History 102SY The United States and the Middle East 1900 to the Present

Afghanistan & the First Palestinian Intifada

Fall 1986—Reagan administration’s secret dealings with Iran, and diversion of money to contras, became public knowledge

December 1987—Michail Gorbachev and Ronald Reagan signed Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty

December 1979—Soviets invaded Afghanistan, where they were bogged down for next decade Afghanistan

Afghan Mujahidin

1980s—Reagan administration, using Pakistan as conduit, sent arms and equipment to anti-Soviet Mujahidin

Stinger Missiles

1980s—CIA worked with Pakistan and Saudi Arabia to recruit tens of thousands of young Muslim men to engage in jihad against Soviets William Casey

1988

Osama bin Laden took part in effort to oust Soviet Union from Afghanistan—was working in parallel with US

1989—Soviet Union pulled out of Afghanistan

The Taliban 1992—Pro-Soviet regime in Kabul collapsed; Mujahidin fought among themselves until Taliban took over in 1996

Summer 1982—Israeli invasion of Lebanon Arab-Israeli Conflict

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

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; U.S. ignored it

Following Israeli invasion of Lebanon in 1982, PLO had to relocate to Tunisia, from which it was difficult to influence events in Israel/Palestine

Israeli occupation of West Bank and Gaza Strip

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

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

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

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 Arafat failed to impose discipline over PLO

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