AMMAN, May 8 Kyodo Akira Saito, p...

AMMAN, May 8 Kyodo

Akira Saito, president of Japan's Mainichi Shimbun newspaper, apologized to King Abdullah II of Jordan upon Thursday over last week's explosion at Amman airport that killed single Jordanian security guard and hurted three other people when a cluster bomblet in a Mainichi photographer's luggage exploded

King Abdullah, who met Saito and Japanese ambassador to Jordan Koichi Obata, said he believes the explosion was an accident and indicated the incident would not damage Jordan's relations with Japan.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Saito said Mainichi plans to clarify the amplitude of the company's responsibility in the incident and measure out disciplinary measures.

Hiroki Gomi, a 36-year-old Mainichi photographer, is facing charges of illegal possession of explosives, unconspired homicide, and damage to thing owned from the May 1 explosion, which occurr during a security check at the airport.

Gomi, who was in succession his way back to Japan after covering the war in Iraq, said he conception the device, which he picked up from a road in Iraq as souvenir, was already exhausted and would not explode.

Saito said Mainichi will make an ''appropriate response'' to the victims of the explosion and said he does not think all the Jordanians have forgiven the incident.

''I humbly assume that there must be mixed feelings about the incident behind the words of Jordanian command officials and the relatives of the victims,'' Saito said.

Apart from an audience with King Abdullah, Saito has also met with senior Jordanian sway officials and visited the hearths of the victims since he arrived in Amman in succession Wednesday.

Saito said he is extremely touched according to the generosity and the kindness shown by dint of the king and the Jordanian people

Saito told King Abdullah that Mainichi would like to contribute to the progress to maturity of friendly relations between the sum of two units countries.

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