What were his last words?

They were words of peace.

Do you think the September 11 attacks triggered a clash of civilizations?

First, it was a shock for everyone when it happened. I was on a trip to Rennes and I immediately returned to Paris. I realized right away it was a major event. It was traumatic for the whole world, a new dimension of terror. That is why we had to grasp its true meaning and draw conclusions from it.

What are those conclusions, in your opinion?

First, that we must not and should not be tempted to talk about a clash between the West and the Muslim world. It is a major error we were able to avoid. Those who fell into that trap were quickly denounced. There was no opposition between the West and the Muslim world. This was simply an act of terror planned by a terrorist group, with significant consequences, both psychological and material.

When George W. Bush talked about the ‘

Axis of Evil’ that included the Muslim World how did you react to it?

I understand the reactions of George Bush but there was no ‘

Axis of Evil.’ There were bearers of evil, groups acting in an evil manner, that had to be tracked, sanctioned and eliminated with all necessary means. But this should not be seen as representatives of one world facing another.

In 2003, you spearheaded international opposition to war in Iraq launched by the US under the Bush administration. Do you still consider this a mistake? And more importantly, do you see any peaceful future for Iraq today?

There are two points to make here. I believe this war was a mistake and had no justifications. It was an error since it bore major negative psychological consequences in the Arab world. It was not justified since the cited motives were obviously unfounded.

   Email This Post      Print This Post       Previous | Next