History 171ME The United States and the Middle East 1900 to the Present

The First Palestinian Intifada

Summer 1982—Israeli invasion of Lebanon

Following Israeli invasion of Lebanon, PLO had to relocate to Tunisia, from which it was difficult to influence events in Israel/Palestine

September 1, 1982—Ronald Reagan issued Middle East peace plan, calling for Israeli withdrawal from West Bank and Gaza, freeze on construction of Jewish settlements, and Palestinian federation with Jordan Reagan Plan

Some Arab states cautiously welcomed Reagan Plan; Israel and PLO opposed it Reagan Plan

September 9, 1982—Arab states at summit in Fez, Morocco, issued peace plan, calling for independent Palestinian state in West Bank and Gaza with East Jerusalem as its capital; Israel rejected Fez Plan; US ignored it Fez Plan

Israeli occupation of West Bank and Gaza Strip

Israeli settlements in Occupied Territories

Late 1987—traffic accident in Gaza sparked spontaneous uprising (Intifada) among Palestinians; quickly spread to West Bank

Divided Israeli government Yitzhak Rabin Yitzhak Shamir Shimon Peres

Israeli government tried to put down Intifada by force but without using major firepower Yitzhak Rabin

Israeli government tried to put down Intifada by force but without using major firepower Injured Palestinians

1988—Secretary of State George Shultz tried to resolve crisis without involving PLO; US govt would not recognize PLO until it recognized Israel, accepted Resolution 242, and renounced terrorism

The Terrorism Issue Arafat

The Terrorism Issue Arafat Begin

The Terrorism Issue Arafat Shamir Begin

UN Security Council Resolution 242 (November 1967)

Shultz hoped Jordan could speak for Palestinians

... but this possibility died in summer of 1988, when King Hussein renounced Jordan’s claim to West Bank

Arafat vs. Shultz

November 1988—Palestine National Council (PNC) met, accepted Resolution 242, and declared independent Palestinian state in West Bank and Gaza (symbolic), implicitly recognizing Israel

Arafat at United Nations

December 1988— Arafat publicly recognized Israel, accepted 242, and renounced terrorism, prompting Reagan administration to open dialogue with PLO

Little came of US-PLO dialogue George H. W. Bush administration kept talks at low level and failed to pressure Israel to ease conditions in occupied territories

Little came of US-PLO dialogue George H. W. Bush administration kept talks at low level and failed to pressure Israel to ease conditions in occupied territories US Ambassador to Tunisia Robert Pelletreau

Little came of US-PLO dialogue Arafat failed to impose discipline over PLO

Little came of US-PLO dialogue June 1990—When Arafat refused to condemn attempted terrorist raid into Israel by PLO splinter group, Bush suspended US-PLO dialogue Abu Abbas

The First Gulf War

The Gulf Crisis and War of left legacy of instability and danger that we still face today

George H. W. Bush

During Iran-Iraq War ( ) Reagan administration tilted toward Saddam Hussein’s Iraq Saddam Hussein

During Iran-Iraq War ( ) Reagan administration tilted toward Saddam Hussein’s Iraq Saddam Hussein

Special US envoy Donald Rumsfeld meeting Saddam Hussein, 1983

During Iran-Iraq War ( ) Reagan administration tilted toward Saddam Hussein’s Iraq Saddam Hussein

When Iraq used chemical weapons against Iranian soldiers and Iraqi Kurdish civilians, US crititicized Iraq, but only mildly

After Iran-Iraq War ended in 1988, tensions arose between Iraq and Kuwait

Kuwait demanded repayment of $32 billion loan, but Iraq refused

July 1990—Saddam Hussein demanded islands of Bubiyan and Warba, threatened to invade Kuwait

Meeting between Ambassador April Glaspie and Saddam Hussein, July 25, 1990

August 1990—Iraqi forces invaded Kuwait, subjecting it to brutal occupation

President George H. W. Bush reacted cautiously at first

Margaret Thatcher and George H. W. Bush... but quickly decided that invasion must not stand

Summer 1990—Bush got UN Security Council to pass resolution demanding Iraqi withdrawal

... even receiving Soviet cooperation

Summer-Fall 1990—Bush lined up diverse coalition of countries prepared to enforce resolution

Massive multinational force materialized in Saudi Arabia—“Operation Desert Shield”

Colin Powell Norman Schwarzkopf

To break up anti-Iraq coalition, Saddam offered to withdraw from Kuwait if Israel withdrew from Israeli occupied territories; Saddam’s offer generated enthusiasm in Arab world

Bush refused any quid pro quo but made vague commitment to address Arab-Israeli dispute after Iraq was ousted from Kuwait

November 1990—UN Security Council passed resolution authorizing use of force against Iraq if it didn’t withdraw from Kuwait by January 15, 1991

Antiwar demonstrations