"We absolutely deny all the accusations," said Roger Kiss, the general manager of Protec S.A., in a written statement faxed to newspapers and other journalists.

The Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility for the attack here, in a statement faxed to the Agence France-Presse in Beirut.

"We affirm that the United States has no real justification that authorizes it to launch this aggressive and terrorist campaign," read a statement faxed to news organizations in Syria.

"I will, on my own identity, conduct detailed investigations on some specific cases involving human rights," Mr. Wang said in a statement faxed to offices of Western news agencies.

A statement faxed to The Associated Press said, "There are no demonstrations in Yangon or anywhere else in the country."

The Council of Ministers made the decision on Thursday but did not disclose it until early Friday, in a statement faxed to local news outlets.

"Our heroic troops in Beit Sahour fired on a filthy Israeli agent, which led to his immediate death," the group said in a statement faxed to Reuters.

In a statement faxed to news agencies in Cairo, the outlawed Iraqi Communist Party accused the Hussein Government of being behind "this latest murder."

Mr. James said in a statement faxed to news outlets.

The statement faxed to news organizations today was described by experts as unquestionably the work of the military wing of Hamas.