US: No talks with Iraq, Arab League wants sanctions of

Ambassador Dowo Ali Soliman, the assistant secretary-general at the Arab League, called for sanctions against Libya to be removed after the recent ruling by the International Court of Justice.

Soliman, opening the 22nd session of the Arab health minister's council, also called for sanctions against Iraq to be lifted, as the sanctions have led to an increase in deaths among children and women resulting from malnutrition and lack of medicine.

Also, during the Arab Labor Conference Abdel Hamid El-Saaegh, the Iraqi minister of labor and social affairs, called for enhancing Arab cooperation, and expressed his country's willingness and readiness to cooperate with the Arab states without any exceptions, a reference to Kuwait that has called for resumption of relations with Iraq with some conditions.

Meanwhile, the US responded on Thursday to King Hussein's call for talks between Iraq and the US. White House spokesman Mike McCurry said, "We respectfully considered the King's views, but I'm not aware of any plans to change the status of our diplomatic relations, or, i.e., the lack of diplomatic relations with Iraq."