October/November 1995, pgs. 22-26

Issues in the News

Compiled by Shawn L. Twing

ARABIAN PENINSULA

Bahrain

Bahrain's Population Up by 27,000:

Bahrain's population reached 568,100 last year, according to information released by the country's Central Statistics Organization. Of that number, Bahraini nationals accounted for 356,100, while expatriates represented 212,000. The statistics also revealed a decline in the marriage rate and an increase in the divorce rate during the same period.

Satellite Station to Provide Environmental Data:

Bahrain will be the site of a satellite station that will receive and disseminate environmental-related information, a project that is being set up by the United Nations Environment Program. The station, the eighth in the world and the first in the Gulf, is designed to link the region to advanced environmental data centers around the globe. Saleh Othman, UNEP regional director in West Asia, told reporters that the environmental group had sent a delegation to Bahrain and that "the mission expressed its satisfaction over the technical potential available" in the country. Mr. Othman said that UNEP will provide Bahrain with the technical expertise needed for the project's completion.

Kuwait

Motorola Signs $20 Million Contract for Mobile Telecommunications:

Illinois-based Motorola Inc. announced on Aug. 28 a $20 million contract with Kuwait's Mobile Telecommunications Company to expand Kuwait's existing digital cellular phone service to 100,000 subscribers. The deal is divided into two phases, the first to be finished by the end of 1995 and the second scheduled for completion in early 1996. Motorola installed the first digital cellular phone system in Kuwait in 1994 with a capacity of 50,000 subscribers.

U.S. Sends 12 More Ships to Help Protect Kuwait:

Four U.S. ships carrying military equipment from the U.S. naval base on the Indian Ocean island of Diego Garcia have joined eight other Maritime Pre-positioning ships already stationed in international waters near the coast of Kuwait as part of U.S. efforts to deter potential Iraqi aggression. The ships carry enough tanks, artillery, food, water, fuel, vehicles and other military items to sustain thousands of soldiers. Commander T. McCreary, spokesman for the newly designated U.S. Fifth Fleet, said that the U.S. aircraft carrier Independence and its accompanying six-ship battle group were joining other U.S. warships in the Gulf, forming the largest concentration of naval forces in the world today.

Oman

U.S. Research Vessel Arrives in Oman:

The U.S. research ship Knorr arrived in Oman on Aug. 27 as part of an international effort to study climatic changes affecting the Indian Ocean. The ship's research will take it on to Somalia and then to Singapore later this year. Dr. John Morrison, the chief scientist on the Knorr, said that the purpose of the trip was to increase knowledge about the Indian Ocean, which he referred to as the least scientifically investigated of the world's oceans. He hoped to compare data obtained in the 1970s with information currently being collected by the Knorr to document the effects of pollution and environmental changes throughout the region. Data collected also will be turned over to the Marine Science and Fisheries Center of Oman's Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries.

South Korea, Oman Expand Talks:

Oman's Minister of Petroleum and Minerals Said bin Ahmed Al Shanfari met with South Korean Trade, Industry and Energy Minister Park Jae Yoon in Muscat on Sept. 3 to discuss expanding trade ties between the two countries to include oil exploration and production projects. South Korea signed a letter of intent last year to purchase Omani natural gas. According to officials of Oman's Ministry of Petroleum and Minerals, the Koreans also want to participate in future Omani oil exploration and production efforts. Petroleum and Minerals Ministry Adviser A. bin Abdullah Al Tamimi said Korean companies will have the same opportunities as others pursuing Omani projects.

Qatar

Qatar to Receive NewGas Tankers:

Qatar will receive the first of 10 liquefied natural gas tankers to be used to deliver gas to Japan by Nov. 1, 1996, according to a spokesman for the Qatar General Petroleum Corporation. The first tanker, named Al Zubarah, has been launched by the Mitsui Engineering and Shipbuilding Company in Japan, and is currently undergoing internal fitting to fulfill the technical requirements for transporting natural gas. The second vessel, Al Khor'on, is scheduled for delivery on Dec. 1, 1996. Qatargas, one of Qatar's two liquid gas suppliers, is committed to supply four million tons of natural gas per year to Japan's Chubu Electric Power Company for 25 years beginning in January 1997, and two million tons per year to seven other Japanese utility and gas companies for 25 years beginning in mid-1998.

Qatar Still Ready for Israel Gas Deal:

Qatar will continue with plans to supply Israel with natural gas provided the effort is profitable, according to Qatar's Ambassador to the U.S. Sheikh Abdulrahman bin Saud Al Thani. Speaking at a Dow Jones meeting in Washington, DC, Ambassador Al Thani said, "politically it is no problem. We don't mind if we supply gas that goes to Israel." Houston-based Enron Corporation, which has a franchise to develop some of Qatar's enormous natural gas reserves, is finishing a feasibility study concerning the transportation of liquefied natural gas to Israel. After the study is complete it will decide whether to sign a contract. India's recent cancellation of a $2.8 billion Enron power plant project has clouded the prospect of making Enron's Qatari venture profitable because 60 percent of the gas liquefied in Enron's $4 billion Qatar plant was destined for the scrapped Indian plant. Many analysts remain optimistic about Enron's future, however, citing rising demand for liquefied natural gas worldwide, especially in the Far East.

Saudi Arabia

General Electric Wins Saudi Contract:

General Electric and Saudi Binladin Group have won a $57.1 million contract to expand electrical facilities in the holy city of Medina. The U.S.-Saudi consortium will complete an estimated 33-month overhaul of Medina's existing electrical system, adding two 50-megawatt gas turbines for additional power generation. The project is part of the Saudi government's effort to improve the country's existing infrastructure, especially in cities like Medina where residential and industrial growth has outpaced growth in power supply.

Giat Displays French Battle Tanks:

Giat Industries, France's principal battle tank manufacturer, completed the first phases of testing its Leclerc main battle tank in Saudi Arabia in August in an attempt to dissuade the Saudis from purchasing the American M1A2 Abrams, made by General Dynamics Corporation. Giat demonstrated the Leclerc's mobility, speed and firing capabilities. Saudi Arabia announced its intention to procure a 1,000-strong tank force prior to the Gulf war, placing its first order for the M1A2 Abrams in 1990. Saudi defense procurement has slowed since then, however, and the French have attempted to present the Leclerc as an alternative to a new Saudi order for the U.S. Abrams. In 1993, Giat sold the United Arab Emirates $3.6 billion worth of armored vehicles, including 388 Leclercs and 46 support vehicles.

Power Plant Planned:

Saudi Arabia plans to build a 2,400-megawatt power plant in the Eastern province, according to a Sept. 3 report by the Eastern Region's Chamber of Commerce. Included in the estimated 8-10 billion Saudi riyal ($2.13 to $2.67 billion) project are transmission lines, substations and infrastructure. The Saudi Consolidated Electricity Company of the Eastern Province (Sceco-East) has prequalified several international companies to bid for the project that most likely will use oil or natural gas-powered turbines to generate electricity. Funding for the project is expected from utility companies, a capital fund created by the Saudi government earlier this year, banks and participating international companies. Sceco-East currently produces 9,000 megawatts of electricity. However, due to increased consumer and industrial use, the power company barely is able to meet current demand. Officials hope the new plant will be operational in late 1998.

United Arab Emirates

U.S. Ships Spend Three Days in UAE:

The U.S. nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln and the combat support ship USS Sacramento spent three days berthed in Jebel Ali beginning on Aug. 20. During the visit crew members from the two ships visited Dubai and the USS Abraham Lincoln held a change of command ceremony when Captain R.J. Nibe relieved Captain Robert F. Willard. The ships, with nearly 6,000 crew members, have been stationed in the Gulf for three months as part of the American contingent supporting Operation Southern Watch to protect the Shi'i of southern Iraq from Iraqi government aerial attacks. The ships also are enforcing the U.N. embargo against Iraq.

South Korean Trade Grows to Fourth Highest:

Bilateral trade between South Korea and the United Arab Emirates now equals $2.25 billion, making South Korea the UAE's fourth largest trading partner, according to Korean officials. South Korea imported 48.6 million barrels of crude oil from the UAE in 1994, ranking it Korea's third largest source of petroleum. Diplomatic relations between the two countries began in 1980 when South Korea opened an embassy in Abu Dhabi. The UAE opened an embassy in Korea in 1987 and since that time trade relations between the two countries have increased dramatically.

THE FERTILE CRESCENT

Jordan

Jordan to Double National Fleet:

Jordan plans to double the tonnage of its national shipping fleet within two years, according to Yaser Al Tal, managing director of Jordan's National Shipping Lines. Mr. Al Tal told the Associated Press that "our goal is to have 10 bulk carriers by 1997," which he hopes will help Jordan increase its six million tons of phosphate and one million tons of potash exported annually from the Red Sea port of Aqaba. Aqaba served previously as a focal point for Iraqi imports and exports, which have declined sharply in the wake of United Nations sanctions imposed after Iraq's invasion of Kuwait in 1990.

Amman Summit May Yield Bank:

Jordanian Minister of Industry and Trade Ali Abu El Ragheb told reporters that a proposed $5 billion Middle East bank to fund regional projects may be announced at the end of the economic summit to be held this October in Amman. Creation of the bank has been encouraged by the United States, Israel and some Arab countries but is opposed by most Arab oil-producing nations and by the European Union, which argues that the EU's investment bank already has pledged $3 billion to the Middle East. The steering committee for the proposed lending institution has representatives from the U.S., the EU, Japan, Canada, Egypt, the Palestinian National Authority, Tunisia, Morocco and Israel. The committee is scheduled to meet during the three-day Amman conference that opens on Oct. 29.

Lebanon

U.S. Congressman Rahall Calls for Easing Ban on Lebanon Travel:

U.S. Congressman Nick J. Rahall, II (D-WV) urged the Clinton administration to ease restrictions on travel by U.S. citizens to Lebanon during an Aug. 7 press conference in Beirut. After meetings with President Elias Hrawi and parliament speaker Nabih Berri, Representative Rahall suggested that the travel ban should be "downgraded" because it "hurts Americans and hurts American companies that want to do business in the reconstruction of Beirut." The restrictions, which include a ban on direct air travel and ticketing between the U.S. and Lebanon and a ban on using U.S. passports for travel into Lebanon, have been in effect since 1987. Representative Rahall, who is of Lebanese descent, told the press that "reported threats still exist against Americans," but that overall "the situation has improved."

Syria

Syria and Egypt Form Oil Company:

Syria and Egypt agreed on Aug. 14 to create a joint petroleum company to perform topographical surveys, repair wells and conduct exploration operations in Syria, according to the Khaleej Times. The accord establishing the joint company was drawn up by the two countries' oil ministers and will be signed at a later date. Other efforts under way to expand economic ties between Syria and Egypt are the creation of a maritime company and the establishment of a fiber optic network link under the Mediterranean connecting the two countries.

IRAN/IRAQ

Iran

Rafsanjani Names Brother Vice President:

Iranian President Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani named his brother, Mohammad Hashemi, as Iran's vice president in charge of executive affairs in an Aug. 20 announcement carried by the official Iranian news agency, IRNA. Mohammad Hashemi, who studied engineering in California before the 1979 revolution, replaced Hamid Mirzadeh, who was put in charge of the government's planning organization. Mohammad Hashemi headed the state broadcasting organization for 13 years before he was removed in February 1994 by Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the late Ayatollah Khomeini's successor, for promoting popular entertainment programs on the radio and television. The appointment was part of a cabinet reshuffle that began after the resignation of Massoud Roghani Zanjani from Iran's planning agency. Zanjani, a leading advocate of free-market reforms, quit the planning organization because he opposed the government's new policy of foreign exchange controls.

Iranian Wargames Near Iraq Border:

Iran held three days of military exercises near its border with Iraq beginning on Aug. 28, according to state-run Tehran radio. Taking part in the operation code-named "Jerusalem" were infantry, armored divisions, aircraft and forces specializing in chemical, biological and nuclear weapons defense. Tehran's state-run radio said the exercises were designed to "prepare military units for battle and to put on display their power in the face of probable plots by enemies of the sacred system of the Islamic Republic."

Iran's Foreign Minister Warns Azerbaijan About Ties With Israel:

Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Velayati warned Azeri President Haydar Aliyev against forging ties with Israel, saying that it was not in the interest of the Muslim world. Meeting in Kazakhstan on Aug. 9, the two officials discussed bilateral relations and Azerbaijan's developing commercial and economic ties with Israel. Velayati is quoted in Iran's official news service telling President Aliyev that "any kind of rapprochement between a Muslim state and Tel Aviv would be against Islamic solidarity." The Iranian newspaper Abrar earlier had condemned the deputy speaker of the Azeri parliament for supporting closer ties with Israel, saying "he should remember the fate of Anwar Sadat." Sadat was assassinated by members of Egypt's Islamic Jihad in 1981 shortly after concluding a peace treaty with Israel.

Iraq

Saddam Criticizes Iranian Leaders:

Iraqi President Saddam Hussain lashed out at the Iranian government during an Aug. 8 speech commemorating the anniversary of the end of the Iran-Iraq war, criticizing Iran for holding Iraqi prisoners of war, keeping Iraqi military and civilian aircraft flown to Iran during the bombing campaign that started Operation Desert Storm, and for continually rejecting Baghdad's peace overtures. During the live broadcast of the speech, Saddam voiced the harshest criticism of Iran since the U.N. brokered a cease-fire in 1988, telling Tehran that the U.N. embargo imposed after Iraq's invasion of Kuwait in 1990 would not force Iraq into compromising with Iran.

Iraq Seeks Cooperation with Iran:

An editorial in Iraq's state-run Al Jumhouriya newspaper called on Iraq and Iran to engage in "tactical cooperation" to confront their common enemies in the West. Marking the 15th anniversary of the start of the Iran-Iraq war (1980-88), the Sept. 4 editorial called on both countries to work together so that their combined military and economic power could "qualify them to attract the 'straying horses' in the jungle of the American wolf." The editorial also called on both countries to reconcile outstanding issues from their eight-year war, specifically the 100 Iraqi civilian and military planes held in Iran since the 1991 Gulf war and the estimated 20,000 Iraqi and 5,000 Iranian prisoners of war still held by the two countries. "Is there a better time to establish cooperation than now when the knife of America and Zionism is on Iraq's neck and only fingers away from Iran's neck?" Al Jumhouriya asked.

ISRAEL/PALESTINE

Israel

Levy Completes Split with Likud:

Former Israeli Foreign Minister David Levy completed his split from Likud by announcing that he will form a new political party and will run for prime minister in the 1996 elections. Levy, a Moroccan-born Jewish immigrant, had announced his intention to leave Likud earlier this year after he lost an election for head of the party to Benyamin Netanyahu. Levy told the Jerusalem Telegraph Agency that his yet-unnamed party would be centrist and that he hoped to draw support from members of the Labor, Likud and Meretz parties.

Court Acquits Security Guard:

A Jerusalem court acquitted an Israeli security guard who fatally shot a Palestinian vegetable vendor earlier this year. Dmitri Burman shot and killed Julani Abed, who was attempting to drop off a load of potatoes at the Jewish seminary where Burman worked. The court, calling the murder a "tragic mistake," said Burman was unaware that a worker in the seminary's kitchen had opened the gate by remote control and that a country-wide suicide bombing alert contributed to Burman's concern when he saw the truck about to enter the premises.

Airmen Killed in F-15 Accident:

Captain Ronen Lev and Captain Yaron Vivante were killed on Aug. 10 when their F-15 flew through a group of migrating storks during a low-altitude training flight over the Negev desert in southern Israel. The crash occurred after the aircraft slammed into one stork and another was sucked into one of the engines, setting it on fire. A senior Israeli Air Force official said a stork weighing two kilograms hitting a jet flying at 500 knots has the impact of several tons. He said the storks that hit the F-15 weighed closer to five kilograms.

Israeli Charged with Spying for Iran:

Israeli citizen Herzl Rad was charged with spying for an enemy country, endangering national security and having contact with foreign agents after he was arrested by Israeli domestic security forces earlier this year. After detaining him for two months, Israel's domestic security organization, Shin Bet, dropped its opposition to reporting Rad's arrest after the story had been leaked to the London-based Arabic language Al-Wasat newspaper earlier this year. Al-Wasat reported that Rad, a clothing merchant from Jerusalem, was kidnapped in Istanbul by Israeli security forces and rushed back to Tel Aviv. Israeli officials insist that Rad was arrested in Israel. Prosecutors charge that after he went bankrupt and offered his services to the Iranian government, Rad accepted $10,000 from Iran to spy on Israeli military installations. Rad's attorney, Zion Amir, says that after his client was kidnapped by Iranians and forced to spy for them, "He came to Israeli security services to tell them of the torture he had undergone, and they arrested him with trumped-up charges." Rad denies all charges against him.

Israel-Egypt Tensions Increase:

An Israeli Ministry of Justice statement called alleged executions by Israeli soldiers of Egyptian prisoners of war during the 1956 Sinai Campaign and the June 1967 War "unlawful and intolerable," but said action will not be taken against the perpetrators because of Israel's 20-year statute of limitations for criminal acts. The Justice Ministry's decision came in response to statements by Arye Yitzhaki, a former employee of the Israel Defense Force's history department, that IDF soldiers under the command of Colonel Binyamin Bel-Eliezer, now Israel's housing minister, had killed between 300 and 400 Egyptian prisoners during the 1956 Sinai war. Yitzhaki also said his research proved that 1,000 Egyptians were killed by Israeli soldiers in six or seven different incidents. The controversy has strained relations between the two countries since it first appeared in the press in early August.

Reservists Refuse to Evict Settlers:

One thousand Israeli reservists signed a document stating that they will disobey orders to uproot settlements if called upon to do so in compliance with agreements negotiated between the Palestine Liberation Organization and the Israeli government. Moshe Leshem, a leader of the Action Committee for the Abolition of the Autonomy Plan, said 1,000 reservists, 30 percent of whom hold the rank of staff-sergeant or higher, signed the document sent to Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin. Leshem said the intention was to "let the government know that it will not have the soldiers needed to uproot Jews." The document reads: "Uprooting settlements and Jewish residents by the IDF is inhuman, anti-Zionist, and runs contrary to my conscience as a person, citizen, and Jew. As such, I am honored to inform you that if you give me an order to do this, I will not carry it out. I am convinced that such an order is completely illegal." Leshem said his group will conduct a nationwide campaign to attach 20,000 signatures to the document.

Greenpeace Activists Arrested:

Israeli police arrested 13 Greenpeace activists outside the Chinese and French embassies in Tel Aviv after they spray painted anti-nuclear messages on the sidewalks and buildings, blocked the entrances to the embassies and chained themselves to fences and scaffolding to protest Chinese and French nuclear testing. Three of the demonstrators were Israeli and the remaining 10 were the captain and crew of the Greenpeace ship Altier, anchored off Tel Aviv. Uri Zik, director of Greenpeace in Israel, responded to the arrests by saying, "There is nothing wrong about the Israeli public voicing opposition to nuclear testing, which is high on the environmental agenda of the world right now."

Palestine

Christians Angry Over Priest's Murder:

Christian leaders in Jerusalem are angry with the Israeli government over the Sept. 8 murder of a clergyman in a church on Jerusalem's Mount of Olives. Brother Biagio Grassi, 75, was found dead at Bethphage Church after he was either beaten or fell to his death when the church was burglarized. Christian officials in the city lashed out at the Israeli government for the lack of protection of Christian holy sites in Jerusalem, and the senior representative of the Roman Catholic Church, Castor Garcia, said "the situation has now become intolerable and dangerous both to pilgrims and to those who are in charge of these holy sites."

Palestinians To Use Cyprus for Air and Sea Link:

Cyprus will serve as the Palestinians' air and sea link to the rest of the world until a larger airport can be built in Gaza, according to an Aug. 14 report by Cyprus News Agency. Fayez Younes, a Palestinian National Authority representative in Cyprus, announced that flights linking the autonomous areas to the outside world will use the Larnaca International Airport as one of three hubs, including Amman and Cairo. The PNA hopes to fly small cargo-carrying aircraft between Gaza and Cyprus soon, and at a later date to begin using the Cypriot ports of Larnaca and Limassol for shipping links. Negotiations for the final agreement currently are underway between Palestinian and Cypriot officials, as well as officials from state-owned Cyprus Airways.

South Africa Opens Office in Gaza:

South Africa opened an office in Gaza on Aug. 21 to handle its relations with the Palestinian National Authority. After presenting his credentials to PNA President Yasser Arafat, the director of the office, Uys Viljoen, told reporters, "South Africa praises the courage and wisdom which the Palestinians have shown in the negotiations they have followed to reach their objectives." South Africa and the PNA agreed in February to establish diplomatic relations and the Palestinian representative to South Africa, Salman Al Hirfi, took his post recently. Eight other countries—Denmark, Norway, Tunisia, Jordan, Morocco, Germany, the Netherlands and Egypt—have opened similar offices in Gaza and Jericho.

Palestinians Deposit More Than $800 Million in New Banks:

Palestinians have deposited $800 million in Arab banks operating in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, according to the Palestine Institute for Economic Policies. Economist Usamah Hamed, who led the survey, said that deposits have been made in 10 different banks with 41 branches, most of which opened after the arrival of the Palestinian National Authority. He noted that following the arrival of the PNA there was a rapid increase of deposits totaling more than $300 million in three months.

Palestinian Police Prevent Suicide Bombing:

Nine people were wounded Aug. 18 in the Sheikh Radwan area of Gaza during a 30-minute standoff between Hamas militants and security officers from the Palestinian National Authority which ended with the surrender of three suspects to PNA police. One of the three arrested, Wael Nasser, was believed by the Israelis to be planning a suicide attack in Tel Aviv which had led to Israel's closure of the Gaza Strip. The PNA also believed that Nasser was planning an attack and agreed to the closure, the first time it has ever done so. After arresting Nasser, PNA security officers found a taped message indicating his plans to carry out the attack.

THE NILE VALLEY

Egypt

Sphinx To Be Reborn Next Year:

The renovations of the Sphinx that began in 1989 will be complete next year, according to Egyptian Minister of Culture Faruq Hosni. In the fourth and final phase of the restoration project, which began in August, repairs will be made to the left side of the Sphinx and its chest, neck and keystone, including a troublesome 50-centimeter section of stone that has crumbled to dust in the past 70 years. Egypt also began a beautification project on the Giza plateau by removing army barracks near the monuments and announcing plans to build a 10-foot-high wall around the Nazlet al-Samman slum rather than dismantle the slum completely.

Egypt Offers Asylum to Saddam:

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak decided to keep his offer of political asylum open to Iraqi President Saddam Hussain even after being sharply criticized in Iraq's government-run press for the suggestion. Mubarak made the offer shortly after Hussain's two sons-in-law and their wives fled to Jordan in August. In a visit to South Africa, Egyptian Foreign Minister Amr Moussa reiterated the Egyptian leader's proposal saying, "Egypt wants to keep Iraq from bloodshed and trauma which could have repercussions for the entire region."

Water Shortage Seen in Five Years:

Egyptian Minister of Public Works and Water Resources Mohammad Abdel Hadi Radi told the Egyptian newspaper Al Ahram that "A shortage of water resources is threatening to hit Egypt in the next five years. Twenty percent of water earmarked for irrigating fields is lost through waste or because of the juxtaposition of crops which need a lot of water, like rice." He added that the lost 20 percent could irrigate one-third of all cultivated land in Egypt. A World Bank report said that 80 countries in the Middle East, North Africa and South America face water shortages that threaten agriculture, and that the international community will spend an estimated $600 billion over the next decade in an attempt to increase water supplies.

Sudan

Cabinet Reshuffle in Khartoum:

Sudanese strongman Lt. General Omar Hassan Al Bashir dismissed his interior minister, police commander and heads of security in the 10th cabinet reshuffle since Bashir came to power in 1989. Among more than a dozen changes announced were transfer of Brigadier Al Tayeb Ibrahim Mohammad Khair from the ministry of the interior to the ministry of labor and administrative reform to make way for Brigadier Bakri Hassan Saleh, formerly an adviser to the president. Police commander Lt. Gen. Hassan Ahmad Al Siddiq was replaced by Maj. Gen. Abdel Moneim Said Suleiman, and Maj. Gen. Mohammad Mustafa replaced Nafie Ali Nafie as minister of external security. Brigadier Al Hadi Abdalla Hassan took over as head of internal security, replacing Hassan Dhahawi. Commerce Minister Taj Al Sir Mustafa was dismissed and replaced by Mohammad Tahir Aila, who had been minister of tourism and environment.

IMF Defers Decision to Expel Sudan:

The International Monetary Fund has deferred a decision about expelling Sudan for its failure to repay outstanding debts to the organization totaling $1.7 billion. Currently Sudan is paying approximately $5 million per month on its loans, but international economic experts say that the country was making little real effort to repay the outstanding debt before the IMF threatened action. The IMF also wants to monitor Sudan's economic progress, especially its attempts to curb inflation and privatize state-owned companies, but Khartoum says it already is implementing the IMF-prescribed measures.

NORTH AFRICA

Algeria

Presidential Elections Nov. 16:

Algeria will hold "free, transparent and fair" presidential elections on Nov. 16, according to Algerian President Liamine Zeroual, who has invited the United Nations, the Arab League and the Organization of African Unity to send observers for the upcoming elections. Zeroual promised last year that elections would be held before the end of 1995, but Algeria's main opposition groups say they oppose the polls and would like the authorities to resume a dialogue with Islamist opposition forces in the country. Most Islamic and secular opposition groups have said that they will not participate in the upcoming elections.

Libya

Libya Expels Palestinians:

Libyan ruler Muammar Qaddafi began expelling Palestinian workers and their families in Libya in an effort to undermine the Israel-PLO peace accords. Hundreds of Libya's estimated 25,000 Palestinians were waiting on the Egyptian border and at sea off the coast of Israel and Lebanon for passage into any welcoming Arab country. Qaddafi said that all Arab countries should send Palestinians to Gaza and the West Bank to overwhelm the Israelis attempting to absorb them. Palestinian National Authority and Egyptian officials have been scrambling for solutions to the problem, and Egypt has organized transportation for the Palestinians from the Libyan border to Gaza. So far Qaddafi has limited the deportations to those whose work permits have expired, but some officials fear he will increase the number of deportees dramatically in the near future.

Morocco

Flood Kills Hundreds:

More than 200 people were killed and 500 more are missing after the worst flash floods in 50 years devastated the Marrakesh area and swept away homes and vehicles. Most of the flood's victims were Moroccan tourists visiting the popular area when the storms set off mudslides that buried cars and cut off access to and from Marrakesh. The official death toll is not yet known but officials estimate that it will exceed several hundred.

Moroccan To Head African Bank:

Governors of the African Development Bank elected Omar Kabbaj of Morocco as president for a five-year term. Kabbaj, a former minister delegate for economic affairs in the Moroccan prime minister's office, spent 13 years on the executive board of the International Monetary Fund. His opponent, Timothy Thathane of Lesotho, was initially favored for the position. Bank officials said that a key factor in Kabbaj's victory was Nigeria's decision to support him because his opponent was favored by the U.S., which has been critical of Nigeria's human rights record recently.

THE SUBCONTINENT

Pakistan

Afghan Warplanes Bomb Pakistan:

Afghan warplanes bombed the Pakistani border town of Parachinar, 300 kilometers west of Islamabad, hitting a school but causing no injuries to the 500 students in the school at the time of the bombing. Afghan sources said the government jets were bombing rebel bases along Pakistan's border with Afghanistan and accidentally strayed into Pakistan's air space on four separate occasions, including the day of the attack.

Pakistani Granted Nuclear Patent:

The U.S. granted Pakistani scientist Mohammad Qadir Hussain of Karachi a patent for his process to enrich uranium through a gas centrifuge method currently used in Pakistani nuclear laboratories. Hussain, a former employee of the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission, claims his method for enriching uranium was stolen by the Commission and used by Dr. Qadeer Khan to advance Pakistan's nuclear research program. Dr. Hussain sent his application for a patent to the U.S. Department of Commerce in 1987 and was awarded patent number 5417944 on May 23 of this year. Dr. Hussain, who is not allowed to leave Pakistan, has several lawyers based in New York who are pursuing those companies that use Hussain's enrichment method. It is not yet clear if Dr. Hussain can sell his invention to private consumers in the U.S. or elsewhere because of the sensitive nature of transferring nuclear technology.