The Arab Summit. Commenting on one Arab summit in Rabat decades ago, the Syrian poet, `Umar Abu Rishah, said: "They feared for the plight of Shame; so they held a conference to preserve shame in Rabat." (It sounds great in Arabic. Take my word). I watched the opening session of the summit last night. What a scene. But it pleased me to realize this: the Arab people see through their governments. Not a single Arab leader, it hit me, is liked or respected by his people. Not one. In fact, every one of them is despised, deeply despised, by his people. And to watch the Sudanese military dictator calling on Iraqis to pursue "dialogue" was more than ironic. Or to watch `Abdul-`Aziz Butufliqah (the Algerian president) proclaim a message of free trade and capitalism. This was a guy who was friends with Carlos and Wadi` Haddad, and look at him now. What a convenient transformation.