Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah is unlikely to attend the Arab League's annual summit in Syria next month unless a political deadlock in Lebanon is resolved, diplomats and analysts said on Sunday. Other Arab leaders may follow suit, potentially spoiling a chance for Damascus to shore up its regional standing in the face of US pressure against it as a "rogue state".
"What we have heard is that if there is no president in Lebanon, King Abdullah and (Egyptian leader) Hosni Mubarak will not go," said a senior diplomat in Riyadh. Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal said last month Syria should pressure its allies in Lebanon to reach a deal.