AMMAN, 27 April 2004 — Jordan’s King Abdallah yesterday called for “a political solution” to terrorism by addressing its root causes, including the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
He added that “killing of terrorists” represented only a partial solution.
“It is not neutralizing terrorists or killing terrorists that is the major responsibility or problem that we have to face ... getting rid of terrorists is part of the problem. It is understanding why we have terrorism, why we have extremism,” he said at the opening of a conference on the role of special forces in modern wars and national defense.
“The root causes of terrorism and extremism is a political issue and all of us in the Middle East will point out that the Israeli-Palestinian problem is one of the main causes for extremism and terrorism,” he said.
Participants at the conference included senior officials and army officers from the US, Europe and Middle East.
They will also attend the Special Operations Forces Exhibition (SOFEX) from April 26 to 29 in Amman.
The expo which showcases modern military weapons, vehicles, aircraft, surveillance devices, communication systems and equipment used by border security forces to combat infiltration and for rescue operations, organizers said.
King Abdallah emphasized the importance of international and regional cooperation in combating terrorism, saying, “We need to reach out each other more to share techniques, information and capabilities because we are facing a common threat,” he said.
