Arab League Summit in Iraq Falls Short

Last week Iraq hosted the Arab League Summit for the fourth time in its history. The last time Iraq hosted the summit was in 2012, when the new Iraq was attempting to reintegrate into the regional order, only to be hindered by major security concerns. Regional actors shunned the 2012 summit, later appearing vindicated when Iraq found itself embroiled in a war with ISIS a mere two years later. Nearly eight years after Iraqis defeated ISIS on their territory, Baghdad was keen to show off its hard-earned security, but was met with poor attendance again and bad domestic press. The poor attendance could be attributed to President Trump’s visit to the region, the emergency Arab League meeting held in Cairo weeks prior, and Iraq’s ongoing maritime dispute with Kuwait.

In the last few years, a series of conferences and international events in Iraq have cemented the image of its stability and security among regional actors. In 2019, Iraq’s then Speaker of Parliament Mohammed Al-Halbousi held a parliamentary summit in Baghdad, where five of his six counterparts from neighboring countries attended, including the Saudis. This was the start of many conferences and summits held in the Iraqi capital. These events also served as advertisement for their host. For example, former Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi wanted to leave his mark by hosting the Baghdad Conference for Cooperation and Partnership, co-hosted with French President Emmanuel Macron. He invited neighbouring states, emphasizing the attendance of heads of states from Gulf countries who were absent at the Arab League Summit in 2012.

The 34^th Arab League Summit in Baghdad, an annual meeting in the Arab region, could partially be interpreted as an unofficial election campaign for Prime Minister Mohammad Al-Sudani. Iraq’s sixth federal parliamentary elections are scheduled for November and a successful Arab League Summit showcases Sudani’s foreign policy credentials. Unfortunately for Sudani, the Iraqi press immediately deemed it a failure due to the low attendance from Arab leaders. From the public’s perspective, it also did not help that the Iraqi government emphasized the luxury and grandeur of the event. In a country rife with corruption, this type of government spending invites criticism.

The government spokesperson, Bassim Al-Awadi, and Sudani’s closest advisors were scrambling to defend the success of the summit, but the attendance spoke volumes. Notable absences include Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Emirati President Mohammed bin Zayed, Kuwaiti Emir Mishal Al-Sabah, Omani Sultan Haitham bin Tariq, and Jordanian King Abdullah II. The Arab League Summit is not like the United Nations General Assembly where each member state has a vote on important matters, it is more like the United Nations Security Council where certain members have a larger say than others, and while there is no veto power, the voices of states like Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are louder than others.

Read the full article on 1001 Iraqi Thoughts.