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Saudi bomb outrages world
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia -- The suicide bombings in Riyadh that have killed at least 29 people have been condemned around the world. The following is a selection from the international reaction. U.S. President George W. Bush called the deaths "ruthless murder." He added: "These despicable acts were committed by killers whose only faith is hate, and the United States will find the killers, and they will learn the meaning of American justice." Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah condemned the terror attacks as the work of "monsters," and vowed to "destroy" the terrorist group that carried out the bombings. "All the Saudi people will be confronting those criminals and killers," Abdullah said in a six-minute address to the nation. "There is no place for terror, but there is a place for decisive deterrence against them and to any ideology that feeds them." Citing the Quran, he said there is no justification for such murderous act. "Those people will have a destiny that is very harsh in hellfire," Abdullah said. Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer: "It is likely if it was al Qaeda, or one of those al Qaeda-related organizations, then it was planned even before the war in Iraq began." British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw, said: "We're working closely with the Saudi authorities to ensure the people who perpetrated these crimes are brought to justice." The Foreign Office warned British nationals against all but essential travel to Saudi Arabia. In a statement Tuesday, it said there remained a "high threat" of further strikes and warned of the possibility of chemical and biological attacks. The Foreign Office has also authorized the voluntary departure of non-essential members of its staff based in Saudi. France condemned "with the greatest firmness" the bombings. France's embassy there said three French nationals were injured and told its citizens to maintain "utmost vigilance." European Union security and foreign policy chief Javier Solana said: "Terrorism is terrible and I would like to condemn the terrorist act which took place in Riyadh." "All of the injured are very shocked by what they saw because the explosion was very big," the French ambassador in Riyadh, Bernard Poletti, told The Associated Press. German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer expressed horror at the attacks, saying the strikes provided a new reason to strengthen the fight against international terror. Fischer, visiting Tunisia where 14 German tourists were killed in a synagogue attack a year ago, was quoted by AP as saying he was "shattered and horrified" by the overnight attack. He said the blast was "an additional element to strengthen our fight against international terrorism." "Innocent people have become the target of senseless and malicious violence," he added. Jordanian Foreign Minister Marwan Muasher said: "This will only strengthen our resolve to find a solution to all the problems of the region.... (We) express our sympathies to the victims of the terrorists inside Saudi Arabia and our condemnation of this act." A senior Jordanian official said: "These are terrorist acts and has nothing to do with Islam and its teaching and human ethics." The Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Sobah AlAHmad condemned the attack and reiterated his country's stand next to Saudi Arabia and its people. Russian President Vladimir Putin was quoted by Interfax news agency as saying this week's Riyadh blast and the suicide bombing in Chechnya were similar. "The signature in both places is absolutely identical," he said. At least 52 people were killed in Monday's attack on Chechen government buildings. Putin blamed the bombing on rebels seeking to disrupt the establishment of a new government after more than three years of war. Arriving in Riyadh, U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell on Tuesday condemned the attacks. Earlier he said he suspected they were carried out by the al Qaeda terrorist network. "I think it's just part of al Qaeda and other terrorist organizations' willingness to kill innocent people in order to push forward a criminal agenda," said Powell. "A terrorist agenda that very often has no purpose, has no meaning other than to strike out in rage." "The United States will not be deterred from pursuing the interests of peace around the world in the face of this kind of terrorism," he added. "I condemn them, the cowardly individuals, who sneak in during the night and kill innocent civilians." Copyright 2003 CNN. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Associated Press contributed to this report.
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