| Tuesday, November 13, 2001, updated at 09:34(GMT+8) |
Blair Warns Against Speculation Over Plane Crash in New York |
|
British Prime Minister Tony Blair warned it is too early to speculate on the cause of a plane crash in New York on Monday.
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
British Prime Minister Tony Blair warned it is too early to speculate on the cause of a plane crash in New York on Monday.
"I don't think it is sensible ... on the basis of the information we have, to speculate," he told a news conference here following his talks with Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee.
An American Airline passenger jet with 255 people on board crashed in a New York residential area earlier Monday, causing panic and speculation.
The Prime Minister said his thoughts were with the American people.
Meanwhile, shares in both London and New York tumbled after news of the crash emerged.
Blair Says War on Terrorism Goes on British Prime Minister Tony Blair said on Monday that the battle against terrorism was far from over although Taliban forces in Afghanistan were "unravelling."
In his Mansion House address at the Lord Mayor's banquet in the City of London's Guildhall, Blair said Osama Bin Laden had failed in his bid to set the Muslim world against the West since the September 11 terror attacks.
But he warned that defeating the Taliban needed to go alongside a diplomatic battle against terror.
"One illusion had been shattered on 11 September: that we can have the good life of the West irrespective of the state of the rest of the world," he said.
The prime minister began his speech by offering condolences to the people of New York and the families of those killed in Monday's air crash.
"Our hearts go out to the brave people there who have been through so much and with such dignity and courage," he said.
He said that it was imperative that those behind the September 11 attacks be brought to justice. He also stressed the need to create a new world order to deal with the deprivation and resentment that bred terrorism.
Referring to the ongoing troubles in the Middle East, he said it was time to begin a "new relationship" with countries such as Syria and Iran, as part of the wider effort to secure peace in the region.
Referring to the economic impact of the September attacks and subsequent events, Blair argued uncertainty made a new round of World Trade Organization talks all the more important.
Earlier on Monday, the prime minister met with his Indian counterpart Atal Bihari Vajpayee. The two leaders held talks before appearing together at a news conference.
Blair indicated he was confident that the Northern Alliance would comply with U.S. requests not to enter Kabul.
Vajpayee insisted the fight against terrorism could not be confined to Osama Bin Laden's al-Qaida and pointed to groups operating in Kashmir.
|
|
|
|