Developments of the Quarter: Comment and Chronology

Source: Middle East Journal, Vol. 14, No. 2 (Spring, 1960), pp. 169-202
Published by: Middle East Institute
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/4323230 .
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 DEVELOPMENTS OF THE QUARTER
Comment and Chronology

In place of the Commentthat usually appearshere, the JOURNAL lists the membershipof THE
MIDDLE EAST INSTITUTE.

LIFE MEMBERSOF THE INSTITUTE

J. M. Barker Halford Hoskins William E. Mulligan
Stephen D. Bechtel David M. Keiser A. A. Rahimtula
Herbert Bodman Mrs. Nancy Hull Keiser Dr. and Mrs.
The Honorable Raoul Kulberg Laurens H. Seelye
Gordon R. Clapp Miss Margaret Lambie Milton Skelly
Clark Cypher Malcolm Langford Mrs. Joseph L. Smith
Mrs. Walter G. John G. Laylin Harry R. Snyder
Dunnington Basil Livingston Mrs. Harley C. Stevens
Mortimer Graves Charles Matthews Joseph Upton
The Honorable The Honorable Donald Wilhelm
Christian Herter George C. McGhee Edwin M. Wright
Ronald I. Metz

SUSTAINING MEMBERS
John I. Bott Joseph Howar Orville D. Judd
J. K. Evans RichardKellogg

CONTRIBUTINGMEMBERS
Francis J. Boardman James Von Reinhold CharlotteMorehouse
E. M. Butterworth Jamesson CharlesRayner
J. A. Curran,Jr. Carl F. Kurtz A. V. Shaver
Walter A. Groves Ruth S. Mackensen Joseph Van Vleck, Jr.
Parker T. Hart James J. Major RichardYoung

169

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170 THE MIDDLE EAST JOURNAL

CORPORATECONTRIBUTORREPRESENTATIVES
P. J. Anderson EdwardJ. Girard S. K. McCauley
R. D. Bent P. M. Guba Hon. John J. McCloy
Charles Cain, Jr. W. Dow Hamm W. L. Naylor
W. R. Carlisle FrankA. Howard K. Onder
Dumont Clarke John I. Howell A. J. Pugliese
James F. Clingen Mrs. M. Hungerford James A. Ransford
R. Bryan Cooper Roy W. Johns Ralph 0. Rhoades
J. D. Cumberland E. P. Kavanaugh A. E. Schumacher
G. A. Delhomme, Jr. J. RaymondKeany Alfred di Scipio
H. Deming ThomasJ. Kelly David Shepard
Cleveland E. Dodge K. G. Krech Henderson Supplee, Jr.
Dahl M. Duff KennethLaymon A. T. Swanson
A. H. Eskesen WilliamE. Lindenmuth RichardC. Van Varick
Harold W. Fisher C. L. Lockett J. G. Werneke
J. E. Flynn Paul Wollstadt

REGULAR MEMBERS

Jabir Ali Abbas I). E. Ashford John E. Whiteford W. W. Cleland

Abdul Majid Abbass The Asia Society Boyle Ray L. Cleveland
Russell B. Adams Hugh Auchincloss, Jr. Mrs. Robert Brittain Robert L. Clifford
Mrs. KamerAga-Oglu Fred H. Awalt H. D. Brookby Ernest T. Clough
D. Agnello Wladzimierz Herman Brower Stanwood Cobb
MohammedAli Baczkowski Kay Brown David S. Collier
Ahmed F. R. C. Bagley Mrs. Susan Noble Philson D. Collins
Nicholas Ajay G. M. Barakat Brown Carleton S. Coon
Robert C. Alberts Mrs. Mildred Fred Bruhns Joanna Cornelius
E. Gordon Alderfer Bartholomew Briton C. Busch Douglas D. Crary
Mohamed Alwan Edward Basha Durwood Busse Kenneth P. Crawford
M. A. Ames John C. Beam Billy W. Byrd William R. Crawford,
J. G. Amneus Mary Louise Becker Clark T. Cameron Jr.
Charles Andersen James A. Bellamy Patricia Carey Anne B. Cridlebaugh
Harold F. Anderson MargaretBertsch Alford Carleton Donald Curry
Fereydoon Ansari Nazih Bissat Anise E. Cassab Mrs. Rachel MacIntyre
E. A. Antar Mrs. CatherineA. Mrs. Olga A. Chase Dach
Reza Arasteh Blackman Mouaffac Chatti Hussein A. Dahbour
Y. Armajani David H. Blee Anwar G. Chejne Wafa Dajani
Mrs. E. McC. Arnett W. C. Bodger Timothy W. Childs William B. Dale
John B. Christopher William W. Dalzell

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 DEVELOPMENTSOF THE QUARTER: COMMENT AND CHRONOLOGY 171
Nancy Dammann Fr-Wilhelm Fernau Maxwell Harway James V. Knight
G. H. Damon Tom Firor Anna F. Hellyer Francis G. Knorr
Rev. Glen Davidson Edgar J. Fisher R. J. Hendricks Nevin E. Kuhl
F. A. Davies Harold W. Fisher Paul B. Henze Ake Lagerqvist
Bette L. Davis Sydney N. Fisher Allen Hetmanek Mrs. Sylvia Landress
Mrs. Fanny E. Davis Bradley Fisk, Jr. James H. Hill James 0. Langland
R. H. Davison Alexander R. Forbes Howard Hinson S. James Langley
Veva K. Dean E. F. Forsythe Deane R. Hinton Lynford A. Lardner
Mrs. EverettL. Evan Fotos James Hobbs Wade Lathram
DeGolyer Peter G. Franck W. E. Hocking Edward P. Lawton
MohamedA. El Ronald Freelander Midge Hodgman John Lazo
Dessuky Edwin R. Freeman George F. Hourani John C. Leslie
Rev. J. A. Devenny Robert Gensler Harry N. Howard Allen Lesser
Robert Devereux A. Ghaffari Mrs. Roger L. Jesse W. Lewis, Jr.
Fred W. Devine Mickey Gibson Howrigan M. E. Lewis
William Diamond Mrs. William T. Gill Fred J. Huber Herbert Liebesny
William G. Dildine Sidney S. Glazer Fuad Huneidi George T. Little
Henry G. Dittmar Harold W. Glidden J. C. Hurewitz Frank C. Littlefield
Fred Dixon Susan Goldin John Iannuzzi John M. Livingston
Mrs. PatriciaDockham Ralph Goodwin T. B. Irving D. W. Lockard
Bayard Dodge Joseph L. Grabill Charles Issawi Hon. Edwin A. Locke,
Gerald F. P. Dooher George L. Grassmuck Richard H. Jeanneret Jr.
Goldthwaite H. Dorr Emil G. Graves Charlotte Johnson Mrs. Gordon M. Loos
Russell H. Dorr Albert Gregersen Owen T. Jones Walter M. Luce
C. E. H. Druitt Robert Groer M. R. Joseph R. W. McClenahan
James Terry Duce Theodore J. Groll, Jr. Hon. Walter H. Judd Joseph J. McDonald
Lucile Dudgeon Peter Grossman Ibrahim F. Kaibni Robert Macdonald
Mrs. Donald R. Jay V. Groves MohammadSaidKalla Carl McGuire
Dunner Jackson E. Guernsey A. A. Kampman Ali Mamleef
Louis Dupree John Gulick Kemal H. Karpat Menchi Manalo
The Dyer Institute of Mrs. Frances Gunther Hon. George A. Kasem Philip Mangano
Interdisciplinary Richard M. Haddad Rev. V. S. Kearney Edythe Mange
Studies Mrs. Sherman Haight Richard F. C. Kegel Abid A. Al-Marayati
William Eagleton C. Grove Haines Robert C. Kennedy Raphael Margolin
William G. Echols Martin Halabian Lorne M. Kenny David Margolis
H. F. Eilts Harvey P. Hall Mrs. RosemaryKerle L. Markoff-Moghadam
E. M. Eller Robert E. Hall Mrs. Alma B. Kerr Harry A. Marlow
John B. Elliott Warren M. Hamilton Francis Kettaneh Thomas E. Marston
Howard Elting, Jr. Mark Hampshire Kerim K. Key A. J. Maxwell
F. L. Enevoldsen Holsey G. Handyside Majid Khadduri Neal Maxwell
Hon. C. Van H. Rev. R. H. J. Hanley Fred J. Khouri ErnestA.
Engert Paul L. Hanna M. Mehdi Kianfar Messerschmidt
Graves B. Erskine Maurice Harari Austin D. Kilham Simon D. Messing
LaurenceEvans CharlesW. L. J. Killian Thomas N. Metcalf
MargaretM. Evans Harrington Hilda Kirby A. J. Meyer
Hossein Faris Christina Harris George Kirk Middle East Technical
Charles A. Ferguson David M. Hart Jeffrey C. Kitchen University

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172 THE MIDDLE EAST JOURNAL

Richard P. Mitchell Jerome V. Powell D. C. Smith, Jr. Mildred Vardaman

Mrs. Robert C. Theodore Prochazka Myron B. Smith F. S. Vidal
Mitchell Marie Puhr Wilfred C. Smith Dan S. Wages
Robert W. Molloy Malcolm Quint 0. M. Smolansky Marcel Wagner
David F. Moore Naeem Gul Rathore Estelle Smucker Mrs. JeanetteA.
Ward Morehouse BarbaraReason C. Stribling Snodgrass Wakin
Willie Morris Howard A. Reed Donald Snook Milton C. Walstrom
Samuel A. Morrow George Rentz James Somerville Joseph Walt
John A. Moyne Frances C. Rintz Arne Sorensen LeonardWare
Homer C. Mueller Helen Rivlin Ivar Spector CarletonE. Webb
William Mulder Theodore R. Robb C. M. Spofford Donald E. Webster
Robert T. Murphy Frances Roberds E. M. Squyres Mrs. Ava Weekes
William C. Murphy Emory G. Roberts Richard F. S. Starr Walter F. Weiker
Hon. Wallace Murray William P. Roessner Robert Stern Michael Weir
WilliamJ. Nagle Francis J. Romance R. P. Stevens Judith Weiss
Beauveau B. Nalle Joachim 0. Ronall Mrs. FrancesC. John H. Welker
Sally Nathan Dorothy Rood Stickles C. BradfordWelles
Dragomir Nenoff Kermit Roosevelt Nancy Sturdivant Manfred W. Wenner
WilliamJ. M. D. Rothe Ahmed A. Suleiman ElisabethH. West
Nierengarten Marschal D. Rothe, Jr Frank Tachau Keith Wheelock
Mr. and Mrs. Otto B. Rupp Gideon Tadmor Ken R. White
Claude C. Noyes Helen A. Russell Afif Tannous Mary L. Whittington
Martha E. Oelker Dankwart Rustow Hon. John L. Tappin H. C. Wiborgh
Robert F. Ogden William Sands MargaretTarrer CharlesWiesner
Floyd W. Ohliger Richard Sanger Fuad Tellew Donald Wilber
Hugh W. Olds, Jr. Avedis Sanjian RobertW. Thabit Herbert Willett
Ronald S. Ontko Hon. D. S. Saund Donald F. Thaler Murat Williams
Garry Owen Joseph B. Schechtman Thomas F. Thamann Rev. J. Willoughby
William V. Pappas Robert W. Schmidt Philip W. Thayer M. W. Wilmington
Katherine Parker Frank Schork B. E. Thomas Hon. E. C. Wilson
G. L. Parkhurst George D. Selim Betty J. Thomas William A. Withus
G. B. Parkinson Hussein K. Selim Lee S. Thomas L. C. Wright
William K. Parmenter Gordon M. Sessions J. M. Thompson Mrs. Walter L.
W. G. Parr R. D. Sethian Josephine Thompson Wright
Mrs. Nina Peacock Shouky Shaheen Iris Tomasulo Glora M. Wysner
John W. Pendleton Stanford J. Shaw Anto Topali Isam K. Yaktin
Don Peretz Fadlou A. Shehadi Gordon H. Torrey Nicholas Yanowsky
Frances Perry Sidney Sherwood Jean M. Touchette Arthur N. Young
Gene B. Petersen C. L. Sholes James A. Tower ElizabethYoung
E. E. Peterson Benjamin Shwadran W. J. Travers James A. Young
Richard H. Pfaff Morgan Sibbett Charles J. Turck T. Cuyler Young
Charles W. Phillips John H. Sigler K. S. Twitchell Leo V. Zavatone
Wendell Phillips Mrs. F. W. Simonds John A. Unumb R. F. Zeidner
Charles W. Piper T. W. Simons Jack L. Upper Howard M.
Mrs. Robert E. Ploss Angus Sinclair Ruth Van Auken Zimmerman
William Polk Mrs. Ruth Sloan Lloyd K. Vandersall Samir Zoghby
Dalton Potter Mrs. Abbot E. Smith Mary C. Van Pelt

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 Chronology
December16, 1959-March 15, 1960
General
1959
Dec. 17: The AdvisoryCommitteeof the Afro-Asian
EconomicConferencedecided to call for a second
Afro-Asian conference in Cairo in mid-April.
Representativesfrom Japan, Communist China,
Indonesia, India, Iraq, the UAR, Libya, Sudan,
Ghana, Ethiopia, and Pakistan took part in the
conferencewhich began 3 days ago.
Turkey and Greece informedLebanonthat they
do not agree to Israel'sbecominga memberof the
Organizationfor EuropeanEconomicCooperation.
Dec. 18: Major General P. S. Gyani, an Indian
soldier, arrivedin Gaza to take over commandof
the UNEF.
The InternationalPress Institute called on the
free world's newspapersto help expose a "grave
threat to press freedomin Turkey"resulting from
the 15-month sentence passed on Ahman Emin
Yalman.
Dec. 19: Another New York Congressman,Repre-
sentative Victor L. Anfuso (D.), protested the
pending IBRD loan to the UAR for Suez Canal
improvementsbecausesuch action, he said, would
condone President Nasir's "aggressive action
against Israel and approval of his policy of con-
tinued tension in the Middle East."
Dec. 23: The State Departmentdisclosedthat it was
using its influence in Baghdad and Teheran to
persuade both sides to negotiate an amicable
settlementof their dispute in the Shatt al-Arab.
The Arab League "IsraelBoycott"centraloffice
announced the blacklisting of British vessel
Inchstuard, registered at Hong Kong, and the
Danish ship Danholm for "violatingArab boycott
regulations."
Dec. 24: Secretary-General Dag Hammarskjoldwas
reported to have pressed PresidentNasir for the
fourth time for a reply to his query regardingthe
failure of the formula for the passage of Israeli
goods throughthe Suez.
The Iraq Times publisheda report from Caracas
that Shaykh'Abdallahal-Tarikiis makingarrange-
ments for the holding next year of a conferenceof
Middle East oil-producing countries to consider
joint action aimed at increasing these countries'
share of oil profits to conformto Venezuela'soil-
profit sharingformula.
Dec. 28: LieutenantGeneralE. L. M. Burnshanded
173
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over command of the UNEF to Major General
P. S. Gyani.
Britain urged the governmentsof both Iran and
Iraq to use restraintin handling the Shatt al-Arab
borderdispute, it was stated in London.
Dec. 30: Britainwould like to see direct discussions
between Iran and Iraq which could reach some
practicalagreementon their borderdispute, it was
reportedin London.
Iraqwants a postponementof the proposedmeet-
ing in January of the Arab League's economic
council until February,it was officially stated in
Beirut.
1960
Jan. 5: The central committeeof the International
League of Human Rights called on Franceto take
action on the InternationalRed Cross mission re-
port alleging ill-treatment,torture and bad condi-
tions in the Algeriandetentioncamps.
Jan. 8: The secretarygeneral of the Arab League,
'Abd al-Khaliq Hasuna, conferredwith Dr. Mah-
mud Fawzi, about anti-Jewishoutbreaksin many
countries.
Diplomats of nine Arab states boycottedNew
Year diplomaticreceptionsin Bad Godesbergfor
the West Germanpresident,Dr. Heinrich Luebke,
because they objected to the place occupied by
Israel and Finnish representativesin order of
precedence.
Jan. 11: India and Pakistanannouncedthat they had
reachedsubstantialagreementon the alignmentof
their westernborderand the dispositionof security
forces along the boundaryline.
Jan. 14: Nine Africanstates were asked to seek UN
action on chargesthat Algerianwar prisonershave
been torturedor mistreatedby French authorities.
Jan. 15: Pakistanhas refusedto allow Israel to send
an observerto the sixteenth session of the Eco-
nomic Commission for Asia and the Far East
scheduledfor Karachi.
Jan. 17: The UAR has joined Cuba in a decision to
sponsor a conferenceof the underdevelopedcoun-
tries of Latin America,Africa and Asia, to be held
in Havana next September,it was reported in
Cairo.
The UNESCO will launch a world-wideappeal
for funds to safeguardthe Nubian archaeological
sites in the UAR and Sudan,Dr. Vittorino Veron-
ese told a press conferencein Bangkok.
174 THE MIDDLE EAST JOURNAL
Jan. 18: MuhammadSalman, the Director of the
Petroleum Department of the Arab League an-
nounced that Iran, Indonesia, Venezuela, Brazil
and Argentina will be invited to attend the
SecondArab PetroleumConference.
Jan. 20: British officialspreservedsilence on a dis-
closure by Sir Anthony Eden that, three months
before the Suez canal crisis, he told Premier
Khrushchevthat Britain would fight to maintain
her supply of Middle East oil, it was learnedfrom
Sir Anthony'smemoirspublishedin The Times of
London.
Jan. 21: Mr. Dag Hammarskj6ldconferredwith Dr.
Mahmud Fawzi regarding the passage of Israeli
cargoes through the Suez Canal, Israel's declared
intentionto divert the JordanRiver watersand the
revival of the UN PalestineTruce Commission.
Jan. 24: The State Departmenthas instructed its
envoys abroadto protest wheneverforeign govern-
ments discriminateagainst Americanson grounds
of race and religion, an instructionresulting from
congressionalprotestmainly againstArab countries
which have been alleged to have discriminated
against Jewish-Americans.
Jan. 25: General Sir Dudley Ward has been ap-
pointed Commander-in-Chief, British land and air
forces in the Middle East, effective from May, the
Ministryof Defense announcedin London.
[an. 26: President Eisenhowerdisclosed at a press
conference in Washington that he held trans-
Atlantic telephone talks with both Sir Winston
Churchilland Sir AnthonyEden before the Anglo-
Frenchmilitaryinterventionin Suez in 1956 in an
effort to stop that action. He was commentingon
Sir Anthony'smemoirs.
Jan. 27: Americanofficialsworriednot merelyabout
the fate of President de Gaulle's policy of self-
determinationfor Algeria but also about the future
of the Frenchgovernmentitself.
Jan. 28: The Frenchgovernmentorderedits civil and
militarychiefs in Algeria out of Algiers to prevent
their submergenceby the settlers'insurrection.
Jan. 29: British imports of crude oil in 1959 re-
vealed that the Middle East provided almost 80
per cent of the total, 42 per cent from Kuwayt,
16.5 per cent from Iraq, 14.5 per cent from Iran.
13.5 per cent camefrom Venezuela.
Feb. 2: Twenty-fiveAsian, Arab and African states
expressedhope in a letter to Mr. Dag Hammarsk-
jold that France would refrain from conducting
atomictests in the Sahara.
Feb. 3: Presidentde Gaulle was given specialpowers
to rule by decree to meet subversiveresistanceto
his Algerian policy when the National Assembly
voted approval,449 to 79.
Feb. 4: The AmericanJewish Congresssaid that it
would file a protest with the Departmentof Agri-
culture over its stand on an Arab boycott against
Americanships that have tradedor may tradewith
Israel.
Feb. 5: Representativesof 5 Arab states called on
Mr. Dag Hammarskjoldto expresstheir opposition
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to Israeli plans to tap the waters of the Jordan
River for irrigationin the Negev.
The executive head of the UJA appealedto US
Jews to aid refugees in Israel and elsewhere.
Feb. 6: Three Senatorspraised the decision of the
EisenhowerAdministrationto increaseaid to India
and Pakistan.
Feb. 8: The Syrian-Israeliborderclashes topped the
agendaof the opening meetingof the Arab League
Council in Cairo.
Feb. 9: Arabproposalsto cut off JordanRiverwaters
before they reach Israel are being subjectedto a
serious reappraisalby the Arab League Council.
The head of the largest Orthodox rabbinical
group in Americaappealedto AmericanJews "to
break the Arab boycott of Israel by resorting to
similarboycottingmethods."
Feb. 10: The Arab LeagueCouncilpostponedfor the
second time its opening businesssession becauseof
a lack of agreementon the agenda,mainly on the
Palestine problem.
Feb. 11: The Arab League has agreed at a closed
meeting in Cairo on the circumstancesin which
war would be declaredto prevent Israeli attempts
to divertthe JordanRiverwaters.
Feb. 13: The bodies of 5 of the 9 crewmenaboard
the fabled World War II bomberLady Be Good
have been found in the LibyanDesert, the USAF
said.
Feb. 14: The UAR sought to lead Asian-African"in-
dignation and fury" against Francefor her atomic
explosion in the Sahara.
Feb. 18: Secretary General Dag Hammarskjold
warned that the Middle East outlook was "de-
teriorating"and hinted at a need for the Security
Council to considerthe situation.
Feb. 19: The AmericanJewish Congress called on
the Departmentof Agricultureto reject efforts by
the UAR to discriminate against American-fag
ships that had done businesswith Israel.
Feb. 23: Ambassador Vladimir Erofeyev of the
Soviet Union and Dr. Mahmud Fawzi discussed
Middle Easterntensionsduring a long generalcon-
versationon disarmament.The Soviet ambassador
had had similar talks with Mrs. Golda Meir pre-
viously.
Feb. 24: Secretaryof State ChristianHerter has of-
fered Middle Easternleadersnew assuranceof US
support for the Middle Eastern anti-Communist
alliance, it was reportedin Washington.
It was reportedin Colombothat Arab countries
are threatening to apply trade sanctions against
Ceylon in protest against the accreditationof a
Ceyloneseenvoy to Israel.
Feb. 25: The executive head of the Israel Bond
Organizationcalled on AmericanJews to intensify
their investmentin Israel's economicdevelopment.
Feb. 27: PremierDavid Ben-Guriondeclaredthat his
nation would require greater economic aid from
AmericanJews "to achievepeace and security"and
accommodateadditionalimmigrants.
Mar. 2: An AgricultureDepartmentofficial said it
was "no concern" of the governmentthat ships
 CHRONOLOGY
carryingAmericansurplus food to Arab countries
were barredfrom tradingwith Israel.
Mar. 3: SecretaryGeneral Dag Hammarskj6ldsaid
that the last fortnight had seen a temporaryim-
provementin the critical situation in the Middle
East.
Mar. 5: The sixth conferenceof the Arab League
EconomicCouncil was opened in Cairo.
Mar. 7: Ten Arab envoys jointly expressedto Secre-
tary of State ChristianHertertheir "deep concern"
over the visit to the US next week of Premier
David Ben-Gurion.
Mar. 8: SecretaryGeneral Dag Hammarksjbldsent
a message to Dr. Vittorino Veronese, UNESCO
Director General, on the occasion of the opening
of an internationalcampaignto save ancientmonu-
ments of the Nubian Valley.
Mar. 9: The 16th session of the UNEC for Asia and
the Far East opened in Bangkok with delegates
from Afghanistan,Iran and Pakistanattending,as
well as from Asian and Far East countries, the
US, the USSR and the UK.
Mar. 10: A plan under which Arab countrieswould
set aside 5 per cent of their oil revenues for an
Arab developmentfund was shelved following its
rejectionby Saudi Arabiaat the ArabLeaguemeet-
ing in Cairo.
Mar. 13: Plans for the establishmentof an Arab-
owned oil pipeline companywere ratified at the
concluding session of the Arab League economic
council meeting.
Mar. 14: Eight countriesin Africa-Libya, Morocco,
Sudan, Tunisia, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guinea and
Liberia-had madea joint writtenprotestto France
against "past and future" atomic tests in the
Saharadesert, diplomaticsourcesin Paris revealed.
Mar. 15: Twenty-two African and Asian nations
asked Mr. Dag Hammarskj6ldto convenea special
session of the General Assemblyto look into the
questionof Frenchatomic tests. Officialssaid that
a poll from all delegationswould be takento estab-
lish the requiredmajorityof 42 in favor of sum-
moning such a session.
Aden
(See also, Yemen)
1960
Jan. 14: It was learnedin Aden that discussionsbe- 1959
tween PetroleumConcessionsLimited and the two Dec. 22: Three persons were killed and 8 injured
EasternProtectoratesultanates,Qu'aiti and Kathiri,
will be resumedthis week on the arrivalof Sayyid
SamirShamma.
Jan. 25: Sir William Luce, governor of Aden, told
the legislative council that it was his intention to Dec. 24: MarshalSardarShah MahmudKhan Ghazi,
maintainimprovedrelationswith Yemen.
Jan. 26: Mr. William J. Taylor,parliamentary under-
secretaryof state at the British air ministry who Dec. 31: The editor of The Daily Islah has been
has been investigatingcomplaintsabout service ac-
commodationsin Aden, said that they were "grossly
exaggerated."
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175
Jan. 27: It was announcedthat Sir William Luce
will retire in August of this year.
Feb. 3: A BPC spokesmansaid in Aden that the
companyhad been compelledto close down all its
refineryplants at Aden and cease operationsfor an
indefinite period following a strike by refinery
workersover working conditions.
Feb. 10: 'Amir Mahmudbin AydarusAl Afifi was
recognizedby the British governmentas the new
Sultanof LowerYafa'i.
Feb. 11: Sultan Fahd bin 'Ali of Lahj, this month's
chairmanof the federal supreme council, who is
also federaldefenseministerand adviseron foreign
affairs, announcedthat three more Western Pro-
tectoratestates, Lower Aulaqi Sultanate,Dathina
confederationand Aqrabi shaykhdomhad joined
the federation.
Feb. 17: Twenty-six Palestinianworkers were dis-
missed from the BPC and repatriatedto a refugee
camp in Lebanon because of their ties with the
Adeneseworkers.
Feb. 19: Despite a statement by a BPC refinery
spokesmanthat "so far no basis for a resumption
of negotiationshas been discussedwith the union,"
'AbdallahAsnaj, SecretaryGeneralof the Adenese
Trade Union Congress,said that the management
had agreed to open negotiations with the union
throughthe mediationof Serge Clavere,Area Sec-
retary of the InternationalConfederationof Free
TradeUnions.
Feb. 25: Negotiations between the Qu'aiti and Ka-
thiri Sultanates and the Petroleum Concessions
Limited,on the company'sdraft oil agreementfor
the Thamud region, have reached deadlock, it
was learned.
Twelve-year-oldMahmud bin Aydrus Al Afifi
was crownedthe elected Sultan of Lower Yafa'i.
Mar. 4: The five-weekold strike by the 1,600 work-
ers of BP's Aden Refineryis still going on, and
fears are mounting that other trade unions may
soon decide to go on strike in support of the re-
finery workers,the Cairo daily al-Jumhuriyahan-
nounced.
Afghanistan
(See also, General, Pakistan)
when the police and securityforces disperseddem-
onstratorsin Kandahar. The Ministry of the In-
terior blamed the incident to "seditiouselements"
who wanted to evade paymentof overduetaxes.
former Premierand Defense Minister, died at the
age of 73.
dismissedfor writing in a biographyof President
Eisenhowerthat the NATO is a free world weapon
against communism,it was reportedin Karachi.
176 THE MIDDLE EAST JOURNAL

1960 cabinet of the ProvisionalAlgerian Government.

Jan. 11: A contractwhereby Soviet technical assist-
ants will be made availablefor the constructionof
a 430-mile highwayfrom Kushkato Kandaharwas
signed.
Jan. 19: No trace of a Soviet airlinermissing since
December 13 with 29 persons aboard has been
found. It was on its way to Kabul from Tashkent.
A $22,400,000 Soviet-Afghan agreement pro-
viding for Soviet technicaland financialaid under
the country'sfive-yearconstructionplan was signed
in Kabul. It will help financethe Jalalabadirri-
gation and power project on the Kabul River in
east Afghanistan.
Jan. 20: The USSR will build a hydro-electricsta-
tion in the Naghlu area, north of Sarobi, it was
announcedin conjunctionwith the contractsigned
in Kabul.
Jan. 25: Reports reaching Karachiindicateda con-
tinued deteriorationof the situation in Kandahar
province where the army has taken over in an
attempt to suppress pro-Soviet policies of the
Afghan Government.
Feb. 1: The Ministerof Public Works, Mr. Muham-
mad Kabir, arrived in Prague to discuss ways of
promotingeconomicrelationsbetweenAfghanistan
and Czechoslovakia.
Feb. 27: Foreign Minister MuhammadNa'im said
that he looked forward to the visit in Kabul of
Premier Khrushchev "as another step toward
strengtheningthe friendship and good relations
between our two countries." Economic develop-
ment was the intimatedmain topic of discussion.
Mar. 2: PremierKhrushchevarrivedin Kabul.
Mar. 3: PremierKhrushchevinspectedtwo Soviet-aid
projectsand conferredfor two hours with Premier
MuhammadDa'ud.
Mar. 5: Tass reportedthat PremierKhrushchevand
Afghan leaders have issued a joint communique
on Afghanistan's border troubles with Pakistan
which called for a solution of the problemunder 1960
the UN Charter'sprinciples of self-determination.
Mar. 6: In response to an urgent appeal from the Jan. 2: Contraryto the wishes for early peace that
Afghan government, the Soviet Governmentan-
nounceda gift of 50,000 tons of wheat to alleviate
currentshortages.
Mar. 7: Premier MuhammadDa'ud Khan said he
did not understandwhy some Westernnewspapers
labeled Afghanistan as Communistfor accepting Jan. 4: French forces killed 82 rebels and captured
Soviet aid. He added that his nation needed aid
urgentlyand was willing to acceptassistancefrom
all countriesprovidedno strings were attached.
Algeria
(See also, General,Libya,Tunisia)
1959
Dec. 16: 'Abd al-Karim al-Khattabisaid that the
current meeting of insurgent Algerian leaders in Jan. 9: A vigilance movement among Algeria's
Tripoli, Libya, might lead to a reshuffleof the
Dec. 17: Al-Libi said that the presentmeeting of the
Algerian leadersin Tripoli would discuss develop-
ments of the Algerian problem after the UN dis-
cussions and steps to be taken in the militaryand
politicalfields.
Dec. 19: Algerian political and military leaders, ac-
cordingto al-Massawill discuss during their pres-
ent meeting the possibility of moving the head-
quartersof the Algerian Provisional Government
from Cairoto Tripoli.
Dec. 22: It was reportedin Cairothat a shake-upof
the Algerian Provisional Government has put
rebel militaryleadersin all top posts.
Observersin Paris were skeptical about the re-
ported shake-up saying that even if the reports
were true, "their meaning was open to contra-
dictoryconclusions."
Dec. 23: It was reportedin Paris that independent
observersin close touch with the Algerian nation-
alist organizationsin West Germanyand Tunisia
tended to corroborateaccounts of an important
shift of power within the Algerian Provisional
Government.
Dec. 24: Two personswere killed and 41 wounded
in Algiers when a bomb exploded in front of one
of the city's leading departmentstores, which was
crowdedwith Christmasshoppers.
Dec. 29: Francewill spend the equivalentof nearly
$140 million in public funds next year for indus-
trialization and power development in Algeria,
accordingto the Cabinetof Paul Delouvrier.
French forces foiled three attemptsby Algerian
nationalists to send reinforcementsfrom Tunisia
into the interiorof Algeria.
Dec. 31: General Maurice Challe declaredthat the
nationalist rebels, having seen their best units
broken up during 1959, had decided to concen-
trate on "blind terrorism."
formedthe themeof almostall officials'new Year's
statements, the overwhelming majority of Euro-
peans and Muslims in Algeria do not believe that
the fightingbetweenthe Frenchand the rebelswill
end in 1960, it was reportedin Algiers.
38 duringthe first two days of 1960, FrenchArmy
Headquartersannounced.
Jan. 5: The French governmentseized copies of 4
newspapersin France and Algeria because they
published commentarieson the InternationalRed
Cross Committee'srecent report on conditions in
Frenchprison campsin Algeria which was critical
of signs of continuedtorture and brutalityin the
prisoncamps.
Jan. 6: Frenchtroops killed 121 rebels and captured
40 in Algeria, French military headquarterssaid.
Frenchsettlersstiffenedaftera series of spectacular

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 CHRONOLOGY
guerilla attacksin Algiers and the vicinity.
Paris Jour stated that PremierKhrushchevwas
expected to visit the Hassi Mas'ud oilfield on
March 20. French officials have refused either to
confirmor deny this report.
Jan. 12: French authorities in Algiers seized for
the second time, the Paris newspaper Parisien Jan. 24: Censorshipwas put on all news communi-
Libere on its arrivalon accountof a communiqu6
urging formationof "defensegroups" throughout
Algeria.
Jan. 13: Three Paris newspapers,Le Populaire (So-
cialist) La Croix (Catholic), and Information
(financial) were seized on their arrival in Algiers
because they contained referencesto the commu-
niqu6 of two days ago.
Jan. 14: It was announcedin Paris that President
Charles de Gaulle will hold a special conference
with the Cabinet Ministers and high civil and
militaryauthoritiesdirectlyconcernedwith Algeria Jan. 25: The armycommandin Algiers was reported
on January22.
Jan. 19: The Algerian ProvisionalGovernmentan-
nounced its reshufflewith the following member-
ship:
Prime Minister ............... Farhat'Abbas
Deputy Prime Minister...... Ahmad bin Balla
Minister of State.......... Husayn bin Ahmad
Deputy PrimeMinisterand
Foreign Minister .......... Karim Bilqasim
Minister of State ............... RabahBatat
Ministerof State .......... MuhammadBudi'af
Ministerof State ......... MuhammadKhaydar
Minister of State........... Sa'id Muhammadi Jan. 26: "Colons,"membersof Right-wingsettlers'
Social Affairsand
Culture..............
'Abd al-HamidMahdi
Armamentsand
Communications ........ 'Abd al-HafizBussuf
Finance and Economy......... Ahmad Francis
Information............... MuhammadYazid
Interior............... Akhdar bin Tubal
Jan. 21: Major GeneralJacquesMassu was believed Jan. 27: Presidentde Gaulle stood firmon his policy
to be facing dismissal from his posts as military
and civil commanderof the Algiers region, it was
reportedin Paris.
Organizationsof Right-wing Europeans,known
in Algiers as "ultras"or "activists,"belaboredthe Jan. 29: The Frencharmytook the first step toward
Frenchgovernmentand Presidentde Gaulle in con-
certed moves to arouse popular opinion and influ-
ence decisions of the president in communiques
they issued in Algiers, it was reportedin Algiers.
Jan. 22: A communiqueissued after President de
Gaulle met with CabinetMinisters and other offi-
cials connectedwith the Algerianproblemreviewed
the results of their action during 1959 and stated
that the government"will take without delay the
necessarymeasuresto introduce exceptional legal
proceduressuitable to the circumstancesfor the
more rapid repression of attacks and terrorism."
It also announcedthat President de Gaulle will
177
visit Algeria on February5 for an inspectiontour.
Major General JacquesMassu was dismissed.
Right-wingstudentsin Paris staged a miniature
version of the Algerianuprisingas they barricaded
themselvesinside the Sorbonne'sFacultyof Law in
the LatinQuarter.
cations in Algeria at the same time that the city
was placedundera state of siege.
Among the organizationsdemonstratingin Al-
giers today was Young Nation, a Fascist, ultra-
nationalistgroup. Its programis the end of the
republic, restorationof the empire and dictator-
ship.
ArmedEuropeandemonstrators opposedto Presi-
dent de Gaulle's policies clashed with French
gendarmes,leaving 19 persons dead and 141 in-
jured.
to have tanks and armoredcars in the outskirtsof
the city. On the insurgent side, newsmen were
permittedto join the rebels but not to leave them.
In a special radio broadcastto Algeria, Presi-
dent de Gaulle firmly denouncedthe outbreaksas
a "bad blow against France"in Algeria and de-
claredthat "I will do my duty."
It was reported in Paris that France remained
outwardlycalm amid numeroussigns that the pop-
ulation was behind President de Gaulle's efforts
to uphold the power of the state.
Premier Michel Debre flew to Algiers to take
charge of the French government'sefforts to re-
store order.
organizations,paradedand demonstratedin Oran,
Bone, Constantine,Sidi Bel Abbes, Blida, Tiaret,
Tlemcenand Orleansville. A mob of severalthou-
sand in Oran milled in the streets, many of them
with weapons.
The de Gaulle-Algeriasplit widened and it was
reportedthat the army seemed to back the insur-
gents. MeanwhilePremierMichel Debre appealed
to the people to end the revolt.
and the FrenchCabinetwas reportedto be divided.
French Delegate General Paul Delouvrier called
on Europeansand Muslimsto rally to the support
of Presidentde Gaulle.
ending the revolt when home guardsmen were
ordered to reorganize their companies and sub-
units at once.
The Provisional Governmenttold the Algerian
Muslim population to stay aloof from the French
in the turmoilin Algeria.
Most of the major French political parties
banded together behind Presidentde Gaulle, with
the exception of the powerful Right-wing Inde-
pendent party, whose National Council adopted a
motion endorsing the European insurgents in
Algeria.
Presidentde Gaulle orderedthe Frencharmyto

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178 THE MIDDLE EAST JOURNAL
restore peace in Algeria when he spoke over tele-
vision and radio.
Jan. 30: Europeaninsurgentscontinuedto defy Pres-
ident de Gaulle's policy when they burstthrougha
cordon of paratroopersin Algiers.
President de Gaulle and his governmentwere
reportedto be on alert as the dissidencecontinued.
Jan. 31: Freshtroops from Francearrivedin Algeria
and developmentsindicated that the insurrection
was nearcollapse.
Feb. 1: The Europeanuprising in Algiers collapsed,
with one of its leaders in flight, another facing
prosecutionand a third "out of sight."
Feb. 2: The French Cabinet called Parliamentinto
session to ask it to give the governmentpower to
legislate by decree on the Algerian question.
More than 300 of the European militants in
Algiers left the Foreign Legion they had joined
and went backhome.
A bomb believed to have been planted by Mus-
lim nationalists blew up a bus in Constantine
injuringseven persons.
Feb. 4: An investigationof the insurrectionbegan
and a Fascistpolitical leader,an armycolonel and
a newspaperpublisher have been confined,it was
learned in Algiers.
In Paris, the Senate, by a vote of 225 to 39
completed the granting of sweeping powers to
President de Gaulle to enforce his Algerian pro-
gramand combatsubversion.
France pressed sanctions against army officers
and political organizationsin Algiers, 40 officers
have been sent to quartersor are being transferred
to new posts or sent into retirement;Paul Del-
ouvrierorderedthe dissolutionof 6 political organ-
izations that had played key roles in the insurrec-
tion.
Feb. 5: Eleven persons including 4 colonels have
been arrested and removed from their posts, re-
spectively,as the political house-cleaningin Algiers
continued.
The AlgerianProvisionalGovernmentannounced
in Tunis the appointmentof a general staff to
conduct military operationsagainst the French in
Algeria. It also announcedin a communiquefrom
its headquartersthe appointmentof a general staff
chief, but did not namehim.
French forces killed 150 Muslim insurgentsand
captured65 in Algeria in two days, a Frencharmy
spokesmanannounced.
Feb. 6: Three key Ministers in the Frenchgovern-
ment arrivedin Algiers amid reportsthat they had
instructionsfrom Presidentde Gaulle to pave the
way for far-reachingreorganizationof the army,
civil administrationand judiciaryin Alegria.
Feb. 8: Alain de Serigny,publisherof L'Echod' Alger,
was sent to BarberroussePrison. He was charged
with making an attempt on the internal security
of the state.
Feb. 9: New appointeestook over as attorneygen-
eral and directorof police for Algeria and police
commissionerfor Algiers. Major General Jacques
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Faure,commanderof FrenchforcesfightingMuslim
nationalistsin the mountainsof Kabylia,has been
removedfrom his commandand orderedto return
to Paris while Major Victor Sapin-Ligni&re,com-
mander of the Algiers Home Guard, was sent to
prison.
Feb. 10: The Home Guardwas abolished.
Feb. 11: Algerian nationalistleaders in Tunis view
the house-cleaningby Presidentde Gaulle in the
French army and among civilians as an essential
move towardpeacein Algeria.
Feb. 12: Algerian nationalistsreportedin Cairo that
their troops killed 129 French soldiers and
wounded49 in 4 battles on February8.
The AlgerianNational LiberationFrontwill call
for peace talks with the FrenchGovernmentnext
week, but will limit them to "technical"questions
about how self-determinationis to be applied and
how freedom of campaigning and voting in a
referendum can be guaranteed, an authoritative
sourcein Tunis said.
Feb. 13: Three French officers were killed when
their unit of Muslim troops were ambushedby a
rebel band near Bougie.
Feb. 14: President Charles de Gaulle took over
direct control of Algerian affairs by setting up a
Cabinetcommitteeto deal with policy for Algeria
with himself as the head.
It was reportedin Algiers that the possibilityof
cease-fire talks has created new tension among
Europeansthere and high Frenchofficialsexpressed
more concernabout the attitude of the army than
about the possible reaction of conservativeEuro-
peans.
Feb. 15: ConservativeEuropeanswere gloating over
reports that the French army was obstructingthe
arrestof two leadingfiguresin the insurrection.
Feb. 16: Three Algerian nationalistswere sentenced
to death for the murderof an 18-year-oldAlgerian
and the attemptedkilling of his uncle at Grenoble,
France,it was reportedin Lyons.
Feb. 17: Presidentde Gaulle, it was reported,was
offended by certainremarksin a statementby the
head of the Algerian Provisional Government,
particularlywith the remarkthat "without doubt
colonial order has been re-establishedin Algiers."
The Europeansof Algiers describedas "propa-
ganda" an invitation by Farhat'Abbas to rally to
the causeof Algerianindependence.
Feb. 18: In an article in L'Express,Pierre Mendes-
Francehas urgedimmediatetalks with the Algerian
rebels on a "cease-fireand the conditionsfor ap-
plying self-determination" in Algeria.
Feb. 21: Forty-fourpersonswere killed in an earth-
quakeat Melouza and nearly 100 were injured.
Feb. 22: Rescue teams of the French army dug in
the ruins of the villages of Melouza and Beni
Illmane in search for more victims of the earth-
quake.
The French army reported that 493 nationalist
rebel fighters were killed and 240 taken prisoner
in combatlast week.
 CHRONOLOGY
Feb. 23: The police and army forces looked among
Europeanextremistsin Algiers for the perpetrators
of a bombing attack in which several downtown
storeswere heavilydamaged.
Feb. 24: The Frenchpolice allowed only those with
exit permits delivered by local authoritiesin Al-
geria to leave the country; travelers with visas
issued in France were prevented from boarding
planes.
Three Algerian nationalistchiefs and a number
of Frenchmensuspectedof aiding the Muslimrebel
movementhave been arrestedin Paris.
Feb. 25: Presidentde Gaulle called on the Algerian
rebels to stop fighting and join other Algerians
in preparingfor self-determination.
Feb. 26: For the third time in 5 days leafletsurging
citizens to form "secret cells" and "be ready for
action" were found in letter boxes throughout
Algiers in an effort by the Europeanextremiststo
campaignfor a secondround in their battle against
Presidentde Gaulle.
Feb. 28: Six Muslims, condemnedfor acts of terror-
ism, were executedby militaryfiring squads,it was
announced.
Feb. 29: The AlgerianNational LiberationFrontwill
send a peace delegation to Paris if President de
Gaulle is ready to discuss guarantees of self-
determination,Farhat 'Abbas was interpretedto
say in Tunis.
Mar. 2: President Eisenhower was authoritatively
reported to have suggested to President Habib
Bourguibathat a temporarytruce in the Algerian
war might serve to get peace talks under way.
Mar. 3: Presidentde Gaulle was reportedto have
declaredthat the Algerian problem would not be
settled for a long time and that no solution was
possible without the final victory of the French
army.
Mar. 4: It was reportedin Algiers that Presidentde
Gaulle had said that he opposed the integration
of Algeria and France as strongly as he opposed
"secession."
Mar. 5: Presidentde Gaulle predictedin effect that
the Algeria of the future would be a separate
territorymaintainingclose ties with France.
Mar. 7: President de Gaulle called on the Muslim
rebels to join other Algerians in establishingan
Algerian polity linked to France.
Mar. 10: It was reportedin Paris that Presidentde
Gaulle's supporters on the political Left and
Center are showing signs of disillusionmentas a
result of his failure to end the Algerian war
quickly.
Mar. 12: Leaflets distributed in various parts of
Algiers by Europeanextremistscontinue to assail
President de Gaulle despite the stiffening of his
policy.
Mar. 14: The Provisional Algerian Government
charged that Presidentde Gaulle had "closed the
door on negotiationand peace"in the five-year-old
Algerian rebellion.
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179
Cyprus
(See also, General, Turkey)
1959
Dec. 19: A controversialbill setting forth arrange-
ments for the forthcomingparliamentary electionin
Cypruswas published. It provides for six multi-
member constituencies,Nicosia being the largest,
with 12 Greek membersand 5 Turkish members.
The communitieswill ballot separatelyand each
citizen will vote for severalcandidates,accordingto
numberof vacanciesin his constituency.
Dec. 29: The deadlockedquestion of British mili-
tary bases in Cyprus,agreed upon only in general
in the LondonConvention,was discussedby Zenon
Rossides and GovernorSir Hugh Foot in Nicosia.
Dec. 31: The electoralbill was formallyenactedby
the government.
1960
Jan. 2: A communiquereleased by the Democratic
Union Party condemnedthe electoral law which
"deprives a strong section of the people of the
right to be representedat the legislative bodies."
Jan. 5: It was officiallyannouncedin Nicosia that
elections for Cyprus' first House of Representa-
tives would take place February7 and electionsfor
the Greek Cypriotand TurkishCypriotCommunal
Chambers,February10.
Jan. 11: An electoralagreementwas reachedbetween
Archbishop Makarios' Patriotic Front and the
AKEL party whereby the AKEL will be given 5
of 35 Greek seats in the House of Representatives
and 3 of 21 seats in the Greek communalchamber
in exchangefor not contestingthe electionsfor the
two chambers.
Jan. 13: ArchbishopMakariosarrivedin Londonfor
a ministerialconferenceon the treaties and agree-
ments under which the colony will become inde-
pendent.
Jan. 16: ArchbishopMakarios pressed Britain for
furthercuts in the size of the Britishmilitarybases
when he spoke at a "crash"conferencein London
to speed up final arrangementsfor independence.
Lieutenant-General GeorgeGrivassaid in Athens
that Cyprus' adherenceto the British Common-
wealth should be ruled out as "nationally in-
admissible and economicallydetrimental."
Jan. 18: Independencefor Cyprushas been postponed
a month because of differencesover the size and
natureof two militaryenclavesscheduledto remain
under British rule.
Jan. 20: It was announced,after Foreign Secretary
Selwyn Lloyd expressed confidence that Cyprus
would be independentby March 19, that British
and Cypriot leaders agreed that the associationof
Cyprus with the Commonwealthmust be left for
considerationby the CypriotHouse of Representa-
tives after independence.
Jan. 25: Informal talks on Cyprus are expected to
end, it was learnedin London.
180 THE MIDDLE EAST JOURNAL

Jan. 26: ArchbishopMakariosdelayed his departure vides that Britain will have 80 square miles in-
from London to continue his discussions with stead of 120 which will have to be signed by
Foreign SecretarySelwyn Lloyd because,according Britain.
to diplomats,unless he reachedagreementwith the Feb. 22: Under-Secretary for Colonial Affairs Julian
British now, the independenceof Cyprus might Amery left for Nicosia for furthertalks.
be postponeduntil late this spring. Financialaid Feb. 23: A few minutes after Mr. Julian Amery's
was the planned topic for further discussions,it arrival at the house of the Mayor of Paphos, a
was reported. bomb was hurled at the house damaging only
Jan. 27: The British Army removeda huge teetering windows and furniture.
rock that had threatenedto demolishthe village of Feb. 29: An agreementhas been reached by Mr.
Karmi. Julian Amery and Cypriotleaders on the question
Jan. 30: Disagreementon the size of militarybases of training areas for British troops outside their
stalemated the London talks and Archbishop bases.
Makariosdeclared on his departurefrom London Mar. 6: Two Turkishdelegatesto the Constitutional
that "Cyprusshould continue to be a single eco- Commissionarrived in Nicosia to start work on
nomic and administrativeunit." He described the Constitution.
"adherenceto this principle"as "essential." Mar. 10: Talks on certain issues "specificallyre-
Feb. 1: Foreign SecretarySelwyn Lloyd indicatedto served for discussion with the representativesof
the House of Commonsthat Britain had gone as Greece and Turkey" were "successful,"a com-
far as possible in her negotiations with Cyprus muniqu6from Nicosia reported.
officials.
Feb. 3: Archbishop Makarios submitted counter-
proposalsto the British plan for administrationof
Ethiopiaand the Somalilands
the two military bases Britain will retain in the (See also, General, Saudi Arabia)
island. There were no details given, but it is be- 1959
lieved that he asked for more specific guarantees
only with referenceto administration,not to the Dec. 18: An agreementbetween Ethiopia and the
size of the bases. Dr. Fazil Kuchuk expressed USSR provides for the use of a Soviet credit of
agreementto them. 400 million rubles and an expansion of export
Feb. 7: A Communist-inspired protestmeetingagainst trade betweenthe two countries,it was announced.
British bases in Cyprus held in a village near Dec. 31: EmperorHaile Selassie left for a week's
Dhekelia was boycottedby the Greek Right wing visit to the Sudanand a trip to Saudi Arabia.
and Turkish Cypriots.
Feb. 9: The House of Commonsmet for an emer- 1960
gency debate on the independenceissue. The gov- Jan. 17: After a 24-hourvisit in Addis Ababa,UN
ernment and Labor Opposition clashed over the SecretaryGeneralDag Hammarskjoldleft for Eri-
cause of the deadlockand ways to get the negotia- trea to discuss with Emperor Haile Selassie the
tions in gear again. The Labor party backed off status of the federationof Eritreawith Ethiopia.
from plans to force a vote on the issue. Jan. 29: Emperor Haile Selassie appealed to the
ArchbishopMakariossaid in Nicosia he would leadersof the big powers to keep the governments
take no new initiative to break the deadlockover of lesser powers "fully informed"on their discus-
the British bases. sions during exchangesof visits and at the coming
Feb. 10: After Laborsuccessfullymovedthe adjourn- summit conference.
ment of the House of Commons to debate the In an interview at his palace, the Emperorsaid
breakdownof the Cyprusnegotiations,the Defense he had offered "full cooperation" to Premier
Minister, Mr. Watkinson, declared that no more 'Abdallah'Isa of Somaliawhich is soon to become
major concessionscould be made on the question independentof UN trusteeship.
of the British bases. Feb. 5: Premier 'Abdallah'Isa pleaded for an end
British Colonial Under-SecretaryJulian Amery of the "misguidedpessimism"about the future of
flew home from Nicosia after his departureearlier Somalia and sought US, British and Italian finan-
in the day was postponed by a series of un- cial aid.
scheduledtalks with Dr. Fazil Kuchuk. Feb. 28: The Governorof British Somaliland,Sir
Feb. 12: Contraryto the previous offer of only 36 Douglas Hall, has appointed 4 ministers in the
square miles for the bases, it is reported that new LegislativeCouncil on the recommendation of
Cypriotleadersare readyto let Britainhave about the Somali National League. The League won 20
80 squaremiles. of the 33 elected seats in the elections this month
The Foreign Office denied that Britainwas pre- and the Somalipartywon 12. The other seat went
pared to accept about 80 square miles instead of to the National Union Front.
120. Mar. 5: It was reportedin Addis Ababa that Em-
Feb. 14: Authoritativesources said that Archbishop peror Haile Selassie is watching the forthcoming
Makarios, Dr. Fazil Kuchuk and Governor Sir summit conferencewith great interest because he
Hugh Foot had signed an agreementwhich pro- believes that the fate of small countriesis tied up

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 CHRONOLOGY 181

with the decision of the great powers. Dec. 29: At Rawalpindi,Premier Eghbal said that
Mar 7: Dr. Billy Graham felt briefly ill halfway Iran would fight back with "all her might" and
through a 90-minutemeeting with PatriarchBasi- seek assistancefrom her allies if she were attacked
lios and three bishops of the Ethiopian Coptic by Iraq.
church, but he recoveredwell enough to say he The Iranian Government,confidentof its legal
would be able to conducthis first service at Haile position, held open the door to negotiationof the
Selassie stadium. disputedborder.
Mar. 9: Dr. Billy Grahamended his two-daycrusade
amid heavy rains. Ethiopians and hundreds of 1960
foreign residents attendedthe meetings.
Jan. 1: The Shah put before Parliamenta bill to
reduce the landholdingsof absenteelandlordsand
Iran to createa class of peasantsand small farmerswho
will own the soil they till. The bill carries the
(See also, General,Iraq,Jordanand Pakistan) promise of a revolution in the way of life in
40,000 to 50,000 villages.
1959 Jan. 2: Lawyersfor a USAF major imprisonedin
Dec. 16: Iranianfrontierguardshave been reinforced Iran for a trafficdeath a year ago are appealing
along the Iraqi bordernear the disputed Shatt al- against his sentence.
Arab area following a shooting incident. Special Jan. 3: Iran alleged that an attemptedIraqi aggres-
precautions also have been taken to protect the sion on the borderhad resulted in the killing of
Abadan oil refinery. Iranian frontier settlers and the immigration of
Dec. 17: The Iranian Majlis accused General 'Abd 9,000 Iraniannationalsfrom Iraq.
al-KarimQasim of adopting an aggressivepolicy Iran formallylaid claim to half of the Shatt al-
towards Iran after the shooting incident in the Arab, the Foreign Ministry statementasserted.
disputed borderarea. Jan. 8: Queen Farahmade her first appearanceat a
Dec. 20: Shah MuhammadRiza Pahlevi declared women's movementmeeting in Teheranand heard
that Iran would defend its "integrityand rights" a resolution demanding equal rights for Iranian
in the borderdisputewith Iraq. women.
Dec. 21: Mechanized units of Iranian artillery, Jan. 11: A clash between several hundred students
armored cars and tanks were sent to the Iraqi and policemenin Teheranover high school grades
border. resulted in the injury of 62 personsand the arrest
The Shah took a 21-year-oldcommoner,Farah of 100 "troublemakers."
Diba, as his third queen in a marriageceremonyin Jan. 12: The Governmentdeclared that it would
Teheran. take strong measuresagainst furtherdisorderslike
Dec. 22.' The Shah interruptedhis honeymoonto the student riot yesterday.
confer with his War Minister and other officials Jan. 14: PremierEghbal, in a speech to the Majlis,
as the borderdisputeworsens. chargedthat the Communistshad helped to incite
Dec. 25: The Teheranradio attackedGeneral 'Abd the student riots.
al-Karim Qasim as a "Red servant of black im- Jan. 16: Ardeshir Zahedi, son-in-law of the Shah,
perialism." has been proposedas new IranianAmbassadorto
Dec. 26: One hundredIraqis were reportedto have the US, it was reportedin Teheran.
clashed with Iraqi guards while trying to flee into Jan. 17: It was reportedthat while most thoughtful
Iran. Four of them were killed along with one Iraniansagree with the vast public works program
guard. and a series of reform laws proposedby the Gov-
Dec. 27: Officials appearedto be soft-pedalingthe ernment,the pace of their execution and the lack
martial aspects of the border disputes in spite of of able administrationhinderedtheir progress.
civilian demonstrationsand troop movementsfrom Jan. 19: While the US was praised for the aid she
Iranianborderpoints. The armychief of informa- is giving Iran in the reformprogram,she was also
tion, Colonel Gulbadi,declaredthat militaryactivi- criticizedfor the slow pace of the reform.
ties in the area is a result of "routinemaneuvers." Jan. 20: New regulationshave been announcedre-
The US and Britain have advised Iran to use lating to four new categoriesof goods which may
moderationin dealing with Iraq over the disputed only be imported under ICA procurementpro-
border territory,informed sources announced. cedure, as follows: a) tires and inner tubes, b)
Premier Eghbal said at a news conference in cotton and woolen thread, yarns and materials,
Lahore that he did not believe the Soviet Union c) lorries, jeeps, automobilesup to 1,700 kilos,
was behind Iran's current border dispute with buses, chassis, engines and spares, and d) iron,
Iraq. cast iron and steel, wires, nails, etc., tin plate,
Dec. 28: Securityofficials at Abadan said that Iran metal pipes, etc.
has converteda section of the border near there Jan. 27: The following depths have been reachedby
into a "military fortress" and while scarcelyany the explorationdrilling operations:SIRIP offshore
military movement can be seen in Abadan and well, 7,160 ft. with last casing at 6,360 ft.;
Khorramshahr, high tension prevailed. SIRIP well at Sequta in Zagros agreementarea,

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182 THE MIDDLE EAST JOURNAL

1,263 ft. with last casing at 298 ft.; IPAC offshore petrochemicalindustries should be established as
well, 10,206 ft. with last casing at 8,515 ft. rapidly as possible and naturalgas should be used
Feb. 7: The Iranian Supreme Court rejected the in these industries.
verdict of a branchof the Criminal Court which Dec. 24: Ian Colvin, The Daily Telegraph'sspecial
had sentencedUSAF Major Donald Bourketo jail correspondent,reported from Iraq that General
and grantedhim a new trial. 'Abd al-KarimQasim's four-year?390,000,000 de-
Feb. 9: Engineers have just completed pulling a velopment plan is causing concern among min-
submarinepipeline into place betweenGanawehon isterial officials because of the high cost of the
the Iranianmainlandto Kharg Island. This is the plan in relationto estimatedrevenues.
key piece in a new 30-inch pipeline running 100 Dec. 25: Accordingto the Etelaat,Soviet oil experts
miles from new oil fields in Gach Saranto a new began building an offshore drilling platform in
offshore loading terminal under constructionon the Persian Gulf following the Soviet-Iraqioil
Kharg Island. agreementa week ago.
Feb. 14: It was announcedin Teheranthat the con- Dec. 26: Fifty-sevenpersonswere broughtbeforethe
cession granted to the Canadian firm Sapphire People's Military Court in Baghdad to face
Petroleumto explore for oil on the Iraniancoast charges of complicityin an October 7 attemptto
near the straits of Hormuz would be cancelled assassinateGeneral 'Abd al-KarimQasim. In his
unless the companydrilled its first well within 4 indictment, Majid Muhammad Amin, the Iraqi
months. The companywould also forfeit its de- prosecutor-general,accused the Shah of Iran,
posit of $350,000 in an Iranianbank. PresidentNasir and King Husayn, by saying that
Feb. 19: The IBRD approveda loan equivalentto they were "threateningthe Governmentand people
US$42 million to Iran for a multipurposeproject of Iraq."
on the Dez River for electric power generation, Dec. 27: Iraq and the Soviet Union signed a tech-
irrigation,and flood controlin KhuzistanProvince. nical-trainingagreement whereby the latter will
Feb. 27: Court authoritiesdenied reportsthat Queen assist in setting up 10 big centers for training
Farahwas expectinga baby. Iraqis in the fields of radio, telecommunications,
May. 11: General elections based on a two-party oil, agriculture, machinery,river transport, elec-
system were held. The two contestingparties are tricity, metal sheet cutting, road-buildingmachin-
Mellyoun (Nationalists), the majority party led ery and air communication.
by Dr. Eghbal, and Mardom (People) the opposi- Two students testified in the People's Military
tion party, led by Asadallah Alam, a former Court that the plot to assassinateGeneral Qasim
Minister of the Interiorand a wealthy landowner. was to have been followed by a "liberationarmy"
from the UAR, and that the bannedArab Socialist
Bath party had arranged for the weapons they
Iraq used.
(See also, General,Iran,Jordan,PersianGulf, UAR) Dec. 28: GeneralQasimdeniedreportsof Iraqitroop
concentrationsat Basrah.
1959 Dec. 29: Four political parties were reportedready
to apply for licenses after January6. These were
Dec. 18: A long processionof peasants,estimatedat the People's Party, National Democratic, Com-
more than half a million, marched toward the munist and United KurdishDemocraticparties.
Defense Ministry to pay homage to General 'Abd In a statementissued by the Iraqi ForeignMin-
al-KarimQasim on his recoveryfrom an assassina- ister, Iraq appealedto the world to indict Iran for
tion attempt. endangeringpeace in the Middle East.
For the first time, an Arab labor union federa- Dec.
31: The law on the interimfour-yeareconomic
tion, the Iraqi GeneralFederationof LaborUnions, plan which provides for appropriationsof I.D.
became affiliated to the Communist-sponsored 391.3 million to cover the cost of the projectsto
World Federationof TradeUnions in Prague. be carriedout including I.D. 10 million from the
Dec. 21: General 'Abd al-KarimQasim said that he Soviet loan of March 1959, was published in the
would not resort to force to regain Iraq's rights
OfficialGazette.
unless all peaceful methods for solving interna-
tional issues failed.
Dec. 23: General Qasim warnedIran against build- 1960
ing up her forces on the Iraqi frontier and re- Jan. 3: At the trial of the persons involved in the
quested her government to "come back to its assassinationplot, a prosecutionwitness pointed to
senses or be beatenby us." a British subject as the head of a spy ring in
Baghdad Radio introduceda half-hourprogram Iraq.
called "Voice of United Arabs" directed against Jan. 4: Foreign Minister Hashim Jawad said that
the UAR. Iraq would not attend any Arab League meeting
The SecondConferenceof IraqiEngineersrecom- held in the UAR.
mended that: crude oil productionshould be in- Ian. 6: Political party life was restored amid the
creased; refinery throughput capacity should be celebrationof Army Day.
expanded with a view to exporting oil products; Jan. 7: General Qasim said that Iraq will not re-

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 CHRONOLOGY
main indifferent to "any oppression against our
cousins,the Syrians."
Jan. 8: The Executive Committeeof the Basra Oil
Workers Union has addresseda petition to Gen-
eral Qasim protesting against government inter-
ference in its activities,Ittihad al-Sha'breported.
Jan. 9: The National DemocraticParty, Democratic
Party for Kurdistanand the CommunistParty ap-
plied for licenses.
Jan. 10: Baghdad newspapers reported the emer-
gence of a second Communist party called the
Iraqi Communistparty.
A prosecutionwitness told the People's Military
Court that there was a "reignof terror"in schools
and colleges against nationalist students after the
abortiverevolt in Mosul last March.
Jan. 11: An Iraqi laborershot two Americanswork-
ing at an oil terminalin Fao, Iraq.
A committeeof representativesof the Iraqi oil
industry and the planning, foreign and commerce
ministeries is discussing a plan for an economic
agreementwith Czechoslovakia,it was announced.
The National Democratic daily al-Thawra
favoredthe applicationof the "Mabda"group, the
Iraqi Communistparty, for a license.
Jan. 12: Ittihad al-Sha'baccusedSayyidDa'ud Sa'igh,
editor of the Communistdaily al-Mabda,of caus-
ing the imprisonmentof leaders of his group in
1947. This was motivated by the split in the
Communistparty and the fight of the two groups
to gain legal status.
Jan. 13: Ittihad al Sha'b insisted on its demandto
Mabdaleadersto publish the namesof the founders
and supportersof its group.
Jan. 15: Six of the 10 founder signatories of the
Sa'igh application for a license have withdrawn
their support, Ittihad al-Sha'b reported. This
means that the party could not be licensedbecause
at least 10 founding membersand 50 supporters
must sign the application.
Productionof oil in Iraqi reached a record of
40 million long tons in 1959, an increase of 17
per cent over 1958, it was reported.
Jan. 17: A trade delegation left Baghdadfor Tunis
to negotiate trade and payments agreementsbe-
tween the two countries.
Jan. 18: Al-Thawra questioned the court's silence
when a witness abused its editor-owner Sayyid
Yunis al-Tai by linking him with one of the lead-
ing accused,FaysalHabib al-Khayzaran.
Jan. 19: The leftist-dominatedjournalists'association
condemned al-Thawra and demanded that legal
action be takenagainstit.
The trial of a sixth group of 10 personsbegan.
Jan. 21: The Iraqi Director General of Ports has
invited internationalfirms to submit bids for the
constructionof a port at Umm Qasr, south of
Basrah, to enable it to handle ships of 30,000 to
40,000 tons.
Jan. 24: The presidentof the People's Court said he
was calling a special session to decide whether
Mr. Leslie F. Marsh, a JamaicanBritish subject,
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183
should be treatedas an accusedor as a witness in
the trial of 78 personsfor the attemptedassassina-
tion plot.
In an open letterin al-Akhbar,the editor-in-chief
criticizedthe West GermanGovernmentfor buying
arms from Israel, letting young Germansjoin the
"criminal" French foreign legion and assisting
France to manufacturenuclear bombs. Visiting
German press chief, Herr Felix von Eckhardt,
denied the accusations.
Jan. 25: The British ambassadorin Iraq was stated
to press for the release of Mr. Marsh.
The People's Court was told that a plan by
army officerswas known to the militarygovernor-
general, Major-GeneralAhmad Salah al-'Abdi,and
the president of the sovereigntycouncil, General
Najib al-Ruba'i.
Jan. 26: The British ambassadormade "further
strong representations" to the ForeignMinistryon
behalf of Marshand also "took up the questionof
the treatmentto which Mr. Marsh as a sick man
was subjected."
Colonel Mahdawi, president of the People's
Court, opened the proceedingswith an attackon
"British imperialism."
Jan. 30. The Iraqi Oil WorkersUnion held a recep-
tion in Maikulski's honor. Maikulski, the Secre-
tary of the WFOCU was in Iraq to establish
"direct personal relations" with the Iraqi Oil
WorkersUnion.
Feb. 1: General Qasim gave a flight of Iraqi Air
Forcejets to the MoroccanArmy.
Feb. 3: At the end of the three-dayvisit to Iraq,
King Muhammadof MoroccodecoratedLieutenant-
General Najib al-Ruba'i, and General 'Abd al-
Karim Qasim with the red and green sash of the
Order of the Throne, one of Morocco's highest
awards.
A joint communique issued in Baghdad and
Rabatoutlinedthe following agreements:"strength-
ening the unity of the Arab countries... ; adopt-
ing a policy to develop the Arab countries. . .;
strengthening the Arab League and seeking to
amend its charteron the basis of respectfor every
memberstate; supportingall Arab peoples strug-
gling for freedom and independence,particularly
Algeria, Palestine and Oman, and Muslim Mauri-
tania . . . ; solidarity with all nations under
colonial rule which are struggling for freedom;
and supportingevery effort aimed at easing world
tension."
Feb. 4: The Beirut daily al-Sahafahreportednegotia-
tions between IPC and the Iraqi Oil Workers
Union in which the union asked the Iraqi authori-
ties not to permit 14,000 oil workers to be de-
prived of the wage increasesjust becausethe gov-
ernmentwould have to bearhalf the cost.
Feb. 9: Three Iraqi partiesbecamelegal, namely,the
National Democraticparty, the Democraticparty
of Kurdistanand the Iraq Communistparty.
Feb. 10: GeneralQasim receivedMulla Mustafaal-
Barazaniand a numberof foundersof the Kurdish
184 THE MIDDLE EAST JOURNAL

Democraticparty, who thanked him for licensing Premierand Defense

the party. The group was followed by a delegation
from the Iraq Communistparty.
Feb. 11: Al-Thawrasaid that the Communistparty,
headedby SayyidKhayriSa'id was now illegal and
must liquidate its secret work which, if continued,
would constitutehigh treason.
Feb. 14: General Qasim praised Soviet-Iraqifriend-
ship when he laid the foundationstone for a new
broad gauge railway line between Baghdad and
Basrah.
Feb. 16: IbrahimKubbah,Iraqi Ministerof Agrarian
Reform and PetroleumAffairs, has been relieved
of his post. 'Abd al-FattahIbrahimwas appointed
in his place as director general of the General
Board of Oil Affairs. Jamil Thabit succeedshim
as director general of the government'sOil Re-
fineries Administration. Najib al-Mani' has been
nameddirectorgeneral of oil productsdistributing
service in the Oil Ministry, and Muhammadal-
Dhahir,directorgeneralof oil fields.
Feb. 17: General Qasim left Baghdad for the first
time since July 1958 on an aerial tour of the
agriculturalareas.
Feb. 19: Some diplomats interpretGeneral Qasim's
rejectionof licensing the Communistpartyand the
dismissal of Ibrahim Kubbah as an assertion of
Iraq'sindependencefrom internationalcommunism,
it was reportedin Washington.
Feb. 21: GeneralQasim receiveda delegationof the
Communistpartyheadedby Da'ud al-Sa'igh. They
were reported to have pledged support in Iraq's
decision to "recoverthe Palestinestate."
Feb. 24: A political partyoriginallycalled the Com-
munist party was refused a license under the new Dec. 18: Yugoslaviaand Israel signed a tradeagree-
nameIttihadal-Sha'b.
Feb. 25: Death sentenceswere meted out to 17 per-
sons accusedof complicityin the plot to assassinate Three physicians left from Miram Hospital in
General Qasim.
Mar. 5: Representativesof the Oil Workers and
EmployeesUnion, the Iraqi General Federationof
LaborUnions, the oil companiesoperatingin Iraq
and the Ministriesof Social Affairsand Oil jointlySuez.
declareda wage increasefor Iraqi oil workers.
Mar. 9. Ibrahim Kubbah was threatened to be
brought to trial for attacks he made against the
Governmentin the Iraqi Communistdaily, Ittihad
al-Sha'b.
Baghdad radio announced that the IPC had
asked the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and
Financeto approachthe JordanianGovernmentto
claim the sum of about ID 100,000 in paymentfor
oil sold to Jordan during the period before the
Iraqi revolution.
Israel
(See also, General,Pal. Prob., UAR, Egypt)
1959
Dec. 16: Premier David Ben-Gurionpresented his
new five-partycoalitiongovernmentto the Knesset.
The Cabinetlist follows:
Minister ......... David Ben-Gurion (Mapai)
Foreign ........... Mrs. GoldaMeir (Mapai)
Finance ........ ... Levi Eshkol (Mapai)
Education........... ZalmanAranne (Mapai)
Commerceand Industry.... Pinhas Sapir (Mapai)
Police ........ ... Behor Shitreet (Mapai)
Labor ........... Dr. GioraJosephthal(Mapai)
Agriculture...... GeneralMoshe Dayan (Mapai)
Interior......... Moshe Haim Shapiro (National
Religious Front)
Social Welfare ....... Dr. JosephBurg (National
Religious Front)
Health ........... Israel Barzelai (Mapam)
Development ........ MordecaiBentov (Mapam)
Justice........... Pinhas Rosen (Progessive)
Communications.... Yitzhak Ben-Aharon (Ahdut
Avodah)
ReligiousAffairs . .Rabbi Yaakov Moshe Toledano
(unaffiliated)
Without Portfolio .......... AbbaEban (Mapai)
The new governmentsaid its basic principles in-
cluded proposals to be made to Arab states for
non-aggressionpacts to replace the present armis-
tice agreements and for disarmament in the
Middle East to end Arab-Israelistrife.
Dec. 17: The Knesset approvedby 78 to 33 votes
the new Cabinet formed by Premier David Ben-
Gurion.
ment providing for exchangesworth $6,300,000 in
each directionin 1960.
Providence, R. I., to begin a medical exchange
with physiciansat the Poriah Hospital at Tiberias.
Dec. 20: Israel's new Cabinet met to consider the
policy on the passage of Israeli goods throughthe
Dec. 23: Thousandsof pilgrims and touristsarrived
in Jerusalemto celebrateChristmasEve in Bethle-
hem.
Frenchdiplomaticofficialsin Israel were turned
back at the border.
Dec. 25: The Ghana Governmentis to becomesole
owner of the Black Star Shipping Line, hithertoa
joint Ghanaian-Israelienterprise, following an
offer by the Zim Shipping Companyto sell their
40 per cent share, it was announcedin Haifa.
Dec. 28: World Zionist leaders convenedin Jerusa-
lem to considera proposalto transformtheir move-
ment into a world federationof Jewish organiza-
tions.
Dec. 30: Mr. Michael Comay,Israel'sresidentrepre-
sentative at the UN and Mr. Yosef Tekoah, his
deputy, called on Mr. Andrew Cordier,the execu-
tive assistantto the UN SecretaryGeneral,to dis-
cuss the questionof the Greek freighterAstypalea.
Dec. 31: Ceylon's first minister to Israel presented

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 CHRONOLOGY 185

his credentials to President Itzhak Ben-Zvi in Jan. 17: Mrs. Golda Meir said in Ghanathat Israel
Jerusalem. He is Sir Godwin Ranasinha, also wanted only friendship in return for economic
ambassadorto Italy and Greece. cooperationwith African countries.
The Bank of Israel's balance sheet shows the The Israel Bond Organizationadopted a quota
value of gold and foreign exchangereservesas of of $75,873,550 in Israel bonds to be sold this
today at $123.9 million, an increaseof $29.6 mil- year in the US.
lion (30 per cent) over the end of 1958. Means The growing military strengthof the UAR and
of paymentincreasedby slightly over 11 per cent its reportedre-establishmentof bases near Israel's
during the year, as against an increaseof 15 per borders were discussed by the Israeli Cabinet in
cent in 1958. Jerusalem.
Jan. 20: PremierDavid Ben-GurionrebukedIsraelis
who brandedChancellorAdenaueras "Nazi" fol-
1960 lowing anti-Semiticincidentsin recentweeks.
Jan. 5: Minister of Justice Pinhas Rosen said in the Navy officials confirmed in Washington that
Knesset that an internationalconspiracymight be they had included cancellation clauses in con-
behind the rash of anti-Jewishmanifestations. tracts with United States-flagships to take into
Jan. 6: A military spokesmandenied a report from accountthe Arab boycottof Israel.
Amman that two Israeli jets violated Jordan'sair A campaign against the introduction of tele-
space. vision in Tel Aviv is underway.
Mr. A.C.A. Liveran,the Israeli charged'affaires Jan. 21: The US Navy policy that has tacitly recog-
in London,in a letter publishedin The Times de- nized the Arab boycott of Israel has not aroused
fended Israel's policy concerningthe utilization of serious objectionby the Israeli Government,ship-
the Jordan waters and said that a regional ap- ping industryspokesmensaid.
proach to this question had become impossible A protocol renewing the Franco-Israelitrade
because of Arab refusal to cooperate. agreement of 1953 for another year was signed
Premier David Ben-Gurionexpressed regret in in Jerusalem.
the Knesset that arms deliverieswere still flowing Jan. 25: Israel is drafting an austerityplan which
from Russia to the UAR and Iraq despite the fact seeks to cover losses anticipatedin Germanrepara-
that leaders of the two Arab countrieshad openly tions and bond receipts.
declaredtheir aim to wipe out Israel. Jan. 28: The Arab boycottof Israel was condemned
Jan. 7: The municipalelections in the Israeli sector by the internationalcouncil of B'nai B'rith, ac-
of Jerusalemwere voided by Judge Miriam Ben- cording to the final communiqueof a conference
Porath because 50 ballots that had not been held in Amsterdam.
stampedproperlyby election officialshad not been Israel's power grid reached Sodom when high
counted. pressure lines of the Palestine Electric Corpora-
The US and Israel signed a commodity sales tion were extendedinto the desert.
agreement,under which 20 per cent of the sales Feb. 3: An Israeli Foreign Ministryspokesmansaid
proceeds,or the Israeli pound equivalentof about the Danish owners of the Inge Toft had ordered
$6 million will be made available for loans by the ship to dischargeher cargo and sail because
the EXIMBANK to privatebusinessunderthe so- her condition had deterioratedas a result of long
called Cooley Amendment,Section 104(e) of the anchorage.
Agricultural Trade Development and Assistance
Act of 1954 (P.L.480).
Feb. 6: The UN truce supervisoryorganizationhas
Jan. 15: Israel will require a total investment of received an Israel complaint alleging that an
Israeli patrol was fired at while on duty on the
$750,000,000 for economic development in the
next five years, the executive head of the Israel Syrian-Israelfrontier.
Bond Organization said. Feb. 7: Two fragments of ancient Biblical scrolls
The governor of the Bank of Israel predicted with sixteen verses from the Book of Exodus have
in New York that if Israel continuedthe progress been discovered by Israeli archaeologists in a
it made last year it would achieve economic inde- JudaeanDesert cave near the Dead Sea.
pendence in less than ten years. Feb. 8: The Israeli police are investigatingthe dis-
Politics has stymied the election of a new appearanceof diamonds worth about $448,000
Israeli Chief Rabbinate in view of the fact that shipped by merchantsto Hong Kong.
there is no longer any chance of holding new Feb. 9: An Arab resident in the Gaza strip was
elections before February 27, the expiration of sentencedto 20 years on chargesof spying for the
the Chief Rabbi's tenure. UAR.
Jan. 16: Before 500 delegates at the golden jubilee Feb. 11: A physics building named for Abraham
convention of the Religious Zionists of America at Lincoln was dedicatedon the campusof Bar Ilan
Atlantic City, New Jersey, Moshe Chaim Shapiro University. The laboratorieswere built with an
said that a "paramount problem" confronting his AmericanState Departmentgrant of $70,000.
nation was the "co-existence" of religious and Feb. 15: FinanceMinister Levi Eshkol submittedto
secular political parties. the Knesset a record budget of ?1,574,300,000

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186 THE MIDDLE EAST JOURNAL

Israeli. The $75 million overdraft was geared Mar. 11: Premier Ben-Gurionsaid in Washington
to expand "severalservices, including security." that the West could contributeto the development
Feb. 16: Mr. Patrick Hancock, British Ambassador of the UAR if Cairo would resolve to live in
to Israel, declaredthat the Britishgovernment"did peace with its neighbors. He was addressingmem-
not condone the Arab boycott of Israel" adding bers of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee
that trade figures for 1959 reflected the feelings and several other invited Senators.
of the Britishpeople. Mar. 13: Premier Ben-Gurionleft for New York
Feb. 19: Israel'sexports increasedin real terms dur- after meeting with Secretaryof State Herter. He
ing 1959 by 30 per cent and importsof goods and is expected to meet with ChancellorAdenauerat
services increased in real terms by 6.5 per cent, the Waldorf-AstoriaHotel.
and owing to a fall in import prices, their cost Mar. 14: The Israeli Governmentwas reported to
rose by 4 per cent. have ordered the managers of the Frederic R.
Feb. 21: The Cabinet empowered the Minister of Mann Auditoriumto rent it to Dr. Billy Graham
Religious Affairs to extend the Chief Rabbinate for his crusadein Israel.
term of office five months beyond its expiration After meeting with Secretary-General Dag Ham-
date. marskjold, Premier Ben-Gurion declared that he
Feb. 22: Premier David Ben-Gurion'sgovernment saw a prospect of an end of war in this genera-
turned down the motions of 3 anti-Socialistand tion. He also met Chancellor Adenauer with
Communistparties in the Knesset to abolish the whom he talked about German-Jewishrelations
defense emergencyregulations under which mili- and world conditions. No attemptat negotiations
tary rule is applied in the border regions of for the establishmentof diplomatic relations be-
Israel. tween the two countries was made.
Feb. 24: A spokesman for the Foreign Ministry
denied reportsof Soviet moves to ease Israeli-Arab
tensionswhich diplomaticsourcesin Tel Aviv said
Jordan
was the subject of AmbassadorBordov and Mrs. (See also, Iraq)
Meir's talks.
Feb. 26: A new contract was signed by Kaiser- 1959
Frazer with the American Studebaker-PackardDec. 16: Prime Minister Hazza' al-Majali empha-
Corporationwhich will supply componentsof their sized in the House of Representativesthat the
Lark motor cars, station wagons and trucks. East Ghor canalschemeto irrigate120,000 dunums
Feb. 28: Premier David Ben-Gurionwill visit the in the Jordan valley did not affect any refugee
US next week to accept a doctoratefrom Brandeis rights and had nothing to do with refugee re-
University. settlement.
Mar. 5: State Departmentofficials in Washington Jordan agreed to a request by Saudi Arabia for
said it was a "safe assumption"that PremierDavid the postponement of the Arab communications
Ben-Gurion would see President Eisenhowerand conferenceuntil next April instead of December
Secretaryof State Herter, although no dates have 25.
been fixed. Dec. 17: Khulusi al-Khayristated that a technical
Mar. 7: Premier David Ben-Gurionleft Tel Aviv committeewould shortlybe set up to studypossible
for the US. construction of a TV station to be established
Mar. 8: Americansettlersin Israel balkedat issuing with neighboringArab states.
a call to Jews in the US and Canadato settle in Dec. 19: The JordanianGovernmenthas expressed
Israel. concern to foreign diplomats in Amman over an
Premier Ben-Gurion arrived at Logan Interna- Israeli plan to divert water of the JordanRiver to
tional Airport in Boston. Diplomatic and Israeli irrigateparts of the Negev.
sources say that, in sum, the purpose of his visit Dec. 20: Prime Minister Hazza' al-Majali said the
to the US is to urge PresidentEisenhowerto use Council of Ministershad approveda transitagree-
US influence to keep the peace in the Middle ment signed in Damascus earlier this month be-
East. tween representativesof Jordan, Lebanon, the
Mar. 9: Premier Ben-Gurion was greeted by fifty UAR and Saudi Arabia. It was referred to the
picketing Arab students when he arrived late for regencycommissionfor ratification.
a four-dayunofficialvisit to Washington. Dec. 22: Francewas attackedin the House of Repre-
Mar. 10: In a two-hour talk with PresidentEisen- sentatives when deputies demandeda ban on her
hower at the White House, Premier Ben-Gurion exports in protest against her policy in Algeria.
told the Presidentthat he feared the Soviet Union Dec. 28: King Husayn was greeted on his arrival
was building up the UAR's armamentto a dan- after a tour of Europe during which he had talks
gerous level and he expressed hope that an with British and West Germanofficials on finan-
arrangementat the summit might put an end to cial and militaryaid to strengthenJordan'seconomy
this build-up. and army.
It was announcedthat the Premierand Mr. Dag Dec. 31: A spokesmanfor the JordanianRefinery
Hammarskj6ldwill have 3 meetings on March 14. Companysaid that companyrepresentativeswould

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 CHRONOLOGY
visit Beirut to arrangewith Tapline for the supply
of crude oil to the refinery from the pipelines
crossingJordan.
1960
Jan. 1: King Husayn expressedthe view in a BBC
television programthat communismdid not exist
in Jordan to an extent sufficientto worry himself
or anyone else.
Jan. 4: The JordanianSugar Companywas given a
15-yearconcessionto produce and refine sugar.
Jan. 5: A dogfightbetweena Jordanianfighterplane
and two Israeli fighterstook place over Jordanian
territory,a militaryspokesmansaid.
The Council of Ministers approved a recom-
mendationby the Foreign Ministryto open honor-
ary consulates in Frankfurt and Munich, West
Germany.
Jan. 6: The second state security court began the
trial of 16 men accused of attemptinga military
coup d'e;at.
Jan. 7: The last 15,000-tonshipmentof a US wheat
and flour grant of 100,000, together with 2,500
tons of American barley will arrive later this
month, it was announcedin Amman.
Jan. 8: Khulusi al-Khayri disclosed that Tapline
President John Noble is due to visit Jordan at
the end of the month to discuss the question of
increasingtransitroyaltypaymentsto the Jordanian
government.
Jan. 12: Hazza' al-Majalideclaredin the House of
Representativesthat there was no longer an Arab
Higher Committeeor any other organizationwhich
could claim the right to speak on behalf of the
Palestinian Arabs because the Jordaniangovern-
ment representedthe overwhelmingmajority.
A provisionalbill to distributeland in the East
Ghor canal area to inhabitantsat a minimum of
30 dunums and a maximum of 500 dunums a
family was adopted by the House of Representa-
tives.
Jan. 13: MatthewWordsworthof the BritishMiddle
East office arrivedin Jordan for a week's visit to
discuss the basis of cooperativelending. The gov-
ernmentis preparingan applicationfor a loan of
10 million dollars for the Agricultural Loans
Organization.
Jan. 14: Large swarms of red flying locusts have
been coming from Saudi Arabia in various places
in Jordan, the Ministry of Agriculturesaid.
The Foreign Minister, Husayn al-'Uwayni, an-
nounced the scheme of the Lebanesegovernment
to divert the river Hasbani into the Litani instead
of into the Jordanand said that it was a counter-
action to Israel's intention to divert the waters of
the Jordanto irrigatethe Negev.
Jan. 17: King Husayn criticized Arab leaders for
what he called their "irresponsibleapproach"to
the Palestine problem. He said they were using
Palestine Arab refugees as "pawns for selfish
political objectives."
Jan. 18: The House of Notables unanimouslyap-
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187
proved the amendmentof article 68 of the consti-
tution to authorizethe King to extend the life of
parliamentfor one or two years.
The UNRWA has earmarked$300,000 for in-
dividual refugee projects in Jordan, Khulusi al-
Khayri announced.
Jan. 20: King Husayn opened a new bridge on the
river Jordan,built by the army engineeringcorps
in the Ghor Damieh area.
Jan. 24: The Chamberof Deputies unanimouslyap-
proved the amendmentof article 68 of the consti-
tution empoweringthe King to extend the term
of parliamentto a period not less than a year
and not more than two years after the expiry of
its term.
Jan. 26: King MuhammadV of Moroccoarrivedin
Ammanfor a four-dayofficialvisit to Jordan.
Jan. 27: A state securitycourt, sitting in closed ses-
sion at the request of the accused,began trial of
17 army officersand civilians accusedof plotting
to overthrowthe governmentin 1957 and 1958.
Jan. 28: The Jordanian Vegetable Oil Company
signed a seven-year agreement with the Dutch
Zwerver margarinecompanywhich authorizesthe
latter to supervisetechnicallyand administratively
the factoryof the Jordaniancompanyand to market
its products locally and abroad in return for an
agreedproportionof the profits.
Jan. 31: Khulusi al-Khayri announcedin Amman
that Tapline has agreed to supply the Jordanian
Refinerywith about 300,000 tons of crude oil per
year. The oil will be drawn from the company's
pipeline crossingJordanat a point about 42 kms.
from Zarqa,northof Amman.
Feb. 1: Jordanreceived $4,100,000 as the sixth in-
stalmentof the $40,500,000 of US budgetaryaid.
Thirteen men were sent to prison on charges
of being members of the Communistparty, the
second state securitycourt announced.
Feb. 7: The Ministryof Educationsaid it had drawn
up, in cooperationwith Mr. G. E. Perrin,profes-
sor of education at ManchesterUniversity, a de-
tailed program for training courses for teachers
of English at governmentschools in Jordan.
Feb. 8: Piloting his own plane, King Husaynarrived
in Riyadh for two days of talks with King Sa'ud.
The ban on Dr. Billy Graham's entry into
Jordan was lifted, a Foreign Ministry spokesman
said.
Feb. 14: The developmentboard preparedprojects
to be presentedto West Germanofficialswhen an
economic delegation visits West Germany next
month. These are: regular prospecting for min-
erals; a hydrological survey of the Azraq river;
building a large potash factoryand a brominefac-
tory; building tourist hotels and seeking credits
up to $2 million to lend to owners of existing
hotels; and pooling power stations.
An announcementwas made of the projected
five-monthofficial visit of Crown Prince Muham-
mad to the US, Canada,Britain, West Germany
and Spainon February25.
188 THE MIDDLE EAST JOURNAL
Feb. 15: Colonel Mahmud al-Rawsan,former min-
ister in Washington, was sentenced to 10 years'
imprisonmenton a chargeof plotting to overthrow
the monarchyby armedmilitarycoup in connivance
with "foreigncountries."
Feb. 18: UNESCO has made a grant of $104,000 to
Jordan's EducationMinistry as aid for 1961 and
1962. It was disclosed too that UNESCO had ex-
pressed its readinessto assist in the establishment
of an engineering college by supplying teachers
and grants for equipment.
Feb. 21: The state security court sentenced 12
Jordaniansto prison terms of 3 to 15 years for
membershipin the illegal Communistparty.
Federal Germanyhas decided to grant 200 mil-
lion marks to Jordan for its industrial program,
it was learnedin Berlin.
Feb. 22: Dr. George Kahale, director of the UN
regional office for social affairs arrivedin Amman
to discuss the broad lines of a social study to be
carriedout in Amman startingMarch 20.
A communicationfrom the DevelopmentBoard
to the West German government revealed that
Jordanhas asked West Germanyfor technicaland
financialaid to carryout irrigation,industrial,tour-
istic and geological surveyprojects.
Feb. 25: Crown Prince Muhammadleft for the US.
Mar. 1: The US deposited$4 million in the seventh
and last installment of budget aid to Jordan for
the 1959-60 fiscal year.
Mar. 3: A Jordanian-Japanese agreementwhich would
improve trade, particularlyexports of Jordanian
phosphate,was concluded.
A team of divers from the ChristianApproach
Society began underwatersearch in the Dead Sea
for the lost Biblical cities of Sodomand Gomorrah.
Mar. 4: It was announcedthat King Husayn will
make a state visit to Iran next month at the in-
vitationof the Shah.
Mar. 5: The Ministryof Agriculturereceivedreports
on locust egg laying in an area of 31,500 dunums
in Ajloun. The ministery estimatedthe total in-
fected area in the district so far at about 179,060
dunums.
Premier Hazza' al-Majali reviewed with Musa
Nasir the results of the recent Arab Leaguemeet-
ings before presentingthem to King Husayn.
Mar. 7: Hazza' al-Majalireceived Signor Pier Spin-
elli, the UN ambassadorto the Middle East and
they discussed "certainaffairs concerningthe UN
mission in Amman."
Mar. 9: Two specialists of the WHO arrived in
Amman to help the Ministry of Health in estab-
lishing the extent of tuberculosisin the country.
Mar. 12: A joint Jordanian-Lebanesecommittee
awarded the British Standard Telephones and
Cables Company a contract for supplying and
installing equipmentto be used in radio-telephone
communicationsbetweenthe two countries.
Mar. 14: Dr. Billy Grahamarrivedin Jerusalemon
his firstvisit to the Holy Land.
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Kashmir
1960
Jan. 22: With reference to the Indian letter of
October 12 regarding Kashmir, Pakistan sent a
letter to the President of the Security Council
(Doc. S/4259) which said in part that "anymove
made by the Governmentof India, by whatever
mannerof means,which has the effect of integrat-
ing any part of Jammu and Kashmir with the
administrative,economic, judicial or political set-
up of India itself is a contraventionof India's
commitmentthat she shall enable the people of
Jammu and Kashmir to give their unfettered
verdict whether or not they wish to remaina part
of India or to join Pakistan."
Jan. 25: A further step toward the integrationof
Kashmirwith the rest of India was taken when an
order by PresidentPrasadtook effect wherebythe
jurisdiction of India's Supreme Court would be
extendedto Kashmir.
Jan. 28: Jammu and Kashmir will begin a road-
building program to connect Srinagar with the
distantbordersof easternLadakh,it was announced
in New Delhi.
Feb. 7: Kashmir's ruling National Conference con-
demned Red China's "unprovoked aggression"
against India and its occupation of territories in
Ladakh and the North East Frontier Agency.
Feb. 19: The Indian Governmentlaunchedinquiries
into reportsfrom Jammuthat CommunistChinese
troops had taken over salt mines in the southern
Ladakhregion of Kashmir.
Lebanon
(See also, Libya)
1959
Dec. 16: Husayn al-'Uwayni threatened to resign
from the Cabinet in a protest against a decision of
the Council of Ministers on the long-promised
purge of government staff. It was reported by
government sources that the council did not act on
his desire that some officials of the Foreign
Ministry, now in the administrative department,
should be transferred to the diplomatic corps.
Middle East Airlines has agreed to seek the
technical advice of BOAC experts before finally
choosing the aircraft type to re-equip its fleet, it
was announced.
Dec. 17: PremierRashid Karamipresided over the
opening of the Casino du Liban, said to be the
biggest gambling casino in the eastern Mediter-
ranean.
Dec. 19: President Fu'ad Shihab refused to accept
Husayn al-'Uwayni'sresignationand agreed to the
latter'srequestto take 10 to 15 days sick leave at
Luxor, Egypt.
DartmouthCollege announcedthe appointment
of Dr. CharlesH. Malik as visiting professorfor
the winter and spring terms of this academicyear.
 CHRONOLOGY
Dec. 22: Al-Jaridaanalysedthe high cost of living
in Beirut and suggestedthat the principalcause of
high prices was too many middlemenwith a lust
for profits that could only be curbed by price
controls.
At a meetingof Lebaneselaborunion representa-
tives in Tripoli the Presidentof the Federationof
LaborUnions of Northern Lebanontold the dele-
gates that IPC had decided to reemploy23 of the
dismissed employees,part of the group that went
on a hunger strike.
Dec. 29: The Beirut press quoted an official source
as saying that the governmentwas preparingto
resume negotiations on oil transit royalties with
Tapline.
1960
Jan. 5: Husaynal-'Uwaynireturnedto Beirut after a
fortnight at Luxor and Cairo and reportedthat he
had discussed with President Nasir Arab affairs
and other questionsof commoninterestto Lebanon
and the UAR.
Jan. 6: The Council of Ministers decided "in prin-
ciple" to raise the membershipof the chamber
from 66 to 88.
Jan. 7: The Chamberof Deputies met for the first
time in its currentsession which opened last week
to discuss the budget for 1960 and other urgent
matters.
Jan. 8: The presidentof the InternationalCourt of
Justice has fixed January 10 as the time limit
within which the French governmentcan submit
a written statement of its observationsand sub-
missions on Lebanesepreliminaryobjectionsto an
application by France alleging "unilateralaltera-
tion" by Lebanonof certaintax facilities of French
companies,a court announcementsaid.
MuhammadSabra,Lebaneseambassadorto Jor-
dan, had meetings with President Fu'ad Shihab,
SayyidHusayn al-'Uwayni,and Dr. Fu'ad Ammun
regardingArab affairsand the forthcomingchanges
in the foreign service.
Jan. 11: An Oil IndustryExhibit organizedby the
CommerceSociety of the AmericanUniversity of
Beirut was officially opened at the West Hall of
the university.
Jan. 14: The Prime Minister, Rashid Karami,pre-
sented Lebanon's1960 budget to the Chamberof
Deputies amounting to LL220 million compared
with 205 million last year.
Jan. 15: Lebanon has decided to divert the river
Hasbani short of the Israeli frontier as a counter
to Israel's intention to divert the waters of the
Jordan, Husayn al-'Uwayniannounced.
Jan. 16: The Council of Ministers decided to in-
creasethe numberof membersof the next Chamber
of Deputies by 33 to 99. Division of constituencies
is still under consideration,a ministerial source
reported.
Jan. 19: The LebaneseGovernmentwill divert the
course of the river Hasbani "whateverthe conse-
quences might be," Husayn al-'Uwaynitold mem-
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189
bers of the foreign affairs committee of the
Chamberof Deputies.
Jan. 23: Employeesof the Mobil Oil Companyin
Lebanonwent on strike for ten hours in protest
against the company'srefusal to grant them a 6
per cent increasein salarybut was suspendedfor
a month pending a settlementof the dispute.
Jan. 26: An agreementunder which Middle East
Airlines will take delivery of four Comet 4C's
within the next year and have an option on a
fifth was signed by Shaykh Najib 'Alam al-din,
chairmanof the Middle East Airlines, in London.
Jan. 27: President Fu'ad Shihab acceptedPresident
Habib Bourguiba'sinvitationto visit Tunisia.
Jan. 29: The budget for 1960 was approvedby the
Chamberof Deputies.
Feb. 1: There is a strong inclination to establish
diplomatic representationbetween Lebanon and
Libya,it was officiallystated.
Feb. 2: An official source said that the foreign min-
istry had decided to instruct Lebanesediplomatic
missions in Latin America to cooperate with a
UAR diplomatic mission which is to visit that
partof the world shortly.
Feb. 3: A joint Anglo-Lebanesebankingventurewill
be inauguratedon March 1, it was confirmedin
London by a spokesmanof the Lombardbanking
agency.
King Muhammad V of Morocco arrived in
Beirut for a four-dayvisit.
Feb. 6: SeveralBeirut dailies indicatedthat informal
consultations have been going on with Tapline
with the object of persuadingthe companyto con-
clude a unilateral transit royalty agreementwith
Lebanon along much the same lines as those of
the IPC agreementof last year.
Feb. 8: An official denial was made of a statement
attributedto Prime Minister Rashid Karamiabout
Lebanese "mediation" between Israel and her
neighbors.
Feb. 9: Thirty-four of the 66 members of the
Chamberof Deputies submitteda petition to the
speakerdemandinga one-monthspecial session to
discuss urgent foreign affairsquestionsand domes-
tic legislation.
Feb. 11: Tapline PresidentJohn Noble paid a cour-
tesy visit to Prime Minister Rashid Karami.
It was reportedthat the Council of the Federa-
tion of United LaborUnions in Lebanonhad met
and decided to back the Mobil Oil Employees
Union's demand for reversal of the Mobil man-
agement'sdesire to deduct one day's pay out of
the employees'salaries.
Feb. 12: An agreementwas signed in Washington
by which the US Development Loan Fund will
lend $500,000 to a privately owned utility com-
pany in Beirut to aid in the reconstructionof a
power plant which was damaged during the dis-
turbancesof 1958.
Feb. 15: Sa'id Taqi al-din, well-known writer and
member of the Social Nationalist party, died of
heart failurein Colombia.
190 THE MIDDLE EAST JOURNAL

Feb. 17: The Council of Ministers has decided to
adopt secret voting in the forthcoming parlia-
mentaryelections, a cabinet source said.
Three locust swarms entered Lebanon from
Israel in the last two days, Fu'ad Najjar, Minister
of Agriculture,said.
Feb. 19: Two newspapermenof the leading Arabic
daily al-Nahar were sentenced to 6 months im-
prisonmentfor writing and publishing an article
criticizing President Fu'ad Shihab.
Feb. 23: A locust swarm 7km long and 2km wide
entered Lebanon and anti-locust teams went into
action.
Mar. 1: Rashid Karami'sgovernmentwon the confi-
dence of the Chamberof Deputies by 39 to 3
votes. Twenty-fourmemberswere absent.
Mar. 3: The Council of Ministers completed con-
siderationof the new electoralbill and referredit
to the Chamberof Deputies.
Mar. 4: Negotiationsto end the ten-day-oldstrikeof
1,450 employeesand workers of the government's
electricity and common transportservice failed.
Mar. 5: The governmentdecided to make an initial
donation of LL 100,000 to earthquakevictims in
Agadir and sent a team of doctorsand nurses.
Mar. 7: The army commandsaid it could deport or
prosecuteany refugee of any nationalitybelonging
to political parties or carryingout political activi-
ties or belonging to trade unions in Lebanon.
Mar. 9: The parliamentaryjudiciaryand administra-
tive committee returned the government's draft
election law bill to the Chamberof Deputies.
Mar. 11: The strike of Beirut electricityand public
transportworkersended.
Dr. Fu'ad Ammun denied foreign radio broad-
casts that ForeignMinisterHusaynal-'Uwaynihad
resigned.
Mar. 13: It was learned that the Council of Min-
isters has discussed the allocation of Lebanon's
accumulatedoil transitroyaltiesfrom IPC, amount-
ing to LL51,000,000, for development projects
and that a draft law authorizingthe employment
of the oil royalties in these projects is under
preparation.
Libya
(See also, Lebanon)
1959
Dec. 23: The AmericanOverseasCompanystruckoil Jan. 4: The US and Morocco have concluded an
at Beda well No. 2 in its Syrtica concession in
Northwest Cyrenaicaat the rate of 660 BPD.
Dec. 31: A royal decree acceptedthe resignationof Jan. 5: The body of a girl found in a sack near
Abu Bakr Na'amah as Minister of Educationand
appointedhim governor of Tripolitaniain succes-
sion to Tahar Bakir, who has been transferredto
the Foreign Ministry.
1960
Feb 2: Membersof Parliamenthave demandedbreak-
ing all ties with France as a protest against the
planned atomic bomb tests in the Sahara.
Feb. 15: The Libyan Prime Minister spoke in the
National Assembly and declaredthat, in view of
the oil discoverieslast year, a new and more in-
dependent basis has been laid for government
revenues.
In a speech at the opening of the third parlia-
ment 'Abd al-MajidKubar,LibyanPrimeMinister,
said that Libya would strengthen the army and
was creatingthe nucleus of an air force.
Feb. 21: The Beirut weekly al-Ahadpublisheda let-
ter from a correspondentin Libya warning pros-
pective Lebanesejob-seekersin Libya that there is
now only room for people with professionalquali-
fications. Al-Jaridah, on the other hand, called
Libya a "secondKuwayt"and was most enthusias-
tic about the opportunitiesfor Lebanesebusiness-
men in Libya.
Morocco
(See also, General,Iraq,Lebanon,PalestineProblem)
1959
Dec. 17: Securityforces were alertedto preventdis-
orders as tension increasedbetween King Muham-
mad V and the labor-supported National Union of
Popular Forces.
Dec. 18: Urged by his friends and opponents to
resign becauseof the arrestof his main supporters,
Premier 'AbdallahIbrahim appearedto be deter-
mined to avoid a governmentcrisis at least until
after PresidentEisenhower'svisit, it was reported
in Rabat.
Dec. 22: PresidentEisenhowerarrived in Morocco
and met with King Muhammad.At his departure
a joint communique'was issued announcingthat
the US military forces would be withdrawnfrom
Moroccoby the end of 1963.
Dec. 29: King MuhammadV and CardinalSpellman
had a forty-minuteconversationin Rabat about
peace, liberty, Algeria and Moroccan-American
friendship.
Dec. 30: Two French prisoners were freed by a
representativeof the Algerian National Liberation
Front and were turned over to the French Em-
bassy in Rabat.
1960
agreementunder which the VOA transmitterwill
be able to operatein Tangieruntil 1963.
Tangier on December 13 was officially identified
as that of BarbaraH. Mueller, a 19-year-oldNew
York co-ed.
Jan. 6: Franceraised objectionsto the US-Moroccan
agreementfor the use of the VOA transmitterin
Tangier on the grounds that the agreementpro-
hibited use of VOA transmittersby third parties
and thus put an end to an arrangementunder
which the French had the right to transmitpro-

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 CHRONOLOGY
grams three hours a day over VOA transmittersin
Tangier.
Jan. 7: King MuhammadV turned over the regency
of his kingdom to Crown Prince Mawlay Hasan
and left for a month-longvisit to the Arab coun-
tries of the Middle East.
State Departmentofficials said that France did
not make any formal protests against the VOA
transmitteragreementin Morocco.
Jan. 10: It was announcedthat the US will turn
over the air base at Ben Slimaneto the Moroccans
by the end of March.
The Istiqlal party at Casablancaadopteda reso-
lution "deploring"the failure of the government
to give Algerian nationalistssufficient"moraland
material"aid.
Jan. 13: The budget for 1960 amounting to
1,483,300,000 dirhams indicated that the govern-
ment has increasedexpenditureson health and edu-
cation.
Jan. 15: After a special reconaissanceflight, a US
Navy plane reportedthat a three-to-four-footwall
of water was rushingdown the SebouRivertoward
the Rharb,Morocco'sAtlantic coastalplain.
Jan. 19: Food parcels to victims of floods in the
Rharb coastal plain were distributed by a USN
helicopterand the Moroccanarmy. Damage in the
area was estimatedat more than $5 million.
Jan. 24: The Moroccangovernmentappealedto the
UN SecretaryGeneralto urge Franceto delay her
forth-comingatomictests in the Sahara.
Jan. 26: The outlook for economic cooperationin
Africa under UN sponsorshipwas marred by a
heated debate, in the beginning of the secondeco-
nomic session in Tangier, on whether the French
delegate had the right to speak in the name of
"Franceand the Community."
Jan. 28: Air and rail traffic between Oujda and
Algiers were suspendedon accountof the insurrec-
tion in Algeria.
Jan. 29: Protesting against French plans for an
atomicexplosionin the Sahara,Moroccansthrough-
out the country gathered in the mosques to say
"latif", the prayer for Allah's mercy.
Feb. 4: In Tangier, the UN EconomicCommission
for Africa approved a resolution for increased
technicaltraining in Africa.
Feb. 6: At the conclusionof the UN EconomicMis-
sion for Africa meeting in Tangier, a report to
the Economicand Social Council displayeda firm
determination to undertake concerted action to
raise living standards.
Feb. 7: King MuhammadV returnedto Rabat.
Feb. 9: The MoroccanAppeals Court at Rabat or-
dered the dissolutionof the Communistparty.
Feb. 12: Morocco disputed France'sright to sites
that will be abandonedby the US when evacua-
tion was begun at Ben Slimane.
Feb. 21: Sixty thousandMoroccansmarchedin front
of the French consulate general in Casablancato
protest Frenchatomic tests in the Saharadetonated
on February13.
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191
Feb. 23: Ninety-two per cent of the eligible voters
had registeredfor Morocco'sfirst nation-wideelec-
tions to be held in May, the Ministry of Interior
said.
Feb. 27: The alliance between conservativequarters
close to the palace and progressivetrade unionists
and former membersof the anti-Frenchresistance,
is reportedto be in a state of crisis. It is feared
that plot chargesto assassinateCrownPrinceMaw-
lay Hasan may force Premier 'AbdallahIbrahim's
resignation.
Maar.1: Two earthquakes,a tidal wave and fire left
Agadir a vast heap of rubble with an estimated
deathtoll of 1,000.
King MuhammadV presidedat a Cabinetmeet-
ing in Rabatwhich decidedthat Agadir should be
rebuiltas soon as possible.
Mar. 2: The Moroccangovernmentcalled for the
mobilization of the entire nation to bring relief
funds to thousandsof Moroccansand Frenchmen
made homeless in Agadir. The governmentesti-
mated that the death toll would reach7,000 by the
time all the victimshad been found.
Mar. 3: Fear of an epidemic resulting from the
disaster at Agadir promptedofficialsto use DDT
spray as searchfor missing personscontinued.
Mar. 4: Prince Mawlay Hasan was quoted to say
that his father will pledge his personalfortune as
collateral for a loan to start the rebuilding of
Agadir.
Mar. 5: It was announcedin Rabatthat the Moroc-
can governmentexpects to spend 50 billion francs
to rebuild Agadir. The army in the meanwhile
has isolated the city, permittingonly membersof
digging teamsto enter.
Mar. 6: Two miles off Agadir the sea was reported
to be boiling and sending up clouds of steam
giving rise to the speculationthat an underwater
volcano was forming.
The USAF evacuatedone of its strategicbases
in Rabatwithout ceremonyand fanfare.
Mar. 7: Reports of undersea disturbances were
branded"sciencefiction" in Rabat.
Mar. 8: It has been estimatedthat up to 12,000 per-
sons lost their lives in Agadir, it was reportedin
Rabat. Two more survivors were found 8 days
afterwards.
Mar. 9: Three more Moroccanswere rescued from
the Agadirruins.
Mar. 10: The US air bases in Rabatwill begin a sys-
tematic dismissal of local civilian personnelbegin-
ning April 1, it was learnedin Rabat.
Ten more survivorswere rescuedin Agadir. A
violent rainstormbeat on the city, delaying rescue
operations and damaging belongings of refugees
still campedin the open.
Mar. 12: A spokesmanfor the Royal Palacecharged
that the Frenchpress was turningthe Agadirearth-
quake into a "political affair," when reports
reachedthe palacethat Frenchnewspaperscriticized
the Agadirrelief operations.
A Moroccanwas rescuedfrom the ruins 11 days
192 THE MIDDLE EAST JOURNAL

after the earthquake.
Police arrested13 fishermenon chargesof loot-
ing stores in Agadir.
Pakistan
(See also, General,Afghanistan,Iran, Kashmir)
1959
Dec. 16: President Ayub Khan declared that the Dec. 30: In a radio broadcastat Rawalpindi,Presi-
Constitution Commissionwould be appointed by
the end of March 1960.
Dec. 18: IBRD experts visiting Pakistanapproveda
plan for replacementworks to be constructedin
West Pakistan.
The ScientificCommissionof Pakistanconcluded
its deliberationsin Karachi.
Dec. 19: PresidentAyub Khan explainedthe pattern
of Pakistan'sfuture Constitution at Sheikhupuga 1960
in the course of his tour of villages. He disclosed
some of the provisions he had in mind for the Jan. 3: The first batch of East Pakistanifarmersto
Constitution,namely, a strong central government
that delegatesits powers to the provinces;a Presi-
dent and National Assemblyelectedby the people's
representativesin village councils;and the gradual
eliminationof nominatedmembersfrom the village
councils once they prove to function properly.
A Government-appointed education commission
has recommendedthat English should continue to
be taught in all educationalinstitutions in Pakis-
tan, President Ayub Khan told a public meeting
at Sargodha.
Dec. 21: The President concluded the 1500-mile
Basic Democraciestour of West Pakistan.
Dec. 22: The Ford Foundationissued a $600,000
grant to the governmentof Pakistanfor two pilot
centers, one in West Pakistan and one in East
Pakistan,which will develop and demonstrateeffi-
cient small industriesbased on rural resourcesand
skills. Following an earlier grant to the Stanford
Research Institute to help plan the centers, the
new grant will continue Stanford'sadvisory serv-
ices and provide equipment and training for
Pakistanistaff members.
Dec. 24: The Prime Minister of Iran, Dr. Eghbal,
arrived in Karachi on a six-day official visit to
Pakistan.
Dec. 25: On the occasion of Muhammad'Ali Jin-
nah's birthday,PresidentAyub Khan declaredthat
Pakistan and India could not settle the future of
Kashmir without consulting the people of that
state.
Dec. 28: The seventeenthconferenceof the UNESCO
was opened in Karachi by Pakistan's Education
Minister, Habibur Rahman. The long-term ob- Jan. 10: The Afghan Foreign Minister, Muhammad
jective is to organizeconcertedaction to introduce
compulsoryprimary education in SoutheastAsian
countries.
Reports from the Pakistani Afghan border at
Chaman say that discontent with anti-religious
measuresby the Kabul Governmenthas spreadto
Kandahar where fifty demonstratorswere killed
and about 150 were injured by troops. Later re-
ports said about a thousand demonstratorshad
marched through Kandahar'sstreets in response
to a Muslim sermonto launch a iihad against the
anti-religiousmeasures.
Dec. 29: The Import Policy for the first half of
1960 which aims to increase production and to
provide larger supplies of consumergoods in the
marketwas announcedin Rawalpindi.
A Pakistan-builttug, Suljuq, was launched.
dent Ayub Khan announcedPakistan'ssecond five-
year plan starting next July which would cost
nearly 4 billion dollars. It calls for a 20 per cent
increase in food production and a 50 per cent
increasein industrialproduction. He also stressed
the need for birth control as a measure toward
Pakistan'snational prosperity.
be settled in Ghulam MuhammadBarrage area
arrivedin Karachi.
Officials at Rawalpindi reported that an ava-
lanche in 13,000-foot-highLowari Pass on Decem-
ber 16 killed 48 persons.
Jan. 7: A reshufflein the Cabinetwas announcedand
the following is the new allocation:
Rehabilitationand Works,Food, Agriculture
and Irrigation ........ MuhammadAzam Khan
ForeignAffairsand Commonwealth
Relations ..... ...... ManzurQadir
Health, Labor and Social Welfare ...W. A. Burki
Law ....... ...... MuhammadIbrahim
Interior............. Lt.-GeneralK. M. Sheikh
Finance ............. M. Shoaib
Industriesand Power ............. A. K. Khan
Railways and Communications(including
Shipping) ...... ....... F. M. Khan
Education............. HabiburRahman
Informationand Broadcasting,National
ReconstructionVillage-AID, Basic
Democracies,Tourismand
Minorities............. Z. A. Bhutto
Commerce......... MuhammadHafizurRahman
Defense continuesto be with the President.
PresidentAyub Khan acceptedthe recommenda-
tion of his Cabinetthat he should seek a vote of
confidence from the people's 80,000 representa-
tives elected to Basic Democracies. An affirmative
vote will be "deemedto have elected"him as the
President for the first term of office under the
proposedConstitution.
Na'im, arrived in Rawalpindi for talks that are
consideredlikely to have a strong bearing on the
patternof defense for the Indian subcontinentand
the IndianOcean.
Another importantphase of the Warsak multi-
purpose project was completedwhen the 31/2-mile
long Warsakirrigationtunnel was opened.

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 CHRONOLOGY 193
Jan. 11: Four out of 5 disputes over the boundaries Feb. 20: President Celal Bayar of Turkey, accom-
between India and Pakistan were settled, a joint panied by Foreign Minister Zorlu, arrived in
communiquestated. Karachifor a seven-dayvisit.
Jan. 15: The PICIC signed an agreement for a Feb. 23: The Shahof Iranand EmpressFarah,accom-
$10,000,000 loan from the US DevelopmentLoan paniedby PresidentAyub Khan, arrivedin Lahore.
Fund. Official sources indicatedthere would be talks on
Jan. 16: It was reportedthat Pakistanis preparing strengtheningmilitary ties between Pakistan,Iran
to open a campaign for population control as a and Turkey.
measureto preventthe increasein populationfrom Feb. 24: Pakistan'snew capital to be built near Ra-
unbalancing the Government's new five-year walpindi will be called Islamabad(place inhabited
"austerityfor prosperity"plan. A National Family by followers of Islam), the Cabinet decided.
PlanningCouncilhas been set up. FormerDefense MinisterMuhammadAyubKhu-
Jan. 21: PresidentAyub Khan arrivedin Dacca for hro was acquittedof cheating the Governmentin
an eight-daytour of East Pakistan. There, he was evading import restrictionsin the purchaseof an
conferred a degree of Doctor of Laws (Honoris automobile.
Causa), by the Dacca University. Mar. 1: The IBRD announcedthat negotiationsfor
Jan. 24: Foreign Minister ManzurQadir challenged the conclusionof a water treatybetweenIndia and
a contentionthat Pakistanhad violated UN rules Pakistan in settlement of the Indus waters ques-
in barring an Israeli observer from a proposed tion are being held in Washington.
meeting in Karachi of the EconomicCommission Mar. 2: The Cabinetdecidedthat as from January1,
for Asia and the Far East. Becauseof this, Secre- 1961, Pakistanis to introducethe decimalcoinage
tary Dag Hammarskjoldchanged the place of the system, and that the metric system of weights and
meeting from Karachi to Bangkok,Thailand. measureswill graduallyreplacethe Britishweights
Jan. 28: MuhammadShoaib,Ministerof Finance,and and measuressoon thereafter.
William Rountree, US Ambassadorto Pakistan, Mar. 3: PremierKhrushchevsent his "best wishes"
signed in Dacca an agreementproviding for the to PresidentAyub Khan while flying over Pakistan
purchase of 350,000 tons of Americanwheat by from Calcuttato Kabul. The Presidentreciprocated
the Governmentof Pakistan. the sentiments.
Jan. 29: PresidentAyub Khan concludedhis eight- Mar. 7: Pakistancalled on the Afghan Government
day meet-the-peopletour of East Pakistan. either to abandonits anti-Pakistanpropagandaor
Feb. 1: The firstAgriculturalCensusin East Pakistan agree to a Pakistani proposal for a referendum
began. among the Pathansin Afghanistan.
Feb. 3: Following talks with a Yugoslav trade mis-
sion led by Milos Lalovic, a trade agreementto
replace the out of date 1954 trade agreementwas PalestineProblem
signed. (See also, Israel, Jordan,UAR)
Feb. 9: Speakingat the opening of a four-daysemi-
nar in Lahore,Ministerfor the InteriorKhalid M. 1959
Sheikhwarnedmembersof SEATOthat communist Dec. 16: Mr. JosephGrimond,BritishLiberalleader,
subversionhad temporarilyreplacedthe technique asked the House of Commonswhetherthe British
of revolt in the battle for Asian minds. Governmentwould offer its servicesin negotiating
Feb. 10: A juridicaltribunalordered5 formerCabi- a settlementof Arab refugees in view of Israel's
net Ministers to stand trial on chargesof corrup- reportedwillingness to negotiatesuch a settlement
tion, bribery,misconductand misappropriationof through an intermediary.The British Minister of
public funds or to retire from public life until State for Foreign Affairs passed the responsibility
December 31, 1966. backto the UN.
Feb. 14: President Ayub Khan received a nearly Dec. 23: The JordanianPrimeMinister,SayyidHaz-
unanimousvote of confidencefrom 80,000 electors, za' al-Majali, received a delegation of Palestine
preliminaryresults of the referendumshowed. refugees and they declared that they supported
Feb. 15: Final results of the referendumindicated Jordan's policy towards refugees. They also de-
that 95.62 per cent of the electoratehad voted con- nounced General Qasim's call for a Palestinian
fidencein the President. state.
Feb. 16: ForeignMinisterHeinrichvon Brentanoof Dec. 26: Three Arabs were killed in an encounter
West Germanyarrived in Pakistan for an hour- between "infiltrators"from the Gaza strip and an
long talk with PresidentAyub Khan on political, Israeli army patrol in the northernNegev, army
industrial,and economicmatters. headquartersin Tel Aviv reported.
Feb. 17: PresidentAyub Khan announcedthe forma-
tion of an eleven-mancommissionto frame a new
constitution. He was also sworn in as elected Pres- 1960
ident. Jan. 2: An UNRWA spokesmansaid there were 421,
Feb. 19: A severeearthquakerockedthe entirenorth- 536 Palestine refugees in Jordan receiving full
ern district of West Pakistan. rationsin additionto 16,280 front-linevillagerson

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194 THE MIDDLE EAST JOURNAL
half rations and 112,402 children covered by
UNRWA services but not receiving rations.
GeneralQasim repeatedhis call for the creation
of a Palestinianstate in an addressto students.
lan. 4: A national union for Palestine refugees in
Syria like that established in the Gaza strip is
being consideredby UAR officials.
Jan. 11: The UAR has protestedto the UN Mixed
Armistice Commissionthat 8 Israeli planes com-
mitted an air space violation over Dayr al-Balah.
Jan. 14: In a closed session the Foreign Relations
Committeeof the LebaneseChamberof Deputies
has recommendedthat "positive" steps must be
taken to solve the refugee problem. Al-Amal,
organ of PierreJumayyil'sal-Kata'ibcalled for the
settlement of the refugees in the Arab countries
becausethe Arab countriescan neither declarewar
against Israel nor agree on a positive solution.
Jan. 19: John H. Davis, Director of the UNRWA
for PalestineRefugeesin the Near East, announced
the appointmentof John Reddawayas Deputy Di-
rector of the Agency. He will succeed the late
Leslie J. Carver.
Jan. 21: The Minister of National Guidanceof the
UAR has signed an orderbanningmovies in which
EarthaKitt and EdwardG. Robinsontake part be-
cause "they have shown pronounced pro-Israeli
sympathiesand have helped collect donationsfor
Israel."
Jan. 24: Actor Yul Brynner visited a number of
Palestinian refugee camps in the Jericho area as
part of his Middle Easternand Europeantour as
special representativeof the UN High Commission
for Refugees.
Jan. 30: In a joint communique,King Husaynof Jor-
dan and King Muhammadof MoroccoupheldArab
rights in Palestineand supportedself-determination
for the Algerians.
Truce supervisionofficersof the UN haltedfight-
ing betweenIsraeli and Syrianforces in the demili-
tarizedzone.
Feb. 1: Israeli and Syrianforces clashed once more
in the demilitarizedzone in what was describedas
"the biggest militaryaction since the Israeli Army
routed the Egyptiansfrom the Sinai Peninsulain
1956."
Feb. 2: Al-Ahramreportedthat the EgyptianSecond
Army was massed on the Egyptian-Israeliborders
in the Sinai Peninsula awaiting orders to engage
Israeli forces.
It was reportedin Tel Aviv by Israeli sources
that UN authoritieshave asked the UAR for the
immediate withdrawal of armed forces from the
demilitarizedzone.
Feb. 4: Fighting between Israel and Syria spreadto
a new area near Shear Yashuv, and Ogden Reid,
US Ambassador,called on Mrs. Golda Meir to
urge her to restrainher countrymenlest the situa-
tion develop into a more serious one.
Feb. 5: Major GeneralHaim Laskov,Chief of Staff
of Israel's armed forces, warned that further dis-
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turbanceof Israel's frontiers "would be met with
stern reprisal."
Feb. 7: Of 1,369,000 Jewish refugees permanently
resettled since the United Jewish Appeal was
formed in 1939, 1,044,000 went to Palestine, the
organizationannouncedat the start of the 1960
appeal for funds at Miami Beach, Florida.
Feb. 10: A joint statementissued in Amman and
Riyadhat the end of King Husayn'svisit to King
Sa'ud announcedthe two kings' complete support
for the rights of Arabsin Israel.
Feb. 12: Fighting between Israeli and UAR forces
brokeout in anothernew areanear Ashmura.
Feb. 14: At a speech in Latakia, President Nasir
promised to "restore the usurped rights of the
PalestinianArabs and to destroy the expansionist
dreamsof Israel."
Feb. 15: Israel refused to attend a meeting with
Syriato discussthe recentoutbreaksof violence on
their frontier.
Feb. 16: The Israel-SyrianMixed ArmisticeCommis-
sion met at BanatYacoub in the voluntaryabsence
of the Israeli delegation and adopted two resolu-
tions condemningIsrael for incidentsin the Tawa-
fik area and for her violation of air space in the
Syrianterritory.
Feb. 20: In a speech at Hama, PresidentNasir de-
clared"we will shed our blood" for the realization
of Arab rights.
Feb. 22: In a speech in the parliament,Mr. David
Ben-Gurion said that continuing threats against
Israel'ssecurityjustifiedthe maintenanceof a mili-
tary rule in borderareas.
Feb. 25: Well-informedsources in Cairo disclosed
that the UAR is understoodto have given an in-
formal warning to the UN calling for Israel to
evacuatethe demilitarizedzones during the week-
end.
A UN spokesmandenied that UAR troops had
enteredthe Gazastrip.
Feb. 26: PremierDavid Ben-Gurionand all other
membersof the Cabinetsaid they were convinced
that "there will be no war becauseour neighbors
would not dare attackus and becausewe have no
intention of attackinganybody."
Feb. 29: The Arab League Council condemned
Israeli plans to divert the JordanRiver to irrigate
the Negev and postponed discussion of the dis-
agreementamong council memberson questionsof
the "Palestineentity."
Mar. 1: King Husayn of Jordan deplored the atti-
tude of those who "try to escape responsibility
over the Palestine question by casting it on any
other quarter."
Mar. 3: Mrs. Golda Meir said in Jerusalemthat she
believed the recent increasein the UAR's hostility
toward Israel was traceable to internal Arab
troubles.
Mar.5: The JordanianForeignMinister,MusaNasir,
declaredin a press conferencethat Jordan'spresent
status was an essential element in any plan to
liberatePalestineand regainArab rights.
 CHRONOLOGY 195

Mar. 7: President Nasir accused Jordan of having
collaboratedwith the US and Britain against the
Arabs.
Al-Ahramannouncedthat it was going to reveal
the secrets of the Arab League meeting. It said
there was a rift between Jordan and the Arab
Leagueover Palestine.
The British Foreign Secretarysaid in answerto
a question in the House of Commonsthat Britain
voted against the 1949 UN resolution calling for
internationalstatus for Jerusalembecausethe gov-
ernmentdid not want to vote for any solution not
acceptableto both Israel and Jordan. The British
government'spositionis still the same.
Jordanhas rejecteda proposalsupportedby the
UAR and Moroccofor the formationof a Palestine
army and creationof a "Palestineentity."
Persian Gulf
1959
Dec. 17: The pulling of the submarinepipe from
Kharguto Ganavehwas completed.
KOC's Mina al-AhmadiRefinerybegan produc-
tion of liquefiedpetroleumgas.
Dec. 21: The managing editor of the Gulf Times,
Arthur Edward Lawrence, 43, was sentenced to Dec. 18: Diplomaticsourcesat the UN reportedthat
one year's imprisonmentat the British court at
Manamafor firing a pistol "with intent to alarm."
For discharginga pistol and causing injury, Law-
rence was sentenced to a concurrentterm of 3
months'imprisonment.
Dec. 23: BAPCO announceda general wage and
salaryincreaseof 7.5 per cent for all rupee payroll
employeeseffective the first of next year.
1960
Jan. 19: The Dukhan oil field produced its 50-
millionth ton of crude oil. Output of crude oil in
January 1960 was 719,441 long tons compared
with 658,310 in 1959.
Jan. 20: The value of goods bought from local mer-
chants by BAPCO increased 45 per cent during Dec. 30: The DirectorateGeneral of Broadcasting,
1959 to Rs 13,152,054 as comparedwith the 1958
record total of Rs 9,099,476, The Islander and
al-Naimahal-Usbu'iyahreported.
Jan. 22: Accordingto Petroleum Week, Kuwayt is
interestedin receiving"inquiries"aboutits offshore Dec. 31: A Royal Decree, based upon a decision of
oil rights, but is not inviting actualbids at present.
Jan. 21: Qatar PetroleumCompanyin 1959 totaled
7,866,650 tons, as comparedwith 8,091,650 tons
in 1958, The FinancialTimes reported.
Jan. 31: The Arabian Oil Companyof Tokyo said
that it had completedits first test bore in the off-
shore area in the PersianGulf.
Feb. 2: Two Japanesecabinetministerspromisedthat
the governmentwould supply "positiveaid" to the
ArabianOil Companyfor the developmentof oil 1960
resourcesin the Neutral Zone offshore concession. Jan. 3: The Councilof Ministersannouncedthat the
Feb. 10: A spokesmanfor the ArabianOil Company
said in Tokyo that it would generallyobserveinter-
nationalpriceswhen marketingoil from the Middle
East without restrictionson companieswith foreign
capital.
Feb. 11: It was announcedthat the UN has sent a
commissionof top educatorsfrom Britain,the UAR
and Lebanonto Kuwayt to draw up plans for a
university.
Feb. 15: Britain is giving up its separatecourts for
foreignersresident in Kuwayt, who will gradually
come under Kuwayti jurisdiction,it was learned
in London.
Feb. 17: Taro Yamashita,the Presidentof the Ara
bian Oil Company,said in an interview with Le
Commercedu Levant that his countrywould give
"priorityof purchaseto Arab oil."
Feb. 25: A new agreementwith the UK which gives
Kuwayt full responsibilityfor jurisdictionover all
its residentstook effect.
Feb. 28: LondonPress Servicereportedthat in 1959
the QatarPetroleumCompanyspent about?1,500,-
000 on local purchases and contractsplaced in
Qatar,a 50 per cent increaseover 1958.
SaudiArabia
1959
Saudi Arabia and Britain were near agreementon
preliminarysteps to be taken leading to a settle-
ment of outstanding frontier issues and the re-
sumption of diplomaticrelations.
Dec. 21: The Arabian Oil Companyannouncedin
Tokyo the signatureof a $5.8 million contractwith
the Seacoast Offshore Drilling Company for a
second drilling platform to be used in its Saudi
Arabia-Kuwaytoffshore Neutral Zone concession.
A government circular on aviation affairs an-
nounced the separationof the Civil Aviation De-
partment,which henceforthwill operate the air-
ports of the kingdom,and Saudi ArabianAirlines,
which will be underthe supervisionof the Ministry
of Defense and Aviation.
Press, and Publicationsannouncedthe Saudi Ara-
bian Government'sgeneral budget for the Hijrah
fiscal year 1379-1380 with revenues and expendi-
tures totaling SR 1,405 million.
the Council of Ministers, stipulated the unit of
Saudi currencyto be the riyal, divided into 20
qurusb,each divided into 5 ballabs.
A Royal Decree provided that a currencyde-
valuation profit of SR 232.5 million be added to
the budget revenuesof 1379-1380,thus raising the
total level of revenues and expendituresfrom SR
1,405 million to SR 1,637.5 million.
currencystabilizationprogramhad resultedwithin
18 months in an increasein the country'sreserves

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196 THE MIDDLE EAST JOURNAL

from $24 to $186 million, the appreciationof the Company"would open a new era in oil-concession
riyal from 6.4 to 4.5 to the dollar, the conversion politics in the region."
of a budget deficit into a large surplus, and a
price decreaseof 15 to 20 per cent.
Jan. 6: The ExecutiveCommitteefor the Repair of Sudan
the Hijaz Railwaymet in Ammanto continuecon- 1959
siderationof the offer of the Americanconsortium
Intrafito repairthe damagedportionof the railway Dec. 31: It was reported that the price of Sudan
at a cost of $21 million. Sakel Grade 5 cotton improvedabout 30 per cent
Jan. 8: Saudi Arabia increasedits share in the IMF between March and December. While there are
from $10 to $55 million and its sharein the IBRD no estimatesof the 1959-60 crop, progressreports
from 100 to 533 shares ($10 to $73.3 million). forecast higher yields per feddan from an area
Jan. 9: EmperorHaile Selassiearrivedin SaudiAra- which has been expandedfrom 853,722 feddansin
bia for a state visit. 1958-59 to 912,668 feddans in the presentyear.
Jan. 12: SaudiArabianoutputof crudeoil in Decem-
ber 1959 averaged1,209,642 barrelsa day, 175,003 1960
barrels more than in December 1958. Average Jan. 3: Tribal leader IbrahimMusa Madibbudied at
crudeproductionfor the yearwas 1,095,399barrels his home at the age of 77.
daily, 8 per cent more than in the previous year Jan. 6: A joint communiqueissued upon the depar-
and the largest yearly increase since 1954, The ture of EmperorHaile Selassie after a week's visit
journal of Commerce said. in the Sudan said that Ethiopia and the Sudan
Jan. 16: The JapaneseForeign Ministry announced would exert "furtherefforts for the eliminationof
that Japan intends to raise its consulate general colonialismfrom internationallife and for the rec-
in Saudi Arabiato the rank of an embassy. ognition of the right of all nations to decide their
Jan. 19: King MuhammadV visited SaudiArabia. own destiny."
Jan. 21: The Saudi Arabian MonetaryAgency has Jan. 11: 'Abd al-MajidAhmad,FinanceMinister,said
announced that it will henceforth publish state- the governmentof Sudan had asked the IBRD to
ments of accountsat regularintervalsin its double send a delegationto Khartumto discuss granting
capacityof currencyissuing agencyand government the Sudan $13,000,000 to help build the proposed
banker. Roseries Dam.
Jan. 23: King Sa'ud began a new inspectiontrip to The ForeignMinistryannouncedthat Japanwill
the northof Riyadh. send a cotton industrialmission to Sudan by the
The UAR CentralMinisterof Health arrivedin end of this month.
Jiddah to head a UAR health mission to Saudi Jan. 21: It was reportedthat the residentsof Wadi
Arabia. Halfa will have to move 500 miles outside of their
Amir Faysal held a press conferencein Riyadh homes to make way for the Aswan Dam which
at which he announcedthe lifting of press censor- will sink the area in 60 feet of water.
ship, although newspapersmust continue to com- Feb. 2: The West Germandelegationwhich has been
ply with the generallaw of publications.Speaking visiting the UAR arrived in Khartumto discuss
of foreign relations, he said that the Kingdom's possible investmentsin industrial projects in the
position with respect to Buraymihas been made Sudan, as well as the promotion of trade ex-
clear and that Saudi Arabiawill not yield national changes.
rights or honor. Feb. 5: An agreementsigned betweenWest Germany
Jan. 31: The Arabian Oil Companyannouncedin and the Sudan will extend to the latter technical
Tokyo that it had struck oil in its offshore Saudi assistance in cultural, agriculturaland industrial
Arabia-KuwaytNeutral Zone concession with a fields.
yield of 6,000 BPD of 26.6 gravityoil. Feb. 25: The CentralBankof the Sudanstartedfunc-
Feb. 9: In an interview with al-Bilad, ArabianOil tioning when the formal take-overfrom the Na-
CompanyPresidentTaro Yamashitaattributedthe tional Bank of Egypt took place today. It will be
successof his company'soperationsto the coopera- in chargeof issuing Sudanesecurrencyin place of
tive attitude of Saudi oil officials,and hoped that the CurrencyBoard which is now dissolved.
the oil discovery would help to cement Japan's Mar. 4: Major-GeneralIbrahim'Abbud,Presidentof
relationswith both Saudi Arabiaand Kuwayt. the SupremeCouncil, appealedto all countriesfor
Feb. 24: ARAMCO'scrude oil productionin Janu- financialaid, experts or archaeologicalmissions to
ary totaled 37,856,479 barrels,an averageof 1,221,- help Sudan save the Nubian historicalmonuments.
177 BPD. Mar. 7: A three-manmission from the IBRD arrived
Mar. 5: The Venezuelan Ambassadorto the UAR, in Khartumto discussloans to financethe Roseries
Iraq and Saudi Arabia, Antonio Martin Araujo, Dam project and the next stages of the Managil
visited Saudi Arabia to present his credentialsto Canal.
King Sa'ud. Mar. 8: Sudan'sfirst diesel locomotive,built by Eng-
Mar. 15: Shaykh 'Abdallah al-Tariki expressed the lish Electric,was formally handed over at a cere-
view that the recent oil strike by the ArabianOil mony in Khartum.

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 CHRONOLOGY 197

Accordingto al-Ahram,Agib Mineraria,a sub- Feb. 7: France has sent Tunisia a note suggesting
sidiary of the Italian state-ownedoil corporation that the matterof Frenchevacuationof the Bizerte
ENI, has been holding consultations with the naval base be left open to negotiation,it was re-
Sudanese Ministry of Commerceconcerning the ported.
constructionof a LE3 million oil refineryat Port Feb. 8: PresidentHabib Bourguibadedared that he
Sudan. shared the "hopes of the world" for Presidentde
Gualle's success in "neutralizingthe Europeanin-
surrectionalmovement in Algeria," and further
Tunisia said that for that reason "it is inopportuneto en-
(See also, General,Algeria, Iraq, Lebanon) gage in a battle for the evacuationof Bizerte."
Feb. 15: Tunisiais preparinga new offensivefor the
1959 evacuationof Bizerte which is directedto NATO
countries,it was learned. The purposeof the drive,
Dec. 17: PresidentEisenhowerarrivedin Tunis and accordingto an authoritativeTunisian source, is
met with PresidentBourguibaat La Marsa. He left "to force the free world to choose betweensupport
on the same day. of its real interests and support of France'scolo-
Dec. 19: In a press interview,PresidentHabib Bour- nial policies."
guiba disclosed that he had told PresidentEisen- Feb. 17: The Tunisian
governmentcharged that a
hower that the time was not yet ripe for peacetalks French bomber had crossed into Tunisia from
between the Algerian nationalist rebels and the Algeria and droppedseveral bombsnear the fron-
French government because the talks had been tier, damagingproperty.
blocked on the secondaryissue of the composition Feb. 18: PresidentHabib
Bourguibahas used African
of the nationalist delegation instead of self-deter- resentmenttoward the French atomic tests as the
mination. basis of an explosive attack on one of Islam's
Dec. 21: In a message of gratitude for Tunisia's strongestinstitutions-the fast of Ramadan,it was
hospitalityto him, PresidentEisenhowerwas quoted learned in Tunis. He gave orders to all public
as having promisedthat he would "work without boarding schools to ignore the Ramadanfast and
pause for peace, justice and equalityfor all." to "give the youngstersvitamins throughout the
month."
1960 Feb. 29: The majorityof TunisianMuslimsappeared
Jan. 14: The Mobil InternationalOil Companyan- to be observingthe Ramadanfast despite official
nouncedthat it has acquireda 50 per cent interest discouragement.
in a 10-million acre petroleumexplorationpermit
in Tunisia. Turkey
Jan. 24: Dr. Nadim al-Pachachi,the former Iraqi
Minister of Economy,left for Tunis at the invita- (See also, General, Cyprus)
tion of the Tunisian governmentto advise on the 1959
termsof oil agreements.
Jan. 25: PresidentHabib Bourguibademandedthat Dec. 16: The Court of CassationsentencedAhmad
France evacuatethe naval and air base at Bizerte Emin Yalman, editor of Vatan, for printing an
before February8. article criticalof PremierAdnan Menderes.
Jan. 27: Tunisian workersat the Frenchnaval base Dec. 17: AhmadEmin Yalman'sappealwas rejected
at Bizertewent on strike. by the Courtof Cassation.
Jan. 28: Tunisia and Iraq signed a trade and pay- Dec. 18: Military authoritieshave arrested30 per-
ments agreementin Tunis, it was announcedin sons on chargesof offenses against national secur-
Baghdad. ity, it was announcedin Ankara.
Jan. 30: At a news conferencein Tunis, President Dec. 19: Four newspapersin Istanbulappearedwith
Bourguibaexpressedhope that Presidentde Gaulle blank spaces on their front pages when they were
would quicklyrestoreorderin Algiers and rejected forced by a last-minutecourt order to delete news
the idea that African brigadesshould fight at the of the call by the InternationalPress Institute for
side of AlgerianMuslim nationalistsas the African a protest against the state of the press in Turkey.
People's Congressadvancedin their proceedingsat
Tunis. 1960
Feb. 4: Habib Bourguiba,Jr., son of the President, Jan. 6: PremierAdnanMendereslaid the foundation
was receivedby Presidentde Gaulle. stone of an ?18 million refinery at Mersin, a proj-
Feb. 5: It was reportedin Paris that PresidentHabib ect financedby three refiningcompaniesassociated
Bourguibaappearedto have softened in his stand with Mobil International,Royal Dutch Shell and
for the evacuationof the Bizertenaval base, and it British Petroleum.
was believed that his son told Presidentde Gaulle Jan. 8: Turkey's Hirfanli dam went into operation.
that Tunisia did not seek an immediateevacuation Jan. 19: A Turkish court decided to postpone until
but only French recognition of the principle of February 3 the trial of 4 US service men accused
Tunisian sovereigntyover the base. of illegal currency transactions.

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198 THE MIDDLE EAST JOURNAL
Jan. 20: Two air disastersin Ankara,about 5 hours
and 250 miles apart, are reportedto have claimed
about 58 lives. The planes were a US Navy twin-
engine MartinP-4-M Mercatorof Fleet Air Recon-
naissanceSquadronNo. 2 and an SAS jet Caravelle.
Jan. 24: Following statementsfrom several foreign
newspaperscriticizingTurkey'slaws with regardto
the press, the Press Minister, Haluk Shaman,de-
dared that Turkey enjoyed "completefreedom of
the press."
A new company to own and operate the pro-
posed $25,650,000, 20,800 BPD Istanbul Refinery
is being formed by Caltex and Turkiye Petroleri
A.O., a government-ownedcompany. It will be
called IstanbulPetrol RafinerisiA. S. (IPRAS).
Jan. 27: A searchparty was reportedto be looking
for "most importantdocuments"in the wreckage
of the US Navy plane that crashedlast week.
Feb. 3: Turkish authoritiesnotified USAF sergeant
Joseph Proietti that he would have to start serving
a 20-month jail term for the manslaughterof a
child in an automobileaccidentin June, 1958.
Feb. 4: The Governmentof Turkey and EXIM-
BANK signed an agreementfinalizingloans total-
ing $12.2 million to assist in the Turkisheconomic
stabilizationprogram.
Feb. 10: Thirty USAF fighter bombers arrived in
Adana to preparefor their coming 21-day tour of
CENTO nations.
Feb. 15: The fourth list of import quotas was an-
nouncedtogetherwith new liberalizationmeasures,
namely: the list of quotas which covers imports
from the E.M.A. and free currencycountriesto the
value of $99,729,000; the liberalizationlist and
the list of goods for which import licenses will be
granted automaticallyto authorizedusers and the
list for goods which can be importedon credit.
Feb. 17: One deputy suffered an injured eye and
others facial cuts when about 50 of them traded
blows in Parliamentwhen the Opposition accused
the former Minister of Exploitation, Samet Aga-
oglu, of having provided illegal benefits for his
brother-in-law.
Feb. 20: PresidentCelal Bayarand ForeignMinister
Fatin Riitfii Zorlu arrivedin Karachion a seven-
day visit at the invitationof PresidentMuhammad
Ayub Khan.
Feb. 24: The fifth anniversaryof CENTO was ob-
servedat its headquarters in Ankara.
Feb. 29: EXIMBANK and the Governmentof Tur-
key signed an agreementfinalizing a $15 million
credit for the purchaseof US heavy materialsto
producesteel and iron ore.
Mar. 1: The budget for the financialyear was ap-
proved by the National Assembly providing for
expenditures estimated at ?T7,281.7 million of
which ?T4,643,207.3 million is for currentspend-
ing and ?T2,638.4 million is for investment.
The Turkish Penal Court sentencedPfc. James
Dillon to 10 months in jail, 21/2 years of banish-
ment to a small Turkish village and a fine of
$1,400 on smugglingcharges.
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Mar. 3: An earthquakeshook Istanbul, Edrine and
Canakkale,but no damagewas reported.
Mar. 6: It was reportedat the UN than Turkeyhas
moved fartherand fasterthan its neighboringstates
in the rehabilitationprogram formulated by the
UN last year.
Mar. 7: Seventy-two-year-old Vatan editor Ahmad
Emin Yalman began his prison term.
Mar. 13: Foreign Minister Fatin RiustiiZorlu said
that Turkey's affiliation with the European Eco-
nomic Communitycould make her "healthy"econ-
omy even stronger.
UnitedArabRepublic
(See also, Iraq, Israel, Jordan,Palestine Problem,
Morocco,Saudi Arabia)
1959
Dec. 16: Tass reported that Russia is to give the
UAR technicalaid in building two factorieswhich
would produce radio apparatus and abrasive
materials.
Sourcesin Washington reportedthat G. Frede-
rick Reinhardtis expected to be named by Presi-
dent Eisenhower as the next ambassadorto the
UAR.
Colonel MahmudYunis left for New York on
his way to the IBRD meeting which is expected
to draw up the final agreementproviding a loan
of $56,500,000 for Suez Canal development.
Dec. 17: Germansourcesreportedthat the UAR will
buy at least five 10,000-ton ships from East Ger-
many.
Dec. 18: UAR authoritiesheld up at Port Sa'id the
Greek cargo ship Astypalea which was reported
to be on her way to Jibuti with 400 tons of cement
from Haifa. The master was requestedto unload
before the ship would be allowed to go through
the Suez.
Dec. 19: The UAR signed an agreementwith the
US for a $12,000,000 loan to build the country's
first TV station. It will be repaid in 30 years at
4 per cent interest.
West Germanyhas offereda loan of 200,000,000
Deutsche marks to the UAR to build the second
stage of the Aswan High Dam, it was reportedin
Cairo.
The UAR accusedIsrael of using the Astypalea
in "anotherattempt"to block a loan to Cairo by
the IBRD to improvethe Suez.
Dec. 22: The IBRD made the loan to the Suez
Canal Authority. It was made over the objections
of the Israeli Governmentand the appeal of 66
US representativesto delay the loan as long as
Cairo did not permit Israeli goods to pass freely
through the canal.
The governmentplanning affairs committeewas
reorganizedunder the chairmanshipof 'Abd al-
Latif al-Baghdadi, Vice-President and Central
Minister of Planning.
 CHRONOLOGY 199
Dec. 24: A trade mission from the UAR will arrive Aswan project although it would not try to dis-
in Djakarta next month, Antara news agency re- suade the IBRD or individual British firms from
ported, and it will discuss with the Indonesian contributing.
government ways for the smooth functioning of Jan. 18: The UAR announcedthat the Soviet Union
the trade agreement the two countries recently has agreedto financethe secondstage of the Aswan
concluded. High Dam, as revealed by letters exchanged by
Dec. 29: Al-Ahramreportedthat the UAR is now, PresidentNasir and PremierKhrushchev.
for the first time, exporting gasoline producedat Jan. 19: State Departmentofficials in Washington
the Suez Refineryto Europe. acknowledgedthat Soviet success in financingand
Dec. 30: PresidentJamal 'Abd al-Nasir acceptedthe constructingthe Aswan High Dam would prob-
resignation of Akram al-Hurani, Central Vice- ably enhanceSoviet prestige in Asia and Africa.
Presidentand Minister of Justice; Salah al-Bitar, PresidentNasir is understoodto have accepted
Central Minister of Culture and National Guid- the Soviet offer to build the second stage of the
ance; 'Abd al-Ghani Kanut, Minister of Social Aswan High Dam.
Affairs for Syria, and Mustafa Hamdun, Minister Jan. 24: The West GermanMinister of Economy,
of Agriculturefor Syria. Dr. Ludwig Erhard,arrived in Cairo at the head
Dec. 31: Informedsources believe PresidentNasir's of an 11-man mission to conduct talks on trade
drive to set up a National Union as an approach exchanges as well as West German participation
to popular governmentin the UAR was a major in development projects in both regions of the
factor in the resignationof the four ministers. UAR.
Jan. 25: PresidentNasir denied to reportersin Cairo
that there was an agreement between Mr. Dag
1960 Hammarskjbldand Dr. Mahmud Fawzi to allow
Jani. 1: The Suez Finance Companyreceived a pay- Israeli cargoesthroughthe Suez Canal.
ment of LE7 million from the UAR as part com- Jan. 26: The British Governmentacceptedan invita-
pensationfor the nationalizationof the Suez. tion from the UAR to send a small trade mission
Jan. 3: Drilling of well Bakr No. 19 had been com- to Egypt.
pleted, it was reported, and tests showed that it Jan. 28: It was confirmedthat the Soviet Union will
producedat the rate of 550 tons of oil a day from grant ?100,000,000 in aid for the UAR for the
a depth of 3,200 feet. second stage of the Aswan High Dam.
Jan. 5: Aswan Dam officialssaid that the UAR had Feb. 1: Talks between the UAR authoritiesand the
received offers from West Germany,Italy, Japan, West GermanEconomicdelegationwere suspended
Austria and Britain, for the second stage construc- becauseof the suddenillness of Dr. Erhard.
tion projects. Feb. 3: The owners of the Inge Toft have decided
Jan. 7: Raul Rao, Cuban Foreign Minister, had an to dischargeher cargo and sail, it was announced.
hour-long meeting with Dr. Mahmud Fawzi, dur- The UAR and Cuba have signed a $6,670,353
ing which they discussed the consolidation of trade agreement,in which gasoline is mentionedas
political and economic relations between their one of the items Cubawill importfrom the UAR,
countries,a Foreign Ministry spokesmansaid. it was learned.
King Muhammadof Morocco was received by The UAR sent a letter to the Presidentof the
PresidentNasir when he arrivedfor a 12-dayvisit. Security Council charging "a renewed act of ag-
Jan. 9: PresidentNasir set off a ten-ton dynamite gression by Israeli armed forces on the UAR
explosion to start constructionof the Aswan High (Syrian Region) in violation of the Armistice
Dam. Agreement"(Doc. S/4263).
Jan. 10: Dr. Ralph J. Bunche was given to under- Feb. 6: The UAR is willing to discuss borderinci-
stand that the UAR would continueto deny Israeli dents with Israel within the UN Mixed Armistice
ships and cargoestransitthroughthe Suez. Commissionbut not on Israeli terms, officials of
The firstmain turbineof the hydro-electricpower the UAR said.
station attachedto the Aswan Dam was inaugu- The release of the Inge Toft was jeopardized
rated. when Port Sa'id customsauthoritiesrefusedto pay
Jan. 11: A centerfor trainingin marketingfruit and the cost of unloading her cargo.
vegetables, sponsoredby the FAO and the UAR, Feb. 7: The plan of the Soviet Union to lend the
was opened by the under-secretaryat the UAR UAR equivalentto $280 million on the construc-
Ministryof Agriculture,Dr. 'Abd al-'Aziz Husayn, tion of the Aswan High Dam was confirmedat a
at the AgriculturalMuseum,Dokki. meeting of the joint Soviet-UARHigh Dam Com-
Jan. 13: PresidentEisenhowertold a press confer- mittee in Cairo.
ence in Washington that the US would support Feb. 9: The UAR higher civil defence council held
IBRD financing of further stages of the Aswan its first meeting since the unificationof civil de-
High Dam. fence laws in the two regions of the republic.
A reliable sourcein Londonsaid that the British Feb. 15: The steamerInge Toft finished unloading
Governmentdid not at present considercontribut- and sailed for Haifa.
ing to the financing of the second stage of the Feb. 16: An agreementregulatingair trafficbetween

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200 THE MIDDLE EAST JOURNAL
West Germanyand the UAR was signed in Bonn,
the Foreign Office announced.
John Profumo,British Ministerof State for For-
eign Affairs, said the return of British deseques-
tratedpropertyby the UAR had acceleratedrapidly
in the last few months.
Feb. 17: At a speech in Allepo, PresidentNasir said
that the UAR would never allow Israeli ships or
goods throughthe Suez Canal.
Feb. 18: The UAR sent a letterto the Presidentof the
SecurityCouncil containingthe text of the resolu-
tions adoptedby the Mixed ArmisticeCommission
on February 16 along with Doc. S/4268. It
stressed: that Israel had "violated the Armistice
Agreement in committing an armed aggression
against an Arab village in the demilitarizedzone,"
and that the Mixed Armistice Commission had
confirmedthe presenceof regular Israeli forces in
the zone.
Feb. 21: The UN Mixed Armistice Commission
made an on-the-spotinvestigationinto a protestby
the UAR that 9 Israeli airplaneshad violated its
air spaceby flying over the town of KhanYunis.
The UAR preparedto celebratethe second anni-
versaryof the mergerof Syria and Egypt.
Feb. 22: The old Muslim patternof divorce in the
UAR will be abolishednext October1. A husband
may no longer divorce his wife by simply telling
her "I divorce thee." He must go to court and
give good reasons.
The UAR commemorated the second anniversary
of its independence.At the ceremonies,President
Nasir handed title deeds to about three dozen
Syrian peasants to inaugurate the nation's third
land reformproject.
Feb. 24: A British trade mission set out to restore
commercewith the UAR to the old level and let
the troublesthat led to the Suez war be forgotten,
it was disclosed.
Feb. 25: PresidentNasir chargedthe Westernpowers
with "premeditatingaggression against us" by
maintaining their guarantee of the Arab-Israeli
frontiers.
Germansstudy the Qattaraprojectin a possible
acceptanceof the UAR bid for aid in the develop-
ment of the project to produceelectric power for
the new industriesof the republic.
Feb. 27: The heads of the big powers' missions,
Britain,the US and the USSR, were reecivedsepa-
rately at the Foreign Office in compliancewith
their request to discuss Israel-UARdevelopments.
AMar. 1: The UAR paid to Britainthe balanceof the
compensation money for Egyptianized property
agreed under their financial pact of March 15,
1959, a Foreign Officespokesmansaid in London.
Mar. 2: President Nasir will pay a five-day state
visit to Greece beginning June 1, the Greek For-
eign Ministry confirmed.
Mar. 3: The Liberian tanker Caribbean Wave was
detained at Port Sa'id for a routine check because
it had just come from an Israeli port.
Mar. 5: Italy and the UAR signed a commercial
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treaty in Rome under which Italian concernswill
aid the developmentprojectsof the UAR.
The Caribbean Wave was released.
G. FrederickReinhardtpresentedhis credentials
to Foreign Minister Mahmud Fawzi as the new
US Ambassadorto the UAR.
Mar. 10: The ExecutiveCouncil decided to issue a
5 million lire loan for settlementin the agrarian
reformareasand on government-owned land. 'Abd
al-Hamid al-Sarraj,Minister of the Interior, said
the councilalso made 30 other decisionsconcerning
developmentprojectsduring a meeting which dis-
cussed proposals from the provincial National
Union committees.
Mar. 14: The UAR formed an eleven-manteam to
combatanti-Islamicmaterialin foreign newspapers,
books and broadcastsespecially against an anti-
Islamic campaign launched by the Soviet Union
some weeks ago.
Egypt
1959
Dec. 21: The Union Jack flew in Cairo for the first
time in more than three years, signalling the re-
sumptionof British-UARdiplomaticrelations.
Dec. 27: It was reportedthat Egyptiancottonexports
from the beginningof the currentseason until the
end of November 1959 totaled 1,264,594 cantars
valued at 18,297,000 pounds. Cottonyarn exports
for the same period totaled 4,456 tons valued at
2.2 million pounds.
1960
Jan. 5: Outgoing paymentsin transferablecurrencies
for imports and most invisibles were made in the
Egyptianregion at a rate involving a foreign ex-
change premium of 20 per cent instead of the
premiumof 27.5 per cent effective since Sept. 1,
1959.
Jan. 7: King Muhammadof Morocco arrived in
Cairo to take part in the Aswan Dam dedication
ceremonies.
Jan. 8: UAR Minister of Industry 'Aziz Sidqi has
ordered the formation of a special committeeto
draw up the conditionsgoverning the bidding for
concession blocks in Egypt's Western desert in
view of recentdiscoveriesof good oil prospectsin
that area.
Jan. 9: It was announcedthat Egypt will build new
oil storage facilities at a cost of LE 2,000,000 to
supplement an internal pipeline network linking
Suez with Cairo which is now under construction.
Jan. 12: A Frenchfinancialdelegationleft Paris by
air for Cairo to discusswith the Egyptianauthori-
ties a number of technical questions which re-
mained unsettled after the Franco-Egyptian agree-
ment reachedat Geneva in July, 1958. The main
questionsto be discussedwill be compensationfor
Frenchshareholdersof a numberof Egyptiancom-
 CHRONOLOGY
panies, and ways of lifting the decreeon sequestra-
tion of Frenchcompaniesby Egypt.
Jan. 25: Two US freightershave been detainedfol-
lowing claims by Semco, an Egyptian shipping
company,for LE 8,200 in handling charges from
the owners. A hearing on the claims was set for
February15.
Jan. 27: A five-manBritish scientificmission visiting
Egypt left Cairo at the end of a 10-day stay after
"most satisfactorytalks" with officialsat Cairo and
Alexandria universities where they "investigated
the possibilitiesof Britisheducationalcooperation."
Jan. 28: Al-Ahramreportedthat zoning operationsin
the Western desertareaare now in progress. Blocs
will vary from 200 and 400 sq. kms. each.
Jan. 29: The EgyptianMinisterof Educationordered
that a census should be taken of all the ministry's
officialswho hold degreesin geology to be assigned
to work with Soviet geologists who have been
loaned to Egypt to help with geological surveys.
Jan. 31: Egypt'spetroleumprojectsunderthe Second
Five Year IndustrializationProgramwill cost an
estimatedLE35,000,000, al-Ahramreported.
Feb. 7: The Mobil Oil Companyof Egypt inaugu-
rated its new oil storage depot (capacity, 30,000
tons) at Mex near Alexandria.
Feb. 11: Dr. 'Abd al-Mun'imal-Qaysuniannounced
that Egypt has nationalizedthe Bank of Egypt and
the National Bank. He said that the banks'shares
would becomegovernmentbonds of nominal share
value equivalentto the previousday'sclosing prices
on the Cairostockexchange.
Feb. 16: The AmericanfreighterValiantFaith (7,247
tons) was arrestedat Port Sa'id after the issue of
a writ by Semco claiming $36,000 on behalf of
the Societe Algerienne de Petrole, Algiers. The
other freighter,Rockland,was releasedafter paying
LE11,000.
Feb. 17: Al-Jumhuriyahreportedthat James Braaf-
ladt, Middle East representativeof the AtlanticRe-
fining Company,arrivedto negotiatewith the UAR
PetroleumAuthorityfor a concessionin the West-
ern desert.
Feb. 20: Includedin the chemicalindustriessectorof
the Egyptian Second Five-Year Industrialization
Programis a projectfor the constructionof a plant
for the manufactureof synthetic woolen thread
from petroleumby-products,al-Masa disclosed.
The drilling of well No. 7 at Karim has been
completedand its productioncapacityis estimated
to be about 40 tons a day.
Feb. 23: H. G. Nelson, leaderof the Britishmission,
expressed confidencethat the volume of Anglo-
Egyptiantradewill be restoredto its pre-Suezlevel.
Feb. 29: The UAR completedthe paymentof a lump
sum of ?27.5 million in compensationfor British
propertytaken over or sold to its nationalsand for
damagesufferedby sequestratedpropertyin Egypt,
under the terms of the financialagreementof Feb-
ruary28, 1959.
Mar. 6: Crudeoil productionis expectedto increase
from 5,100,000 tons a year to 8,520,000 tons on
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201
the completionof the SecondIndustrializationPro-
gram in 1965, a sourceat the Ministryof Industry
said.
Mar. 8: Colin Crowe,British charged'affairesin the
UAR, died in Cairo.
A Port Sa'id court postponed the hearing of a
case againstthe freighterValiantFaith due to lack
of further documentson the case.
Syria
1959
Dec. 16: Field Marshal'Abd al-Hakim'Amir issued
a decreesetting up a five-mancommitteeto super-
vise the executionof the agrarianreformlaw.
Dec. 17: An authoritativesource said that India
wishes to buy Syriancotton from this year'scrop.
Dec. 21: Ahmad al-Hajj Yunis, Minister of Agri-
culture,said that governmentloans to farmershad
reached a total of 20 million lire, 18 million of
which were seasonaland the rest long-term.
Dec. 22: The enlarging of Aleppo airportat a cost
of two million lire is to be begun early next year,
the airport directorsaid. Jet craft would be able
to use the airport, which will be in service day
and night.
Dec. 23: A second meeting of Syrian and Turkish
governors of frontier provinces will be held in
Turkey at the beginningof April, the SyrianMin-
istry of Interiorannounced.
Dec. 24: Dr. Nur al-din Kahhalah,Presidentof the
ExecutiveCouncil, announcedthat PresidentNasir
had authorizedhim in his capacityas SyrianMin-
ister of Public Works to enter into contractsfor
the building of Tartusport without being confined
to the laws and regulations concerning general
accountingand tenders.
Syria signed a contractwith Technoexportfor
preparinga preliminaryproject for the establish-
ment of a Euphratesdam. Constructionwill start
in 1962 and the completionof the project is ex-
pectedto be in four years.
Dec. 25: Ahmad al-Hajj Yunis announceda five-
year programfor the afforestationof 6,000 hec-
tares of barrenhills and other areasin the interior
and 5,000 in coastalareasto check the advanceof
sand on surroundingareas. The project will be
started in Damascus,Hama and Latakia.
Dec. 27: Syrianauthoritiesreportedthey had smashed
a group of Communistyouth cells believed to be
the last secret Communist organization in the
region.
Field Marshal 'Amir issued Decision No. 73
providingfor the amendmentof the customstariff
in Syria which exempts butter, cheese and certain
kinds of fish and meat from customs duty.
Dec. 28: PresidentNasir authorizedthe SyrianMin-
istry of Public Works to sign a contractwith a
Yugoslav firm to build a port at Tartus. The con-
tract exemptsthe contractingfirm from paymentof
customs duties on importedequipment,municipal
202 THE MIDDLE EAST JOURNAL
taxes, income taxes (except on salaries and wages
paid by the firm) and stamp duties.
Dec. 30: Field Marshal'Amirissued a decreesetting
up a committeeof four ministersto help him in
organizingthe National Union. The membersare:
'Abd al-Hamid al-Sarraj,Minister of the Interior,
Ahmad al-Hajj Yunis, Minister of Agriculture,
Tuma Awadatallah, Minister of Municipal and
Rural Affairs and Dr. Amjad Tarabulsi,Minister
of Education.
1960
Jan. 3: PresidentNasir acceptedthe resignationof
the SyrianMinisterof the Economy,Khalil Kallas.
jan. 7: Syria awardedthe Yugoslav firm Pomorsko
a LS 32,320,000 contractto build a port at Tartus.
Jan. 9: This year'scotton crop was reportedlybigger
and of better quality than last year's. The total
productionwas 98,500 tons.
Jan. lo: Reports reaching Damascus said floods
sweeping northernSyria had caused 10 deaths in
three days.
Jan. 16: A decree reducingthe price of gas oil by
20 per cent came into effect.
In the past fortnight,45,000 tons of oil products
from the Homs Refinerywere exportedto Holland.
Jan. 25: The Under-Secretary of the Soviet Ministry
of ForeignMines and Mineralscompleteda 1o-day
inspectiontour of areasin the Syrianregion where
Soviet techniciansare carryingout geological and
other surveywork.
Jan. 30: Talks began with the West Germandelega-
tion on the prospectof loans and technicalaid for
economic developmentin Syria.
An officialspokesmanchargedthat Israeliborder
police fired on Syrian farmers inside a demili-
tarizedzone.
Feb. 4: Arab artilleryfire damagedan Israeliarmored
car in a skirmishat the Syrianfrontier.
Feb. 6: Evacuees from Tawafik village expressed
their determinationto go back and drive out the
Israeli "invaders."
The Executive Council in Syria approved the
establishmentof a new oil companyin Syria, the
National PetroleumCompany.
Feb. 10: Electionstook place in all the Syrianprov-
inces except Idlib province, where elections were
postponed due to lack of a sufficientnumber of
voters.
Feb. 13: A six-man US trade mission began talks
with Syrianofficialsand businessmen "to promote
and facilitate healthy and prosperous two-way
trade"betweenthe US and the UAR.
Feb. 14: There was speculationin Cairo that Presi- 1960
dent Nasir's visit to Syria might be related to the Feb. 1: G. K. N. Trevaskis, British agent in the
resignationof 4 Syrianmembersof the UAR and
Syrianregional cabinetsand recurringreportsthat
more Syriansmight resign in a general revision of
the centralCabinet.
President Nasir held private talks with Syrian
officials today on the recent Syrian-Israeliborder
clashes.
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Feb. 16: Tass announcedthat Soviet seismic and
gravity meter survey teams had started exploring
potentialoil bearingareasin Syria.
Feb. 17: PresidentNasir received a "rousing"wel-
come in Aleppo.
Feb. 18: Work to begin on a new railroadin Syria,
linking Aleppo with Latakia,was inauguratedby
PresidentNasir.
Feb. 20: An agreementto extend US technicalassist-
anceto Syriawas signed in Cairo.
Feb. 21: At the second anniversarycelebrationof the
union of Syria with Egypt, President Nasir de-
clared that the tripartitedeclarationof 1950 was
"dead and buried in Port Sa'id."
Feb. 25: An Americanfive-mantrade team headed
by Mr. Paul Hawk left for Cairo after a two-week
visit to Syria where talks with officialsand cham-
bers of commerceand industrywere held for the
purposeof increasingtrade.
Feb. 27: The trial of Khalid Fakhrial-Nabuk,Syrian
Air Force officer accused of passing military in-
formationto an Israeli-Turkishspy ring, was post-
ponedto March5.
Mar. 1: The Syrian PetroleumOrganizationbegan
the study of financialand technicalclauses of ten-
ders receivedfrom foreign and local firms to con-
nect the government-ownedrefineryin Homs by
pipelineswith variousprovinces.
President Nasir issued a decree granting dis-
placement allowances to permanent government
employeesserving in the Hasaka,Deir ez-Zor and
'Ayn al-Arabareas if they are not natives of those
areas.
Mar. 3: PresidentNasir presided over a meeting of
the Executive Council in which Field Marshal
'Amir was also a participant. It discussed agri-
cultural development and anticipated expanded
agriculturalincome under the five-yearplan.
Mar 7: Constructionof the new Damascusinterna-
tional airportwill begin in January,1961, Sayyid
Muhammadal-Hakimdeclared.
Mar. 10: An authoritativesourceat the government-
controlledPalestineRefugee Organizationsaid that
the organization'sbudget has been increasedone
million Syrianlire over the previousyear'sbudget.
Mar. 11: Syria and Egyptwill have separatebudgets
for 1961, Dr. Nur al-din Kahhalahdisclosed.
Yemen
(See also, Aden)
Western Protectorate,visited Baidha, Yemen, and
had friendlytalks on frontiermatterswith Yemeni
officials. He was accompaniedby Sultan Salih bin
Husayn al-Audhali, Sultan Muhammadbin Salih
Harhara,ruler of Upper Yafa'i state, Amir Jibil
bin Husayn al-Audhali and Amir Hamud bin
MuhammadHarhara.