President Clinton's plans to visit Northern Ireland next month will not be changed as a result of the Omagh bombing, a White House spokesman has confirmed, as the President strongly condemned the atrocity.
Mr Clinton, in a statement from the White House after hearing the news on Saturday, described the bombing as "a barbaric act intended to wreck Ireland's aspirations for peace and reconciliation".
The statement continued: "On behalf of every American, I condemn this butchery and hope that the culprits will be brought to justice quickly. I extend our deep sympathy to those affected by this tragedy."
Mr Clinton said he renewed his pledge "to stand with the people of Northern Ireland against the perpetrators of violence. They will find no friends here. Now is the time for the parties of peace in Northern Ireland to redouble their efforts".
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr Newt Gingrich, who has just re turned from a weeklong visit to Ireland, North and South, said: "We cannot allow the quest for peace in Northern Ireland to be derailed by a handful of despicable terrorists. The enemies of peace must not be allowed to succeed in their effort to reignite conflict and strife in Northern Ireland. No stone should be left unturned in their pursuit. They must be found and brought to justice.
"Now more than ever, all parties must redouble their efforts to drive forward the peace process, to meet the deadlines established by the Good Friday Agreement and to harness their collective energies to achieve the goal of a Northern Ireland free of fear and with opportunity for all. I hope from this tragedy will come a renewed commitment to the peace process."
Former Senator George Mitchell, chairman of the negotiations which led to the Belfast Agreement, said the perpetrators of the bombing were "trying to kill not just people, but the peace process". He hoped the people of Northern Ireland would not let them succeed in this but would keep the peace process going.
Condemnation of the bombing also came from Irish Northern Aid (Noraid), which strongly supports Sinn Fein's participation in the peace process. The chairman of Noraid, Mr Paul Doris, said: "This appalling act was carried out by those opposed to the Irish peace process. It was a blatant attempt to destroy the progress of peace.
"Noraid calls on those responsible for this atrocity to cease these actions immediately and let the Irish people continue to further strengthen the efforts to achieve their democratic goals." Mr Peter King, co-chairman of the ad hoc Congressional Committee on Irish Affairs, said: "The Real IRA and the 32-County Sovereignty Committee have no support among Irish-Americans. We know them for what they are - vicious murderers who are attempting to destroy the Good Friday Agreement and the cause of peace and justice in Ireland."
Saying that all the evidence led to the conclusion that the "so-called Real IRA" was responsible for the Omagh bombing, Mr King said that the "so-called Real IRA" and its political front, the 32-County Sovereignty Committee, were "enemies of the Irish people who are defiling the cause of Irish republicanism".
The Irish-American Unity Conference, which also supports the Sinn Fein policy in the peace process, said: "The senseless and outrageous murder of 26 innocents must serve as a catalyst for the success of the Good Friday peace agreement."
"The IAUC calls on all those involved in the peace process to redouble their efforts to implement all aspects of the Good Friday Agreement entirely and expeditiously, rather than reacting in such a manner as to play into the hands of the opponents of peace."
The chairman of the International Relations Committee of the House of Representatives, Mr Ben Gilman, condemned the Omagh bombing as a "demented and senseless act of terrorism".
"I join Sinn Fein and all responsible parties in the North, as well as the two governments on the island, in strongly condemning this bombing. Those who perpetrated this act of evil seek to destroy the Good Friday peace accord and its message of peace through negotiation and rule of law under an elected assembly and the North-South ministerial bodies," Mr Gilman said.