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Obama and Clinton stop short of blaming Iran for bombing in Bulgaria

July 18, 2012 | 8:20 pm
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Both President Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton promised to help Israel “bring to justice” the terrorists who killed Israeli students by bombing  a bus in Bulgaria, but neither followed the Israeli government in blaming Iran for the attack.

Obama called Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after the attack, but the press office readout makes no mention of Iran. “The President pledged to stand with Israel in this difficult time, and provide whatever assistance is necessary to identify and bring to justice the perpetrators,” Obama said in his conversation with Netanyahu.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was similarly agnostic about the identify of the attackers. “The United States stands ready to offer any assistance necessary, and we will work with our partners in Bulgaria, Israel and elsewhere so that the perpetrators can be apprehended swiftly and brought to justice for this appalling crime,” she said in a statement on the attack. The bombing today “killed at least seven people on a bus filled with Israeli tourists on a bus in Bulgaria,” according to the Associated Press.

Netanyahu was more direct. “All signs point to Iran,” he said. “Just in the past few months, we have seen attempts by Iran to harm Israelis in Thailand, India, Georgia, Kenya, Cyprus and more. This is an Iranian terror attack that is spreading across the world. Israel will react forcefully to Iran’s terror.”

The AP noted that although Iran has denied other attacks, the nation’s government “did not comment on Wednesday’s attack.”

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