King urges global anti-terror strategy

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah yesterday urged the international community to formulate a comprehensive strategy to combat terrorism. “The fight against terrorism is a common international responsibility requiring the highest degree of coordination and cooperation among members of the international community,” he said.
In his keynote speech at a meeting of the UN Counterterrorism Center’s advisory board in Jeddah delivered by Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal, King Abdullah reiterated Saudi Arabia’s condemnation of all forms of terrorism.
“Saudi Arabia has emphasized on several occasions and at international forums its condemnation and denunciation of terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, whoever its perpetrators might be, and has announced its full readiness to join the international efforts to combat terrorism,” the king said.
He said Saudi Arabia has been contributing effectively under the umbrella of the United Nations to define terrorism, address its causes and eradicate its roots. “This stance reflects the Kingdom's consistent and continuous policy against international terrorism and its perpetrators,” he added.
King Abdullah described terrorism as a major threat to international peace and security. He thanked the United Nations for setting up the Counterterrorism Center (UNCTC) in New York on Sept. 19, 2011, in response to a proposal made by the International Counterterrorism Conference in Riyadh in 2005. Saudi Arabia has donated $ 10 million to the establishment of the UNCTC.
The Saudi leader thanked UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon for attending the Jeddah meeting. “I am sure that his wisdom, experiences and cooperation will contribute to the success of the meeting,” he added.
The UNTC is not a substitute for the bodies and international institutions involved in combating terrorism on an international level, but it will play a supporting role in coordinating these efforts and achieving the required efficiency in procedures and measures to prevent and combat terrorist activities, the king said.
Ban appreciated the commitment and generosity of King Abdullah whose support was important in making UNCTC a reality. “The center has attracted considerable interest,” he said and commended Saudi Arabia for taking the initiative to establish the center. “The UN strategy to address global terrorism, adopted by all member states, is the cornerstone of a global collective response to terrorism,” he said. Later speaking to reporters, Prince Saud said the UNCTC was the fruit of the Riyadh anti-terror conference, where King Abdullah made a proposal to establish the center to coordinate international efforts to combat terrorism.
Referring to the worsening situation in Syria, he urged the UN Security Council to take a decisive stand to end the bloodbath in the war-torn country. The UN chief also condemned the massacre of civilians in Syria by President Bashar Assad’s regime.
Prince Saud said Arab countries facing internal problems would not able to interfere militarily in Syria.