Arab nations, divided into three camps, worked Thursday to overcome long-standing rifts and forge a united stance on Iraq two days ahead of a crucial summit. Facing the prospect of a U.S.-led attack on Saddam Hussein, the 22-nations of the Arab League - which include Iraq - moved the annual meeting date ahead nearly a month to Saturday and the location to Egypt, seen as having the most clout to forge a consensus.

Also on the summit agenda were Palestinian-Israeli violence and a Saudi proposal for political reform in the region.

Powell Urges Arabs to Send a Strong Message to Saddam

Meanwhile, Secretary of State Colin Powell urged Arab leaders "to issue the strongest possible statement" to Saddam Hussein that he must comply with U.N. disarmament resolutions. The league should urge Saddam to "step down and get out of the way and let some responsible leadership take over in Baghdad," Powell said.

Three points of view divide the Arab League, according to Arab diplomats, speaking on condition of anonymity.

One camp, which includes Kuwait, argues that war is inevitable and that the region should focus on dealing with the aftermath. Kuwait along with Bahrain is among Washington's Arab allies hosting U.S. troops and weapons for a possible war to disarm Saddam.

Iraqi Opposition Sends Letter to Summit

To that end, nine Iraqi opposition figures sent a letter to the summit urging Arab leaders to support their proposal for the United Nations, instead of a U.S. military authority, to help run a post-Saddam Iraq.

A second camp includes Egypt and Saudi Arabia, which argue that war can be avoided if Iraq cooperates with U.N. weapons inspectors. The third camp, led by Syria, wants Arabs to rally around Iraq and produce a summit declaration opposed to war.

"We have to try to the last minute of the 24th hour to exert efforts to avoid a war," Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Maher said as he joined regional counterparts Thursday in the Red Sea resort of Sharm al-Sheikh, 175 miles southeast of Cairo, to set the summit's agenda.

Several Arab & Muslim High-Profile Meetings

The summit, also to be held in Sharm el-Sheik, is the first of several high-profile meetings at which Arab and Muslim states will discuss Iraq. Next week, Arab Gulf countries hold their summit, followed several days later by a meeting of the Organization of the Islamic Conference.

While Arab and Muslim leaders have as much as conceded they can do little to stop the United States, the summits give them the chance to show they are doing all they can to avert a war.

Yet traditional disputes threatened to interfere with reaching an agreement.

For example, diplomats argued for at least five hours Wednesday over whether the summit should discuss the Iraqi-U.S. confrontation alone or include a rift between Iraq and Kuwait.

Kuwait insists Baghdad account for about 600 Kuwaitis and others who disappeared during the 1990-91 Iraqi occupation, ended by the 1991 Gulf War. Iraq denies holding any such prisoners.

Still, diplomats said the Sharm el-Sheik summit could end in unity, with leaders sending a delegation to Iraq to push Saddam to cooperate with U.N. weapons inspectors.

Arabs also may send a delegation to the United States to deliver the message that a war on Iraq could further destabilize their already volatile region, the diplomats said.

PHOTO CAPTION

Iraqi Foreign Minister Naji Sabri, left, and Libya's African Unity Affairs Minister Ali Abdel Salam al-Treiki are seen before a foreign ministers meeting Thursday, Feb.27, 2003, in Sharm el-Sheik, Egypt. (AP Photo/Amr