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| Version 0 | Version 1 |
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| Egypt to snub Syria's Arab summit | Egypt to snub Syria's Arab summit |
| (about 8 hours later) | |
| Egypt has said President Hosni Mubarak will not attend a summit of Arab leaders in Damascus on Saturday. | |
| A junior cabinet minister will lead the Egyptian delegation instead. | A junior cabinet minister will lead the Egyptian delegation instead. |
| Saudi Arabia had said it would only send its Arab League representative rather than King Abdullah, and Lebanon is boycotting the summit completely. | Saudi Arabia had said it would only send its Arab League representative rather than King Abdullah, and Lebanon is boycotting the summit completely. |
| The political situation in Lebanon, which has prompted disputes between Arab countries, is being blamed for the upheaval, correspondents say. | The political situation in Lebanon, which has prompted disputes between Arab countries, is being blamed for the upheaval, correspondents say. |
| Lebanon has been without a president since November because of disputes between the pro-Western government, supported by Saudi Arabia and Egypt, and the opposition, which is supported by Syria and Iran. | Lebanon has been without a president since November because of disputes between the pro-Western government, supported by Saudi Arabia and Egypt, and the opposition, which is supported by Syria and Iran. |
| Each side blames the other for blocking a final deal. | Each side blames the other for blocking a final deal. |
| And Syria's detractors have used that as an issue with which to embarrass it as it hosts the Arab summit, says BBC regional analyst Andrew Bolton. | And Syria's detractors have used that as an issue with which to embarrass it as it hosts the Arab summit, says BBC regional analyst Andrew Bolton. |
| Syria was a dominant player in Lebanon for decades before it was made to withdraw its troops in 2005 in the aftermath of the killing of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri - an act which Damascus says it had nothing to do with. | Syria was a dominant player in Lebanon for decades before it was made to withdraw its troops in 2005 in the aftermath of the killing of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri - an act which Damascus says it had nothing to do with. |
| Syria does not want what it sees as its remaining influence in Lebanon diminished for the relatively short-term gain of a full house of heads of state at the Arab summit, our correspondent says. | Syria does not want what it sees as its remaining influence in Lebanon diminished for the relatively short-term gain of a full house of heads of state at the Arab summit, our correspondent says. |
| Jordan has not yet said whether it will be sending a representative to the summit. | Jordan has not yet said whether it will be sending a representative to the summit. |