By Eyad Khalifa
Albawaba.com - Amman
Arab foreign ministers who met Sunday behind closed doors in Amman ahead of Tuesday's Arab summit agreed unanimously on a proposal regarding boycott of Israel, and in principle on a working paper as to the Iraqi-Kuwaiti conflict, according to Egyptian Foreign Minister Amr Moussa.
Moussa told reporters as he was leaving that the meeting “discussed a formula to boycott Israel,” but did not say whether the decision is binding to Egypt and Jordan, which have signed peace agreements with the Jewish state.
The minister added that there have been discussions to find a reconciliatory resolution to the Iraqi-Kuwaiti dispute, and there was “an agreement in principle to a certain formula.”
Disagreement over the Iraq-Kuwait led to a suspension of Sunday’s meeting before it was resumed later.
The Iraqi Foreign Minister Mohammad Said al-Sahhaf startled his colleagues when he broke with Islamic tradition and started a speech by saying peace be upon those "who deserve it", an Arab minister told AFP.
Several ministers attending a meeting Saturday to prepare an Arab summit that opens two days later "raised their eyebrows to express their displeasure" with Sahhaf, one of them told AFP.
"Peace be upon those who deserve it," Sahhaf said departing from the Islamic opener "peace be upon you" which traditionally precedes official speeches, the minister reported.
His choice of words was seen as targeting the delegation of Kuwait, which Iraq invaded and occupied for six months a decade ago.
Sahhaf concluded his speech saying: "Damned are the ignoble ones,” quoting Iraqi President Saddam Hussein who used the same words when he referred to Kuwait in his speeches after the August 1990 invasion of the emirate – Albawaba.com
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