Israel Prime Minister Ariel Sharon vowed on Tuesday to uproot "terrorism" after a suicide bomber in Israel killed at least 15 people and wounded 60 others.
The devastating blast in Rishon Letzion south of Tel Aviv threw a dark shadow over earlier talks between US President George W. Bush and Sharon and raised questions about the effectiveness of Israel's military campaign in the West Bank.
"I say today Israel will not surrender to blackmail ... he who rises up to kill us, we will pre-empt it and kill him first," Sharon told a news conference before breaking off his visit to Washington and flying home.
Sharon said the bombing at a billiards hall on Tuesday was "proof of the true intentions of those who lead the Palestinian Authority." The Palestinian Authority has condemned the attack, but Sharon has said its leaders, including Palestinian President Yasser Arafat, cannot be trusted.
"Israel will act the same as any democracy that protects itself. Israel will act like any other democracy which fights the forces of darkness. Israel will continue to uproot the terror infrastructure," he said.
In an apparent reference to the military onslaught against Palestinian towns of the last few weeks, which followed a wave of suicide bombings in Israel, Sharon said: "The operation has yielded tremendous achievements but our work is not done. The battle continues and will continue until all those who believe that they can make gains through the use of terror will cease to exist."
The Israeli prime minister cut short his visit to the United States to return home because of the bombing, canceling meetings later in the day with members of the US Congress and a planned visit to New York on Wednesday. He will fly home later on Tuesday, an Israeli spokesman said.
BOMBER KILLS 15 IN ISRAEL
A suicide bomber killed at least 15 people and wounded 55 others in an Israeli billiards club on Tuesday, throwing a dark shadow over Middle East peace talks between U.S. President Bush and Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon.
The Israeli prime minister cut short his visit to the United States to return home because of the devastating bomb, canceling meetings later in the day with members of the U.S. Congress and a planned visit to New York on Wednesday. He will fly home later on Tuesday, an Israeli spokesman said.
The blast occurred while Sharon and Bush met at the White House to discuss the Middle East crisis, with Sharon once again seeking to sideline Palestinian President Yasser Arafat.
"The president was able therefore to personally convey his condolences ... and to register his disgust at this wanton taking of innocent life," said White House national security adviser Condoleezza Rice.
A police spokeswoman said the bomber killed 15 people at the billiards club in Rishon Letzion, just south of Tel Aviv, in central Israel. Police said at least 55 were injured, some critically.
"The bomber came suddenly into the club and blew himself up," said police commander Haim Cohen, who described the bomb as "very powerful." Israeli television stations said the explosive device was in a suitcase carried by the bomber.
It was the first major suicide attack since Israel launched a military offensive in the West Bank aimed at uprooting suicide bombers. The blast ripped off the building's roof and a collapsing ceiling trapped people under rubble.
The Palestinian Authority condemned the suicide bombing. A statement said the Palestinian leadership would take "deterrent measures against those involved in the grave attack" but did not say what the measures would be.
(China Daily May 8, 2002)
