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Bush vows to bring `killers to justice'

By Sridhar Krishnaswami

Washington Aug. 19. The U.S. President, George W. Bush, has condemned the suicide bombing of the United Nations headquarters in Baghdad that left 20 persons dead and many others wounded. Mr. Bush called the attackers "enemies of the civilised world" and vowed to continue this war on terror until "the killers are brought to justice".

Mr. Bush was informed of the blast by the National Security Adviser, Condoleezza Rice, while he was playing golf. He cut short the game and returned to his ranch in Crawford, Texas, to keep track of the developments. In a short statement, he said that he had spoken to the top U.S. civilian official in Iraq, Paul Bremer, and the U.N. Secretary General, Kofi Annan.

Mr. Bush said the terrorists were "enemies of the Iraqi people" and argued that the "civilised world will not be intimidated, and these killers will not determine the future of Iraq". Mr. Bush was accompanied by the Deputy Chief of Staff, Joe Hagin, and the Deputy National Security Adviser, Stephen Hadley, when he made the statement.

"The Iraqi people have been liberated from a dictator. Iraq is on an irreversible course towards self government and peace, and America and our friends in the United Nations will stand with the Iraqi people as they reclaim their nation and their future," he said. "By attempting to spread chaos and fear, terrorists are testing our will. Across the world they are finding that our will cannot be shaken. We will persevere through every hardship" we will continue this war on terror until the killers are brought to justice, and we will prevail."

The blast in Baghdad comes at a time when a U.S. Congressional delegation is touring military sites in the country. In Washington, Senator Edward Kennedy, a Democrat who sits on the Armed Services Committee, condemned the bombing.

The Pentagon has not commented on who it believes is behind the attack. Speculation centres on the Al-Qaeda but no official has pinned the blame on Osama bin Laden and his network.

Meanwhile, at the U.N. headquarters in New York, members of the Security Council condemned the blast as a "terrorist attack". Speaking on behalf of the Council, the Deputy Syrian Ambassador, Fayssal Mekdad, said, "Members of the Council were shocked to hear of the terrorist attack in the U.N. headquarters in Baghdad."

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