Arab split over Lebanon

The summit was supposed to be an answer to Lebanon’s prayers: 22 countries coming together to solve a political impasse. But then long-simmering tensions erupted over Syria’s long standing ties with Iran and what’s seen as meddling in Lebanese politics. Now Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan and Morocco are sending only low-level officials to a meeting normally attended by heads of state, Lebanon is boycotting all together, and anti-Syrian politicians in Lebanon would like more countries to follow their lead. This anti-Syrian politician in Lebanon says efforts are needed to stop Syria’s attempts to destabilize our country. Washington has been saying the same for a long time, and Syria has reacted strongly to those actions. These developments aren’t a surprise to analysts here. This analyst agrees this is a gloomy period for Lebanon and the region. He worries that a humiliation of Syria could hurt Lebanon more. The analyst says there is something noteworthy about the summit, mainly that countries like Bahrain and Qatar are still sending high-level officials. Perhaps the greatest legacy of this summit is that it may be the last time Arab nations come together under a banner of unity to face regional and international challenges. Of course they note there never has been much unity in the group.