Emirates hosted more than 200 international defense companies from 20 countries for a five-day arms exhibit that opened March 15. The Triple Defense Exhibit—Tridex—focused on electronic warfare and communications equipment, with exhibitors displaying medical, training and simulation hardware as well. Tridex rotates every two years with IDEX—International Defense Exhibit—which is a full-scale arms show that includes live-fire demonstrations of military hardware.

Fertile Crescent

Bomb Explodes at American School:

A bomb exploded at the entrance to an American school in Amman March 28, shattering windows but not causing any injuries, the Associated Press reported. A senior Jordanian official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, described the bomb as primitive and dismissed the attack as “propaganda...to cause trouble for American interests” in Jordan. The bomb exploded in front of the American Modern School, an English-language private school attended mostly by Jordanian children who have lived abroad.

Hussein Donates to Rabin Center:

Jordan’s King Hussein and his wife Queen Noor donated $50,000 to the Yitzhak Rabin Peace Center in Tel Aviv in honor of the 70th birthday of Leah Rabin, widow of the late Israeli prime minister assassinated by Jewish extremist Yigal Amir. Some 500 people attended a birthday celebration for Leah Rabin in April. U.S. President Bill Clinton, First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton, and Palestinian President Yasser Arafat were among those who sent best wishes, Agence France Press reported.

Lebanese President Calls for Boycott of Israel:

During a visit to the United Arab Emirates, Lebanese President Elias Hrawi called April 1 for an Arab summit to coordinate an overall economic boycott of Israel. “We don’t want any Arab state to deal with Israel so long as there are occupied Arab lands and the rights of the Palestinian people are not achieved,” he said. “I hope that an Arab summit would be held and there would be a collective commitment not to deal with Israel before all Arab lands are liberated,” Hrawi continued. Lebanon and Syria are the only two countries bordering Israel that have not signed peace agreements with the Jewish state.

Syria Says Clinton Signed Document on Israeli Withdrawal:

U.S. President Bill Clinton signed a document containing an agreement by Israel’s previous Labor government to return to June 4, 1967 lines in exchange for peace with Syria, Syria’s Defense Minister Mustapha Tlass said in an April interview with the London-based Arabic newspaper Al-Quds Al-Arabi. The document has been kept by President Assad, according to Tlass, but “I don’t know when President Assad will make [the document] public,” he said.

Kurdish Leader Surrenders:

Top Kurdish guerrilla commander Semdin Sakik surrendered to an Iraqi Kurdish group allied with Turkish troops, Turkey’s Hurriyet newspaper reported in March. Sakik, known by his nom de guerre “fingerless Zeki,” is a legendary guerrilla leader who has evaded Turkish forces for years. Operating from the mountains of southeast Turkey, Sakik was second-in-command of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK). His motives for defecting remain unclear.

Turkey Rejects PKK Peace Offer:

Turkish military officials rejected an April peace proposal from the separatist Kurdistan Workers Party that would have ended a 14-year insurgency that has claimed some 29,000 Turkish lives. The trade weekly Defense News reported in April that PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan made the surprise proposal, but that it was rejected by Turkish officials who insist they are close to destroying the PKK. A senior Turkish military official told Defense News that “the PKK...is coming to the end of its road [and] is trying new tactics due to its military weakness.” The unnamed official added that “We will vigorously continue military operations to put an end to the group’s subversive, terrorist activities.” Ocalan, who earlier said that “both sides will benefit from a cease-fire,” reacted harshly to Turkey’s refusal. “If [the army] thinks we are weakened, they will bear the responsibility for what will happen. If another 5,000 to 10,000 people die, we will not be responsible for that,” he said.

Iran/Iraq

Iran Says U.S. OKs Official in Tehran:

Iran is examining a U.S. proposal to base an American representative in the Swiss Embassy in Tehran, an Iranian official told Iran’s Khabar newspaper March 29. “A proposal has been sent to the Iranian government in writing regarding the setting up of an American office at the Swiss Embassy, which is being examined now,” Iran’s Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance Ayatollah Mohajerani said.

Mohajerani also praised the Clinton administration for its recent actions toward Iran, particularly President Clinton’s greeting to the Iranian people on Iran’s New Year’s day. “Relations with the United States will be relaxed at the time when the thick wall of mistrust is cracked through confidence-building measures,” Mohajerani said.

The New York Times also reported that a U.S. Information Agency official might be sent to Tehran by the Clinton administration. U.S. officials later denied both reports.

U.S. Eases Travel Warning for Iran:

The United States eased its travel warning for Iran in April, following a State Department review of the perceived danger to Americans traveling there. The new directive urges Americans to defer travel to Iran, a subtle change from the previous warning against travel to the Islamic Republic. An unnamed U.S. official told Reuters news service that the change is “significant” because it recognizes that only certain elements of Iran’s government and society are hostile to the United States. Previously, little or no distinction was made.

Hollywood Returns to Iran:

During the two week New Year holiday that began March 21, American movies were shown in Iran for the first time since the 1979 revolution, news agencies reported in April. Blockbusters including Steven Spielberg’s E.T. and action-thriller Robocop were among those shown on Iranian television as part of a government-led effort to decrease trafficking in illegal videotapes and reduce viewing of cable broadcasts on illegal satellite dishes that have sprouted up all over Tehran and elsewhere. Accompanying the American movies were locally produced propaganda films.

Iran, Iraq Free Thousands of POWs:

Iran and Iraq released thousands of prisoners of war in March and April following agreements made by both countries to repatriate all POWs remaining in captivity. The series of prisoner exchanges over several days is thought to have included as many as 6,000 prisoners, the largest exchange since Iran released 39,000 Iraqis between 1988 and 1990.

Tehran Lifts Ban on Visiting Iraqi Holy Sites:

Iranian officials announced in April that the ban on travel to Iraqi holy sites will be lifted shortly in compliance with United Nations Security Council regulations governing travel to Iraq, the official Iran News Agency reported. In September, Iraq lifted a 17-year ban on Iranian pilgrimages to Iraqi holy sites. “In line with an agreement between the two countries, Iranians can go to Iraq within organized tours,” Iran’s Foreign Minister Kamal Kharazi told IRNA. He also said that preference will be given to the families of those killed during the 1979 Islamic revolution and the 1980-1988 Iran-Iraq war.

U.N. Report Criticizes Iranian Human Rights Violations:

A U.N. report on Iran released April 8 criticized the Islamic Republic for widespread violations of human rights, but noted that some progress regarding human rights had been made, Agence France Presse reported. According to the U.N. report written by Canadian Maurice Copithorne of the Human Rights Commission of the Economic and Social Affairs division of the U.N., “Human rights do continue to be violated in Iran,” including “the use of cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.” The U.N. report also condemned the widespread stoning to death of prisoners and the ongoing religious fatwa against Satanic Verses author Salman Rushdie.

On a positive note, the report noted that there has been an “incontestable” improvement in human rights since the election of Mohammed Khatami, saying that the Iranian president is “anxious to adopt a more liberal attitude with regard to dissidents.” Some believe that progress on human rights issues “will, in time, be both substantiated and broadly based,” the report read.

Israeli Rabbi Given Iran Travel OK:

Israeli Rabbi Menahem Froman received permission from Iranian authorities in March to travel to Iran with a rabbinical delegation, Israel’s Jerusalem Post reported in March. Froman, who received permission from an unnamed third country acting as an intermediary, hopes to set up meetings with Iranian clergymen to start an interreligious dialogue, the Post reported.

Iraq Executed 1,500 Political Prisoners in 1997:

The government of Saddam Hussain executed some 1,500 people in 1997, the overwhelming majority of whom were political prisoners, according to a report prepared for the United Nations by former Dutch Foreign Minister Max van der Stoel. “I am sad to report that there has been no meaningful improvement in the situation of human rights in Iraq in the last year,” Van der Stoel told the 53-member U.N. Commission on Human Rights meeting for six weeks in Geneva. The Iraqi delegation at the U.N. criticized Van der Stoel, saying his report was a “mere repetition of the same allegations and false accusations.” Van der Stoel, who since 1991 has been the U.N. special reporter on human rights in Iraq, blamed most of the deaths on a “prison cleansing campaign” in November and December ordered by Saddam’s son Qusay.

Iraqi Anthrax Alert in Britain:

British sea and airports were put on alert in March after intelligence agencies warned that Iraq might try to bring anthrax into the United Kingdom, Reuters reported. The British government later confirmed that such intelligence warnings had been issued, but added that authorities “do not believe that anthrax has been brought into Britain.” Home Office Minister Mike O’Brian told the BBC that there’s no imminent or specific threat to Britain,” adding that a number of countries had received similar intelligence warnings. The Sun newspaper of London printed a five-page story charging that Iraq hoped to smuggle anthrax into Britain and other “hostile countries”—including the United States—in duty-free perfume and liquor bottles. According to The Sun, the anthrax would then be released if Britain and its allies attacked Iraq.

No Evidence of Iraqi Nuclear Weapons:

U.N. nuclear weapons inspectors announced April 14 that in-depth inspections of Iraqi facilities, including the recently opened presidential areas, showed no signs that Iraq possesses prohibited nuclear weapons or related materials, The Washington Post reported. The findings of the Geneva-based International Atomic Energy Agency were based on 211 inspections, most of them unannounced, at 93 locations from Oct. 1, 1997 through April 3, 1998. Security Council members France, Egypt and Russia said that in light of the IAEA findings the so-called “nuclear file” on Iraq should be closed. The United States opposes the idea, saying that the IAEA still cannot say definitively that Iraq does not have a clandestine nuclear weapons program and that nuclear weapons are only one part of the banned weapons of mass destruction.

Israel/Palestine

Israel Denies Aircraft Were Spying for Turkey:

Israel denied that it was spying on Cyprus for Turkey, but acknowledged that six Israeli F-16s did violate international agreements when they flew near the disputed island nation April 10, Defense News reported. Israeli officials also denied that the aircraft were photographing suspected deployment sites for Russian-made S-300 anti-aircraft missiles purchased by Cyprus last year but not yet delivered. Turkey repeatedly has threatened to prevent deployment of the sophisticated S-300, which is a direct challenge to Turkish air superiority.

Israeli Officers Killed in Crash:

Two Israeli officers were killed in March when their U.S.-made Cobra attack helicopter broke apart and crashed into the Mediterranean during a routine training mission. One of the victims was Brig. Gen. Shmuel Eldar, commander of the Israeli Air Force base at Palmahim, who is “the most senior IAF pilot ever killed in training or in operation,” according to the Jerusalem Post. Following the crash, the second fatal air accident in Israel in as many weeks, Air Force commander Maj. Gen. Eitan Ben-Eliyahu grounded the IAF’s entire Cobra fleet.

Israel Expands Jordan Valley Settlements:

Israel has expropriated large areas of Palestinian land recently to expand Jewish settlements in the Jordan Valley, an Israeli official said in April. “We have enlarged our settlements and our planting areas by several hundred hectares in the past few months,” Jordan Valley Settler Council leader David Levy said. Days earlier Israeli Infrastructure Minister Ariel Sharon visited settlements in the Jordan Valley and promised the Netanyahu government’s support for expanding those settlements. Sharon also reaffirmed the Likud government’s intention to keep control over all settlements in the Jordan Valley, Agence France Presse reported, as an eastern “security border” with the Palestinians.

Israeli Peace Groups Urge U.S., EU to Act:

Nine Israeli peace groups issued joint appeals April 8 to the United States and the European Union to take “firm action” to save the failing peace process from the rejectionist policies of Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu. “Mr. Netanyahu calls for allowing the two parties to settle the problem by themselves, but this really means allowing the stronger of the two to force its own solution on the weaker,” the statement read. The letter, sent to U.S. President Bill Clinton and British Prime Minister Tony Blair, who currently presides over the European Union, read, in part: “only firm action by the United States, the Europeans and the United Nations can lead to a just solution” to the Israeli-Palestinian dispute. Among the signatories were Peace Now, Bat Shalom, and A Whole Generation for Peace founded by Yuval Rabin, son of slain Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin.

Israel Bars Dozens of Palestinians from Performing Hajj:

Israeli authorities prevented more than 30 Palestinian Muslims from performing hajj—one of the five pillars of the Islamic faith required of all Muslims who are able—the Saudi English-language daily Arab News reported March 24. Palestinian Authority Deputy Minister of Waqf and Islamic Affairs Youssef Juma’a Salameh said that 31 Gazans were not allowed to leave for Saudi Arabia, with an unspecified number prevented from leaving from the West Bank. “This is a blatant transgression against the very religion of Islam,” he said. An Israeli spokesman admitted that “an unspecified number of Palestinians have not been allowed to leave for security reasons.” Some 10,000 Palestinians from the West Bank and Gaza were allowed to perform hajj this year.

One in Five Palestinians Lives Below Poverty Line:

According to a study carried out by the Palestinian Economics and Trade Ministry with assistance from the World Bank, “19.1 percent of the 2.5 million Palestinian population lives under the poverty line, which means they get the equivalent of $650 annually, or $2 per day.” Citing Israeli closures of the West Bank and Gaza as the primary reason for the dire economic situation in the Palestinian-administered areas, the study pointed out that some 116,000 Palestinians worked in Israel in 1993 (prior to the signing of the Oslo accords), while only 28,000 were allowed to work in Israel in 1997. The study also said that unemployment in the West Bank and Gaza—the highest in the world, according to the World Bank—has almost doubled since 1993 to 28.4 percent in 1997.

Israel Killed 45 Children in 1996-1997:

Some 45 children were killed and another 585 injured by Israeli soldiers in 1996 and 1997, the Palestine branch of Children Defense International announced in March. CDI attorney Khaled Kazmar told the English-language Palestinian daily Jerusalem Times that the numbers probably are not final. “There are many injuries that have not yet been documented, either because the victims were not taken to a hospital or because no party kept track of the incidents,” he said. Kazmar also told the Times that he believes hurting children is an intentional Israeli policy. “The aim is to leave the children emotionally scarred, sometimes for life,” he said, adding that such activities are a clear violation of international law.

Hebron Wins UNESCO Prize:

The West Bank city of Hebron was awarded a “Cities for Peace” prize by the United Nations Economic and Social Affairs Committee, Hebron Mayor Mustafa Natchey announced March 21. Natchey described the prize as “an homage to efforts by the municipality to assure public services under difficult circumstances.” Hebron’s estimated 120,000 Palestinian residents were given 80 percent of the city in a January 1997 agreement with Israel’s Likud government, with 400 militant Israeli settlers protected by Israeli soldiers occupying the remaining 20 percent located in the town’s center. Other contenders for the UNESCO prize were Gaza City and Nablus.

EU Sees PA as Independent Economic Entity:

Proposals from the European Council of Ministers envision the Palestinian Authority as a separate economic entity, in contravention of accords signed by Israel and the Palestinians, the Jerusalem Post reported in March. A document issued by the Council calls for the “full and rapid implementation of the EC-PLO Interim Association Agreement as soon as possible.” Implementation of the agreement implicitly recognizes Palestinian-controlled territories as economic entities separate from Israel, Israeli officials protested, which violates the 1994 Paris accords whereby the European Union views Israel and the Palestinian territories as a single economic entity. The Paris accords have prevented Palestinians from developing a viable economy independent of Israel, officials point out.

Japan Promises $12 Million in Aid:

Japan will give $12 million to the Palestinians, according to a March 30 statement from the Japanese Embassy in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The assistance includes $10 million for the Japan-Palestine Development Fund of the United Nations Development Program, and $2 million for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA). The statement said that “the difficulties faced by the Middle East peace process and the increasing level of frustration among inhabitants in the region constitute dangerous destabilizing factors on both political and social levels.” It added that there is increasing urgency for the world community to support the Palestinian people and to improve their economic situation.

Latin Patriarch Calls for Liberation of Palestinians:

The Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Michel Sabbah, called for “total liberation” of the Palestinian people as the only solution to the Arab-Israeli conflict during his April 6 pre-Easter address. “It is difficult if not impossible to reach reconciliation as long as one side is imposing injustices. It is this inequality which gives rise to violence,” Sabbah, a Palestinian, said. Although he cautiously avoided overt criticism of Israel during his prepared remarks, Sabbah was less cautious during a question-and-answer period that followed. “Peace or the absence of peace is not a decision of the Palestinians who have only to receive what the Israelis are dictating. Therefore, if the Israelis want peace, we will have peace,” he said.

North Africa

Egypt Asks U.S. to Revoke Terrorism Warnings:

Advisers to Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak urged Washington to rescind its latest warnings to U.S. citizens against traveling to Egypt, the UAE English-language daily Khaleej Times reported April 6. “This was an impulsive, hasty position with no grounds to justify it because there’s nothing at all that calls for worry,” Egyptian Foreign Minister Osama El Baz told reporters in Cairo. He added that security has been tightened throughout Egypt since the Nov. 17, 1997 terrorist attack in Luxor that killed 62 people.

Egyptian Tourism Recovering:

Egypt’s tourism industry has partially recovered from the hit it took last November when Islamist militants killed 62 foreign tourists in Luxor, Egyptian officials announced in April. Meeting in New York to promote a plan to open Egypt’s state-owned insurance industry to private investors, Egypt’s Minister of Economy Youssef Boutros-Ghali told the Wall Street Journal that the Egyptian economy is recovering faster than had been expected following the attack. Gross domestic product is expected to rise by 5.2 percent, down from the planned 6 percent but higher than earlier predictions following the terrorist attack. “If anything, tourism over the past several years has shown resilience to shocks, such as the Gulf war and various incidents,” he told the Journal.

Algerian President Has Surgery:

Algerian President Liamine Zeroual underwent surgery in Switzerland March 13 to replace a constricted artery in his right leg, the German Press Agency reported. Following the operation, Zeroual’s office announced that the surgery had been successful and that a full recovery is expected.

Former U.S. Officials on Trial in Libya:

Libya announced April 13 that legal proceedings against former U.S. officials involved in the April 15, 1986 raids on Benghazi and Tripoli would begin sometime this year, the Libyan news agency reported. Charged with the “premeditated murder of 41 people” and the “premeditated attempted murder of a further 266 people,” were former Reagan administration officials including the late Central Intelligence Agency director William Casey, National Security Adviser John Poindexter, his deputy Col. Oliver North, Admiral Frank Kelso, former National Security Council deputy Middle East adviser Robert Oakley, and two pilots and an air force officer who took part in the raids. The United States launched the attacks in response to an April 5 bombing of the La Belle nightclub in Berlin, Germany that killed two American servicemen and a Turkish national, and wounded 200 others. U.S. officials accused Libyan leader Muammar Qaddafi of ordering the terrorist attack.

Libyan Industry Has Lost $5 Billion:

Libyan industry has lost more than $5 billion because of United Nations sanctions imposed in 1992, according to an official Libyan report released in April. A copy of the report obtained by Agence France Presse said that shortages of raw materials have brought assembly lines to a standstill and increased costs dramatically. The report also claimed that Libya’s transport sector had lost an additional $378 million because of the embargo imposed in April 1992 after Libya refused to extradite two suspects in the 1988 bombing of Pan Am 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland that killed 270 people.

Morocco’s Growth Too Slow:

The International Monetary Fund said in April that Morocco’s economy is growing too slowly and urged authorities to increase the pace of reforms. “Morocco’s growth record in the 1990s had fallen short of expectations and remained below potential,” an IMF report read. The international lending institution commended Moroccan authorities for making progress in stabilizing and liberalizing the economy despite recurring droughts. Among the IMF’s recommendations were civil service reform, replacing food subsidies with targeted assistance to the poor, and increasing revenues through indirect taxation.

Subcontinent

Indo-Pak War Around 2006, Says U.S. Study:

The Pentagon should be prepared for another conflict in South Asia between India and Pakistan around 2006, according to a report by the U.S. Rand Corporation released in April. The report, entitled “Sources of Conflict in the 21st Century: Regional Futures and U.S. Strategy,” predicts a Pakistan-sponsored insurgency in Indian-controlled Kashmir that quickly becomes unmanageable for India and escalates into full-scale war between the two countries when Pakistan’s involvement becomes increasingly evident. Among the scenarios predicted in the in-depth military and political analysis by one of America’s most respected think tanks is the use of tactical nuclear weapons by both India and Pakistan.

Bhutto Granted Bail for PIA Corruption Charges:

Former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto was granted bail April 1 in a Karachi court where she appeared on charges of corruption during her tenure as prime minister. Although she had not been charged formally, Bhutto arrived at the courthouse with lawyers and supporters from her opposition Pakistan People’s Party to hear charges of corruption in her handling of state-owned Pakistan International Airlines. At issue are 1,000 promotions and allegedly illegal appointments at PIA while Bhutto was prime minister. “This case is not about financial corruption, but about giving jobs to the jobless. It is a ridiculous charge...I have done this [before] and will do it again,” she said. Bhutto later accused current Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif of organizing a “witchhunt” against her using taxpayer money to create false cases against her.