The White House condemned on Friday the Palestinian suicide attack on an Israeli bus on Thursday but vowed that the bombing in Israel would not stop President George W. Bush from pursuing Middle East peace as Bush prepared to meet Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon.
"The United States condemns the bus attack yesterday, but that will not stop the United States or the president from working with the parties to try to bring about a solution and that's why the president looks forward to the meeting," White House spokesman Ari Fleischer told reporters, as quoted by Haaretz newspaper.
Fleischer declined to directly answer when asked whether Bush agreed with Sharon's assessment that Arafat was directly responsible for the Thursday attack, said the Tel Aviv-based daily.
But he said that "it is imperative that Chairman Arafat and the Palestinian Authority immediately undertake all possible measures to pursue and to apprehend those responsible for the horrific attacks in Hadera and Afula this week and the other terrorist operations,"
"The president views this as another example of why it is so important to reduce the violence and begin the peace process -- that the violence and the deaths are very difficult for all concerned in the region. And he understands the difficulty and the pain that is being suffered in Israel," he said.
US Mideast envoy Anthony Zinni strongly condemned the recent wave of violence since his arrival, one day after three Israeli bus passengers were killed in the suicide bombing by the Islamic Jihad.
Sharon and New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani slammed "international terrorism" Friday as they visited the site of the flattened World Trade Center.
Sharon, who went ahead with his plan for a five-day visit to the United States despite the suicide bus bombing in Israel that killed three Israelis Thursday, said he expected Washington to put pressure on the Palestinians to put an end to violence, said AFP.
Both he and New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, Sharon's host for the visit to "Ground Zero" issued a strong condemnation of terrorism, with Giuliani also pointing the finger at the Palestinian leadership.
The Israeli leader is due to meet with US President George W. Bush in Washington Monday.
Asked about his upcoming talks with Bush, Sharon said: "I expect and I hope that the United States, which takes a very firm stand on terrorism, violence and incitement to violence will put pressure on the Palestinians to secure an end to the violence."
At a ceremony honoring the courage of police and firefighters in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks, Sharon said he was "convinced that the United States as well as Israel will conquer terrorism."
Giuliani thanked Sharon for Israel's solidarity in the wake of the devastating attacks that left around 3,500 dead and missing in New York.
"We admire your people for the way in which they've had to deal with terrorism so long... And having seen it firsthand, their bravery is an inspiration to us," Giuliani said.
Sharon put his signature on a wall at the site of the attacks, decorated with the flags of around 90 countries, including Israel's, and surrounded by wreaths of flowers and teddy bears, in memory of the children killed – Albawaba.com
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