Arab unity - ain't it grand?

Libya is upset that some major Arab leaders may not attend an upcoming Arab Summit scheduled for the end of March.

Six leaders might not attend. Egypt's Hosni Mubarak has a good excuse, as he is recovering from surgery in Germany, but the others who are not expected to attend include leaders from Lebanon, Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Oman and Morocco, mostly for political reasons.

In addition, there is the fear that Libya leader Maommar Qaddafi will invite Hamas to attend as an Arab state, which may prompt Mahmoud Abbas to boycott the event as well.

Yet some Western "intellectuals" keep thinking that if only Israel would give up some land, the rest of the Middle East will turn into a peaceful oasis.