Syria's Al Shara to skip Arab Summit in Iraq after protests against invitation

Foreign Minister Al Shibani will lead Syrian delegation

Protesters demonstrate in Basra against the reported invitation of Syrian President Ahmad Al Shara to the Arab League summit in Baghdad. Reuters

Syrian President Ahmad Al Shara will not travel to Baghdad for the Arab Summit this weekend, Syrian state media has reported, after an invitation from Iraq's Prime Minister sparked protests over his past links to Al Qaeda.

Syria's delegation will instead be led by Foreign Minister Asaad Al Shibani, state-owned channel Ekhbariya TV said on Monday.

Many Iraqis object to Mr Al Shara's history with Al Qaeda in Iraq, where he served as a senior field leader for the extremist group fighting against US and Iraqi troops after the 2003 US-led invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein.

Rallies have been taking place across Iraq in recent weeks since Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al Sudani invited Mr Al Shara to Saturday's event, which will be Baghdad's first time hosting Arab League leaders in more than a decade.

The Iraqi capital has banned protests in the run-up to the summit, with the Interior Ministry saying security forces will arrest anyone breaking the order.

The annual Arab Summit comes at a critical time for the region, as Israel's war on Gaza intensifies, and Iran and the US hold talks in an attempt to reach a deal on curbing Tehran's nuclear programme. The event is expected to focus on Gaza reconstruction.

For the Iraqi government, the summit is a way to underline the return of Baghdad to a central role in the Middle East after decades of war and political isolation.

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al Sudani has faced widespread criticism for inviting Mr Al Shara. AP

But the Iraqi Prime Minister has faced widespread criticism for inviting Mr Al Shara, whose Hayat Tahrir Al Sham group seized power in Damascus last December in a rebel offensive that toppled Syrian president Bashar Al Assad.

Mr Al Shara was one of thousands of foreign fighters who travelled to Iraq after the 2003 US invasion, mainly through Syria. American troops arrested him in 2005 and he was released about six years later. He then returned to Syria and formed an Al Qaeda-affiliated rebel group fighting against Mr Al Assad's troops. He broke ties with Al Qaeda in 2016 and formed HTS.

Mr Al Shara's decision not to attend the summit highlights Syria's mixed results establishing ties across the region since he took power last year. He has made rapid inroads with Gulf Arab states including Saudi Arabia and Qatar, but has tread more carefully with others where Iran has had strong influence, such as Iraq.