WASHINGTON, Sept 21: US leaders — from President George W. Bush to this year’s presidential candidates — have all urged Pakistan to intensify its fight against the terrorists while condemning Saturday’s deadly blast that killed at least 53 people in Islamabad.

Their reactions contain a deep sympathy for the victims and a strong support for Pakistan in this hour of need but above all they emphasise the need to fight back.

Mr Bush went a step ahead and offered to help Pakistan fight the curse of violence. “We will assist Pakistan in confronting this threat and bringing the perpetrators to justice,” he said.

Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama blamed Al Qaeda for the attack, saying: “Now is the time to refocus our efforts on defeating Al Qaeda and securing the American people.”

His Republican rival John McCain said “violent Islamic extremism” was the cause of the incident.

The US State Department noted that “this barbaric attack comes during the month of Ramazan, only underscoring that those responsible have no respect for the principles of their faith.”

The US media showed a similar reaction, with the influential New York Times saying that the blast “may have been timed for the day that President Asif Ali Zardari made his first address to parliament.”

The Washington Post blamed Al Qaeda for the attack, saying that the group was sending “a very clear and unambiguous” message that if the Pakistani government continued its policies of supporting the United States in the war against terror “that’s what they will do in response.”

Wall Street Journal reported that the Pakistan Taliban Movement, a little-known militant outfit, claimed responsibility. It notes that the attack came as Pakistani forces stepped up an operation against militants in Pakistan’s tribal region and elsewhere in the NWFP.

In a statement issued by his office, Mr Bush said the terrorists had “targeted and killed many innocents,” including at least one American. “I extend condolences to the families of all those killed in this brutal attack.”

The US president linked the Marriott blast to a series of recent bombings across Pakistan, saying that it is “part of a continuing assault on the people of Pakistan.”

The attack, he said, was a reminder of the ongoing threat faced by Pakistan, the United States, and all those who stand against violent extremism.

“We will fully support the democratically-elected government of Pakistan and the Pakistani people as they face enormous challenges economically as well as from terrorism,” he said.