March 31, 2008 | From the Associated Press
DAMASCUS, SYRIA -- Iraq refused to endorse the final declaration of the Arab summit Sunday because it did not condemn terrorism in the country, a divisive end to a gathering marred by disputes and boycotts.
Iraq's Shiite-dominated government has long accused Sunni Arab-led governments of not taking a strong enough stance against Sunni fighters who made up the backbone of Iraq's insurgency.
The Iraqi objections came when Arab League chief Amr Moussa read out the "Damascus Declaration" for the delegations to approve. The document called for "Iraqi brothers to stop bloodshed immediately and preserve the lives of innocent citizens" and for hastening the "end of the foreign presence" in Iraq.
"I express reservations on the text because this is not what we have agreed upon," Shiite Vice President Adel Abdul Mehdi said. "It does not include the efforts of the Iraqi government for national reconciliation and it does not condemn terrorism and violence."