United States Condemns Terrorist Attacks

Colombo, February 3, 2008:  The United States strongly condemns the terrorist attacks on February 3 at Fort Railway Station and Dehiwala Zoo in Colombo, and on February 2 on a bus in Dambulla. We offer our condolences to the victims, and their families. These reprehensible acts, which bear all the hallmarks of the LTTE, clearly targeted innocent civilians to foster an atmosphere of fear prior to Sri Lanka’s Independence Day celebrations.

We appeal urgently to all parties to the conflict to take every possible measure to avoid killing or injuring civilians. Only a political solution to the country’s conflict that responds to the aspirations of Sri Lanka’s Tamil and other communities offers a way out of the current cycle of escalating violence.