EU condemns attacks on Israeli diplomats

Europe Sun (IANS) Monday 13th February, 2012

The European Union has condemned the bomb attacks on Israeli diplomats' cars in India and Georgia.

On Monday, a bomb blast in New Delhi set an Israeli Embassy's car on fire and injured four people, while an explosive device underneath a diplomat's car in Tbilisi was discovered and safely defused.

"The High Representative condemns in the strongest terms today's attacks targeting personnel of the Israeli embassies in India and Georgia," European Union's High Representative for Foreign Affairs Catherine Ashton's spokesperson said in a written statement Monday.

The US also condemned the attacks and pledged to help with the investigation.

"The United States places a high priority on the safety and security of diplomatic personnel around the world and we stand ready to assist with any investigation of these cowardly actions," said US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu earlier blamed Iran and the militant Islamist Hezbollah movement for the attacks, which appeared to mirror the recent killings of Iranian nuclear scientists that Tehran blamed on Israel.

Iran denied the accusation saying it was part of the "Zionist regime's psychological war against Iran", which targeted controversial Iranian nuclear programme.

Western countries and Israel suspect Iran of seeking to build an atomic bomb, but Tehran says its nuclear programme is aimed at the production of peaceful civilian energy and that it has no need of such "un-Islamic" weapons.

--IANS/RIA Novosti

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