Sirte, Libya-- Eight Arab leaders have not attended a pan-Arab summit conference, which started in the Libyan city of Sirte on Saturday. They include Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, who is recuperating from a gallbladder operation, he underwent in Germany on March 6. Other leaders, who have not shown up, area Lebanese President Michele Suliman, President Khalifa bin Zayed of the United Arab Emirates, and President of Iraq Jalal Talbani. Likewise, monrachs of Saudi Arabia and Bahrain as well as Sultan Qaboos of Oman and Emir of Kuwait have stayed away.
