Great expectations from Beirut summit

Arab leaders are expected to take "effective stances"

As Arab leaders prepare for Wednesday's opening of the crucial Arab summit in Beirut, the region's press has been debating the Middle East conflict and the threat of US-led attacks on Iraq.

Egypt's Al-Akhbar sums up the Arab public's expectations of the summit.

"The Arab street is expecting the Arab leaders to adopt effective stances which rise up to the challenges and impose our rights," the paper says.

The summit is capable of confronting Israel and forcing it to accept the Arab peace initiative, whether it likes or not

UAE's Al-Khali

The independent United Arab Emirates paper Al-Khalij makes a similar point.

"The forthcoming Arab summit is capable of confronting Israel and forcing it to accept the Arab peace initiative, whether it likes or not," it says.

The Egyptian pro-government daily Al-Gomhuria believes the clear message from the summit should be that "just and balanced peace in the Middle East is in the interest of all regional and international parties".

'Political card'

The papers dismiss Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's proposal that he attend the Beirut Arab summit to present Israel's position.

The independent Palestinian paper Al-Quds believes "the issue ... is being used as political card by Israel to force the Palestinians to make concessions."

"Sharon is doing is nothing more than making a desperate attempt to get out of the dangerous crisis into which the intifada has dragged him," says the UAE's pro-government Al-Ittihad.

The Palestinian Al-Hayat al-Jadidah charges that Mr Sharon "wants to take the Palestinian seat" in the summit, since Israel has not indicated whether it will allow Yasser Arafat out of his West Bank headquarters to attend the summit.

"Beirut has not forgotten Ariel Sharon's 1982 visit

Al-Sharq al-Awsat

The London-based Al-Sharq al-Awsat alleges that Mr Sharon wants "to rehabilitate himself politically within and outside Israel" as it recalls the crisis of the 1980s.

"Beirut has not forgotten his 1982 visit, or the massacres of the Palestinians in Sabra and Shatila" the paper says in reference to Israel's invasion of Lebanon under Mr Sharon's command.

And Saudi Arabia's Al-Watan asserts: "Sharon is not welcome in Beirut or in any other Arab capital, even if there is peace between the Arabs and the Zionist state."

'Last defence'

In Yemen, the pro-government paper Al-Thawrah warns Arabs against trying to "bring an end to the Palestinian intifada".

"Will the Arabs realise that the intifada is their last defence against the tyranny of that enemy who is hunting for opportunities to devour them one by one?" the paper asks.

The London-based pan-Arab Al-Hayat sounds a similar note.

"Obviously everyone will attend the Beirut summit, except the Palestinian intifada. The summit's final draft... does not even refer to it as if it does not exist."

According to the Palestinian Al-Ayyam, "the only way of solving the current crisis is to reinforce elected president Arafat's credibility."

Syrian newspaper Al-Ba'th, charges that "the aims behind most of the recent international moves, particularly the US ones, are not the establishment of peace on the basis of international resolutions but to rescue Sharon".

Iraq

And there is widespread rejection of attacks on Iraq in the US-led anti-terror campaign.

Arab leaders have to say clearly that they are against any strike on Iraq

Al-Dastur

Babil, owned by Saddam Hussein's son, declares that "the Iraqis have pledged to fight American aggression and to continue their support for the intifadah."

Libya Al-Shams writes of "hostile" statements by Western governments which "unfortunately shows the falsehood of this West's claims of civilisation and humanity".

For Jordan's independent daily Al-Dustur, the point is quite clear. "The Arab leaders have to say clearly that they are against any strike on Iraq," it says.

But in Kuwait, the independent Al-Qabas holds a different view: "We do not agree... that dialogue with Saddam Hussein's Iraq will lead to security and stability," the paper says.

BBC Monitoring, based in Caversham in southern England, selects and translates information from radio, television, press, news agencies and the Internet from 150 countries in more than 70 languages.