Postponing Arab summit was reckless

CAIRO, May 9 (UPI) -- A decision to postpone a summit for the Arab League from May to 2012 was a hasty and irrational act, a source in the Arab League said.

Iraqi leaders last week said they reached an agreement to reschedule the Arab League summit for next year.

Baghdad had expressed outrage with members of the Gulf Cooperation Council over their involvement in the uprising in Bahrain. The GCC in response called for a cancellation of the summit, which was to have been this month in Baghdad.

Iraqi lawmakers had complained the pressure from the GCC was unnecessary at a time when the Arab world is plagued by simmering political unrest.

Nevertheless, a source in the Arab League was quoted by Egypt's Al-Masry Al-Youm newspaper as saying the decision to postpone the summit by the bloc's Secretary-General Amr Moussa was "reckless."

The source who spoke with the newspaper on condition of anonymity said Iraq's request to postpone the summit should have been presented to Arab League ministers during an emergency session before a decision was made. This, the source said, suggests the decision was in violation of the Arab League's regulations.

Source: United Press International (UPI).
Link: http://www.upi.com/Top_News/Special/2011/05/09/Postponing-Arab-summit-was-reckless/UPI-74551304955335/.