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Witnesses said an inflatable craft which had apparently been helping the Cole to berth in the port for a refuelling drew

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Witnesses said an inflatable craft, which had apparently been helping the Cole to berth in the port for a refuelling, drew up alongside the ship and exploded at 12.15pm. Two men were seen getting to their feet and standing to attention at the moment of detonation. The explosion left a gaping hole, 40ft by 20ft, at the ship's waterline. Efforts were under way to stop it sinking.Few doubted the attack had been a suicide mission and that it was linked to the violence between Israel and the Palestinians. President Bill Clinton ordered US ships in the region to pull out of port. The US also sent medical help to Yemen as well as anti-terrorist agents."If, as it now appears, it was an act of terrorism, it was a despicable and cowardly act," Mr Clinton said.

"We will find who was responsible and hold them accountable." He added: "If their purpose was to deter us from pursuing our mission of peace in the Middle East, they will fail utterly." The President also reacted strongly to the events in Ramallah. "While I understand the anguish Palestinians feel over the losses they have suffered, there can be no possible justification for mob violence," he said. "I call on both sides to undertake a ceasefire immediately."In New York the Dow Jones index lost 4 per cent as oil prices hit a 10-year high.. Two terrorist groups have claimed responsibility for yesterday's bomb attack on the USS Cole in Aden. Two terrorist groups have claimed responsibility for yesterday's bomb attack on the USS Cole in Aden. One also claimed to be behind the blast which rocked the British embassy in Sana'a, the Yemeni capital, today.Seventeen US sailors are believed to have died in the attack which has crippled the USS Cole, one of the world's most advanced warships.Both are known to be radical Islamic groups.A US Armed Services Committee spokesman said a group possibly linked to the terrorist Osoma bin Laden said it carried out the attack on the ship.In the blast at the British embassy, a bomb is believed to have been thrown into the compound.It caused extensive damage, though no-one was hurt.. Foreign policy has abruptly taken centre-stage in the US presidential race, with both candidates competing to deploy forceful rhetoric in response to the worsening crisis in the Middle East and to yesterday's apparent terrorist attack on an American warship in Yemen. Foreign policy has abruptly taken centre-stage in the US presidential race, with both candidates competing to deploy forceful rhetoric in response to the worsening crisis in the Middle East and to yesterday's apparent terrorist attack on an American warship in Yemen. Neither campaign is missing the chance to seek support among Jewish voters.

Unsurprisingly, there is little concern for the Clinton administration's efforts to present America as an honest broker in the crisis. Instead, each man is straining to voice support for Israel and shift blame to Yasser Arafat.Al Gore called on "Chairman Arafat to issue instructions to those who have been perpetrating violence to cease and desist". Within moments, George W Bush was also before the cameras, saying Mr Arafat, "must stand up and call on his people to put down their rocks and arms".The imperative for both campaigns to side with Israel in this crisis and divert the burden of blame to the Palestinians was on vivid display in their latest debate.Mr Gore said: "Israel should, should feel absolutely secure about one thing. Our bonds with Israel are larger than agreements or disagreements on some details of diplomatic initiatives."They are historic, they are strong and they are enduring." The Vice-President stressed Washington's honest broker role, but his words had betrayed a political imbalance towards Israel.Mr Bush said: "I call on Chairman Arafat to have his people pull back to make the peace." He made no similar appeal of the Israelis. A few breaths later, he added: "I want everybody to know, should I be the President, Israel's going to be our friend. I'm going to stand by Israel."None of this is helpful to President Bill Clinton, for whom Middle East peace was meant to become his lasting legacy. He knows the candidates are doing all they can to secure their share of the Jewish vote, especially important in big states such as New York, Florida, a battleground state, and California.The Jewish community in America is in deep distress.

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