Powell Says Attacks Bear Hallmark of Al-Qaeda

Colin Powell, US secretary of state, said Monday night's bomb attacks in the Saudi capital of Riyadh bore the hallmark of al Qaeda.

The attacks "once again remind us that terrorism is a global phenomenon," but "the United States will not be deterred" from trying to root out the al-Qaida network, Mr Powell said.

He was speaking in Jordan, shortly before flying to Saudi Arabia as part of a tour of the Middle East that is aimed at drumming up support for the "road map", a plan designed to revive Israeli-Palestinian peace talks.

Twenty nine people - including seven Americans and nine suspected bombers - were killed and 129 were injured in the three suicide attacks which rocked the Saudi capital Riyadh, the Saudi Interior Ministry said on Tuesday.

Mr Powell had earlier suggested that 10 Americans had died in the attack. "It seems we have lost 10 Americans," he told reporters on his arrival at Riyadh airport.

Shortly before leaving Amman, where he had talks with King Abdullah of Jordan and Marwan Muasher, Jordanian foreign minister, Mr Powell described those who carried out the Riyadh attacks as "cowardly individuals", adding that the US would step up its fight against terrorism.

He dismissed any suggestion that the attacks, directed against three residential compounds where foreigners live, had anything to do with the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

"I don't attribute [these attacks] to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict," said Mr Powell, who was giving a joint news conference with Mr Muasher. "I attribute it to terrorism. They are terrorist and not part of the trappings of a political purpose," he added.

But Jordanian officials fear the longer Israel refuses to accept the road map that sets out a parallel track of reciprocal actions by both sides leading eventually lead to an independent Palestinian state by 2005, the more it will encourage terrorist attacks.

So far, Ariel Sharon, Israeli prime minister, has refused to accept the road map. Mr Sharon told Mr Powell as much when the secretary of state was in Israel over the weekend. Egypt and Jordan have thrown their weight behind the plan.

Abu Mazen, the newly appointed Palestinian prime minister, has accepted the road map in its entirety and has already started implementing it, for example, by forming a new cabinet and by having a post of prime minister.

Mr Powell, nevertheless, tried to put a brave face on Israel's refusal to accept the latest plan to get a Middle East peace process back on track, insisting the US fully supported the plan which was drawn up by the " quartet" consisting of the US, the European Union, Russia and the United Nations.

"We do not plan to renegotiate the road map. We do not plan to rewrite the road map," said Mr Powell.

He said Mr Sharon and Mr Mazen were expected to meet later this week. Mr Sharon travels to Washington next week where he will meet President George W. Bush.

But Jordanian officials say the road map will go nowhere if Israel does not accept it - and if Mr Bush, with an eye to being re-elected next year - does not push Israel to sign onto it.