Arab meetings in Cairo set a gloomy prelude for the next summit in the Syrian capital. Dina Ezzat reports A delegation of the Arab League returned from Damascus this week with a fairly positive report on the logistic preparations undertaken by the Syrian capital to host the next summit of the Arab League in March. However, no such positive report could be made to pave the way to this summit which is expected to approach extremely crucial Arab affairs. In a series of meetings he held at the presidential headquarters in Heliopolis, President Hosni Mubarak received Saudi King Abdullah, Iraqi President Jalal Talabani, President of Sudan Omar Al-Bashir, Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Bahraini Crown Prince Salman Bin Hamad Al-Khalifa. The leaders, who supposedly arrived to take part in the opening of the pan-Arab Games in Cairo, were also engaged in parallel and collective meetings amongst themselves. Talabani and Abbas convened with Arab League Secretary-General Amr Moussa. The agenda of these political gatherings was loaded with tough regional problems that ranged from the fuzzy international peace meeting in Annapolis to failed efforts to produce constructive Sudanese peace talks in Sirte or enhance Iraqi reconciliation in Baghdad. However, an equally tough issue for the Arab meetings this week related to Syria, the host and chair of the next Arab summit. The tense relations between Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad and most of these Arab leaders and the perceived unfavourable political influence of Syria over internal and regional politics might prove too tough a dilemma to fix in the four months remaining to the Damascus summit. On Sunday evening, presidential spokesman Suleiman Awwad "refused to engage in speculation" that some reporters suggested a potential change of the venue of the summit due to the tension looming over Al-Assad's relationship with some Arab leaders. According to Awwad, preparations are underway for the convocation of the regular annual Arab summit at the venue agreed upon by Arab leaders during their last summit in Saudi Arabia. "I do not need to underline the fact that Syria is a cornerstone for good inter-Arab relations. It is on Syrian land that the next Arab summit will convene," Awwad said in no uncertain terms. It was a rare early affirmation that Cairo would venture to offer in relation to the venue of the convocation of the Arab summit. Indeed, it came irrespective of a crass attack launched against President Mubarak, no less, by a pro- government Syrian commentator. The attack was obviously tailored to retaliate against accusations levelled recently by Lebanese politician Saad Al-Hariri, at the presidential headquarters following a meeting with Mubarak, in which he accused Syria of plotting to assassinate him and Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Al-Siniora. Awwad on Sunday shrugged off the anti-Mubarak attack as "irrelevant and insignificant". He, however, chose to offer a firm response to what was perceived as an official Egyptian approval of Al-Hariri's accusations which Syria insists are unfounded. "Mr Saad Al-Hariri is responsible for what he says. Egypt cannot be questioned on statements made by a guest who was received [as other Lebanese politicians from the various political camps] by Mubarak as part of the president's keen effort to help resolve the Lebanese political problem," Awwad stated. This careful political punctuation on the part of a highly reserved spokesman seemed to be a part of an otherwise cautious but sincere Egyptian attempt to fix, or at least soften, inter- Arab tension. According to Egyptian officials who spoke on background, this "Syrian containment" approach on the part of Cairo is not meant to spare Damascus from any regional political wrongdoing. Cairo, they say, and despite the keen Egyptian statements on its firmly unbiased approach towards Lebanese political camps, is uncomfortable with the Syrian influence over Lebanese political opposition to Al-Siniora's government. Like many other Arab capitals, especially Riyadh, Cairo is worried that the persistent demand of the minority political opposition to have a veto on all Lebanese political decision-making is threatening Lebanon's political stability and civil harmony. Moreover, the same sources added that Cairo is not particularly satisfied with the support that Damascus is lending to Hamas in confronting Abbas, especially in view of the tough political challenge that Abbas is charged with in relation to the US-proposed peace meeting in Annapolis. And Cairo believes, sources add, that Syria could do more to contain the influx of armed militants through the borders with Iraq. Above all, like Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and other Arab states in the Gulf, Egypt is hoping for Syrian reconsideration of its political alliance with Iran in view of the shared Arab concerns over Iran's alleged role in inducing instability in the Gulf area and Iraq in order to expand Persian influence. Despite such reservations, however, it remains the wish of Cairo to engage Syria. "I think it has become clear that painting Syria in a corner would not be particularly useful for the interests of the region," commented one informed source. He added that as such, Egypt is trying to regain Syria back to the Arab fold. "We are not very optimistic but we will see what we can do," he added. This week, Awwad said that President Mubarak, who is trying hard to broker reconciliation between the Saudi monarch and Libyan leader Muammar Qaddafi, is equally keen to contain the tension between Syria and Saudi Arabia. "Egypt's efforts to remedy the cracks in Arab ranks would have to certainly address the Arab-Syrian relationship in general and in particular the Saudi-Syrian relationship." Egypt, Awwad added, is keen to involve Syria in the on-going effort to reactivate the long stalled Arab-Israeli peace process, especially with a view to the Annapolis meeting. "President Mubarak pressed upon all concerned parties not to overlook Syria, especially in relation to the Annapolis meeting," Awwad stressed. This position, sources say, is taken despite Egypt's concerns that current US efforts are unlikely to be particularly successful due to Israeli intransigence in relation to legitimate Arab demands. "We are still not very sure about the prospects of this meeting but we think that it would have been a huge political miscalculation to ignore Syria," commented the Egyptian source. Meanwhile, yesterday, Moussa flew to Damascus for a two-day visit focussing primarily on the Lebanese political crisis but will also address the prospects for the Annapolis meeting. A limited Arab foreign ministers gathering is to be held later this month to discuss Annapolis at Moussa's behest. Moussa and Al-Assad are to have a tête-à-tête to examine preparations for the Arab summit. Sources at the secretariat of the Arab League said the positive statements made by Awwad ahead of Moussa's mission would send much needed positive statements from Cairo to Damascus.
