Nazir Majally, Asharq Al-Awsat

BEIT LAHIYA, Gaza Strip, 16 October 2003 — A remote-controlled bomb exploded under a US diplomatic convoy yesterday, ripping apart an armored vehicle and killing three American security guards in an unprecedented attack on an official US target.

The bombing, which also wounded another American, will likely intensify US pressure on the Palestinian Authority to take action against militant groups. The US government, meanwhile, advised US citizens to leave the Gaza Strip.

US President George W. Bush, who has watched his Middle East peace road map falling apart, vowed to “bring the terrorists to justice” and blamed the bombing on the Palestinians’ failure to create an effective security force.

The attack was the second to target US officials in Gaza, according to the US ambassador to Israel, Dan Kurtzer. The previous attack, on a bulletproof car in Gaza in June, did not cause any injuries, he said, providing no further details.

There was no claim of responsibility and Palestinian militant groups, which are usually quick in admitting their role in any attack, rushed to deny involvement. If they were to blame, it could signal a dramatic switch in strategy. The Hamas and Islamic Jihad groups, responsible for the bulk of attacks on Israelis in the past three years of fighting, reiterated yesterday that their conflict is with Israel and that they don’t target foreign officials.

Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat condemned the attack as an “awful crime” and said he ordered an investigation. The Palestinian prime minister called US Secretary of State Colin Powell to express his condolence and promised swift action.

Kurtzer said the FBI would send bomb experts to investigate. “We were shocked by this latest terrorist outrage,” Kurtzer told reporters. “The United States government will investigate thoroughly.” A team of investigators who photographed the charred vehicle was pelted with rocks by Palestinian youths and had to cut short the visit.

Kurtzer said the diplomats had been en route to Gaza City to interview Palestinian applicants for Fulbright scholarships. He said those killed were US citizens who were contract employees for the US Embassy in Tel Aviv, but did not release their names.

The blast went off around 10:15 a.m. (4:15 a.m. EDT) yesterday as the three-car convoy, escorted by Palestinian police, was heading south on Gaza’s main road just after entering the Gaza Strip from Israel.

After the first two cars — including the police escort — went by, the third car had just passed when the blast went off near a gas station, said Mohammed Radwan, a Palestinian taxi driver who was at the station at the time. “The first two cars drove quickly and stopped far from the explosion. Palestinian security people jumped out of the car and rushed to the car that had blown up ... I saw two people covered with blood lying next to the car,” he said. The blast gouged a deep crater into the unpaved stretch of road. The attack tore the vehicle in half and flipped it over, leaving the wreckage twisted with the tires up in the air.

— Additional input from agencies.