Suleiman to Head Lebanon’s Delegation to Arab Summit in Baghdad

President Michel Suleiman will attend the Arab Summit that will be held in Baghdad this week at the head of a small delegation, al-Joumhouria newspaper reported on Tuesday.

According to Baabda Palace sources, Suleiman will head Thursday morning to Iraq and depart the same day after he addresses the Arab leaders.

"The summit will be minimal -- no more than a dozen heads of state spending no more than 12 hours in Baghdad on March 29, and departing on the day of their arrival without spending the night," head of the Paris-based Observatory of Arab Countries Antoine Basbous told Agence France Presse.

Al-Joumhouria said that the Lebanese delegation will include a number of advisors in addition to Foreign Minister Adnan Mansour.

However, Mansour will head to Baghdad on Wednesday to take part in the Arab Foreign Ministers meetings that will draft the closing statement.

The discussions are expected to focus on the Syrian crisis and on how to end President Bashar Assad's crackdown on a popular uprising.

The Arab Summit will open on March 27 with Arab Economy Ministers meeting, then the meeting of the Arab FMs on March 28, and the meeting of the leaders on March 29.

Much of the Iraqi capital has been shut down as part of security efforts, and the government has declared a week-long holiday to cover the period of the summit, encouraging people to stay at home.

Whether or not the security measures deter attacks, they may also have the consequence of reducing interaction between the various Arab delegations.