US President George W Bush came close to endorsing the Israeli attack on a purported terrorist training camp deep inside Syria when he telephoned Israel's Prime Minister Ariel Sharon after the air strike.
Bush called Sharon on Sunday after the attack "mainly to express his condolences for the terrorist attack in Haifa" by a Palestinian female suicide bomber in which as many as 18 Israelis were killed, an administration official said.
Also see: 18 killed in suicide attack in Israel
"They [Bush and Sharon] agreed on the need to continue fighting terrorism," he said. "They did discuss the attack on
the terrorist camp in Syria and agreed on the need to avoid heightening tensions in the region at this time."
The Washington Post quoted 'sources' as saying that Bush did not tell Sharon the attack was a mistake, and publicly the administration offered no criticism of the strike, which deepened concerns of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict
spreading to the neighbouring countries.
"We have repeatedly told the government of Syria that it is on the wrong side of the war on terror and that it must stop harbouring terrorists," a Senior administration official told the Post. "That is still our view."
The official added: "We urge both Israel and Syria to avoid actions that could heighten tensions or could lead to hostilities."
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