The 2008 Arab League Summit

March 31, 2008

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and Syrian President Bashar Assad (AP)

The 20th Arab League summit was held in Damascus, Syria from March 29-30. Arab League summits are held annually. Head of state representation is usually expected. While personal disputes among leaders often lead to no-shows at the summit, the notable absences at this year’s summit are more critical than usual—ten of the Arab League’s 22 heads of state did not attend. Below is a list of each country’s level of representation and an analysis of the issues concerning certain states’ decisions.

Head of State Representation
Algeria, Comoros, Kuwait, Libya, Mauritania, Palestinian Authority, Qatar, Sudan, Tunisia and United Arab Emirates.

Lower Level Representation
Bahrain (Deputy Prime Minister): King Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifah was visiting the United States. Bahrain is a close ally of Saudi Arabia, which has criticized Syria for its interference in Lebanon’s ongoing political crisis, and likely is not attending due to this relationship.

Egypt (State Minister for Legal and Parliamentary Affairs): Egypt has been clear about its opposition to Syria’s involvement in Lebanon, with Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit stating, “I’m afraid that the Lebanese issue will reflect negatively on this summit."

Iraq (Vice President): President Nuri al-Maliki was busy overseeing military operations in southern Iraq.

Jordan (Permanent Arab League Representative): King Abdullah II’s decision not to attend the summit the day before it began was unexplained, but is seen as a critique of Syria’s involvement in Lebanon, continued support of Hamas and Islamic Jihad, and close alliance with Iran.

Morocco (Foreign Minister): Moroccan heads of state usually do not attend Arab League summits, but there are reports that King Mohammad VI’s absence is politically motivated as well.

Oman (Deputy Prime Minister): Omani heads of state usually do not attend Arab League summits, but Oman has remained involved in regional diplomacy. In early March, the Omani foreign minister met with his counterparts from Iran, Syria and Qatar. Diplomats reported that the meeting was most likely a follow up to earlier discussions concerning Lebanon between Iran and Saudi Arabia.

Saudi Arabia (Permanent Arab League Representative): Relations between Saudi Arabia and Syria have deteriorated due to Syria’s actions in Lebanon and Iraq and its partnership with Iran. King Abdullah’s decision not to attend is the most recent manifestation of this tension and likely was due to the continued gridlock in Lebanon caused partially by the pro-Syrian opposition.

Yemen (Vice President): The government of Yemen said that President Ali Abdullah Saleh could not attend due to “special circumstances.” His decision not to attend was a surprise after Yemen’s recent attempts to broker an agreement between Fatah and Hamas.

No Representation
Lebanon: Syria invited Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Siniora, however the invitation was turned down. As a statement by the government explained, "Based on the injustice that Syria has subjected Lebanon to (and) in light of the vacuum in the presidency … the council of ministers decides that Lebanon will not take part in the Arab summit in Damascus that is scheduled for March 29-30."

United Nations: The United Nations Secretary-General is normally invited as a guest of honor, but did not attend this year.

Unknown Representation
Djibouti

Somalia: Somali President Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed remained in Mogadishu and met with Ethiopian Foreign Minister Seyoum Mesfin. Clashes between government forces and Islamist rebels over the weekend killed 17 in Mogadishu, reinforcing concerns about the stability of the Somali government.

Notable Observer
Iran: Syria invited Iran’s Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki to the summit as an observer. Iran’s invitation is indicative of the deepening ties between Syria and Iran as international pressure increases on both countries.



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In-Depth Coverage

Original Commentaries

08/20/10
Center for American Progress Welcomes Resumption of Direct Talks  —
08/10/10
A View from the Ground  —Darbaz Kosrat Rasul, chair, Rebaz Foundation. Interview with Middle East Bulletin.
08/03/10
U.S.-Turkish Relations  —Ambassador Francis J. Ricciardone, Jr., recently returned deputy ambassador in Afghanistan; former ambassador to Egypt (2005-2008); and deputy chief of mission and charge d'affaires in U.S. embassy in Turkey (1995-1999). Congressional Testimony.

Setting the Record Straight

Eye Still on the Ball

“Adverse developments in Iraq will be (and will look to be) increasingly a function of the Obama Team taking their eye off of the ball and rushing to declare mission accomplished. Yes, in such a scenario the Iraqis should bear most of the blame, but the part that is due to U.S. action or inaction will be Obama's responsibility. And it will matter. Iraq is at the center of a region that every president since Jimmy Carter has identified as vital to our national security. Iraq is next door to, and the playground for mischief from, the most thorny national security challenge the United States faces: a nuclear-weapons-seeking Iranian regime. These inconvenient facts mean that if the Iraqi situation demands more focused and costly U.S. attention, it will likely get it. At that point, what sort of domestic coalition will be available for President Obama's Iraq policy?”
—Peter Feaver, director, Triangle Institute for Security Studies; former director for defense policy and arms control, National Security Council, “Obama’s Iraq Speech: Another Missed Opportunity,” Foreign Policy, August 3, 2010versus
  • “Iraq is a strategically important place in the Middle East, just by its geographic location, by its population, by the influence it's had in the Middle East for a long time. So neighboring countries from around the Middle East have an interest inside of Iraq.

    “But I will tell you that I think Iraqis themselves are nationalistic in nature, and that's why it's important. A strong Iraq will defend itself against interference from outside countries, and I think as we build a strong Iraq and as we continue to build a strong security mechanism and as we continue to help them economically and diplomatically, that will make it less likely of others from the outside being able to interfere.

    “Now, for the vacuum as we see today, again, I remind everyone is that we still have a significant presence here, and we are not going to—we will not allow undue maligned influence on the Iraqi government as they attempt to form their government. What we're trying to do is provide them the space and time for them to do that, and we will continue to do that post 1 September. We'll still have a significant civilian presence, and again, we'll still have 50,000 troops on the ground here to ensure that this government can be formed by the Iraqis. And that all the other nations respect their sovereignty as they go about forming their government.”
    —General Ray Odierno, commander of U.S. forces in Iraq, interview, “This Week” with Christiane Amanpour, August 8, 2010

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