Bush 'Furious' at U.S. Deaths in Jerusalem Bombing

Reuters via Yahoo! ^ | Thu Aug 1,12:41 PM ET | By Danielle Haas

[Momaw Nadon]

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - President Bush ( news - web sites) said on Thursday he was "furious" about a Palestinian bombing that killed five Americans and two Israelis in Jerusalem but he still believed peace was possible in the Middle East.

"I'm just as angry as Israel is right now," Bush told reporters in Washington before meeting Jordan's King Abdullah. "I'm furious that innocent life was lost. However, through my fury, even though I am mad, I still believe peace is possible."

Bush's remarks followed scathing condemnation by U.S. ambassador to Israel Daniel Kurtzer of Wednesday's attack, which he said marked "a new depth of depravity" for Palestinian militants waging a 22-month-old uprising against Israeli occupation.

Seven people were killed and more than 80 hurt when the lunchtime blast tore through a cafeteria at Hebrew University, one of the few places in Jerusalem where Arabs and Israelis still studied and lived peacefully together.

U.S. officials identified four of the dead as Janis Coulter, 36, Benjamin Blutstein, Marla Bennett and David Gritz. Gritz also had French citizenship. Israeli police identified the fifth American as Dina Carter, 37, who also had Israeli citizenship.

The two Israelis killed were identified as David Ladovsky, 29, who had recently joined the diplomatic corps, and Levina Shapira, a 53-year-old student counselor.

Hamas, an Islamic militant group dedicated to Israel's destruction, said it carried out the attack to avenge an Israeli air strike in Gaza last week that killed its military leader, his lieutenant and 13 others, including nine children.

The attack was the bloodiest in Israel since June 19 when a bomber killed seven Israelis at a Jerusalem bus stop, and was unusual because of the high toll of foreign victims.

It further dented hopes of an early breakthrough to end violence since Palestinians rose up against Israeli occupation in September 2000 after statehood talks deadlocked.

Asked if he supported Israeli military retaliation for the latest bomb attack, Bush said Israel had a right to defend itself "but I say to all parties involved, we must keep the vision of peace in mind."

ISRAELI SHOT DEAD

In new violence, an Israeli man was found bound and shot dead near Israel's border with the West Bank on Thursday.

The Israeli army accused Palestinian gunmen of shooting the man at close range at the Buds of Peace industrial zone near the West Bank city of Tulkarm after going there to make deliveries.

A senior Israeli security source said Prime Minister Ariel Sharon ( news - web sites) had decided in consultations with Defense Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer to "retaliate strongly against Hamas targets for what happened."

But the government did not say exactly how it would respond to the blast, which was condemned by the Palestinian Authority ( news - web sites) and which followed a suicide attack that wounded four people in Jerusalem on Tuesday.

In Beit Jala near Bethlehem in the West Bank, witnesses said Israeli forces blew up the home of Hazim Saras, who carried out that bombing.

It was not clear whether Israeli pledges to ease the hardship of 700,000 Palestinians living under Israeli military curfew in the West Bank since mid-June would be affected.

Laying a wreath at Hebrew University a day after the blast, U.S. Ambassador Kurtzer demanded immediate action by the Palestinians and Arab states to end the violence.

"The terrorist murderers, those who sent them and those whose action and inaction contributed to this despicable act, have descended to a new depth of depravity," Kurtzer, a former student at the university, said.

CONDEMNATION BY "QUARTET"

Washington's partners in the 'Quartet' leading efforts to revive peacemaking -- Russia, the United Nations ( news - web sites) and the European Union ( news - web sites) -- also condemned the bombing.

"Terror has brought death and suffering in...a lively center of culture, of communication and of learning where students of different nationalities and ethnic origin work closely and harmoniously together, including of course Israelis and Palestinians," EU Commissioner Michel Barnier said.

At least 1,473 Palestinians and 574 Israelis have been killed in the violence, including a 63-year-old Gaza man who medical officials said died on Thursday of earlier wounds.

Suicide bombings have continued despite a six-week Israeli offensive in the West Bank launched in late March.

A U.N. report on Israel's assault on the Jenin Palestinian refugee camp during the offensive criticized all sides, saying Israel endangered civilians by using heavy weapons in heavily populated areas while 200 Palestinian fighters used the camp as a base.

The report by U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan ( news - web sites) avoided the word "massacre" and dismissed Arab claims that 500 Palestinians died in Jenin during Israel's "Operation Defensive Shield."

It said there were cases when Israeli forces did not respect the neutrality of medical and humanitarian workers, and that 52 Palestinians and 23 Israeli soldiers died in Jenin over 10 days.

[LarryM]

You are the one starting with personal attacks. I suggest you stop it. If you have an argument to make, make it.

[Far Right Of Left]

What exactly do YOU plan on doing? Read most of the responses & most agree with & have the same question as LarryM. Great plan BTW,pick off one leader at a time while the Jews are getting slaughtered.Any more genius ideas?

[agrace]

I think it was a Hannity & Colmes guest last night who said that Jesse Jackson should be thrown in jail and prosecuted for meeting with known terrorists since such actions are illegal. What a thought.

[ASA Vet]

access to ELINT

Yep, knowing the location and type of radar the rags aren't using will certainly help.

[CecilRhodesGhost]

I don't understand the cynical comments on this thread regarding globalization. The League of Nations played a strong hand in the formation of Israel, and it was the UN that the Brits used to pass on their red-hot Middle East problem after WW II ended. So folks who support Israel should remember that there was a day, not too many decades ago, when the globalists were useful to Israel. A global peace-keeping force (led by the US of course) will likely be the final answer to Israel's trouble. Like N. and S. Korea have a thin line of forces, the same solution could emerge if a global peace-keeping force was used in the Middle East. Globalization has answers but too few chose to listen.

[Mr. Mojo]

Yeah, that certainly wasn't the smartest thing our CIC has ever uttered. But I agree with his assertion that peace is still possible, although I'd imagine we have different ideas about how such a peace is secured.

My way would be to unleash the full fury of the U.S. military on Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq, and Syria, annex ALL the Persian Gulf oil fields, establish a permanent and overwhelming military presence in the region, install temporary puppet regimes where needed, and make damn sure that radical Islam (or ANY form of Islam, for that matter) is completely eradicated from their education system.

[Tauzero]

LOL!

[Jeremiah Jr]

Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres speaks to reporters outside the West Wing of the White House in Washington after meeting with President Bush and National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice, Thursday, Aug. 1, 2002. Peres said he and Bush see "eye-to-eye" on many issues confronting the Middle East peace process. Bush met earlier with King Abdullah II of Jordan, an advocate for early Palestinian statehood. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

Furious? Just do what Peres does, call them sacrifices for peace.

Whatever that means...tbc

[Far Right Of Left]

"My way would be to unleash the full fury of the U.S. military on Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq, and Syria, annex ALL the Persian Gulf oil fields, establish a permanent and overwhelming military presence in the region, install temporary puppet regimes where needed, and make damn sure that radical Islam (or ANY form of Islam, for that matter) is completely eradicated from their education system"
I live near Dearborn,MI,can we PLEASE use that same game plan there?

[PBRSTREETGANG]

Well now that he's furious that will change everything. (I'm sure they'll cease killing Jews and Americans because they never want to see him this furious again.)

[Hugin]

Yep, knowing the location and type of radar the rags aren't using will certainly help.

Ever hear of cell phones?

[ppaul]

FOUR AMERICANS KILLED!

86 innocents injured, many critically; the injured often die later. These injured often have tragic, life altering injuries. Palestinian terrorsts are using C4 explosive, very heavy and powerful. Some of the injuries from the bombing were the result of the collapse of portions of the building, which was destroyed. Eyewitnesses report that portions of cement came down on persons in the cafeteria. Trauma physicians are reporting that many victims sustained puncture injuries from the nails and metallic shrapnel placed in the bombs. Seven have been confirmed dead, 85 injured with 14 in critical condition. Terrorist used cellular telephone to detonate Hebrew University bomb. President Bush reacts by saying he is "furious" and calling for a "Palestinian state" and continuation of the "peace process"!

Where's the outrage?!!

[Mr. Mojo]

I live near Dearborn,MI,can we PLEASE use that same game plan there?

LOL

[bok]

No doubt this was a very tragic and animalistic thing these terrorist did, but most of these people identified were and are dual citizens.

[Alouette]

Where's the outrage?!!

Where was the outrage one year ago when an American, Shoshana Greenbaum of New Jersey, was among those killed at the Sbarro's pizza parlor?

[Jonathon Spectre]

That Bush sure can say things.

[seeker41]

FOUR AMERICANS KILLED!

Five Americans Killed and I agree "Where is the Outrage!

[Mr. Mojo]

Palestinian terrorsts are using C4 explosives

And who likely paid for those explosives? That's right, the U.S. taxpayer. Gee, I wonder what they do with the hundreds of millions of dollars we send them annually? From what I can see, it certainly isn't spent on infrastructure.

[Ranger Drew]

Globalization has answers but too few chose to listen.

...I am VERY familiar with globalization's answers. ...I just don't like the tyranny that I know accompanies them. ...I'm an American. A Constitutionalists who prefers to avoid foreign entanglements. Just like those who came before, who were much wiser than I, have suggested. However, I support Isreal because I am a Christian. As for the League of Nations forming Isreal,...trust me. They had nothing to do add to "God's Chosen People and His Nation".