..."Inasmuch as the West was surprised, if you like, by this culture of death, I can assure you that the majority of Muslims were even more surprised because this culture of death runs counter to everything that Muslims hold dear to themselves," al-Faisal said.

The ambassador said bin Laden had created a cultlike attitude in which recruits "devote themselves and sacrifice their lives without question."

"Nothing justifies any terrorist act whether through suicide bombing or through any other activity," al-Faisal said.

Still, he distinguished the suicide attacks carried out by Palestinian groups against Israel, saying the attacks were justified by groups like Hamas and Islamic Jihad as "legitimate means of war under occupation."...