In a TV interview during CBS’ “60 Minutes” aired on Sunday evening and hosted by Scott Pelley, His Majesty King Abdullah said Syrian refugees constitute 20 per cent of the population, a number equivalent to around 60 million refugees in the US.

King Abdullah stressed that Jordan’s borders are “extremely secure” and that the Kingdom, during the few past months, has firmly countered all threats to approach its borders.

“I think we are at the limit actually, and with the difficult economic conditions we’re in, it’s a tremendous burden on our country,” His Majesty added regarding hosting great numbers of Syrian refugees.

Answering a question on whether the rise of Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) could have been prevented, the King said it could have been prevented if the international community worked harder together to make sure funding and support to the original groups in Syria were not allowed to get to this extent.

“I think we could have done a better job in making sure that earlier on it was identified who the bad people were and action by the international community was taken not to allow that to happen,” His Majesty added.

On the threat IS poses in the region, the King said the difference between ISIS and any other terror organisations is that it is self-financing. “They can produce, within a year, up to almost a billion dollars worth of oil derivatives, which means they can pay a lot of foreign fighters come to their country. They can buy weapons.”

In response to a question whether the ISIS leader, Abu Bakr Baghadadi, is an Islamic heretic, His Majesty answered: “I think to use the word ‘Islam’ and him in the same sentence is not acceptable. That he even speaks in the name of Islam for me is so horrendous and so shocking.”