CNN - World leaders condemn Saudi blast

World leaders condemn Saudi blast

Palestinian predicts more terrorism

June 26, 1996
Web posted at: 9:45 a.m. EDT (1345 GMT)

(CNN) -- Here's a sampling of international reaction to Tuesday's bombing of an American housing complex in Saudi Arabia:

"Terrorist actions will continue if there is no complete peace agreement in the Middle East," said Freih Abu Medein, Minister of Justice for the Palestinian Authority. "There is bitterness in the hearts since the Gulf War and it's not going to end easily. It will take time until the siege of Iraq is over and until the Palestinian cause is solved. Violence will appear from time to time."

Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat condemned the "terrorism" in Saudi Arabia and said, "We are committed to the peace process." Arafat is president of the Palestinian Authority.

"We will hunt them down," U.S. Secretary of State Warren Christopher said Tuesday in Jerusalem of those responsible for the bombing. (256K AIFF or WAV sound) He also offered condolences to families of victims.(256K AIFF or WAV sound) On Wednesday in Cairo, Christopher held back-to-back talks with Arafat and Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak. Afterward, Christopher headed to the bomb scene near Dharan, Saudi Arabia.

Saudi King Fahd offered his condolences in a telephone call to President Clinton. He expressed his "sorrow and pain for this deplorable terrorist act which is rejected by all religions," the official Saudi Press Agency reported.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu urged joint Israel-U.S. action against terrorism that "harms humanity, civilization and the human values that Israel and the United States share."

Israeli President Ezer Weizman sent his condolences to the American people and said he suspected Iran was responsible for the bombing, noting that Tehran was behind similar attacks in Lebanon and Egypt. (256K AIFF or WAV sound)

British Prime Minister John Major called the bombing "an act of pure evil for no reason" and promised maximum assistance to identify the perpetrators. More than 200 Royal Air Force personnel based at Dhahran, alongside U.S. and French forces, escaped injury.

U.N. Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali denounced the attack" in the strongest possible terms" and urged the international community "to strengthen its efforts to combat international terrorism."

Italian Foreign Minister Lamberto Dini called the killings an act of treachery and said Italy's thoughts were with the United States and the victims' families.

Belgium's Foreign Ministry condemned what it called a "criminal and cowardly act."

The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.

Feedback

Send us your comments.
Selected responses are posted daily.

World leaders condemn Saudi blast

Palestinian predicts more terrorism

Feedback

| CONTENTS | SEARCH | CNN HOME PAGE | MAIN WORLD NEWS PAGE |