Arab Summit

402939 02: Syrian President Bashar Al Assad sits at a desk at the Arab Summit March 27, 2002 in Beirut, Lebanon. Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz has proposed that the Arab League offer Israel normal relations in exchange for the recognition of a Palestinian State. The Saudi proposal may end 18 months of bloodshed in the Israeli-Palestinian areas. The absence of Palestinian President Yasser Arafat, President Hosni Mubarak of Egypt and King Abdullah of Jordan from the summit may undermine these negotiations. (Photo by Courtney Kealy/Getty Images)