Tragedy may briefly divert attention from Iraq, but not war momentum.(South Florida Sun-Sentinel)

Byline: William E. Gibson

WASHINGTON _ The space-shuttle disaster that came out of the blue of the wide Texas sky shocked Americans and ushered in a period of mourning just when the nation was recovering from past terrorist attacks, suffering through a sour economy and bracing for a war against Iraq.

The timing and fateful trappings were just too cruel.

The death of an Israeli astronaut who happened to be on board a spacecraft that crashed over a town named, of all things, Palestine, Texas, added a bitter irony and another layer of suffering for his anguished nation.

The tragedy descended just before the Bush administration makes a last attempt this week to round up international support for an attack on Iraq. It handed President Bush _ who had plenty of problems to deal with in Afghanistan, Iraq, the Middle East and at home _ another cause for grief.

Speaking in funereal tones, Bush resumed his familiar consoling role and told the nation: "In the skies today, we saw destruction and tragedy. Yet farther than we can see, there's comfort and hope."

Some foreign policy analysts predicted that the disaster will briefly divert attention from Bush's message on Iraq but is unlikely to break the momentum for war. They predicted that Bush and Secretary of State Colin Powell will press ahead this week to seek UN backing for a U.S.-led attack.