Iraqi newspapers, depending on their political persuasion, are covering the preludes to the summit from notably different angles.
Az-Zaman (international) headlined with an explosive title: “Al-Maliki rejects the Arab League project for reconciliation and the disbanding of militias.” In a thinly veiled attack on al-Maliki, Az-Zaman reported that “the government of Baghdad has rejected a draft for a proposal by the Arab League, which requires the Iraqi government to conduct a real process of national reconciliation and put a halt to its exclusivist policies, in order to represent all Iraqis in the government.”
The Arab proposal also demanded the disbanding of all militias (especially those participating in the government) and the reversal of de-ba'thification laws, which might have been the deal-breakers for the Iraqi government.
As it is often the case, the sharp attack against al-Maliki was not reproduced in the Iraqi edition of Az-Zaman, which usually avoids criticizing high-level Iraqi officials and parties by name, as opposed to the much bolder London-based edition of the newspaper.
Al-Mada, on the other hand, had a much more generous assessment of the objectives of the Iraqi delegation to the summit. The generally pro-government al-Mada devoted its front page to relay the agenda of the Iraqi government, without mentioning the divergences that separate al-Maliki from his Arab peers.
A member of the Iraqi delegation, Hammam Hammoudi, told al-Mada that his colleagues will advance five dossiers in the summit, focusing on “supporting the government,” “lessening sectarian agitation” and “supporting re-construction” in Iraq. The Iraqi demands do not carry anything new in the way of specific proposals and projects that go beyond the reiteration of general principles. In fact, Hammoudi told al-Mada that al-Maliki may propose that the summit adopts the same principles that were agreed upon in the Baghdad “regional” conference a month ago.
There seem to be two main reasons behind the absence of a concrete and detailed game plan for the Iraqi delegation:
On the one hand, there are domestic differences that are hampering the formulation of a unified Iraqi front in the summit. In fact, both al-Mada and Az-Zaman reported that members of the Sunni parties were actually asking the Arab government to “pressurize” al-Maliki into allowing for larger Sunni representation. Hammam Hammoudi told al-Mada that the Iraqi delegation is still preparing the plans and talking points that will be discussed in the summit, a possible indication that no agreement was reached between the Iraqi political blocs over the summit’s agenda until very recently.
Secondly, several Arab governments, especially Saudi Arabia --which is expected to play a pivotal role in the summit -- have deep reservations against al-Maliki’s government and his political allies. Az-Zaman went as far as to say that the Iraqi government is “isolated” in the Arab League. Saudi Arabia and other Arab states that belong to the so-called “moderate” Sunni camp see al-Maliki’s government as excluding Sunni representation and fostering Iranian influence in Iraq.
The next few days leading up to the summit should clarify the position of the Iraqi government vis-à-vis the proposed resolution of the Arab League, and should also indicate whether the summit will usher a new phase of relations between al-Maliki’s government and the other Arab states.
Meanwhile, al-Hayat received and published a draft of the Arab League’s resolution concerning Iraq. Al-Hayat added that the draft will most likely be adopted by the member states at the end of the summit. As Az-Zaman reported, the resolution places several demands on the Iraqi government, and requires it to review its past policies, especially regarding “wider representation of all sections of the Iraqi people.” The resolution also urges the government to amend the de-Ba'thification laws and not use them “as a tool for political vengeance.”
What needs to be noted is that al-Hayat’s leaked version of the draft contains little mention of the American occupation, save for a section that alludes – in passing – to “the eventual withdrawal of all foreign forces from Iraq.”
