Redheart
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Paris attacks: Saudi Arabia's King Salman donates $110m to set up anti-terror centre in wake of French shootings | Middle East | News | The Independent
Saudi Arabia’s King Salman has called for a United Nations-backed centre to fight terrorism, according to reports.
In a speech to the G20 summit in the Turkish coastal town of Antalya, the king claimed he had already donated $110m (£72m) to set up the proposed “International Centre for the Fight against Terrorism under the UN”, according to Saudi news channel al-Arabiya.
He reportedly called on other countries to contribute to the centre, which he said would serve as an international intelligence and research hub.
According to the state-controlled Saudi Press Agency, he said: “The war on terrorism is the responsibility of the entire international community and it is a global disease that has neither nationality nor religion.
“It, as well as its funding, must be fought. International co-operation must be strengthened in this regard.”
He offered his condolences to the families of the victims and the French people, and said the country must come up with an urgent solution to the Syrian conflict, the Bahrain News Agency reports.
Saudi Arabia has been widely criticised for fuelling the crisis, amid claims it funds Isis and other Sunni Muslim groups in Syria aiming to oust President Bashar al-Assad.
But in May, King Salman vowed to “wipe out” Isis after the group's attack on a Shia mosque in the east of the country killed 21 people.
It comes as the ruler faces increasing pressure at home since he took the throne in January after the death of his brother, King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz.
Saudi Arabia’s King Salman has called for a United Nations-backed centre to fight terrorism, according to reports.
In a speech to the G20 summit in the Turkish coastal town of Antalya, the king claimed he had already donated $110m (£72m) to set up the proposed “International Centre for the Fight against Terrorism under the UN”, according to Saudi news channel al-Arabiya.
He reportedly called on other countries to contribute to the centre, which he said would serve as an international intelligence and research hub.
According to the state-controlled Saudi Press Agency, he said: “The war on terrorism is the responsibility of the entire international community and it is a global disease that has neither nationality nor religion.
“It, as well as its funding, must be fought. International co-operation must be strengthened in this regard.”
He offered his condolences to the families of the victims and the French people, and said the country must come up with an urgent solution to the Syrian conflict, the Bahrain News Agency reports.
Saudi Arabia has been widely criticised for fuelling the crisis, amid claims it funds Isis and other Sunni Muslim groups in Syria aiming to oust President Bashar al-Assad.
But in May, King Salman vowed to “wipe out” Isis after the group's attack on a Shia mosque in the east of the country killed 21 people.
It comes as the ruler faces increasing pressure at home since he took the throne in January after the death of his brother, King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz.
