South American, Arab Leaders End Summit

[Dover]

BRASILIA, Brazil - Joining two far-flung regions in a single political voice, leaders from 12 South American and 22 Arab nations ended their first summit by endorsing a declaration urging Israel to abandon Palestinian territory and insisting free trade must be harnessed to benefit the world's poor.

Wearing business suits and flowing Arab robes, the leaders and high officials approved a "Declaration of Brasilia" with a commitment for the nations in the regions — which historically haven't had much to do with each other — to work toward closer political and economic ties.

They also staked out positions at odds with U.S. policy on several fronts. The declaration denounces U.S. economic sanctions against Syria, says global rules of commerce are hurting the poor and suggests intellectual property rights don't always apply in poor countries.

"For me, this meeting marks the beginning of a new historic moment in our relations," Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said in closing remarks after the two-day summit. "The relationship between South America and the Arab countries will never be the same again."

The leaders rejected terrorism "in all its forms and manifestations." But they also called for an international forum to define terrorism, saying the current definition has been set by wealthy countries.

The summit in Brazil's capital brought together leaders as diverse as Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, a self-professed revolutionary and U.S. critic, and American-backed Iraqi President Jalal Talabani. Still, some of the strongest voices in the Arab world, including Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Syria, were absent from the summit....>

http://story.news.yahoo.com/i/734

[Sandpiper]

1. That cracking sound you hear

Is the Monroe Doctrine falling apart.