Foreign Minister Marwan al-Muasher told the Arabic daily Asharq al-Awsat in an interview published Sunday that Jordan did not want Raghad and Rana Hussein speaking about their country's affairs or their father, who is in U.S. custody.

"We've always maintained that Saddam's daughters are in Amman for humanitarian, not political reasons," Muasher said.

"We do not like and do not want there to be any statements that even smell vaguely political. They were invited to Jordan for humanitarian reasons and it should remain that way."

Muasher's comments appeared to indicate the sisters were embarrassing Jordan, a key Middle East ally for the United States which also has major trade interests in post-Saddam Iraq.

Many Iraqis are angry at Amman for hosting the daughters of the dictator. In August, a truck bomb exploded outside the Jordanian embassy compound in Baghdad, killing 17 people.

Jordan granted Saddam's eldest daughter Raghad, 36, and her younger sister Rana asylum after they fled Iraq shortly after U.S. troops took control of Baghdad in April.

Since arriving in Jordan, Raghad had given interviews to international and Arab media.

Her latest media appearance was in December when she said her father was drugged prior to his capture and demanded an international trial for him.