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

Washington Report, December 1986, Page 12

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

October 2:

The Washington Post reported that the Reagan Administration launched a deception and disinformation campaign in August in order to destabilize Libyan leader Muammar Gadhafi. The plan, involving "covert, diplomatic, military, and public actions" misrepresented the extent of Libyan terrorist attacks and caused stories to emerge in the US media with misleading suggestions of imminent US military action against Libya.

October 3:

The British government, citing Libya's links to terrorism, terminated the landing rights of Libyan Arab Airlines.

October 3:

Islamic Jihad produced videotapes of American hostages Terry Anderson and David Jacobsen in which they implored President Reagan to work as hard for their release as he did for the release of journalist Nicholas Daniloff, who had been held by the Soviet Union.

October 5:

The Sunday Times (of London) published an extensive report on Israel's nuclear weapons arsenal, concluding that Israel has between 100 and 200 nuclear weapons. This would make Israel the world's sixth-largest nuclear power. The information was provided by Mordechai Vanunu, an Israeli nuclear technician who worked at Israel's Dimona nuclear reactor for nearly 10 years.

October 13:

A senior Kuwaiti official announced that his government will not yield to demands by Islamic Jihad to release the 17 prisoners Kuwait now holds who were convicted for bomb attacks on French and US embassies in 1983.

October 15:

A grenade attack near Jerusalem's Wailing Wall killed one person and wounded 69 others. The attack occurred after a swearing-in ceremony of new members of the Israel Defense Forces Givanti Brigade. Both the PLO, now headquartered in Iraq, and the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine, based in Damascus, claimed responsibility for the attack.

October 16:

Israeli jets raided a Palestinian refugee camp in southern Lebanon in retaliation for the previous day's grenade attack in Jerusalem. One plane was shot down. Israeli forces rescued the jet's pilot, but the navigator was captured by the Shiite Al-Amal militia.

October 19:

Newsweek reported that Mordechai Vanunu, the Israeli nuclear technician who revealed information on Israel's nuclear arsenal to The Sunday Times (of London), was abducted by Mossad and transported to Israel.

October 20:

The Israeli Knesset ratified the new coalition government: Yitzhak Shamir became the new Prime Minister and Shimon Peres became Foreign Minister. In his first speech before the Knesset, Shamir underscored his commitment to Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank and Gaza, and later in the day he visited a Jewish settlement in the occupied territories.

October 21:

After 16 days of talks, OPEC oil ministers agreed to extend current production controls through the end of the year. The ministers expect to convene again in early December.

October 21:

American Edward Austin Tracy was kidnapped in West Beirut. The Revolutionary Justice Organization claimed responsibility for the abduction.

October 23:

The Egyptian government claimed to have foiled a plot by Islamic fundamentalists to storm the state radio station in Alexandria.

October 24:

A London criminal court convicted Nezar Hindawi, a Jordanian, of attempting to blow up an El Al airliner in April. Hindawi was sentenced to 45 years in prison. Later that afternoon Britain broke diplomatic relations with Syria, citing Syrian involvement in Hindawi's bombing attempt. Britain claimed the crime was "conclusively" linked to Syrian diplomatic officials. In support of Britain, the US withdrew its ambassador to Syria, and Canada called its ambassador home for consultations. Syria responded by breaking diplomatic relations with Britain and closing its airspace and ports to British planes and ships.

October 24:

The Board of Trustees of the American University of Beirut announced that the university might be forced to close if it "cannot accommodate all students seeking education, regardless of their religious or political affiliation."

October 26:

The Ivory Coast announced plans to return its embassy from Jerusalem to Tel Aviv.

October 29:

France announced that it has begun repayment of a $1 billion loan made by Iran 12 years ago. French officials expressed optimism that the agreement would aid in the release of French hostages still held in Lebanon.

October 30:

Ahmad Zaki Yamani was removed as Saudi Arabia's Oil Minister, and Hisham Nazer was named temporary successor. Yamani had advocated boosting OPEC production in order to gain a larger share of the world oil market. Saudi Arabia indicated it was changing its policies in favor of production restraint. Yamani's removal was followed by a significant increase in crude oil prices on international markets.

October 30:

France denied reports that it had made a secret arms deal with Syria in order to try to stop terrorist bombings in Paris. France expressed willingness to support a European Community ban on arms sales to Syria.

October 3 1:

Hisham Nazer, Saudi Arabia's new Oil Minister, called for an emergency OPEC meeting to discuss an increase in world oil prices.

November 2:

American hostage David P. Jacobsen was freed by Islamic Jihad after 17 months in captivity.

November 3:

The Israeli government came under increased pressure to comment on the disappearance of nuclear technician Mordechai Vanunu, who had earlier revealed information about Israel's nuclear weapons arsenal to The Sunday Times (of London). A prominent Tel Aviv civil rights lawyer threatened legal action against the government on behalf of Vanunu.

November 4:

Akram Haniya, editor of the Arabic weekly newspaper Al-Shaab (The People), generally viewed as one of the more moderate Palestinian newspapers, was arrested and was scheduled for deportation from the occupied territories. The Israeli military authorities accused Haniya of "hostile activity" and sponsorship by the PLO

November 4:

The speaker of Iran's parliament announced that Robert McFarland and four other Americans undertook a secret diplomatic mission to Iran in September, offering military equipment in exchange for assistance in helping gain the release of Americans held hostage in Lebanon. The Reagan administration denied that arms were offered to Iran.

November 4:

The Washington Post, citing a classified Defense Intelligence Agency document, reported that Pakistan had made "dramatic progress" towards developing nuclear weaponry. The Pakistani government denied the charges. The US government warned that Pakistan's acquisition of a nuclear weapon would have "serious consequences," and that it would end US aid to Pakistan.

November 6:

Sources quoted in The Washington Post confirmed that the US shipped military cargo to Iran in order to secure Iranian assistance in releasing US hostages held in Lebanon.