A malfadada Primavera árabe

Yet another Arab summit, and for the first time since the US-led invasion, it is being held in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad.

The summit takes place in the aftermath of major political upheaval brought by the Arab uprisings that spread across the Middle East.

But only 10 of the Arab League's 22 leaders are attending the summit.

The main issues that have traditionally divided Arab leaders include relations with the West, policy towards Israel and how to deal with Iran.

But most recently, the Arab Spring seems to have magnified the divisions.

The most glaring example was Libya. While Qatar and the United Arab Emirates supported military intervention, others like Algeria remained staunchly against it.

Splits also played out over the crackdown on protestors in Bahrain. While some GCC countries sent troops to back the government, countries like Iraq were critical of authorities.

"There is no doubt Israel is the major enemy but when you have weak governments [throughout] the Middle East how can you face your enemy…The region is waiting for a new baby and it has not come yet."
And of course we cannot forget Syria. Qatar and Saudi Arabia favour a more forceful approach to removing the Syrian president from power. But others like Iraq and Lebanon argue that outside intervention is not the answer.

Has the Arab Spring further divided an already-fractured league? And with Syria at the forefront of disagreement, will the Arab states be forced to shift their alliances?

Aljazeera