US secretary of state says Washington is ready to assist investigation of bomb attacks on Israeli targets in India, Georgia; Indian FM: India will find those responsible; UK calls on Tbilisi, New Delhi to probe attacks.
By HILARY LEILA KRIEGER, HERB KEINONUS Secretary of State Hillary Clinton 311 (R)(photo credit: REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst)
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton sharply condemned the efforts to attack Israeli targets in India and Georgia on Monday.“I condemn in the strongest possible terms the bombing of an Israeli diplomatic vehicle in India and the attempted attack on Israeli Embassy personnel in Georgia,” she said in statement.Clinton indicated the US was ready to assist with the investigation of “these cowardly acts,” which Israel has blamed on Iran and Hezbollah.“The scourge of terrorism is an affront to the entire international community,” she said. “Our thoughts and prayers are with the injured personnel in New Delhi and their loved ones.”India's Foreign Minister S.M. Krishna phoned Foreign Minister Avigdor Liberman Monday and expressed his "shock" over the attack on the Israeli embassy in New Delhi, after near simultaneous attacks were launched on the Israeli missions in India and Georgia. According to Liberman's office, Krishna said India would make all efforts to find those responsible and bring them to justice. He also said that India would provide the Israeli embassy with all the security it needed, and stressed the importance that India placed on its friendship with Israel.Krishna visited Israel last month, the highest level Indian official to do so in more than a decade.Liberman thanked his Indian counterpart and said Israel viewed India as a true friend. He said this was not the first time terrorists have targeted Israeli diplomatic missions abroad, and that "no Israel diplomat anywhere in the world will be deterred by terrorism."Liberman will convene a meeting of senior ministry officials in the early evening to assess the situation and – where necessary – provide new security directives to the country's other diplomatic missions around the world.The United Kingdom, meanwhile, condemned the attacks and called on New Dehli and Tbilisi to fully investigate the incidents.“I was shocked and appalled to hear of the attack today on an Israeli diplomatic vehicle in New Delhi and the failed attack on another vehicle in Tbilisi," UK Foreign Secretary William Hague said via a written statement.Hague called on India and Georgia to investigate the "deliberate attacks on diplomatic staff" in New Dehli and Tbilisi, adding that "our thoughts are with those injured and their families."The European Union also condemned the aggressive actions against Israeli diplomats, saying such attacks cannot be "justified under any circumstances.""The High Representative condemns in the strongest terms today’s attacks targeting personnel of the Israeli embassies in India and Georgia," EU foreign affairs chief Catherine Ashton's spokesperson said. "She expresses her sincere sympathy with those who have been wounded.""The High Representative condemns attacks on members of diplomatic missions as she condemns all acts of terrorism," Ashton's spokesperson said in a written statement. Jpost.com staff contributed to this report
Related Tagswilliam hague
if(catID != 151){
var cont = `Take Israel home with the new Jerusalem Post Store
