Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal made a secret visit to Cairo to explain his government's reservations to an Arab summit on Iraq, diplomats in Rlyadh told AFP. The diplomats said Saudi Arabia was concerned a summit would degenerate into conflict or end with statements of support for Iraqi President Saddam Hussein. Prince Faisal discussed the issue with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and Foreign Minister Amr Mussa during a visit lasting several hours on Sunday, said the sources.

Mubarak's political adviser Osama al-Baz later said there were no immediate plans for a summit, while the Arab League said Monday a meeting of foreign ministers scheduled for Wednesday had been postponed until January 24. It is not realistic to think that some fraternal Arab countries are going to agree to take part in a summit attended by high-ranking members of the Iraqi leadership, said Baz. An Arab diplomat said Saudi Arabia expressed fears a summit could call for the lifting of UN sanctions on Iraq an issue Riyadh believes should be handled by the United Nations. Saudi Arabia does not want an Arab summit which would take decisions that support the Iraqi regime, said another diplomat.

Saudi Arabia and Kuwait believe the situation in Iraq is linked to the application by this country of all international resolutions, he added. As for the American and British raids, each country has expressed its position and the divergence in opinion could exacerbate conflicts and cause the summit to fail, the diplomat said. Arab League Secretary General Esmat Abdel Meguid said Monday objections by Persian Gulf Cooperation Council states Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates forced the postponement of Wednesday's foreign ministers' meeting.

(AFP)