2012 Arab League summit

Last updated
Arab League 23rd summit
Host countryIraq
Dates27–29 March 2012
Venue(s) Republican Palace, Green Zone
Cities Baghdad
Chair Nouri al-Maliki
(Iraqi Prime Minister)

The 23rd Arab League Summit was the third one held in Baghdad and the first one since 1990, before the start of the Gulf War. The decision to grant the host rights to Iraq was made at the previous summit in Sirte. Among the subjects discussed were the Iraqi debts to its neighbors and the uprising in Syria. The summit marked the first time since the Invasion of Kuwait that an acting Emir (Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah) paid a visit to Iraq. The summit was also notable as being the first held since the beginning of the Arab Spring, during which the governments of several member states were overthrown by popular revolutions.

Contents

Background and preparations

The summit had been delayed several times due to regional unrest across the Arab world, but was scheduled to begin on March 29. The Iraqi government sent invitations to all members except Syria, who were suspended in the midst of the uprising against the Assad regime. [1] Bahrain announced in late February that it intended to skip the summit, citing concerns with the Iraqi government as well as security issues. Later this decision was overturned and the government announced they would attend the summit. [2]

The Iraqi government reportedly spent almost $500 million to clean up Baghdad, including new pavement for major highways, the renovation of several hotels, repainting of buildings and the complete overhaul of the former Republican Palace inside the Green Zone. [3] By some estimates close to 3 million flowers and 500,000 trees were planted in the capital in the weeks leading to the event. [4]

Security concerns

The umbrella group Islamic State of Iraq promised to disrupt the summit as part of a new stage of "real confrontation and war against the despicable (Shiites)" in a statement released after the pan-Iraq bombings on February 23 that left 60 dead and more than 250 injured. [5] The group repeated this threat after the 20 March 2012 Iraq attacks even though the heavy security presence in Baghdad appeared to have lowered the number of bombings within the city.

The government responded with the announcement of unprecedented security measures, including the temporary shut down of all operations at Baghdad International Airport from 26 March until the end of the summit three days later. According to Maj. Gen. Hassan al-Baydhani an estimated 26,000 security forces will guard the capital, with 4,000 reinforcements being brought from the southern and northern provinces. Most of them will be stationed near the airport, the major highways and hotels and the already heavily fortified Green Zone. [6] [7]

The influential Shiite leader Muqtada al-Sadr banned his followers from staging any demonstrations during the summit. Thousands of people attended earlier marches against the Saudi intervention in Bahrain's uprising and it is feared that such scenes will embarrass the Iraqi government as well as guests at the conference. [8]

The heavy security preparations appeared to have paid off, as there was a single suicide attack in Baghdad on March 27 that left one person dead and four injured. Two days later three rockets were fired towards the Green Zone as foreign dignitaries and nine heads of state were preparing for discussions inside the Republican Palace. One of the missiles landed near the Iranian embassy, breaking windows, but inflicting no casualties. [9]

Attendance

Arab League representatives

Other participants

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kuwait Armed Forces</span> Combined military forces of Kuwait

The Kuwait Armed Forces are the military forces of the State of Kuwait. They consist of the Kuwait Air Force, the Kuwait Army, the Kuwait Navy & the Kuwait National Guard. The governing bodies are the Kuwait Ministry of Defense, the Kuwait Ministry of Interior, and the Kuwait Fire Service Directorate. The Emir of Kuwait is the commander-in-chief of all defense forces while the Crown Prince is the deputy commander.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Foreign relations of Syria</span>

Ensuring national security, increasing influence among its Arab neighbours and securing the return of the Golan Heights, have been the primary goals of the Syrian Arab Republic's foreign policy. At many points in its history, Syria has seen tension with its neighbours, such as Turkey, Israel, Jordan, Iraq, and Lebanon. Syria enjoyed an improvement in relations with several of the states in its region in the 21st century, prior to the Arab Spring and the Syrian civil war. Until 2018, due to the Syrian civil war, the Syrian Arab Republic's government was partially isolated from the countries in the region and the wider international community.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Failed Iraqi peace initiatives</span>

After the 2003 invasion of Iraq, evidence began to emerge of failed attempts by the Iraqi government to bring the conflict to a peaceful resolution.

Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, also known as Jaber III, was Emir of Kuwait from 31 December 1977 until his death in 2006.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arab League–Iran relations</span> Bilateral relations

The dynamic between the League of Arab States and the Islamic Republic of Iran has been ambivalent, owing to the latter's varying bilateral conduct with each country of the former. Iran is located on the easternmost frontier of the Arab League, which consists of 22 Arab countries and spans the bulk of the Middle East and North Africa, of which Iran is also a part. The Arab League's population is dominated by ethnic Arabs, whereas Iran's population is dominated by ethnic Persians; and while both sides have Islam as a common religion, their sects differ, with Sunnis constituting the majority in the Arab League and Shias constituting the majority in Iran. Since Iran's Islamic Revolution in 1979, the country's Shia theocracy has attempted to assert itself as the legitimate religious and political leadership of all Muslims, contesting a status that has generally been understood as belonging to Sunni-majority Saudi Arabia, where the cities of Mecca and Medina are located. This animosity, manifested in the Iran–Saudi Arabia proxy conflict, has greatly exacerbated the Shia–Sunni divide throughout the Muslim world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Foreign relations of the Arab League</span>

The Arab League or League of Arab States was founded by Egypt in 1945 and has 22 members, alongside seven candidates and observers: Armenia, Brazil, Chad, Eritrea, Greece, Malta and Venezuela.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Iraq–Turkey relations</span> Bilateral relations

Iraqi–Turkish relations are foreign relations between Iraq and Turkey. From late 2011 relations between the two countries have undergone strained turbulence. The two countries share historical and cultural heritages.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Egypt–Iraq relations</span> Bilateral relations

Egypt–Iraq relations have varied over time, alternating from cooperation to rivalry over time. The modern relationship between Iraq and Egypt soured in 1977 when the two nations broke relations with each other following Egypt's peace accords with Israel. In 1978, Baghdad hosted an Arab League summit that condemned and ostracized Egypt for accepting the Camp David accords. However, Egypt's strong material and diplomatic support for Iraq in its war with Iran led to warmer relations and numerous contacts between senior officials, despite the continued absence of ambassadorial-level representation. Since 1983, Iraq has repeatedly called for the restoration of Egypt's "natural role" among Arab countries. In January 1984, Iraq successfully led Arab efforts within the OIC to restore Egypt's membership.

The Iraq War resulted in multiple humanitarian crises.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1964 Arab League summit (Alexandria)</span>

The 1964 Arab League summit in Alexandria was held on 11 September 1964 in Montaza Palace, Alexandria as the second Arab League Summit. The focus of the conference was to implement the plans discussed at the first Arab League summit held in January of that year. The summit was notable for being a key step in the buildup to the Six-Day War in 1967 and separately for "approving the establishment of the Palestine Liberation Organization."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saudi Arabia–Syria relations</span> Bilateral relations

Saudi Arabia–Syria relations refer to bilateral and economic relations between Saudi Arabia and Syria. Diplomatic ties between these two countries of the Middle East have long been strained by the major events in the region. Saudi Arabia has an embassy in Damascus, and Syria has an embassy in Riyadh. Both countries are members of the Arab League and share close cultural ties.

The timeline of the Gulf War details the dates of the major events of the 1990–1991 war. It began with the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait on 2 August 1990 and ended with the Liberation of Kuwait by Coalition forces. Iraq subsequently agreed to the United Nations' demands on 28 February 1991. The ground war officially concluded with the signing of the armistice on 11 April 1991. However, the official end to Operation Desert Storm did not occur until sometime between 1996 - 1998. Major events in the aftermath include anti-Saddam Hussein uprisings in Iraq, massacres against the Kurds by the regime, Iraq formally recognizing the sovereignty of Kuwait in 1994, and eventually ending its cooperation with the United Nations Special Commission in 1998.

The 2017 Arab League Summit was held near the Dead Sea in Jordan on 29 March 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2019–2021 Iraqi protests</span> Protests in Iraq that led to Prime Minister Adil Abdul-Mahdis resignation

A series of demonstrations, marches, sit-ins and civil disobedience took place in Iraq from 2019 until 2021. It started on 1 October 2019, a date which was set by civil activists on social media, spreading mainly over the central and southern provinces of Iraq, to protest corruption, high unemployment, political sectarianism, inefficient public services and foreign interventionism. Protests spread quickly, coordinated over social media, to other provinces in Iraq. As the intensity of the demonstrations peaked in late October, protesters' anger focused not only on the desire for a complete overhaul of the Iraqi government but also on driving out Iranian influence, including Iranian-aligned Shia militias. The government, with the help of Iranian-backed militias responded brutally using live bullets, marksmen, hot water, hot pepper gas and tear gas against protesters, leading to many deaths and injuries.

On 29 December 2019, the United States conducted airstrikes against Kata'ib Hezbollah's weapons depots and command centers in Iraq and Syria, reportedly killing at least 25 militiamen and wounding 55 more. The U.S. Department of Defense said the operation was in retaliation for repeated attacks on Iraqi military bases hosting Operation Inherent Resolve (OIR) coalition forces, particularly the 27 December 2019 attack on a Kirkuk airbase that left an American civilian contractor dead. Kata'ib Hezbollah, an extremist Shi'ite militia funded by Iran, denied any responsibility for the attacks.

The 2022 Arab League summit, officially the 31st Ordinary Session of the Council of the League of Arab States at the Summit Level, was held at its 31st session in Algiers. This was the fourth time the city hosted this event. All Arab countries were represented at the event, with the exception of Syria, which has been suspended since 2011 due to the ongoing crisis. The summit was postponed several times before its date was confirmed on 1 November 2022. It was initially to be held in 2020, 2021 and finally March 2022. But due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it was postponed to November to coincide with the anniversary of the outbreak of the Algerian Revolution. The summit was also the first since a number of countries normalized relations with Israel, causing a schism in the Arab position, which had remained united over what was stipulated in the Beirut 2002 initiative.

The 2005 Arab League summit, officially 17th Ordinary Session of the Council of the League of Arab States at the Summit Level, was a regular summit that was held in Algiers, Algeria in March 2005.

The Syrian–Turkish normalization referred to attempts to restore Syria–Turkey relations that had been damaged in the wake of the Syrian crisis. Turkey had been considered an ally of Syria prior to the year 2011. Diplomatic ties between the two nations were severed as of 26 March 2012.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bahrain–Syria relations</span> Bilateral relations

Bahrain–Syria relations were established on 23 January 1975. Bahrain has an embassy in Damascus and Syria has an embassy in Manama. The two Arab nations share historical, cultural, and regional ties rooted in their membership in the Arab League and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation.

References

  1. ↑ "China Plus". Archived from the original on March 4, 2016.
  2. ↑ "Bahrain to skip Arab League summit".
  3. ↑ "Baghdad seeks to restore regional role at Arab summit - The Washington Post". The Washington Post . Archived from the original on 2012-08-24.
  4. ↑ Dagher, Sam (27 March 2012). "Iraq to Court Neighbors at Arab League Summit". Wall Street Journal.
  5. ↑ The Atlanta Journal [ dead link ]
  6. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2016-03-03. Retrieved 2012-03-14.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  7. ↑ "Baghdad ramps up security for Arab League summit". 13 March 2012.
  8. ↑ "Iraq's Moqtada al-Sadr bans protests during Arab League meet - the Times of India". The Times of India . Archived from the original on 2012-03-14. Retrieved 2012-03-14.
  9. ↑ "Rockets explode as Arab leaders meet in Baghdad - AlertNet". Archived from the original on 2012-09-14. Retrieved 2012-03-30.
  10. ↑ "Rockets explode as Arab leaders meet in Baghdad - AlertNet". Archived from the original on 2012-09-14. Retrieved 2012-03-30.
  11. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2020-09-26. Retrieved 2020-06-27.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  12. ↑ "Lebanon to attend summit as Baghdad affirms readiness".
  13. ↑ http://www.nowlebanon.com/NewsArticleDetails.aspx?ID=375965 [ permanent dead link ]
  14. ↑ "Rockets explode as Arab leaders meet in Baghdad - AlertNet". Archived from the original on 2012-09-14. Retrieved 2012-03-30.
  15. ↑ "Rockets explode as Arab leaders meet in Baghdad - AlertNet". Archived from the original on 2012-09-14. Retrieved 2012-03-30.
  16. ↑ https://news.yahoo.com/syria-tops-arab-agenda-iraq-summit-150601441.html;_ylt=AnZ27ZotVBXYqbJNllhEwbi1qHQA;_ylu=X3oDMTQ4ZjA0ZGJvBG1pdANUb3BTdG9yeSBXb3JsZFNGIE1pZGRsZUVhc3RTU0YEcGtnA2UwNzBmNWZkLTVkZmYtM2MzNS1iMWQ5LTEwMmM1MGQ5ZjYwNQRwb3MDNgRzZWMDdG9wX3N0b3J5BHZlcgMzN2I5MzExZC03Nzc4LTExZTEtYTdlZC1lYTYwYmFjOWUyYjc-;_ylg=X3oDMTFrM25vcXFyBGludGwDdXMEbGFuZwNlbi11cwRwc3RhaWQDBHBzdGNhdAMEcHQDc2VjdGlvbnMEdGVzdAM-;_ylv=3 [ dead link ]
  17. ↑ "Rockets explode as Arab leaders meet in Baghdad - AlertNet". Archived from the original on 2012-09-14. Retrieved 2012-03-30.
  18. ↑ "Omar al-Bashir". Archived from the original on 2012-07-12. Retrieved 2012-03-26.
  19. ↑ "Rockets explode as Arab leaders meet in Baghdad - AlertNet". Archived from the original on 2012-09-14. Retrieved 2012-03-30.
  20. ↑ "Vrai/Faux: Dr Yahia Mekki corrige les mythes autour du Coronavirus". 23 March 2020.
  21. ↑ "Arab League summit aims to showcase 'the new Iraq'". 26 March 2012.
  22. ↑ "Arab League begins key Baghdad summit".
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.