The Prime Minister has condemned the attacks on Shia people in Iraq today as ‘cruel and evil’ in a Downing Street press conference with King Abdullah of Jordan.
The two leaders also discussed the Middle East peace process and bilateral relations between the UK and Jordan.
Read a transcript of the press conference below
Prime Minister:
Good Afternoon. First of all can I extend the warmest possible welcome to His Majesty King Abdullah of Jordan and say how delighted we are to see him here again in Downing Street. We have discussed three issues today. The first is the state of bilateral relations between Great Britain and Jordan, which are excellent, and we continue the closest possible cooperation, and I really do pay tribute to His Majesty and his government for all the work they do to make sure that the areas of joint interest between us progress satisfactorily. Secondly obviously we have discussed the Middle East peace process and the Palestinian question and have agreed the fundamental importance of trying every avenue we possibly can in order to reinvigorate this process and to make sure that we bring some hope of a lasting and stable peace to people in the Middle East. And thirdly we have obviously talked about the tragic assassination of Shia people in Iraq, and I just want to say a word to you about that.
The killings today of possibly as many as 140 people who were religious worshipers, they were taking part in a religious festival that for many, many years had been banned under the regime of Saddam Hussein, they were exercising their new freedom to worship in the way that they wished to do, and the purpose of those people who have killed them in such a cruel and evil way is to try and set the different religious communities in Iraq against each other, to destroy the progress in Iraq, to cause the maximum amount of dissent, and division and hatred, when the vast majority of people in Iraq want to build an Iraq that is stable and free and prosperous and democratic for the future. And the fact that this happens in a week where there has been remarkable agreement on a new constitution, a new way forward for Iraq, in which all the different elements work together, is an indication of how stark is the difference now between the Iraqis themselves, those from other countries such as Britain and America and others who are trying to help them rebuild their country, make it a stable and democratic, free and prosperous country. For all of us on the one hand, and that small but I am afraid highly active group of terrorists who are prepared to bomb and kill and maim innocent people in order to wreck the progress that is being made, and it is truly, if there was any clearer struggle between good and evil, it is between those on the one hand who want to build Iraq as a decent country in which people from whatever religious quarter can live together in freedom and in peace on the one hand, and on the other those who would destroy that and replace that by religious hatred. And you will know many of you from the letter that was published by Zarqawi who, to put it like this, is an al Queda affiliate and who has been based in Iraq, that letter made it absolutely clear what the strategy of such outside terrorist groups is, and that is to try and prevent Iraq fulfilling its proper destiny.
I would like to say again how pleased I am to have King Abdullah here and to thank him for the work that he does tirelessly to promote peace in the Middle East. He has been a source of immensely wise and productive advice for me, and I know for other leaders throughout the world. So in welcoming you here I pay tribute to the work that you have done. And I am sorry that you have come here on such a tragic day in relation to what has happened in Iraq, but I know that you share our desire to see Iraq take its place as a stable and prosperous nation for the future.
King Abdullah:
Thank you very much Mr Prime Minister for those very kind words. Obviously we are very delighted to be back here in London and for the warm hospitality that you have shown us, but also for the in-depth discussions and the hopes that we both share for a far better Middle East. We went into some depth obviously on the Israeli-Palestinian issue, and again England as part of the European and the international community is steadfast in looking to bring better hope and a better life to both Israelis and Palestinians, and we are very grateful for your particular involvement in very difficult times to try and move the process forward. Iraq is obviously of tremendous concern to all of us in the Middle East and again the Prime Minister has been an advocate of moving Iraqi society forward, giving them the hope that they, sooner rather than later, will be able to guide their own future. And on those two issues Jordan and Britain have seen eye to eye and will continue to work tirelessly together to make the Middle East a better place. Obviously we are shocked and dismayed at the heinous crime that was committed today in Iraq. This is just another element of extremism under the umbrella of al Queda or its affiliates. We have seen that signature before where they have tried to create a struggle between east and west to try and take on not only the Sunnis inside the Islamic world, but as we have seen today, targeting innocent Shia to try and create a struggle inside of Islam. And all of us here in the international community will not allow that to happen, we will stand steadfast with those that have lost their lives today in Iraq and we will give the support to Shias and Sunnis to hopefully rise above the difficulties that are posed by these extremists and we will do our utmost in Jordan, in co-ordination with Britain and other countries, to make sure that the terrorists do not win the day, that there will be a hope not only for the future of Iraq but for all of us in the Middle East.
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