RIYADH, 6 February 2005 — Crown Prince Abdullah yesterday vowed to press ahead with Saudi Arabia’s war on terror and called for the establishment of an international center to combat and pre-empt terrorism.
“I call on all countries to set up an international center for combating terrorism. Those working in it would be experts in this field,” the crown prince said while inaugurating the international counterterrorism conference.
Prince Abdullah emphasized the need to combat arms smuggling, drug smuggling and money laundering to make the war on terrorism successful.
“It would be difficult for us to prevail in our war on terror if it does not include a decisive confrontation with these three criminal networks,” the crown prince told the delegates.
He hoped that the four-day conference attended by delegates from more than 50 countries would herald a new chapter in the global fight against terror.
“I have great hope that this conference will open a new page of effective international cooperation to establish an international community free of terrorism,” he told the delegates.
Prince Abdullah said the proposed center would “exchange and pass information instantly in a manner compatible with the speed of events and prevent them (terror attacks) before they occur.”
The crown prince’s “timely” proposal for a global center was backed by Arab League chief Amr Moussa, who said the league was prepared to help set it up.
Arab, Islamic and Western states are attending the conference, including the United States, whose delegation is led by Homeland Security adviser Frances Townsend, and Britain, whose team is headed by Edward Oakden, special representative for counterterrorism.
International organizations on hand include the United Nations, the European Union and the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC), whose secretary-general, Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, called on the United Nations to “issue a resolution prohibiting the linking of terrorism with any religion.”
The Kingdom has rejected Western accusations that it is lenient with terrorism and argued that the violence committed by extremists such as Al-Qaeda followers is totally alien to Islam.
The tolerant message of Islam “is not represented by the spurious slogans raised by those who emerge from the caves of darkness and which are exploited by the enemies of Islam to tarnish its image,” Prince Abdullah said. “This conference, attended by countries affiliated to various civilizations, faiths and political systems, proves that terrorism does not differentiate between civilizations, religions and systems when it selects its victims,” he said.
“We are currently in a war with terror and anyone who backs it or justifies it,” said Prince Abdullah. “We will press ahead with this (war) with God’s help until we eradicate this evil,” he said.
Prince Abdullah warned that the global war on terror would be “bitter and protracted,” but he said he was confident that “peace-loving forces” would ultimately prevail.
In his keynote address, Prince Abdullah cited the Qur’anic verse which explains that God created mankind as males and females and made people into nations and tribes in order for them to know one another. “This eternal message from God is the true spirit of Islam, the religion of wisdom and peace,” he said.
He added: “The Prophet of Islam is the Prophet of mercy and Islam is the religion of mercy. Mercy and terrorism cannot coexist in one mind or in one house.”
The crown prince also reminded the conference that Saudi Arabia itself had been a victim of terrorism. The Kingdom has been rocked by a spate of shootings and bombings by Al-Qaeda-linked terrorists which have killed more than 220 people and wounded hundreds more since May 2003.
“The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was among the first countries to suffer from terrorism and has warned against it and fought it with all its might on the domestic, regional and international levels,” Abdullah said.
He said the Kingdom was placing its experience with terrorism before the conference so that the conference could learn from the Saudi experience. “We need to learn from your experiences in the field. And there is no doubt that our joint experiences will assist us all, God willing, in our fight against terror.”
Addressing the conference a UN official gave a speech by Secretary-General Kofi Annan which called on countries to look at the causes of terrorism. “People must see that legitimate grievances can be addressed by peaceful means,” the envoy said, adding that measures should be “much broader than coercive”.
“Every time we stand up for human rights and fundamental freedoms we, stand up against terror. Every time we make the rule of law stronger, we make terrorism weaker,” he said.
During the next three days, the delegates are due to discuss the causes of terrorism, in addition to the relation between the scourge and money laundering as well as arms and drug trafficking. Organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the event is held at the King Abdul Aziz Conference Center in the Diplomatic Quarter.
Prince Miteb, the minister of municipal and rural affairs, Interior Minister Prince Naif, Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal and Assistant Interior Minister for Security Affairs Prince Muhammad ibn Naif, who heads the Saudi delegation to the conference, attended the opening session. Other ministers present were: Minister of Commerce and Industry Hashem Yamani, Minister of Information Fouad Al-Farsy and Minister of Education Muhammad Al-Rasheed.
