US president says Israel has right to defend itself

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Tuesday, October 07, 2003

US president says Israel has right to defend itself

US President George W. Bush on Monday said Israel has a right to defend itself after Israeli air strike on an alleged training camp for Palestinian militants Sunday.

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US President George W. Bush on Monday said Israel has a right to defend itself after Israeli air strike on an alleged training camp for Palestinian militants Sunday.

"I made it very clear to the prime minister, like I have consistently done, that Israel's got a right to defend herself, that Israel must not feel constrained in terms of defending the homeland," Bush said of his weekend telephone conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon.

"However, I said that it's very important that any action Israel takes should avoid escalation and creating higher tensions," he said.

Meanwhile, White House spokesman Scott McClellan criticized Syria for harboring terrorists.

"We urged both Israel and Syria to avoid actions that heighten tensions or that could lead to hostilities, but we have repeatedlytold Syria that they need to stop harboring terrorists," McClellantold reporters.

The Israeli army on Sunday attacked a training camp of Palestinian militant group Islamic Jihad in Syria, in retaliation for a deadly suicide bombing attack in the Northern Israeli coastal city of Haifa, which killed 19 people and wounded 40 others.

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