Middle East News

Arab League meeting over Lebanon crisis, Syrian minister absent

May 11, 2008, 10:45 GMT

Cairo - In response to the outbreak of violence in Lebanon, Arab foreign ministers were holding an emergency meeting to discuss the crisis in Cairo Sunday in the absence of Syria's foreign minister. The ministers will discuss the crisis and ways to solve it against the backdrop of past failure by the Arab League to help Lebanon's governing coalition and opposition powers reach a compromise over forming a national unity cabinet and eventually electing a president. The Arab League has persistently said its initiative to resolve Lebanon's political standoff was the only way out of the crisis. But the opposition backed by Syria has reservations over it. Qatar's Prime Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jasim told al-Jazeera news broadcaster the meeting would yield limited results as long the Lebanese powers remain entrenched in their positions. A discord pitting Saudi Arabia and Cairo against Syria is likely to be reflected in the Sunday meeting as it did in previous Arab meetings over the Lebanese standoff. The meeting is likely to condemn the outbreak of violence sparked by Hezbollah seizing control of Beirut. This explains the absence of Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al- Muallem from the meeting. The Saudis, a major power broker in Lebanon, backs the country's governing coalition. Through its alliance with the Hezbollah-led opposition, Syria still wields influence in Lebanon although it was forced to pull out its troops from the country after the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri.

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Arab League meeting over Lebanon crisis, Syrian minister absent

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