Arab nations threaten to boycott Mideast conference unless Israel returns lands

by Nadia Abou El-Magd
The Associated Press

CAIRO, Egypt ­ The 22 nations in the Arab League will not participate in a U.S.-sponsored Mideast peace conference until Israel withdraws from lands it occupied during the latest violence with Palestinians, the league's secretary-general said Saturday.

The potential holdouts include moderate Egypt and hard-line Syria, both of which said separately Saturday they would not attend unless Israel withdraws from lands seized since the conflict began in September 2000.

Secretary of State Colin Powell recently announced plans for a conference, perhaps to be held next month in Europe, that would attempt to clear "the political way forward" for a Palestinian state.

It is not known who will attend, but a U.S. official has said the invitees are expected to include parties that have shown an interest in advancing the peace process.

The United Nations, European Union and Russia have endorsed the idea, while Israel said it needed to know more about the conference before deciding whether to attend.

But Arab League Secretary-General Amr Moussa said in Cairo that Arab countries will not participate unless Israel withdraws from the disputed territory.

"How could we think about such a conference while Israel is still occupying the Palestinian territories? What is the authority and agenda of this conference?" he asked.

"We have important conditions, and this would be one of the issues discussed in upcoming Arab meetings until we reach a consensus."