For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
August 9, 2001
Statement by the President
Terrorist Bombing in Jerusalem
I deplore and strongly condemn the terrorist
bombing in downtown Jerusalem today. My heartfelt sympathies and those
of the American people are with the victims of this terrible tragedy
and their families.
Nothing is gained through cowardly acts
such as this. The deliberate murder of innocent civilians is
abhorrent to all, a threat to peace, and inconsistent with the parties'
signed agreements to put aside violence. Palestinian Authority
Chairman Arafat must condemn this horrific terrorist attack, act now to
arrest and bring to justice those responsible, and take immediate,
sustained action to prevent future terrorist attacks.
I urge the parties to return immediately
to the cease-fire commitments they have previously made and to renew
effective security cooperation so this kind of terrorism will not
happen again. The United States stands ready to assist the
parties in this effort, as it has in the past, but the effort must
begin with the parties acting to fulfill their obligations under the
Tenet work plan.
The United States remains committed to
implementation in all its elements of the Mitchell Committee Report,
which provides a path to return to peace negotiations based on United
Nations Security Council Resolutions 242, 338, and the Madrid
Conference. To get to Mitchell the parties need to resume
effective security cooperation and work together to stop terrorism and
violence.
I call upon the leaders of the Palestinian
Authority and Israel to demonstrate foresight and responsibility by
choosing the path toward a better future for their people.
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