to Sharm Al-Sheikh the Kuwaiti daily Al-Jarida reported.

According to Cairo sources said the idea was prompted by " Damascus's refusal to help the Arab initiative in resolving the Lebanon crisis."

During a February 25 meeting with the king of Hamed of Bahrain , Mubarak said that the convening of the Arab summit was conditional upon Syria's playing a positive role in ending the Lebanon crisis. Mubarak also said "Syria is part of the problem of Lebanon"

According to sources in Jordan , Jordanian king's ultimate position on participating in the summit would mirror that of Saudi Arabia and Egypt.

Arab sources in Damascus have reported that Saudi Arabia will ask the foreign ministers of the GCC countries , who plan to meet March 1 in Riyadh, to boycott the Arab summit if a new Lebanese president is not elected

Syria has not so far invited Saudi Arabia to the Arab summit in Damascus a Syrian official said on Thursday
"We have not yet delivered the invitations to Lebanon or to Saudi Arabia" he said

Walid Mouallem, Syria's Foreign Minister is in the Arabian Gulf region to deliver invitations to the Gulf Arab leaders. Yesterday he delivered an invitation to UAE president Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed bin Sultan al-Nahayan and today he delivered in Doha an invitation to Qatari Emir Sheik Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani.

Syria and its regional ally Iran are the main backers of the Hezbollah-led opposition which has been at odds with the Saudi-backed Beirut government for months over the election of a new president.

"We haven't yet delivered invitations to Lebanon or to Saudi Arabia," a Syrian official told AFP, without giving an explanation.

Saudi king will boycott the summit

Mouallem, may not have to travel to Saudi Arabia after all to deliver the invitation of Syrian president Bashar al Assad . Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz is boycotting the Arab summit due to be held in Syria next month according to Egyptian and Saudi sources.

The sources said Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, may attend the opening session only.

The sources said that the Egyptian and Saudi leaders ( pictured) have agreed that if participation should take place,it is to be on a low level.

This could be a major blow to the summit according to observers in Damascus.

Jumblatt : This is not an Arab summit

Democratic Gathering leader MP Walid Jumblatt said yesterday " what is all the fuss about the so called the Arab summit . This is not an Arab summit , it is a Persian summit , since the representative of the Persian empire will be heading the summit. In reference to Assad . "The Persian empire wants to expand throughout the Arab world and are using Assad to do it" he added . This was in reference to the Iranian roles in Lebanon, Iraq and Ghaza

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