Declaring Arab ranks are ‘now divided more than ever before,’ Syria Wednesday requested an indefinite postponement of this month’s Arab summit conference.
Earlier, Saudi Arabia and Jordan, which is hosting the Nov. 25 summit, said it would take place as scheduled.
Arab analysts said the Syrian request for a delay was the result of sharp differences between the pro-Soviet and pro-Western Arab states.
The Saudis want the summit to proceed and focus on the war between Iran and Iraq, the Afghan crisis and other ‘outside threats’ to the Middle East.
The Syrians wanted the meeting to concentrate on Israel to the exclusion of what would otherwise be embarrassing criticism of their support of Iran in the Persian Gulf war. But sensing that the summit was not likely to go their way, the Syrians were now seeking to postpone it, analysts said.
Syria’s state-run Damascus Radio broadcast the text of a letter that Foreign Minister Abdel Halim Khaddam sent to Arab League Secretary General Chadli Kleibi requesting the postponement.
‘You must agree with me that Arab ranks are now divided more than ever before. Should these divisions spread and develop during the summit _ the highest Arab authority _ we will be exposing the summit to failure and divisions,’ Khaddam said.
‘In view of this state of affairs, I do not believe that the conditions which I have outlined are conducive to holding a conference able to fulfill the objectives for which it has been envisaged,’ he said.
Khaddam did not suggest an alternate date for the meeting.
There was no immediate reaction from Jordan. But Jordanian Foreign Minister Marwan al-Kassem said Tuesday the summit would take place as scheduled. Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Fahd made a similar statement.
A seven-man group of Arab foreign ministers was to meet in Amman next Tuesday to draft an agenda for the summit. An earlier effort by the same committee failed to produce a consensus on what should be discussed.
