Arab leaders issue declaration opposing war.(Chicago Tribune)

Byline: Christine Spolar

SHARM EL-SHEIKH, Egypt _ Arab leaders on Saturday issued a broad statement against possible war in Iraq that avoided the most apparent split in their ranks _ the fact that thousands of U.S. forces are rapidly deploying in the region.

The only leader who raised the issue of troops on Arab soil, specifically in Saudi Arabia, was Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi. His jibe promptly sparked an angry walkout by Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah and the entire Saudi delegation, according to delegates among the 22-member Arab League.

The Saudis were cajoled back into the meeting 15 minutes later by Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and Syrian leader Bashar Assad, according to witnesses at the summit held in this Red Sea resort town.

Despite the blowup, the Arab leaders managed to pull together a unanimous declaration calling for the "complete rejection of any aggression on Iraq."

The rancor between Libya and Saudi Arabia, however, was only one example of sharp divisions evident Saturday within the often-fractious Arab League. In a surprise show of anxiety over the threat of war, the United Arab Emirates floated a proposal to call for the ouster of Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein.

The Emirates' proposal was the first open attempt by an Arab country to discuss Hussein's possible exile as a way to thwart war.