US President George W. Bush said Friday that the United States has decided to freeze the assets of six Hamas leaders in Europe and some groups it believes to support Hamas to punish the movement for involving in a suicide bombing in Jerusalem earlier this week which killed 20 people.

"At my direction, the Treasury Department has moved today to block and freeze the assets of six top Hamas leaders and five non-government organizations that I am advised provide financial support to Hamas," Bush said in a statement during his trip to Burbank, Washington.

"By claiming responsibility for the despicable act of terror on August 19, Hamas has reaffirmed that it is a terrorist organization committed to violence against Israelis and to undermining progress toward peace between Israel and the Palestinian people," Bush said.

The US president called on "all nations supportive of peace in the Middle East to recognize Hamas as a terrorist organization and to take all appropriate actions to deny it support."

Sean McCormack, spokesman for US National Security Council, accused the six targeted leaders as Hamas fund-raisers based in Europe, saying that the sanction is aimed at cutting off financial support for terrorist groups.
 
(Xinhua News Agency August 23, 2003)