TERROR IN OKLAHOMA CITY : Voices from Abroad

“If it had happened in New York or Los Angeles it would have been less incomprehensible, but Oklahoma City represents middle America and that will add to people’s fear.”

Conor Gearty, a terrorism expert at King’s College, London

*

“This is a criminal act. No religion and no law permits such acts. A lot of civilians and children were killed. No one can accept this. This is against human rights. This is against logic.”

Ahmed Baqer, an Islamist member of the National Assembly in Kuwait

*

“The Islamic movement’s field of action is inside Palestine against the Israeli occupation forces. There is no hostility between us and the American people or any other people on earth. We as a movement reject this kind of action.”

Saiyed Abu Musameh, a leader of the Islamic Resistance Movement, or Hamas, in the Gaza Strip

*

“I don’t say Hamas did it, but a movement which is engaged in the killing of innocent people cannot be taken seriously when it makes a public declaration.”

Shimon Peres, Israeli Foreign Minister

*

“The great nations that are inevitably exposed to this type of savage act must now more than ever coordinate their efforts to fight effectively against terrorism.”

Jacques Chirac, mayor of Paris and front-runner in France’s presidential election

*

“Terrorism is the big plague of our century, victimizing many nations. But unfortunately, the evil policies of hegemonist powers and governments have laid the grounds for such incidents.”

State-run Tehran Radio commentary, blaming in part U.S. policies for the bombing

*

“There are no more limits to the ferocity, to the homicidal madness, to the will of extremist groups to perpetrate indiscriminate massacres. Nobody can feel safe anymore in any part of the world.”

Vatican newspaper L’Osservatore Romano

*

“The terror must be cut off before it hits again.”

Yitzhak Rabin, Israeli Prime Minister