Jordanians have shown indifference to the 13th Arab summit being held in their capital, Amman, according to the Jordan Times.
"The summit is more or less like previous ones, unless it declares war on Israel or closes [the Israeli] embassies in Amman and Cairo," a tailor, who refused to be quoted by name, told the English daily.
A frowning unemployed man added that Arab summits "have always failed to yield clear-cut action" and said Arab people "yearn for inter-Arab cooperation based on sincerity and good intentions."
"We are fed up with dissension and wars between brothers," he said.
For Adnan Sobhi, a 35-year-old travel agent "the summit's resolutions have already been prepared in advance and (UN Secretary General) Kofi Annan is here to monitor the summit's performance."
"I sincerely hope the Iraq-Kuwait crisis will be settled soon, so that the leaders could shift their attention to the Palestinian Intifada," said Sobhi, adding that "the West tends always to incite inter-Arab conflicts to divert attention from the real problem: Palestine."
Mohammad Barakat, who runs a medical institution, said he did not think the summit would bear fruit.
"Arab leaders differ on the Palestinian-Israeli crisis and the Iraq-Kuwait problem," said Barakat. He added that "the (final) decision is not theirs. It is imposed by foreign powers.”
Jordanian students staged on Monday demonstrations at the University of Jordan urging the Arab heads of states of “a firm action” against Israel – Albawaba.com
© 2001 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
