The fight against terrorism is a "new war" that could last 10 to 15 years, Jordan's King Abdullah II said in an interview to the German magazine Stern to be released Thursday.
Air strikes "in the worldwide struggle against terrorism are going to remain very limited", but this "new war could last ten to fifteen years," the monarch said.
Abdullah II, who is due to meet with German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder in Berlin Thursday, described the US response to the terrorist attacks of September 11 as "very measured".
The United States "are not just taking a military stance but also a humanitarian one", said the king, referring to air drops of food inside Afghanistan and other relief efforts.
US warplanes pounded targets in Afghanistan on Tuesday for the third day, killing "tens of civilians", the Taliban ambassador to Pakistan said.
Abdullah II also warned that Saudi extremist Osama bin Laden's al-Qaeda network could strike again and mount attacks "even more spectacular than those of September 11."
Bin Laden is the chief suspect behind the September 11 attacks in which three hijacked planes flew into the World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon.
The king said that bin Laden's followers want "a war of cultures and of societies."
With the September 11 attacks, they sought to "cause emotional upheaval, to incite Americans' hatred against Muslims and Arabs", he added.
Turning to the Middle East, Abdullah II called for a return to negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians to dissipate anger and frustration.
The monarch offered to act as a mediator if both sides request his help but he added that direct talks would be better -- BERLIN (AFP)
© 2001 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
