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Thursday, Aug. 1, 2002

Three Americans were killed, four were injured, and two were missing, the State Department confirmed Wednesday. It did not release the identities of the victims. One of the dead was a man from Pennsylvania, and the other two were women.

The victims also included other foreigners and Israelis, according to reports.

When the bomb went off, Frank Sinatra International Student Center and a plaza outside it were crowded with dozens of students on campus for tests, foreign students who came for summer courses and registry office workers on lunch break.

Ambulances, police and bystanders helped evacuate the injured, 11 of whom were in serious condition, Magen David Adom's commander at the scene, Shlomo Petrover, told United Press International.

Hamas Admits Guilt

The Islamic movement Hamas' armed wing Izel Dein Al Kassem claimed blame.

In a statement, Hamas said the bombing was not a suicide attack and was part of its plan to avenge Israel's killing of Hamas leader Salah Shehadah, who was among 14 people killed in an Israeli operation last week. Israel said Shehadah was responsible for several attacks against Israelis.

"The attack is the price that the Israeli people are paying for the terrorism their government's leaders are practicing against our innocent people and against Hamas figures," Hamas spokesman Abdel Aziz Ranteesi said.

He claimed that Hamas did not target civilian children. "Hamas only targets adults who serve as soldiers in the Israeli army who are not innocent and implement their government's orders to kill Palestinians."

PA Condemns 'Terrorist Operation'

The Palestinian Authority issued a statement condemning the "terrorist operation."

"The attack is against moral and human values," the statement read. "It has badly damaged the image of our people before international public, who showed sympathy while watching the Israelis massacre our children in Gaza."

However, thousands of Palestinians took to the streets to celebrate the massacre Wednesday, Fox News Channel reported.

In Washington, President Bush condemned the attack. "This country condemns that kind of killing, and we send our deepest sympathy to the students and their families."

Bush made the comments as he met with Cabinet officers in the White House.

Several of the wounded in Wednesday's bombing were newcomers arriving from abroad to attend the university's summer program for U.S. and other students. Daniel Fraham, 20, of Indiana said he arrived on a summer exchange program and had just left friends in the cafeteria when the bomb went off. He said he returned to check on his friends.

'Nightmare'

"Everything was crazy. It was a nightmare. I saw a young girl being covered over with a sheet. This is real terrorism. Not activism. Not politics but terrorism. How can it be anything else?" he said.

"The people here didn't have anything to do with the conflict. They were just studying," he said.

Yossi Halfon, who was inside the cafeteria at the time and suffered light burns, said: "Suddenly everything became black. You feel a huge heat, you fly. I felt I was running out like a rat."

'Dead With Beautiful Eyes'

Eddi Vaaknin, a student said people were burned or injured but the most difficult sight was that of a girl who didn't seem to be hurt or burned. "She was dead with beautiful eyes, open," he said.

Fire Department officer Moshe Souissa said his men had to race from the closed compound carrying the wounded on stretchers, a wooden plank and in their arms to ambulances outside.

The university is under constant guard, and people who enter the campus are checked. It was not clear how the bomb was smuggled into the cafeteria.

The attack was the second in Jerusalem in as many days. Tuesday a bomber identified as 17-year-old Palestinian killed himself and injured five Israelis.

Deporting Attackers' Families

Wednesday's attack came several hours after the Ministerial Committee on National Defense discussed ways to combat terrorism and reportedly decided to deport attackers' families if the attorney general finds the legal basis to do so, demolish bombers' homes and confiscate property.

The head of the Israel Security Agency, Avi Diecheter, Tuesday told the parliamentary Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee the agency had issued warnings about 60 planned Palestinian attacks. A spokeswoman for the Jerusalem police said Wednesday the university bombing was not one of them.

Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's media adviser Raanan Gissin told UPI that Israel was experiencing a wave of terror attacks and would respond with all means.

No one had immunity or sanctuary, anywhere, Gissin said.

Copyright 2002 by United Press International.

All rights reserved.

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