One of the top agendas at the Arab Summit to be held in Baghdad lateR this month is the economic and political crisIs in countries affected by the Arab Spring. Arab leaders, who confirmed their attendance to the summit, are expected to discuss the Syrian crisis and the deteriorating political and economic situations in Egypt, Yemen, Tunisia and Libya. Holding this summit in Iraq is seen by some as a good opportunity for the host country to tell the world that its security situation has been improving and that its transition process is on the right track. However, there seems to be no reason for the Arab people to feel optimistic about the outcome of the summit. Based on several disappointing indicators, I am afraid that the summit might turn out to be just another forum that will showcase Arabs internal struggles and divisions to the world. On the Syrian crisis, some Arab countries prefer to put more pressure on Al-Assad's regime to stop killing civilians, while other countries like Algeria and to some extent Egypt, are inclined to give the regime another chance to solve the crisis peacefully and undertake the reforms it has promised. The Arab League's proposal to solve the crisis failed as Al-Assad's regime escalated the bloodshed in several cities. That prompted the Arab League to ask the UN and the international community to impose more sanctions on the Syrian regime. The political situation in Libya is also deteriorating with tribal rifts threatening the country's disintegration. This week, oil-rich eastern Libya declared independence. Despite this development, no Arab country seems to have reacted. Worse, the Libyan Transitional Council chairman Mustafa Abdel Galil accused some Arab countries of fueling sectarian struggles in Libya. The unfavorable economic conditions in Egypt, Tunisia and Yemen pose another challenge to the forthcoming summit. These countries have lost hundreds of billions of dollars since political unrest hit them last year, with their tourism sectors losing $75 billion, according to a recent report. Arab economic assistance, if any, has not made any significant impact on their economy. Officials from Egypt, Tunisia and Yemen have complained that the assistance fell short. If the Arab League does not have peace-keeping military personnel to intervene in Syria or Libya and the Arab countries cannot come up with a unified position on many issues, what will the Arab Summit in Baghdad achieve at this time? One scenario is that it might further frustrate the Arab people. (Hatem Y. Ezz Eldin is a political researcher based in Jeddah. He can be reached at [email protected]) __
