CAIRO, Sept. 7 (UPI) -- Sudanese Foreign Minister Mustafa Othman Ismail Wednesday said an emergency Arab summit will be held Oct. 1 in Cairo.
Speaking after a meeting with the Arab League's Secretary General Amr Mousa at the seat of the 22-nation organization in the Egyptian capital, Ismail said "the situation in Iraq necessitates holding a summit as soon as possible."
"We cannot wait and watch developments in Iraq... The Iraqi government and people are calling for a role for the Arab League and we cannot just sit idle," Ismail said.
"It is not acceptable that the U.S., Britain, Iran, and Turkey be present in Iraq where there is no Arab presence," he said.
Ismail also stressed that developments in Gaza Strip and the imminent diplomatic ties between Pakistan and Israel should also figure high on the Cairo summit's agenda.
The Sudanese minister did not say if there is an Arab consensus on the summit's date or whether it is pending Arab approval.
