KING ABDULLAH OF JORDAN Speaks With 'CBS THIS MORNING'

King Abdullah of Jordan said that a "pan-regional approach" is necessary in order to take on the threat of ISIS in the Middle East, in an interview that was broadcast today, Dec. 5 on CBS THIS MORNING on the CBS Television Network.

"I think this is a third world war by other means," Abdullah told co-host Charlie Rose. "This is our war. This is a war inside of Islam. So we have to own up to it. We have to take the lead. And we have to start fighting back."

Abdullah, who will meet with President Obama in Washington today, said that the approach he'd like to see in terms of taking on the threat would involve three aspects, beginning with a military response, followed by security, and then the ideological aspect in the long-term.

A transcript of the interview is below.

KING ABDULLAH: We have to have sooner I hope rather than later a strategic, holistic approach to being able to deal with all these organizations that actually are the same. Different names but the same beliefs.

CHARLIE ROSE: What would a holistic approach look like?

ABDULLAH: This is an issue that we really have to combine our strategies, and this is sort of one of the reasons why I'm here in Washington-I know we have to concentrate on Syria and Iraq, but we really have to have a pan-regional approach to this. This is a Muslim problem. We need to take ownership of this. We need to stand up and say what is right and what is wrong. This is no reflection of our religion. This is evil. And all of us have got to make that decision. We have to stand up and say "This is the line that is drawn in the sand. And those that believe in right should stand on this side. And those that don't have to make a decision to stand on the other." It's clearly a fight between good and evil. I think it's a generational fight. As I said to, actually, to President Putin, I think this is a third world war by other means. I think-

ROSE: Wait, let me just stop. You're saying this is a third world war by other means. And that's what you said to Putin. That's what you'll say to the President of the United States?

ABDULLAH: What I believe, I think I've already said to the President, and I've said to other leaders-this is a generational fight. And I hope that on a generational fight, so that people don't misunderstand me, I hope the short term part of it is going to be the military, the medium term is the security aspect of it. But the long term is going to be the ideological one. There's a lot of leaders around the Arab and Muslim world that have had enough, that want to come out in a voice and say, "Look, enough is enough."

ROSE: But why isn't that an easy call for Muslim leaders? Why isn't that an easy call to say, "This doesn't represent the religion"?

ABDULLAH: You're seeing that more and more. And you'll see more of that.

ROSE: What's an example of that? You've seen it. From someone other than you.

ABDULLAH: Just give us some time. There are discussions between a lot of us that are coming together to say that we have to make a stand. And as I said, because of the total globality of this issue, that we all have to coordinate. And as I said, because we're not dealing with this issue just in Iraq and-

ROSE: It's Yemen and all over the world.

ABDULLAH: All over.

ABDULLAH: The core issue is still the Israeli-Palestinian problem and Jerusalem, even though people, certain people, don't like a reference made to that. You know, whether it's true or not, that argument is still being used by the extremists. And it-countries around the world realize that they have to solve the problem for their benefit.

ROSE: There's no question in your mind that this battle against extremism can be won. And the definition of won is what?

ABDULLAH: Nations in the Arab and Islamic world have to stand up and say, you know, "We're against this," and explain to our people, "There's a right and a wrong of this." And people have to make a decision. This is our war. This is a war inside of Islam. So we have to own up to it. We have to take the lead. And we have to start fighting back.

ROSE: And if you do that, extremism can be, what? Manageable? Eradicated?

ABDULLAH: I don't want to get into the details. Because a lot of us are talking to each other about how to deal with this. But what happens is, I think, when you clearly define what it is to be a Muslim and what these people are, I think it defines the argument much easier inside of Islam of how to deal with this issue.

ROSE: This seems to be a significant moment. And the dialogue's important and crucial to come together to figure out how you're going to combat this.

ABDULLAH: We have to be courageous to stand up and face this head-on.

ROSE: And what's the risk to that, being courageous?

ABDULLAH: What's the risk if we don't do it?

Click here to watch the video clip.

To post a comment, you must register and login.