http://www.salon.com/news/wire/2004/...der/index.html

Extract

In the initial U.S. reaction, Condoleezza Rice, President Bush's
national security adviser, emphasized that the United States believes
Hamas is a terrorist organization. And she stressed on NBC's "Today"
show that "Sheik Yassin has himself, personally we believe, been
involved in terrorist planning."



A few hours later, the U.S. tone shifted. State Department spokesman
Richard Boucher said the attack was "deeply troubling," would increase
tensions in the region and could make it harder to pursue peace in the
Middle East.