H.E. Dr. Marwan Muasher
Ambassador of Jordan to the U.S. & Mexico
CNN Tonight
with John King
His Excellency discusses latest al Qaeda statement
CNN Tonight
with John King
October 13, 2001
JOHN KING, CNN ANCHOR:
As we told you just a few moments ago, and played for you just a moments ago, a
chilling new statement today by a spokesman for the al Qaeda organization,
urging new attacks against the United States, criticizing President Bush,
criticizing the U.S. role in the Middle East.
But also, significantly, criticizing Muslim nations that have not come out in
support of Osama bin Laden and al Qaeda, and have instead supported the Bush
administration's campaign against terrorism.
Joining us here in Washington, the Jordanian ambassador to the United States,
Marwan Muasher. I hope I'm -- didn't mispronounce your name there, sir. I'm
sorry if I did.
You were just telling us before we came on that you listened to the entire
statement in Arabic as it was broadcast on the al-Jazeera, the Middle Eastern TV
network.
Your reaction to it, and specifically to the condemnation of Muslim leaders --
your country included -- that have supported the United States.
DR. MARWAN JAMIL MUASHER, JORDANIAN AMBASSADOR TO THE U.S.: It's
obviously an outrageous statement, but also a statement of despair.
This statement clearly criticizes the Organization of Islamic States for taking
the position they have in Dohar a few days ago, and supporting the international
community in its effort against terrorism.
It is obviously a statement that shows the frustration of al Qaeda, because the
other Islamic states did not support them in this campaign.
KING: And when every day people in the Kingdom of Jordan, in Egypt,
throughout the Middle East, see this statement, as it is broadcast in the
region, do you think it will have much of an impact? Will it have the effect the
al Qaeda obviously wants? An uprising of Muslims against the United States?
DR. MUASHER: No, I don't -- obviously, the uprising has not occurred.
Obviously, people are way too smart to think that a statement like this would
really effect their feelings. It is clear that this is an organization that is
intent on hijacking the culture and the identify of Arab and Muslim states, and
this is therefore as much our fight against these people as it is yours. And I
think that people are way too smart to believe such things.
KING: We asked you to come in today in the first place because one of the
great debates, a subplot to his campaign, has been: is there a misunderstanding
in the Arab world and among Muslims to the United States? A frustration
President Bush voiced in his prime-time news conference Thursday night. I want
to quickly have us listen to remarks by the president.
(BEGIN VIDEO
CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We've got to do a better job of
explaining to the people in the Middle East, for example, that we don't fight a
war against Islam or Muslims. We don't hold any religion accountable. We're
fighting evil. And these murderers have hijacked a great religion in order to
justify their evil deeds. And we cannot let it stand.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KING: Is there a misunderstanding among average people throughout the
Arab world in the Middle East, especially Muslims, as to what the United States
is? What this country stands for?
DR. MUASHER: I think the president and the administration has done a very
good job explaining that this is a war against terrorism and it is not a war
against Arabs or Islam. And I think if the target remains focused, particularly
on al Qaeda and on targets that, you know, where evidence is there that they
were behind the attacks, then there won't be any misunderstanding as far as a
war against Islam or a clash of civilizations.
I think also the administration realizes the need to look at other problems in
the area, if a long-term campaign against terrorism is to be successful, and
they have begun, just as the president did yesterday, by declaring public
support for a Palestinian state and by implying future steps by the
administration to try and get both parties back on the negotiation track.
KING: The president spoke of cooperative words at least from the
government of Syria, but what if, on the point you just made, this campaign
expands outside of Afghanistan, if say, Hezbollah camps in Lebanon are targeted
by the administration? If there is another confrontation with Saddam Hussein in
Iraq? What then would happen? What would the reaction be?
DR. MUASHER: I don't think that, you know, a military campaign that extends
beyond al Qaeda is necessarily going to be a helpful one, particularly when
there is no evidence linking any other Arab, any other state or organization to
these attacks.
Obviously, there has to be a long-term campaign against terrorism, and obviously
there needs to be cooperation among all countries of the world in such things as
information gathering, in such things as cutting off the financial support. But
I do not expect that such a campaign will extend to other targets. If, for
example, an Arab country like Iraq is hit with no evidence linking them to the
attacks, that would have a devastating effect on the coalition.
KING: Marwan Muasher, the Ambassador to the United States from Jordan. We
thank you for your thoughts today and your quick reaction to that chilling
statement, the latest statement from the al Qaeda organization.