In this report:

• 'They tried to blame Iraq'
• Baghdad's 'continuing isolation

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The United States on Sunday applauded the Arab League's call for Iraq to comply with United Nations resolutions on weapons inspections and said Baghdad's walkout from the regional meeting only underscored its isolation.

The Iraqi delegation walked out of Sunday's meeting after failing to win support from Arab nations in condemning the U.S. and British attacks against Iraq that began last December.

State Department spokesman James Foley said Washington also was "particularly pleased" with the League's rejection of "Iraq's recent threats against its neighbors" including Kuwait.

The 22-nation group met in Cairo to map out demands for an easing of U.N. sanctions imposed on Iraq after its 1990 invasion of Kuwait, and to respond to the U.S.-led air strikes last month prompted by Baghdad's reported failure to cooperate with U.N. weapons inspectors.

While it condemned the attacks and backed the lifting of the sanctions, the League's statement also called on Iraq to implement U.N. resolutions on weapons inspections and refrain from making any "provocative actions" toward its neighbors.

The statement agreed to only expressed "deep concern at the use of the military option against Iraq."

Iraqi Foreign Minister Mohammed Saeed al-Sahhaf stormed out, saying he did not want to take part "in this rotting mire."

Al-Sahhaf, his face red with anger, told reporters that the weak league statement was "a cover for resuming the U.S.-British airstrikes."

He said America and some Persian Gulf countries pressured the other delegates to adopt the resolution.

"They have been implementing what has been dictated to them by the Americans," he said. "They tried to blame Iraq."

After al-Sahhaf walked out of the meeting, the other foreign ministers met for another 4 1/2 hours, but made no fundamental changes in the statement.

"The United States is satisfied with the outcome of the Arab League meeting, especially the fact that members unanimously called upon Iraq to comply with its obligations under U.N. resolutions," Foley said.

"We note that Iraq walked out which only underscores Baghdad's continuing isolation in the Arab world," he added.

Sources inside the meeting, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said al-Sahhaf argued over every word in a draft resolution during the initial nearly eight-hour meeting.

In the end, the ministers largely followed past league statements expressing sympathy with the Iraqi people while not giving support to the government of President Saddam Hussein.

While the ministers met, U.S. warplanes patrolling Iraq's northern "no-fly" zone Sunday attacked Iraqi surface-to-air missile sites that had been targeting them in separate incidents, U.S. officials said. It was the second day in a row of such incidents.

The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.