Arab leaders gather for low-turnout summit in Damascus

0 Comments | AFP, March, 2008

DAMASCUS (AFP) — Almost half of Arab leaders are boycotting a weekend summit hosted by Syria, an Arab League official said on Friday, as US allies snub Damascus over the political crisis in Lebanon.

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad will host the leaders of Algeria, Comoros, Kuwait, Libya, Mauritania, the Palestinian Authority, Qatar, Sudan, Tunisia, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen, the official told AFP.

With US allies Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Jordan sending only low-level delegations, only 12 leaders from the 22-member body will attend the two-day summit which opens on Saturday.

The leaders of Iraq, Morocco and Oman will also be absent, while Lebanon is boycotting the event.

As leaders began gathering in Damascus on Friday, Assad greeted the first...