TheleaderofSaudiArabiawillnottakepartintalkswithU.S.andotherArabofficialsthisweek.ForeignMinisterAdelal-JubeirannouncedonthedecisiononSunday.HesaidKingSalmanwillsendCrownPrinceMohammedbinNayeftotheU.S.-ArabsummitinWashington.
ThesummitopensWednesdayattheWhiteHouse.PresidentBarackObamawillwelcomerepresentativesofthesix-memberGulfCooperationCouncil.Then,onThursday,thetalksmovetoCampDavidinthemountainsofMaryland.Sincethe1950s,presidentshaveusedCampDavidtoholdmeetingsawayfromthenoiseofWashingtonandthenewsmedia.
U.S.officialssaythetalksaretoincludediscussionsondeepeningsecuritycooperationwithGulfnationsand"seekingcommonapproaches"totheconflictsinIraq,Syria,LibyaandYemen.
AnObamaadministrationofficialsaidKingSalman'sdecisiontostayinSaudiArabiawas"notinresponsetoanysubstantiveissue."
SaudiArabiahasledairstrikesagainstanti-governmentfightersinYemen.Mr.Jubeircitedthesummit'soverlapwithafive-daycease-fireandhumanitarianeffortsthere.
Now,onlytheleadersofQatarandKuwaitwillbeheadingtheirdelegations.Kuwait'semir,SabahAhmadal-Sabah,traveledtoWashingtononSunday.QatariEmirSheikhTamimbinHamadAlThaniwastoleaveDohaonMonday.
Oman'sSultanQaboosbinSaidandUnitedArabEmiratesPresidentKhalifabinZayedal-Nahyanaremissingthesummitforhealthreasons.ThedelegationfromBahrainwillbeledbyitscrownprince,notKingHamadbinIsaAl-Khalifa.Bahrain'sgovernmenthasnotsaidwhytheKingisnotattending.
MiddleEastexpertJonathanAdelmaniswiththeUniversityofDenverinColorado.Hesayshealthandtheceasefirearenottheonlyreasonsfortheabsencesofseveralleaders.HesaysanotherproblemisdisagreementsoverthedirectionofinternationalnuclearnegotiationswithIran.
Mr.AdelmansaysthatfortheUnitedStates,Iranisafar-awaylandandthatfactaffectsU.S.policiesandplans.HesaysofficialsinWashingtonthinkofIranianofficialsassomewhatreasonable.
"TheIraniansareseenasquasirationalactors,thatwiththekindofgooddealthey'regoingtobeoffered,they'regoingtobasically,toputitinsimplelanguage,theyaregoingtobehave."
ButhenotesIranisverynearthecountriesinvitedtothesummit.HesaysSaudiArabia,forexample,isabout560kilometersfromIran.HesaysSaudiArabiaandotherSunniArabcountriesaredeeplyafraidofIran'sShiitefundamentalism.
"It'sarealdifferenceinperceptionbetweenthetwosidesandIthinktheSaudisandEmiratesarereallydeeplyafraidbecausetheydon't,welltheyhavedeeppockets,theydon'thaveexceptionallyfirstratemilitaries."
JonathanAdelmansayshedoesnotthinktheU.S.willbeabletopersuadetheSunniArabcountriestosupportthenucleardealthatisforming.HesaysthosecountriesfirstwantasecurityagreementwiththeU.S.similartoNATO.Or,hesays,theywantU.S.assistanceinstrengtheningtheirmilitaries.
Mr.AdelmansaystheObamaadministrationdoesnotseeminterestedineitheridea.And,hesays,theU.S.doesnotappearinterestedinformingsuchanalliance.
"Itispossibleit(thesummit)willbeasuccessbutIthinkthefactthatthethreeleadersarenotcomingisatelltalesignthattheoddsarestackedagainstit."
ProfessorNabeelKhouryofNorthwesternUniversityagreesthattheleaders'absencehurtschancesforsuccessatthesummit.HesayshealsoisnothopefulabouttheU.S.andSaudiceasefireplanforYemen.Hesaiditshouldhelpingettingaidtothoseinneed,butnotservethelargergoalofendingtheShi'iteHouthirebellioninthecountry.
"It'snotahopefulsignintermsofthebroaderagreementthatoneislookingfor.Inotherwords:stoppingthiswarandmovingtothenegotiationtablesagaininamuchmoreeffectivewaythanwasachievedinthepast."
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