Welcome to Layalina Productions

The Layalina Review

VOL. V NO. 8, March 27-April 09, 2009

Arab Leader Converge in Doha

Leaders of the Arab world gathered in Doha, Qatar for the 21st Arab Summit. Seventeen heads of state were present, and reports, according to Marc Lynch at Foreign Policy, described "a relaxed and positive atmosphere." Despite this, the two-day summit ended after only one day, lacking the usual "side-meetings and private discussions" that often occur. As Lynch points out, either personal conversations did not seem necessary, or the heads of state were "unable to talk to each other."

The summit, as Lynch states, was not as successful as one might have hoped. While the Doha Declaration showed strong support for Omar Bashir, the president of Sudan, other issues were "resolved" on ambiguous terms. For example, the leaders agreed that Arab topics need to be settled and Palestinian divisions need to be overcome, but no guidelines were set as to how to go forward on either of these matters.

Leaders also issued a "vague warning that Israel must demonstrate progress on peace." The Los Angeles Times reports that the Arab leaders encouraged Israel to accept a 2002 Saudi peace initiative that offers Israel diplomatic recognition if it recognizes an independent Palestine. Still, no timeline was agreed nor consequences imposed if Israel fails to comply. Lynch also states that the Declaration barely mentions Iran and does not even make an allusion to its nuclear program.

However, one issue that was prevalent throughout the summit was the global economic crisis. The Los Angeles Times reports that Sheik Hamad ibn Khalifa al Thani, the emir of Qatar, warned the other Arab leaders that the crisis "is set to plunge a Middle East already reeling from war and extremism into further chaos." Khalifa ignored the disputes among the Arab countries to caution that, economically, the Middle East is in danger. He stated, "Given its location and resources, its issues and problems and its previous and subsequent conditions, the Arab world is in the direction of the wind and the eye of the storm."

Sudanese President Omar Bashir attended the summit in defiance of a warrant out for his arrest pertaining to the counterinsurgency in Darfur. The strong support and positive reception for Bashir caused some to worry, since it is equivalent to the support of the "alleged architect of the Darfur horrors," writes Lynch in a separate Foreign Policy entry. Bashir’s presence also led others to doubt the true power of the International Criminal Court. Lynch says that Darfur has become, in the Muslim arena, not a question of international justice, but just another conflict between Islam and the West.

Lynch also comments on the absence of Hosni Mubarak, the president of Egypt who, for two consecutive years, has not attended the Arab Summit and instead has sent low-level representation. Lynch writes that Mubarak "hoped to send a message of his displeasure with the Emir of Qatar."

The relationship between Egypt and Qatar became strained at the beginning of the Israeli war on Gaza, when Al-Jazeera, the state-funded Qatari channel, "spearheaded a highly critical campaign against the Egyptian position," reports The Los Angeles Times. To fuel the fire, the Egyptian state-owned media placed blame on Qatar for "serving Iranian interests in the region."

Recently, Qatar has been trying to improve its image by arbitrating talks between the Sudanese government and Darfur rebels. It also proposed a summit in Doha during the war on Gaza and invited the Iranian president. In both cases, Qatar has taken a step towards dealing with issues that "have always been of particular concern to Egypt."

As Lynch states, until Egypt began to mediate the Palestinian talks, it seemed as though the country was losing its regional dominance. Due to Mubarak’s absence from the Doha Summit, there is a possibility that Egypt’s reputation will decline once more and that "Qatari calls to challenge the Egyptian monopoly on Palestinian reconciliation [will] gain traction."

According to Lynch the Arab media has been discussing whether the failure of the Doha Summit will lead to the end of the Arab summits all together. While Lynch does not believe that they will be completely eradicated, since they play a symbolic role and are quite institutionalized, he does say that their importance may be declining.

Back to articles