ON ITS PART, THE MUSCAT-BASED 'AL-WATAN' NEWSPAPER SAID AS THE ARAB NATION HAS BEEN FACING SERIOUS CHALLENGES, IT IS HIGH TIME TO JOINTLY WORK FOR CONFRONTING THESE CHALLENGES. CITING THE PROBLEMS FACING THE SUMMIT, THE PAPER SAID LEBANON HAS COME TO THE CURRENT SUMMIT WITH TWO DELEGATIONS. THE PAPER URGED THE AMERICANS AND EUROPEANS TO ASK ISRAEL TO CLARIFY ITS STANCE VIS-A-VIS THE ARAB INITIATIVE. WARNING AGAINST THE AMENDMENTS THAT ISRAEL MAY TRY TO INSERT IN THE ARAB INITIATIVE, THE PAPER SAID THESE ISRAELI AMENDMENTS AIM AT EMPTYING THE INITIATIVE FROM ITS CONTENTS AND DEPRIVING THE PALESTINIANS THEIR INALIENABLE RIGHTS. "WE SHOULD TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THAT US SECRETARY OF STATE CONDOLEEZZA RICE HAS RECENTLY COME TO THE REGION TO MAKE CHANGES IN THE INITIATIVE, BUT WHEN SHE DID NOT FIND A POSITIVE RESPONSE FROM THE ARABS IN THIS RESPECT, SHE RESORTED TO ECHOING STATEMENTS SO AS TO AVOID THE CRITICISM OF THE PRESSING ZIONIST LOBBY WHEN SHE RETURNS TO WASHINGTON.--SPA www.spa.gov.sa/436244