The Arab League: Who’s to blame for a dismal summit?

This year’s Arab League summit was a dismal failure, said Sulayman Taqiy-al-Din in the United Arab Emirates’ Al-Khalij. It’s true that the summit, held in Syria last weekend, came at a time of “escalation of inter-Arab discords” over such issues as Palestine and Iraq. But we have always had our disagreements, and in the past, at least we managed to discuss them. But this year, that wasn’t even possible, as 10 out of the 22 leaders of Arab countries didn’t bother to show up, sending lower-level envoys instead. Lebanon didn’t send any representatives at all. This boycott happened entirely because of “U.S. encouragement.” The U.S. was seeking to punish Syria for its involvement in Lebanon, and U.S. allies such as Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt did the superpower’s bidding by sending only low-ranking officials. The resulting watered-down meeting was just a waste of time.

Not for everyone, said Rajih al-Khuri in Lebanon’s Al-Nahar. Iran, which is not even an Arab country but was nevertheless invited to participate in the summit as a guest, used the occasion to spread its influence over Arab affairs. The Iranians “seemed a lot more comfortable than their Arab hosts.” In fact, they looked right at home in Damascus. Their presence ensured that what little dialogue did take place—for example, discussion of the Arab peace plan for Israel and Palestine—was tainted by “the breath of Tehran.”

Syria’s collusion with Iran is just another reason Arabs are fed up with Damascus, said Saudi Arabia’s Arab News in an editorial. Syria and Iran’s joint funding of the Lebanese faction Hezbollah, for instance, has kept the Lebanese political crisis boiling, to the detriment of the entire region. There is also “a growing sense of frustration” with Syria’s support for the Palestinian militant faction Hamas. The rest of us would like to unite behind Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and finally make some progress on Mideast peace. Still, it’s a shame the summit turned out to be “little more than an opportunity to express dissatisfaction with Syria.” The Arab world has real problems, and we could have used a chance to talk them out.

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Really? asked Jalal Duwidar in Egypt’s Al-Akhbar. We’ve had plenty of chances to talk, and we always end up bickering. “In the end, the most significant thing that happened at the Damascus summit” was a refreshingly honest admission by Libyan leader Muammar al-Qaddafi. When someone suggested that the Arab world put together a joint nuclear initiative, Qaddafi scoffed. “How can we do that?” he said. “We all hate each other.”