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Arabs open summit, hope unity can prevent Iraq war

Baghdad urged to cooperate with UN

REUTERS, Sharm El-Sheikh
Arab leaders began meetings in Egypt Saturday to try to bridge longstanding rifts and agree a unified policy on Iraq they hope can prevent a US-led war in the volatile region.
As Washington forges ahead with its massive troop build-up in the Gulf amid warnings to Iraq to disarm or face war, the one-day summit of the 22-member Arab League will try to come up with a peaceful solution to the crisis.
"We repeat our rejection of war against Iraq, or Kuwait, or any Arab state as a threat against the entire Arab nation," Lebanon's President Emile Lahoud said in a speech opening the summit.
"We have previously called upon Iraq to cooperate with the United Nations to eliminate pretexts for aggression against it, and we will not cease to call for such cooperation," he added.
The leaders will discuss a draft declaration which delegates have said includes rejection of a strike against Iraq and a possible call on Arab states to resist participating in a war.
But analysts doubt Arab leaders have the leverage to influence either Iraq or the United States, even if they can paper over differences among the deeply divided members, who range from long-time US allies to states Washington calls sponsors of terrorism.
While Arab states oppose war and fear its repercussions on their domestic stability and economies, analysts say they have a limited ability to make their disapproval felt.
Oil producers have made clear they will not use oil as a weapon, nor will US allies try to exert influence by taking the domestically popular step of kicking out US troops, analysts say.
With 22 views to take into account, analysts say the summit conclusions will boil down to the lowest common denominator.
"My expectation for the summit isn't much. They will try to postpone a war as much as possible in the hope that opportunities will arise to end the crisis," said Abdel-Moneim Said, head of Egypt's al-Ahram Centre for Political and Strategic Studies.
AP adds: Arabs opened a crisis summit on Saturday with a call on Iraq to cooperate with the United Nations in order not to provide any pretext for war and a condemnation of any possible strike on a fellow Arab state.
"We oppose a war against Iraq or any other Arab country and will regard it as a threat to the whole Arab nation," said Lebanese President Emile Lahoud, opening the summit in this Red Sea resort as he handed over the rotating Arab League presidency to Bahrain.