CAIRO: Foreign Minister Nabil El-Araby said on Monday he has "no comment" to offer on the death of Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, but insisted that Cairo was against "any form of violence."
"When it comes to the declared death of bin Laden, Egypt is against all kinds of violence. The Egyptian government does not have a comment" on the killing, El-Araby said after meeting his British counterpart William Hague.
Earlier on Monday, Hague said the death of bin Laden was "positive," but he also urged more vigilance.
"This is a very serious blow to Al-Qaeda but, like any organization that has suffered a serious blow, they will want to show in some way that they are still able to operate," he said.
Hague has ordered all British embassies around the world to boost their security following the killing in Pakistan on Sunday of bin Laden by US covert forces.Authorities stepped up security at Cairo airport on Monday for fear of reprisal attacks by Al-Qaeda, an airport source said.
"Egyptian security authorities at Cairo International Airport and EgyptAir have stepped up security at terminals and on all outgoing flights, particularly to New York," the source said.
"The measures were taken in case of any revenge attacks by the Al-Qaeda organization in response to their leader’s killing."
Bin Laden was killed in an overnight raid by US forces on a heavily fortified compound north of Islamabad, US President Barack Obama announced in a late-night White House address.
Foreigners crowd the entrance to Cairo’s International Airport on Feb. 3, 2011. (AFP Photo/Michel Moutot)
