ARRIVAL OF BOUMEDIENNE; FEISAL; NASSER AND ARABIA.




Initials CP/V/AS/SGM



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Background: LEADERS OF THE 100-MILLION-STRONG ARAB WORLD MET IN THE MOROCCAN CAPITAL OF RABAT TODAY (SUNDAY) AT THE START OF THE FIFTH ARAB SUMMIT MEETING. MAIN POINT OF DISCUSSIONS WAS TO BE THE PROBLEM OF HOW TO FREE THE OCCUPIED ARAB LANDS FROM ISRAELI CONTROL.

REPRESENTING ALL FOURTEEN MEMBERS OF THE ARAB LEAGUE, THE SUMMIT HAS DRAWN 11 HEADS OF STATE, INCLUDING THREE KINGS AND A VICE-PREMIER AND TWO MINISTERS AS DELEGATION LEADERS.

THE FORMAL OPENING WAS POSTPONED FROM LAST NIGHT PARTLY BECAUSE OF A PROCEDURAL DISPUTE OVER THE CHAIRMAN FOR THE FIRST SESSION CONFERENCE SOURCES SAID THE DISPUTE WAS WHETHER THIS OFFICE SHOULD GO TO SUDANESE PRESIDENT JAAFAR AL-NUMEIRI OR THE CONFERENCE HOST, KING HUSSAN OF MOROCCO. GENERAL NUMEIRI OPENED THE CONFERENCE.

ANOTHER MAJOR FACTOR IN FAVOUR OF POSTPONEMENT WAS THAT MANY DELEGATIONS WANTED TO BE BRIEFED ON THE CAIRO TALKS ON THURSDAY AND FRIDAY BETWEEN KING FAISAL OF SAUDI ARABIA AND EGYPT'S PRESIDENT NASSER. THERE WAS EQUAL INTEREST IN THE RESULT OF TALKS THAT ALGERIA'S PRESIDENT HOUARI BOUMEDIENNE HAD IN HIS CAPITAL ON FRIDAY AND YESTERDAY WITH THE SUDANESE, LIBYAN, IRAQI AND SOUTH YEMENI DELEGATIONS WHICH ALL STOPPED OVER THERE ON THE WAY TO RABAT.

BEFORE THE MEETING, KING HUSSAN HELD PRIVATE TALKS WITH MR YASSER ARAFAT, HEAD OF THE PALESTINE LIBERATION ORGANISATION, WHO IS SITTING AT THE TABLE FOR THE FIRST TIME WITH FULL VOTING RIGHTS.

MR ARAFAT WILL ASK THE ARAB LEAGUE MEMBER STATES TO PLEDGE HIM AT LEAST 16 MILLION JORDANIAN DINARS (18,500,000 STERLING) AND WILL PROD SEVERAL STATES TO PAY UP ARREARS IN PAYMENT OF EARLIER PLEDGES TO THE COMMANDO CAUSE.

THE SUMMIT WILL DISCUSS HOW TO MOBILISE THE ARAB DEFENCE POTENTIAL AGAINST ISRAEL, HOW TO BACK THE COMMANDOS, HOW TO GIVE SUPPORT TO THE PEOPLE OF THE OCCUPIED LANDS AND HOW TO REINFORCE ARAB PROPAGANDA.