Saddam a headache for upcoming Arab Summit
Special to World Tribune.com
MIDDLE EAST NEWSLINE
Monday, March 26, 2001
AMMAN — The issue of Iraq continues to pose a major problem for the
Arab League summit.
Arab leaders are divided over Iraq's demands that the summit call for an
end to international sanctions. Some leaders are also concerned over the
prospect that Iraqi President Saddam Hussein will attend the meeting in
Amman on Tuesday and Wednesday.
The opposition to lifting United Nations sanctions on Iraq comes largely
from Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. Kuwait is demanding an Iraqi apology for the
invasion of the sheikdom in 1990. Saudi Arabia has also been angered by an
Iraqi demand that the Arab League approve Baghdad's request to send nearly
$900 million to the Palestinians.
The Saudis have decided to lower their level of participation at the
Amman meeting and will send Defense Minister Prince Sultan Bin Abdul Aziz.
In previous summits, Riyad was represented by Crown Prince Abdullah.
Some Arab League foreign ministers have proposed to establish a panel
that
would draft a resolution to end the dispute between Iraq, Kuwait and Saudi
Arabia. It is not clear whether the panel would be discussed by Arab
leaders.
To ease Arab opposition, Iraq has suggested that instead of sanctions
the United States block weapons sales to Baghdad. Arab diplomatic sources
said the Iraqi proposal might be in line with the Bush administration's new
policy of "smart sanctions" on Baghdad.
The debate over Iraq comes amid reports of renewed fighting in northern
Iraq. Arab diplomatic sources said Iraq has renewed missile attacks toward
opposition targets near the Kurdish city of Irbil.
Arab League foreign ministers over the weekend approved one of their own
as the body's next secretary-general. The choice was that of Egyptian
Foreign Minister Amr Mussa.
On Sunday, the London-based Al Hayat daily said Israeli Prime Minister
Ariel Sharon plans to send an envoy to Jordan's King Abdullah over the next
two days. The newspaper said Sharon's message to Amman will be that Israel
does not see Jordan as an alternative Palestinian homeland and that the
Hashemite kingdom remains a vital partner in the Arab-Israeli peace efforts.
Monday, March 26, 2001
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