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| Version 0 | Version 1 |
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| More Arab leaders boycott summit | More Arab leaders boycott summit |
| (about 8 hours later) | |
| Two more Arab states have said their leaders will not attend the Arab League summit in Syria on Saturday. | Two more Arab states have said their leaders will not attend the Arab League summit in Syria on Saturday. |
| Jordan said it would send its Arab League representative to the meeting, while Yemen said its vice-president would attend. | Jordan said it would send its Arab League representative to the meeting, while Yemen said its vice-president would attend. |
| Egypt and Saudi Arabia have already said that they will send only low-level delegations. They accuse Syria of interfering in Lebanese politics. | Egypt and Saudi Arabia have already said that they will send only low-level delegations. They accuse Syria of interfering in Lebanese politics. |
| Lebanon is boycotting the Damascus summit entirely. | Lebanon is boycotting the Damascus summit entirely. |
| 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 on a compromise candidate. | Each side blames the other for blocking a final deal on a compromise candidate. |
| Correspondents say Syria's detractors have used the issue of Lebanon to voice their unhappiness with Damascus as it hosts the Arab League summit. | Correspondents say Syria's detractors have used the issue of Lebanon to voice their unhappiness with Damascus as it hosts the Arab League summit. |
| 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. |