His Majesty talks to BBC, condemns London attacks

Amman
08 July 2005

His Majesty King Abdullah on Friday condemned "the tragic and terrorist attacks on London yesterday."



In an interview with the BBC TV, His Majesty said: "I'd like to really extend our sympathies to the victims and their families for this terrible crime."



Asked whether the Western governments, Arab leaders as well, are doing enough to tackle the root causes that the terrorists use to justify their acts, King Abdullah said: "we are all working very hard particularly on the Israeli-Palestinian issue, which we see as the core issue and the area that brings frustration to people in this part of the world.



"If we do not solve the Palestinian-Israeli problem then terrorists are going to use this as a recruiting ground to get sympathy from those who are frustrated from what they see in the Middle East."



His Majesty the King said the International Islamic Conference, which was held in Amman last week bringing together Muslim religious leaders and specialists, stressed that these terrorists have nothing to do with Islam and its values.



Meanwhile, King Abdullah sent cables of condolences to Queen Elizabeth II and British Prime Minister Tony Blair, expressing the Kingdom's sympathy with the British people and the victims' families.