Bush stands back as Israel tightens siege

Tanks massed outside Bethlehem and Nablus yesterday as Israel expanded its military offensive to Palestinian towns across the West Bank, against a backdrop of continued suicide bombings and a rising tide of international criticism.
In Washington, however, President George Bush refused to condemn the Israeli operations, repeating earlier observations that the Jewish state had a right to defend itself, and only calling on the prime minister, Ariel Sharon "to keep the path of peace open".

Instead, Mr Bush put the onus for curbing the violence on Yasser Arafat, who spent a fourth day under Israeli siege without running water or telephones in the ruins of his Ramallah headquarters.