A mood of reconciliation was in the air in Cairo yesterday when Iraq chaired a meeting of Arab foreign ministers for the first time in 11 years. The meeting was seen as a chance to mend rifts that have existed in the Arab world since Iraq invaded neighbouring Kuwait in 1990, with Iraq hoping to garner the support of fellow Arab states in its efforts to have crippling UN sanctions lifted.
Conciliatory words at the opening session of the two-day meeting appeared to indicate that this could happen. According to the Secretary General of the Arab League, Mr Esmet Abdel Meguid, the Iraqi leader, President Saddam Hussein, told him that his country was ready for "quiet and rational dialogue to address past mistakes".
All eyes were on the meeting's chairman, the Iraqi Foreign Minister, Mr Muhammed Said alSahaf, who, when last at the Arab League in January, stormed out of a discussion of US airstrikes on his country, accusing other members of caving in to Western interests and conspiring against Iraq.
Yesterday, however, he suggested an Arab summit to resolve the disputes before focussing his anger on the US and Britain for their continued strikes.
"The United States and Britain will bear responsibility for their illegal actions against Iraq, as will all those who co-operate with them in keeping the no-fly zones over Iraq," he said, tactfully omitting the names of those Gulf countries who provide assistance in the bombing raids.
That Iraq is chairing the meeting does not in itself mean that President Saddam has suddenly become the darling of the Arab world; the chairmanship rotates alphabetically and it is simply Iraq's turn. Underneath the carefully chosen words of the delegates many differences remain.
Nevertheless, the meeting comes just before the five permanent members of the UN Security Council are due to meet in London to try and formulate a new common policy on Iraq. Ordinary Arabs and many Arab governments are opposed to what they see as the continued punishment of the Iraqi people for the mistakes of their leadership. Any support that Baghdad can gather in its campaign to have the sanctions regime lifted will be welcome in other parts of the Arab world.
Also on the agenda in Cairo are proposals to boycott multinational giants Disney and Burger King for what many Arabs see as their disregard for UN resolutions on Israel. Burger King opened a restaurant in the occupied West Bank (though it then yielded to pressure and pulled out), while Disney has planned a millennium exhibition which depicts Jerusalem as Israel's capital.