Arab
Summit Closes Amid Sharp Divisions
Challiss McDonough
30 March 2008
A controversial and partly boycotted Arab League summit has ended
in the Syrian capital, Damascus, with no progress on the Lebanese
political crisis and a summit declaration that Iraq refused to
endorse. Despite the obviously sharp divisions among the
delegates, Syrian officials have portrayed the meeting as a
success. VOA Correspondent Challiss McDonough has more from our
Middle East bureau in Cairo.
The Arab summit broke no new ground on the most critical regional
issues, in the absence of nearly half of the leaders of Arab
League states.
Leaders say they had frank talks about the economy and other
matters, but there was little in the way of progress on the issues
that have most divided the Arab world and prompted a partial
boycott of the meeting, including the Palestinian factional divide
and the political crisis in Lebanon.
Lebanon boycotted the summit, accusing host Syria of blocking the
election of a new Lebanese president, charges Syria denies. In
solidarity with Lebanon, three other key Western-allied countries,
Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Jordan, sent only low-level
representatives to Damascus.
The summit's host, Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad, acknowledged
that there were sharp divisions among the delegates, but he argued
that those differences strengthened the summit rather than
weakening it.
He said the closed-door session Saturday was
"outstanding" and "free of flattery." He said
everyone spoke frankly and respected the discussion, despite their
many differences.
In the earlier opening session, that frankness and difference of
opinion was on public display in the remarks by Libyan leader
Moammar Gadhafi, who excoriated his fellow leaders for their
disunity and inability to act together.
The sharp divides among Arab states were evident even in the
summit's declaration, which the Iraqi delegation refused to
endorse.
At the final session, Iraqi Vice President Adil Abdul-Mehdi said
Iraq was formally expressing its reservations about the text. He
indicated that it was not what they had agreed to during the
closed session.
He said it failed to pledge support for the Iraqi government in
its efforts toward national reconciliation or to condemn terrorism
and violence.
Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad said the Iraqi objections would
be noted in the record, but his foreign minister later said the
document itself would not be amended.
The conference declaration called for Iraq to disband all militias
and work to speed up the withdrawal of all foreign troops from the
country.
The summit made no breakthrough on the Lebanese political crisis,
the main issue that prompted so many countries to scale back their
representation at the meeting. But delegates emphasized their
support for efforts by Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa to
mediate a solution.
Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Al-Moallem rejected the allegation
that the summit's success hinged on making progress on Lebanon.
He said "The issue of Lebanon was raised during the closed
session, but the leaders decided it was not appropriate to discuss
Lebanon during its absence."
Delegates at the summit also renewed their support for the Arab
peace initiative aimed at ending the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
But they also said that the offer will not remain on the table
indefinitely, and indicated they could review their strategies on
peace with Israel, depending on Israel's response.
The initiative was first proposed in 2002 and re-launched last
year. It offers Israel normal relations with all Arab states in
exchange for Israeli withdrawal to its borders before the 1967
Arab-Israeli war.
Source: VOA
[Reprinted with permission]
More
reporting on the Arab League Summit in Damascus:
Summit
slams Islamophobia - Gulf Daily News
DAMASCUS: Arab leaders gathered in Damascus for an annual summit
expressed concern yesterday about what they said was rising
Islamophobia around the world amid Muslim anger at a Dutch film
linking Islam to terrorism. "The growth of ferocious attacks
against Islam and the rise of Islamophobia are a deep source of
concern, particularly given that the offences to Muslims are
increasing in countries known for their pluralism and acceptance
of difference," Arab leaders said in a final statement.
[more]
Editorial:
Summit of Frustration
"Substantial progress at Arab summits is rare. Habitual
divisions have marked previous gatherings and have been usually
papered over by a convenient consensus on generalities. But when
half the leaders of the Damascus summit do not show up, the
chances of reaching any sort of breakthrough considerably lessens,
and the odds are further shortened when one of the principal
parties of the very dispute which has kept so many leaders away,
in this case Lebanon, boycotts altogether. The nonparticipation of
so many Arab leaders in Damascus is the culmination of a growing
sense of frustration with Syria�s leadership, mostly over its
role in Lebanon, its declared support for Hamas in its battle for
Palestinian minds and hearts with Fatah, and not to mention its
all but declared alliance with Iran.." [more]
Backgrounder:
Damascus Declaration for 20th Arab summit - Xinhua
"The 20th Arab summit concluded its deliberations on Sunday
by issuing the Damascus Declaration on Arab solidarity, national
security and revitalizing the mechanisms of the joint Arab
action.." [more]
Iraq
Refuses to Endorse Summit Statement
"DAMASCUS, Syria -- Iraq refused to endorse the final
declaration of the Arab summit on Sunday because it did not
condemn terrorism in the country, a divisive end to a gathering
marred by disputes and boycotts. Iraq's Shiite-dominated
government has long accused Sunni-led Arab governments of not
taking a strong enough stance against Sunni Arab fighters who made
up the backbone of Iraq's insurgency.." [more]
A Snug
for Syria - IHT (Oped-Boston Globe)
"When delegations deplaned in Damascus last weekend for an
Arab League summit meeting, half of the league's 22 heads of
states expressed their displeasure with President Bashar Assad of
Syria by staying home. Lebanon, whose political crisis was to lead
the summit's agenda, snubbed the event entirely.. ..For Egypt,
Saudi Arabia, and other states, Syria's spoiler role in Lebanon is
a sideshow. The ultimate cause of their rancor is Assad's alliance
with Iran, the ascendant regional power that stands outside the
Arab League.." [more]
Arab
League warns Israel over settlements
"The Arab League has threatened to review its peace offer to
Israel unless, it says, the Jewish state changes its behaviour.
The warning came at the end of the two-day summit in the Syrian
capital Damascus. Arab leaders failed to say what options were
under consideration but Secretary-General Amr Moussa made it clear
what action Israel must take. "We warn against the
continuation of the occupying Israeli authorities' policy of
blockades and the closing of crossing points, as well as rising
violence particularly in the Gaza Strip," he said. "We
consider these crimes and call on Israel to halt all such
aggressive acts against civilians," he added.." [more]
Arab
peace offer 'under review'
"Arab leaders meeting in Damascus have said that they will
review a peace offer extended to Israel in 2002 unless it changes
its behaviour. The warning was made on Sunday at the end a two-day
Arab summit marred by divisions over the political crisis in
Lebanon.." [more]
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