NB: Contrast this with France and Germany London Times February 10, 2003 Arab summit Leaders braced for an imminent war >From Rana Sabbagh-Gargour in Amman
WASHINGTON'S key Arab allies appear to have abandoned diplomatic efforts to prevent war on Iraq and are bracing for an imminent conflict any day after February 15, Arab officials said yesterday. King Abdullah of Jordan and the leaders of Egypt and Saudi Arabia said they had also abandoned plans for an emergency Arab summit in Cairo later this month on the ground that it would fail to avert war. Instead, they want to revert to the original plans for a regular Arab summit on March 24, according to an official who attended Saturday's meeting here between the King and President Mubarak of Egypt. Mr Mubarak held talks yesterday with Colonel Muammar Gaddafi, the Libyan leader, President Assad of Syria and Saud al-Faisal, the Saudi Foreign Minister, but emerged despondent. "We would make ourselves a laughing stock if we thought we could postpone a war," he said. He said that only the US, Britain and the UN could wage the war, or postpone it.
