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Last update - 12:57 31/03/2009
Arab League backs Sudan's Bashir on arrest warrant
By Reuters
Tags: Bashir, Sudan, Arab League 

An Arab summit voiced support for Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir on Monday, rejecting an international arrest warrant issued against him for alleged war crimes in Darfur.

"We reiterate our solidarity with Sudan and our rejection of the measure of the...International Criminal Court against his Excellency (Bashir)," said a final statement read at the summit in Qatar's capital Doha.

Bashir thanked the summit, saying the warrant issued against him "targets Sudan's national unity" and promised action to solve Sudan's problems. "We will try to do all we can to realize peace in all Sudan," he said.
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Bashir flew to the small Gulf Arab state on Sunday after visits to Egypt, Eritrea and Libya in the weeks since the warrant, accusing him of masterminding war crimes, was issued.

After the death of Saddam Hussein, international justice for Sudan's leader would be another cause for concern for Arab leaders accused by rights groups of repression.

Qatar, a major natural gas power, billed the summit as a chance for reconciliation among Arab states over a series of regional conflicts linked to non-Arab Shi'ite power Iran.

There appeared to be a surprise reconciliation of another kind when Libya's Muammar Gaddafi and Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah met on the sidelines to end a feud dating from an ugly public disagreement over U.S. ties at an Arab summit in 2003.

Gaddafi, wearing sunglasses and an orange hat and robes, had interrupted the opening session with an unscheduled speech that at first appeared to be a new attack on Abdullah.

Gaddafi called Saudi Arabia "a British creation with American protection", but then said the dispute was over and he was prepared to exchange visits, drawing applause. The two leaders then met face-to-face for about 30 minutes.

Libya will host next year's summit and a boycott by U.S.-allied states such as Egypt and Saudi Arabia would be likely if the rapprochement does not last.

The Saudi monarch was at the summit despite concerns over Qatari policy on Iran. Riyadh fears Washington will end its conflict with Iran at the expense of the Saudi royal family, the United States' traditional oil-for-security ally in the Gulf.

Enduring Egyptian rancor over Qatar's attempt to rally Arabs and Iran behind Hamas during Israel's war on Gaza, and to take over some of Egypt's traditional role as mediator, kept President Hosni Mubarak away from the gathering.

"We can divvy up the reconciliations so that no one gets annoyed," Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim al-Thani joked later at a news conference.

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      1.   There`s no such thing as an Islamic war criminal 02:37  |  Conroy 31/03/09
      2.   What kind of credibilty will these Arab nations bring to Durban? 03:06  |  Conroy 31/03/09
      3.   Bashir the Hitler of Afrika 03:41  |  Mira 31/03/09
      4.   arab leauge what a nonsense 04:34  |  should be ashamed 31/03/09
      5.   Arab League, AKA The Extreme Islamic Challenge. 05:15  |  Stephen. 31/03/09
      6.   Why Should the World Care a Wit About the Arabe League? 05:37  |  Brad 31/03/09
      7.   No Moslem leader complained about Milosevic in court 06:27  |  Joe 31/03/09
      8.   Apology for words, but not the contents 07:41  |  Kris Lazar 31/03/09
      9.   Well, at least... 08:35  |  utagawa 31/03/09
      10.   Where are the carebears!!! 10:00  |  Yosi 31/03/09
      11.   As Arab league backs genocide will attacks on Arabs worldwide 11:42  |  PETER SM 31/03/09
      12.   so 300,000 dead is alright? What hypocrites the Arabs are. 14:03  |  Jo 31/03/09
      13.   Amnesty Int`l statement 14:13  |  Edie 31/03/09
      14.   EQUALITY BEFORE THE INTERNATIONAL LAW 16:18  |  indrajaya 31/03/09
      15.   All Rats From The Same Nest 16:37  |  Bill Foonman 31/03/09
      16.   Durban II & the self righteous Moslems - Heh, heh, heh... 17:20  |  bat yam 31/03/09
      17.   Conroy; as I recall, Bashir is charged... 17:22  |  AT 31/03/09
      18.   Peace through genocide 17:23  |  Realist 31/03/09
      19.   Aren`t these the same guys who practicing Sharia 17:23  |  just wondering 31/03/09
      20.   Arab League complicit in genocide 17:25  |  Gina 31/03/09
      21.   Are they sheltering Bashir or Sheltering themselves ?! 17:55  |  Akram Zekaria 31/03/09
      22.   Yeah......!!! 17:55  |  SUNDAY 31/03/09
      23.   WE DO THE SAME. 18:42  |  Robert 31/03/09
      24.   TO #22 SUNDAY - no? no justice for anyone untill Israel pays righ 18:45  |  Zionist 31/03/09
      25.   # 5 stephen 18:46  |  Axel 31/03/09
      26.   MEanwhile, Uncle Same 20:00  |  Mark Lincoln 31/03/09
      27.   standards? 20:18  |  ben 31/03/09
      28.   To Axel - Something you Might Have Missed and Should Conisder 20:31  |  Eli 31/03/09
      29.   # 28 eli 21:15  |  Axel 31/03/09
      30.   Israel and the Arabs: common denominator 22:00  |  MarkW 31/03/09
      31.   What else need be said ? 22:09  |  tristan 31/03/09
      32.   Dont call it "Persian Gulf" if you want help from the UAE 22:11  |  fritz t. 31/03/09
      33.   Arab League is not the Premier League 22:56  |  Mark B. 31/03/09
      34.   Not surprised 23:35  |  American 31/03/09
      35.   WILL the same lot see "imperialism" the minute charges are laid 00:12  |  PETER SM 01/04/09
      36.   AT Political self interest is not a yardstick Bashirs innocence 00:17  |  PETER SM 01/04/09
      37.   # ZIONIST. 00:21  |  SUNDAY 01/04/09
      38.   Actions speak louder then words 05:32  |  allang 01/04/09
      39.   Mark Lincoln #27 08:20  |  mark aleshnick 01/04/09
      40.   what a surprise - well, just remember, if you`re an arab leader - 09:13  |  ivo 01/04/09
      41.   AT #17: then you aren`t recalling anything at all or you never - 09:27  |  ivo 01/04/09
      42.   MLINCOLN You forget Russia,China& the" new " South Africa 10:27  |  PETER SM 01/04/09
      43.   Actions speak louder then words 10:37  |  allang 01/04/09
      44.   mark aleshnick Up there with the latest a 2003 poll.! 10:40  |  PETER SM 01/04/09
      45.   #5, Stephen, very well put 10:53  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 01/04/09
      46.   #26, Mark Lincoln, ugly rhetoric 11:00  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 01/04/09
      47.   Cipora about conteptible Mark Lincoln. How right you are!!! 13:18  |  S 01/04/09
      48.   # 25 AXEL ZIONISTS & #THE ZIONIST STATE 15:37  |  fluffy 01/04/09
      49.   The Arab League`s Rejection Of The ICC`s Indictment Of Bashir 15:41  |  Jeff Northridge 01/04/09
      50.   Jeff N. #49: yes he can, Jeff, it just depends when the ICC, ie - 18:42  |  ivo 01/04/09
      51.   #46 Cipora JK, I read Mark Lincoln`s post quite different 19:49  |  Mark B. 01/04/09
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