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Iraq Missing from Arab Summit Agenda Due in Baghdad
09/03/2012 04:05:00 By JASIM ALSABAWI
BAGHDAD -- The Arab League is due to hold its next summit in Baghdad on March 29. This is the first time members of the league will come together in a meeting in Iraq’s capital in more than two decades.
Rudaw asked people on the streets of Baghdad for their opinion on what this summit may mean to the Iraqi people.
“We are used to the disappointing outcome of the Arab Summits since our early childhood,” said Abdulilah Khidr, a 57-year-old resident of Baghdad. “Their decisions have changed nothing for Arab problems and they do not even care.”
According to Ali Al Dabbagh, an Iraqi government spokesperson, the situation in Iraq will not be on the main agenda of the Arab Summit due to the more pressing issues of Syria and the Arab Spring.
“The agenda of the Arab Summit in Baghdad will include discussing the issue of Palestine and the changes in the region brought about by the Arab Spring,” said Al Dabbagh.
In a recent press conference with Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari, deputy head of the Arab League Ahmed bin Hilli said, “We agreed on all the arrangements. There will be a meeting for ministers of economy on the 27th, ministers of foreign affairs on the 28th and a meeting for the Arab leaders on the 29th of March.”
Some Iraqis are disappointed that the summit will not discuss Iraq.
“Iraqi is the most important issue in the region, because stability in the Arab countries and the region directly depend on the situation in Iraq,” said Yassin Mizhir Al Kazimi, an Iraqi citizen, aged 44. “The Arab leaders are making a big mistake by not taking this into account.”
“What is the point of discussing the Palestinian issue?” said Kamil Isawi, 31, a resident of Fallujah. “The superpowers, including the U.S., could not solve this issue. They are just pointlessly filling their time. I hope there will be serious discussion of issues such as unemployment, hunger and human rights in the Arab world.”
The last Arab Summit held in Iraq was in May 1990. It was an emergency summit led by former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein.
Aziz Jabr, a professor of political science at Mustansiriya University in Baghdad, said, “Some Arab countries tried to hamper this summit in Iraq with the aim of weakening Iraq’s role in the region. Some known political groups inside Iraq have also tried to undermine this summit due to their differences with the current Iraqi government and to prevent the Iraqi government from scoring any positive points.”
Jabr believes a successful summit will be an achievement for all of Iraq and personal interests should be set aside.
“Iraq cannot change or amend the agenda of the Arab Summit; neither can any other country,” Jabr said. “Iraq is only hosting the summit.”
In Jabr’s opinion, putting Iraq’s domestic issues on the summit’s agenda is not logical, saying, “All countries have their own internal issues.”
According to Iraqi diplomatic sources, 14 Arab heads of state have confirmed their participation at the summit in Baghdad so far.
Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri Al-Maliki told the Saudi newspaper Okaz, “Iraq has made all the arrangements for the summit. I suggest encouraging cooperation in the fields of media, fighting terrorism and the economy as these are the sources that feed terrorism.”
Maliki, who has been accused of supporting Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad against his own people, told Okaz, “Our goal in this summit is to evaluate the so called the Arab Spring, and find ways to channel it and use it in a way that serves the goals of the nations without disturbing the stability in the Arab region.”
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09/03/2012 04:05:00 By JASIM ALSABAWI
BAGHDAD -- The Arab League is due to hold its next summit in Baghdad on March 29. This is the first time members of the league will come together in a meeting in Iraq’s capital in more than two decades.
Rudaw asked people on the streets of Baghdad for their opinion on what this summit may mean to the Iraqi people.
“We are used to the disappointing outcome of the Arab Summits since our early childhood,” said Abdulilah Khidr, a 57-year-old resident of Baghdad. “Their decisions have changed nothing for Arab problems and they do not even care.”
According to Ali Al Dabbagh, an Iraqi government spokesperson, the situation in Iraq will not be on the main agenda of the Arab Summit due to the more pressing issues of Syria and the Arab Spring.
“The agenda of the Arab Summit in Baghdad will include discussing the issue of Palestine and the changes in the region brought about by the Arab Spring,” said Al Dabbagh.
In a recent press conference with Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari, deputy head of the Arab League Ahmed bin Hilli said, “We agreed on all the arrangements. There will be a meeting for ministers of economy on the 27th, ministers of foreign affairs on the 28th and a meeting for the Arab leaders on the 29th of March.”
Some Iraqis are disappointed that the summit will not discuss Iraq.
“Iraqi is the most important issue in the region, because stability in the Arab countries and the region directly depend on the situation in Iraq,” said Yassin Mizhir Al Kazimi, an Iraqi citizen, aged 44. “The Arab leaders are making a big mistake by not taking this into account.”
“What is the point of discussing the Palestinian issue?” said Kamil Isawi, 31, a resident of Fallujah. “The superpowers, including the U.S., could not solve this issue. They are just pointlessly filling their time. I hope there will be serious discussion of issues such as unemployment, hunger and human rights in the Arab world.”
The last Arab Summit held in Iraq was in May 1990. It was an emergency summit led by former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein.
Aziz Jabr, a professor of political science at Mustansiriya University in Baghdad, said, “Some Arab countries tried to hamper this summit in Iraq with the aim of weakening Iraq’s role in the region. Some known political groups inside Iraq have also tried to undermine this summit due to their differences with the current Iraqi government and to prevent the Iraqi government from scoring any positive points.”
Jabr believes a successful summit will be an achievement for all of Iraq and personal interests should be set aside.
“Iraq cannot change or amend the agenda of the Arab Summit; neither can any other country,” Jabr said. “Iraq is only hosting the summit.”
In Jabr’s opinion, putting Iraq’s domestic issues on the summit’s agenda is not logical, saying, “All countries have their own internal issues.”
According to Iraqi diplomatic sources, 14 Arab heads of state have confirmed their participation at the summit in Baghdad so far.
Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri Al-Maliki told the Saudi newspaper Okaz, “Iraq has made all the arrangements for the summit. I suggest encouraging cooperation in the fields of media, fighting terrorism and the economy as these are the sources that feed terrorism.”
Maliki, who has been accused of supporting Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad against his own people, told Okaz, “Our goal in this summit is to evaluate the so called the Arab Spring, and find ways to channel it and use it in a way that serves the goals of the nations without disturbing the stability in the Arab region.”
[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
