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Arab summit considers military plan
munaeem | 28 March, 2007 01:29
SALAH NASRAWI reports:
"Arab countries should forge closer military and security ties, including nuclear cooperation, according to a document to be discussed at this week‘s Arab summit here.
The Saudi foreign minister, Prince Saud al-Faisal said on Monday that "Arab national security" will top the agenda of the summit, which begins Wednesday in Riyadh.
Al-Faisal said Arabs want to have their own "mechanism" to resolve regional conflicts such as Iraq and Darfur. "Experience has shown that Arabs can solve their problems without foreign intervention," he added.
It also urges "a comprehensive review of the nuclear issues in the region" — presumably a reference to Iran and Israel — and says member countries should develop their own nuclear strategies. In the past year, several Arab states have expressed interest in developing peaceful exploitation of nuclear power.
According to a document drawn up by Egypt, a "new and effective pact for Arab national security" is one of the proposals that will be raised during the start of the summit on Wednesday. However, it was not immediately clear whether the proposal would call for all 22 members to enter a formal military pact.
At the Arab summit in Khartoum last year, national leaders decided to set up an Arab peace and security council. But so far, only four countries have endorsed the agreement, which requires seven members to become active.
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