Clinton powerless to rescue talks

As it publicly condemned a "grotesque and uncivilised act of terrorism", the Clinton administration was searching somehow to prevent yesterday's deadly bomb blast on a Jerusalem bus from destroying the Israeli-Palestinian peace process in its entirety, writes Rupert Cornwell.

In a statement, President Bill Clinton expressed America's "anger and anguish at this terrible crime", and its support for the draconian measures promised by the Prime Minister Shimon Peres against the breakaway Hamas terrorist group which has claimed responsibility. "Peace-makers must be as resolute as are the destroyers of peace in acting to confront the terrorists," the White House said.

Less clear, however, is what Washington can do to halt a campaign seemingly deliberately staged to undermine the peace process, by weakening both Yasser Arafat, the PLO chairman, and Mr Peres ahead of the 29 May elections in Israel, in which the right-wing Likud party, opposed to the peace process, could return to power. Indirectly Mr Clinton's election chances could be at risk, if the bombings wreck arguably his biggest foreign policy achievement.

The Secretary of State, Warren Christopher, was speaking with Mr Arafat yesterday to examine new measures the Palestinian authorities in the West Bank and Gaza Strip could take to choke off Hamas.

But apart from leaning on Egypt, Jordan and its other Arab friends in the region to give no comfort to the terrorists, there seemed little Washington could do. The administration accepts progress towards a complete settlement between Israel and the Palestinians is probably out of the question. Indeed everything that has been achieved thus far could be at risk.