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Arab League summit opens in Qatar Arab League urged to back Bashir
(about 2 hours later)
The Arab League summit has opened in Qatar with interest focussed on whether members can move towards healing splits over their attitude to Iran. Arab leaders have been urged to reject an international arrest warrant against President Omar al-Bashir of Sudan for war crimes in Darfur.
A number of countries are concerned about Iran's influence, particularly its support for Hezbollah in Lebanon and for Hamas in the Gaza Strip. The warrant was "another stage on the road to dividing Sudan", Syria's President Bashar al-Assad said.
Egypt's President Hosni Mubarak is not attending the annual gathering. He was speaking at the Arab League's annual summit on heads of state in Qatar which Mr Bashir is attending.
But this snub is likely to be over-shadowed by the presence of the Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir. The summit is also expected to discuss Iran's influence in the Middle East, and Israel's new government.
He is under an international arrest warrant for war crimes in Darfur. A number of countries are concerned about Iran's influence in the region, particularly its support for Hezbollah in Lebanon and for Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
SUMMIT FACTS 17 out of 22 heads of state attendingPresident Hosni Mubarack of Egypt is absentPresident Omar al-Bashir is flouting an ICC arrest warrant to attendUN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is attendingIran is not a member of the organisation Regional rifts stymie Arab summit SUMMIT FACTS 17 out of 22 heads of state attendingPresident Hosni Mubarack of Egypt is absentPresident Omar al-Bashir is flouting an ICC arrest warrant to attendUN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is attendingIran is not a member of the organisation Regional rifts stymie Arab summit
But there are common concerns here too, says the BBC's Katya Adler in Doha. United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, who is attending the two-day summit, criticised Sudan's decision to expel aid agencies in Darfur taken after the International Criminal Court arrest warrant was issued.
They include, she adds, the formation of a hawkish government in Israel, whether America's new president Barack Obama will be friend or foe and the wholesale Arab rejection of the International Criminal Court's arrest warrant for President Bashir. "Relief efforts should not become politicised," he said.
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is attending the summit. In other remarks, President Assad said the Arab Middle East peace initiative launched in 2002 was ineffective because the Arabs did not have a real peace partner in Israel.
"Peace for the Israelis is no more than a tactical option being used as a cover-up for their long-term objectives based on the principle of not returning our usurped rights," the Syrian president said.
One notable absentee is President Hosni Mubarak of Egypt; correspondents say he's unhappy with Qatar's stance during the recent Gaza conflict.