Word: damascus
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Dates: during 1970-1979
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Though Jackson had intended a return visit to Beirut and a trip to Damascus, Sadat now suddenly sent him in a presidential jet bearing personal messages to the P.L.O. chief and to Syrian President Hafez Assad. Sadat's bizarre action left diplomatic observers puzzled, as Jackson was a newcomer to Middle East politics, and there were more appropriate, Arab candidates at hand. Jackson, nevertheless, left immediately for Beirut, where he briefed Arafat on Sadat's proposal: cessation of P.L.O. hostilities against Israel in the hope of winning Israeli recognition. Arafat immediately called a meeting of the P.L.O. Central...
...meantime Jackson had arrived in Damascus, only to be stricken with gastroenteritis, an inflammation of the lining of the stomach and intestines. He was forced to interrupt a session with Assad the next day in order to check into a hospital for a "stomach wash." The Syrian leader greeted Jackson warmly but firmly rejected Sadat's overture...
...Syrian military communique issued in Damascus said two Israeli jets were "hit" as well but did not say specifically where they had crashed...
...Syrian-backed faction of the P.L.O., threatened to blow up the building unless their demands were met. Two Turkish guards were killed and one Egyptian hostage died trying to escape. Heavily-armed Turkish troops took up positions around the building. Then several Palestinian guerrillas were flown in from Damascus to try to bring an end to the siege. After negotiating with them, the raiders on Sunday morning released their remaining hostages. The four terrorists themselves marched out of the embassy flashing "V" for victory signs and were turned over to Turkish police...
About the time of his marriage, Khomeini made the devout Muslim's obligatory pilgrimage to Mecca. On his way back from Islam's holiest city, he got into a squabble with a group of Sunni Muslims in a Damascus mosque. In keeping with his own Shi'a tradition, Khomeini had placed a handful of earth on his prayer rug, and was preparing to put his forehead upon it. The Sunnis angrily objected to this practice, Khomeini deftly answered that it was wrong to place one's forehead directly on a rug, that one should be more...