Arab summit opens in Sudan, key leaders stay away

A two-day Arab summit opened Tuesday in the Sudanese capital Khartoum with several key leaders, including regional heavyweights President Hosni Mubarak of Egypt and Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah, staying away. Their absence is certain to diminish the value of any resolutions adopted by the summit on sensitive issues like Iraq and the future of Mideast peace following the landslide victory of the Hamas in January's Palestinian elections.