Leaders of 14 out of 22 members Arab League congregated in the Jordanian capital Amman on March 27, 2001 to attend the much publicised Arab League Summit.

Certain issues had forced the members of the league to call for a ordinary summit. The estranged relationship between Iraq and Kuwait and the Israel-Palestine conflict had forced them to present a united front. The opportunity was there but partisan and somewhat arrogant attitude of the main parties thwarted any unified stance.

In their final declaration, the leaders call for:

1. Lifting of all sanctions against Iraq.

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2. Revival of the boycott of Israel.

3. Condemning US for vetoing a Palestinian move in the UN calling for the posting of International observers in the territories.

4. A peace deal between Iraq and Kuwait.

5. Giving $240 m in aid to Palestinians.

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Iraq had demanded that those states offering military bases to UK and US should stop doing so in future. This demand was rejected. At the same time Kuwait and Saudi Arabia had demanded that Iraq should recognise the sovereignty of Kuwait, which was rejected by Iraq.

The Arab Summits belated call to end the sanctions has lost its relevance somewhat by the US emphasis on checking military imports by Iraq while allowing consumer imports. The Arab Summit also failed to do much in the Palestine- Israel conflict. The division in their ranks has been exposed by this summit.

In fact major disputes in this area have been resolved without a significant role being played by the Arab League. Thus some analyst feels that the latest summit was a move to announce to the world that the Arab League was alive and kicking and not just a defunct organisation.