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![Despite the high-profile snubs, around 10 Arab leaders are still expected to attend [AFP]](http://mwcnews.net/images/stories/Syria/2/1/Arab-summit.jpg "Despite the high-profile snubs, around 10 Arab leaders are still expected to attend [AFP]") | | Despite the high-profile snubs, around 10 Arab leaders are still expected to attend [AFP] |
Arab leaders have begun gathering in Damascus for a summit already undermined by a series of high-profile snubs.
Yemen and Jordan on Friday announced they would be sending low-level representatives to an annual Arab League meeting normally attended by heads of state.
A Jordanian official said that the kingdom's delegate to the Arab League, Omar Rifai, would head the Jordan delegation at Saturday's summit. While the Yemeni news agency Saba said that Abd Rabbo Mansour, the country's vice-president, would represent Yemen. Saudia Arabia and Egypt had earlier announced they would be represented by low-level delegations in protest against what they called Syrian "meddling" in Lebanon. Lebanon's government said it would boycott the event amid the continuing deadlock with the Syrian-backed opposition over the make-up of the cabinet and the election of a new president. Morocco and Oman were also sending low-level delegates. Nuri al-Maliki, the Iraqi prime minister, also said on Friday that he would not be able to attend the summit due to a struggle with Shia militias at home.
US 'influence'
Damascus has played down the absences.
"Syria cannot be isolated. Whoever is absent is only isolating themselves ... most of the Arabs are here," Yousef Ahmed, Syria's ambassador to the Arab League, said. "Syria cannot be isolated. Whoever is absent is only isolating themselves" Yousef Ahmed, Syria's ambassador to the Arab League
But the debate over the attendees is dominating things ahead of the opening of the summit intended to discuss crises across the Arab world, including in Lebanon, Israeli-Palestinian negotiations, a power struggle between Fatah and Hamas and the continuing violence in Iraq.The United States last week called on its Arab allies to think carefully about attending the summit, accusing Syria of blocking the election of a president in Lebanon. Lebanon has been without a president since Emile Lahoud's term finished last November. The country has been mired in a political crisis for over a year due to political feuding between the government, backed by the West and the Hezbollah-led opposition, backed by Syria and Iran.
Al-Hariri probe
The two sides have also been battling over an investigation into the assassination of Rafiq al-Hariri, the former Lebanese prime minister.
The UN announced on Friday that the international tribunal for suspects in the assassination has received enough funding to keep it running for a year.
A UN investigation is still under way into the killing of al-Hariri and 22 others in a Beirut car-bombing in February 2005.
Lebanon has been holding eight people in connection with the blast, but the UN team has so far named no suspects.
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Tags: Syria Absences Arab summit
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