Jordan's King Discusses Terrorism, Islam and the Middle East
(BBC interview with King Abdullah II, November 9) (560) By Vicki Silverman Washington File staff Writer Washington -- Speaking from the BBC studios in London November 9, Jordan's King Abdullah said he had no doubt that Usama bin Laden and the al-Qaida organization are responsible for the September 11 attacks on New York and Washington. At several points in his webcast dialogue with listeners around the world, the King underscored the fact that the military action now taking place in Afghanistan is aimed at bin Laden al Qaida organization and the Taliban, not the Afghan people. "There is a military objective there that has to be seen through, and we've got to remember what the objectives are. It is not only to bring down international terrorism -- which will obviously take a much longer time -- but there is a specific problem with Usama bin Laden and the Taliban," King Abdullah said. "I know that all the military planners in the United States and in the coalition are trying to do their best to do this as quickly as possible with the least amount of damage to Afghanistan and the Afghan people," he added. Asked for his views on continuing military strikes through the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, King Abdullah said, "Talking from a religious point of view, all of us would like to see the military conflict in Afghanistan, as I have just said, bought to a resolution as quickly as possible. "But if we want to get into the religious aspects of things, religious holidays such as Ramadan or any other from any other religion, have never been a subject of whether war should be carried out or not." Nevertheless, the King said he expected "reservations" to surface as the military campaign leads into Ramadan. Responding to a questioner's concern about the effects of the military campaign on moderate Muslims, the King discussed how extremists like Usama bin Laden had thwarted the teachings of Islam and how this may develop into a subject of much "soul searching" in the Arab world in the coming years. "There is no such thing as moderate Islam and extreme Islam. There is Islam and extremists if you understand where Usama bin Laden is coming [from] -- if you don't believe in his brand of Islam, we as Muslims are also the next target. So I think we have got to stay focused on what Usama bin Laden represents and how much of a problem he is -- not just for the United States but for the rest of us," King Abdullah said. In an exchange with an Israeli listener on the Middle East Peace, King Abdullah addressed the issues of a future Palestinian state and a future for Israel with security and integration into the region. "So as the Prime Minister put it yesterday, I think we have to identify that there will be a future Palestinian state. There will be the integration and security of Israel into the region and if we have those two as givens, as the Prime Minister said, then you can work back because then you reassure the Palestinians and the Arab community in general and the Israelis that there is a light at the end of the tunnel and unfortunately that has not been stipulated enough," Abdullah said. (The Washington File is a product of the Office of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
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