MOTORCADE WITH FOUR LEADERS; CROWD; LEADERS PRAY IN MOSQUE; MOTORCADE LEAVES; PRESIDENT AZHARI ARRIVES AT AIRPORT; HE IS GREETED BY LEADERS.




Initials IF/VS/MGT/OS



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Background: SUDANESE PRESIDENT ISMAIL EL AZHARI ARRIVED IN CAIRO FROM KHARTOUM TODAY (SATURDAY) TO JOIN PRESIDENT NASSER AND HEADS OF STATE FROM SYRIA, IRAQ AND ALGERIA IN TALKS ON THE MIDDLE EAST CRISIS. YESTERDAY (FRIDAY) THE FOUR LEADERS JOINED IN PRAYER AT THE AL AZHAR MOSQUE, AS WATCHING CROWDS GREETED THEM WITH CRIES OF 'HOLY WAR'.

AS THE FOUR LEADERS - PRESIDENT NASSER OF EGYPT, PRESIDENT EL ATASSI OF SYRIA, PRESIDENT ARIF OF IRAQ, AND THE ALGERIAN PRIME MINISTER, M. BOUMEDIENNE - ENTERED THE MOSQUE YESTERDAY, PEOPLE REGALED THEM WITH SHOUTS OF 'ALLAH IS MIGHTY' AND 'VICTORY TO THE ARABS'.

TODAY, THE FOUR LEADERS WERE OUT IN FORCE FOR THE ARRIVAL AT CAIRO AIRPORT OF PRESIDENT AZHARI. A CONFERENCE FOLLOWED ALMOST IMMEDIATELY. THESE TALKS, AT THE KUBBEH PALACE, HAVE TAKEN ON A NEW URGENCY FOLLOWING REPORTS OF FIERCE FIGHTING TODAY AND YESTERDAY ALONG THE SUEZ CANAL BETWEEN ISRAEL AND EGYPTIAN FORCES.

AN ANNOUNCEMENT IN KHARTOUM BEFORE PRESIDENT AZHARI LEFT SAID HE WAS STILL INTERESTED IN HOLDING A FULL-SCALE ARAB SUMMIT IN KHARTOUM, AS HE SUGGESTED EARLIER THIS MONTH.