 |
Washington Report, August 23, 1982, Page 6 Facts For Your Files: A Chronology of U.S.-Middle East Relations July 24: A U.S. State Department spokesman confirmed "that the United States is airlifting military equipment to Somalia." He added that "this is in connection with the recent incursion by Ethiopians and Ethiopian-supported forces." July 26: White House spokesman Larry Speakes re-affirmed U.S. policy: "The United States will not recognize or negotiate with the PLO until the PLO accepts U.N. Resolutions 242 and 338 and Israel's right to exist. We have indicated this must be done in a clear and unequivocal way." July 28: Nicholas Veliotes, Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern and South Asian Affairs, told a House Foreign Affairs subcommittee that the suspension of cluster bomb shipments to Israel was "long-term, if not permanent." July 28: U.S. State Department spokesman Dean Fischer said the July 27 bombing of Beirut by Israeli planes was "the source of the greatest possible regret to us." July 28: Asked at a press conference for his views on the "constant, day-after-day bombing by the Israelis" of Beirut, President Reagan said: "There's nothing we would like to see more than to see an end to the bloodshed and the shelling, but I must remind you it's also been two-way." July 29: With the U.S. refusing to participate on the grounds that it had not had time to consult with Washington, the United Nations Security Council voted 14-0 to demand that Israel lift immediately its blockade of West Beirut and to permit the entry of food, medicine, water and other supplies. It was the first time in history that the U.S. had not participated in a Security Council vote. August 1: President Reagan told reporters, in the wake of a 14-hour Israeli bombardment of Beirut which was the biggest to date since the invasion of Lebanon on June 6, that "I think it's absolutely imperative that this ceasefire at this stage of the negotiations must not be violated by anyone." August 1: The United Nations Security Council unanimously demanded a cease-fire in Beirut and said it "authorizes the Secretary General to deploy immediately on the request of the government of Lebanon, United Nations observers to monitor the situation in and around Beirut." August 2: President Reagan told Israel's Foreign Minister Yitzhak Shamir at the White House that "the world can no longer accept a situation of constantly escalating violence." August 2: Soviet leader Leonid I. Brezhnev, according to the official Soviet press agency Tass, urged President Reagan in a letter "to use most urgently the possibilities at his disposal to stop the continuing annihilation of the people in Beirut." Mr. Reagan called the letter "a propagandistic exercise." August 4: President Reagan, in a statement issued after the first 12 hours of a new Israeli 20-hour bombardment of West Beirut, said he had "expressed to the Government of Israel the absolute necessity of re-establishing and maintaining a strict ceasefire in place so that this matter can be promptly resolved." fie also sent a private message to Prime Minister Begin warning that U.S.-Israel relations could be damaged by the continuation of the bloodshed. August 4: The U.N. Security Council, with the U.S. abstaining. approved Resolution 517, calling on Israel to withdraw its troops to the positions they held on August 1 and to comply with other U.N. resolutions pertaining to the Lebanon crisis. August 5: King Fahd of Saudi Arabia telephoned to President Reagan and asked him, according to the official Saudi radio, to "exercise a more potent role" in restraining Israel. August 5: Presidential spokesman Larry Speakes, in a reference to the territorial gains made by Israeli troops in West Beirut on August 4, said: "Our desire is (that) they back off from their advance to their position of August 1.'' August 5: The Israeli Government, after a cabinet meeting which discussed President Reagan's call for a return of Israeli troops to the August 1 ceasefire line, announced through a spokesman that it would not do so as long as the PLO forces remained in Lebanon. Israel also rejected the U.N. Security Council's call for ceasefire monitors to be allowed into Beirut. August 6: The U.S. vetoed a U.N. Security Council resolution introduced by the Soviet Union which called on all member states of the U.N. to cease supplying Israel with military aid until all Israeli forces are withdrawn from Lebanon. A member of the U.S. delegation said the U.S. vetoed the resolution "because it calls for sanctions and because it ... will not contribute to out, goal of achieving a peaceful settlement." August 9: The U.S. State Department issued a statement saying: "Israeli forces interfered with the movement of U.S. helicopters and personnel traveling to and from Beirut this past weekend. These incidents are of great concern to us. and the U.S. has made strong protests to the Government of Israel both here in Washington and in Jerusalem." The statement added that the U.S. had received an apology from Israel. August 10: The Government of Israel accepted "in principle" but with conditions, the U.S. proposal for the evacuation from West Beirut of PLO forces. August 12: White House spokesman Larry Speakes said President Reagan telephoned Prime Minister Begin to express his "outrage" over the intensive bombing of West Beirut which was then taking place "when negotiations were at the point of success." A statement read by Mr. Speakes said: 'The President made it clear that it is imperative that the ceasefire in place be observed absolutely in order for negotiations to proceed. We understand the Israeli Cabinet has approved a new ceasefire, which is in effect. It must hold." August 12: The U.S. joined the other 14 members of the United Nations Security Council in unanimous approval of a resolution calling again on Israel and all parties in and around Beirut to cease fighting and to abide by previous U.N. resolutions. August 18: Lebanon and the PLO officially approved a U.S.-mediated agreement for the evacuation of PLO guerrillas front Beirut. August 19: Israel approved the U.S.-mediated evacuation agreement, but said evacuation could not begin until guerrillas in Beirut hand over two Israeli prisoners. August 19: Lebanon requested the U.S., France and Italy to send troops to oversee the evacuation of guerrillas from Beirut.
|