World leaders condemn attacks
2006-04-25 06:58
Las Vegas - World leaders united to roundly condemn Monday's deadly triple bomb attacks in the Egyptian Red Sea resort of Dahab, with US President George W Bush branding it a "heinous act".
"Today we saw again that the terrorists are willing to try to define the world the way they want to see it," Bush said.
"I strongly condemn the killings that took place, the innocent lives lost in Egypt," he said.
His Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Washington has been in contact with the Egyptian government "to extend our condolences and to offer whatever assistance they may need".
At least three foreigners - a Swiss, a Russian and a German baby - were among 23 people killed in the third deadly bombings in resorts in the Sinai peninsula in just 18 months.
Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, whose country has been a target of Islamist militant attacks targeting foreigners since the early 1990s, vowed that "the perpetrators of these heinous acts of terrorism will be tracked down and punished."
Many holidaymakers
No one immediately claimed credit for the blasts in a market and busy restaurant area, which came one day after a new audiotape of al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden surfaced accusing the "crusaders" of the West of waging war against Islam.
In July last year, about 70 people were killed in multiple attacks on Sharm el-Sheikh at the tip of the Sinai and at least 34 lost their lives in bombings in Taba near the border with Israel in October 2004.
British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw described the bombings as "appalling", targeting as they did a popular holiday resort on an Egyptian public holiday.
His Canadian counterpart Peter MacKay said in statement, "Canada strongly condemns this terrorist act, and we are profoundly troubled by such events."
"Although the details are still unfolding, this is clearly an act directed against innocent civilians," he added. "The perpetrators must be found and brought to justice."
French President Jacques Chirac expressed his "consternation" and "categorically condemned these odious terrorist acts," according to a statement from his office, which said Paris "stood side by side with Egypt in the fight against terror."
Israel's prime minister-designate Ehud Olmert telephoned Mubarak to express his condolences and his office said "the two leaders discussed the need for co-operation between the two countries in the fight against international terrorism."
A state of alert was declared at the main hospital in the Israeli border town of Eilat to handle any casualties sent for treatment there. Three Israelis were injured, according to army radio.
About 5 000 Israeli holidaymakers were believed to have been in the Sinai at the time of the blasts despite repeated warnings from their government of the risks of attack by Islamic militants.
Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas branded the attacks criminal and cowardly, describing the perpetrators as "enemies of humanity," according to a statement from his office.
His words were echoed by the Hamas-led Palestinian government.