▁by ▁a ▁Jerusalem ite ▁milit ant , ▁' Az mi ▁al - J a ' uni , ▁who ▁spoke ▁fl uent ▁English ▁and ▁could ▁pass ▁himself ▁off ▁as ▁a ▁British ▁officer . ▁Two ▁British ▁deser ters , ▁Edd ie ▁Brown , ▁a ▁police ▁captain ▁who ▁claimed ▁that ▁the ▁Ir gun ▁had ▁killed ▁his ▁brother , ▁and ▁Peter ▁Mad ison , ▁an ▁army ▁corpor al , ▁had ▁been ▁persu aded ▁to ▁join ▁the ▁attack , ▁also ▁by ▁the ▁promise ▁of ▁substantial ▁financial ▁re wards . ▁ ▁A ▁leaf let ▁stating ▁that ▁the ▁explos ion ▁was ▁in ▁response ▁to ▁an ▁Ir gun ▁bomb ▁attack ▁three ▁days ▁earlier , ▁in ▁Ram la ▁on ▁the ▁ 1 9 th ▁of ▁February , ▁was ▁distributed ▁the ▁following ▁evening . ▁It ▁was ▁signed ▁by ▁Abd ▁al - Q ad ir ▁who ▁assumed ▁responsibility ▁for ▁the ▁operation . ▁Abd ▁al - Q ad ir ▁himself , ▁in ▁C airo ▁the ▁day ▁after , ▁left ▁a ▁statement ▁to ▁Al - A hr am ▁to ▁the ▁same ▁effect ▁and ▁the ▁Army ▁of ▁the ▁Holy ▁War ▁High ▁Command ▁ ▁re iter ated ▁the ▁declaration ▁in ▁Palest ine . ▁Hus ay n ▁al - K hal idi , ▁secretary ▁of ▁the ▁Arab ▁High er ▁Committee ▁de pl ored ▁the ▁act ▁as ▁' dep rav ity ▁un fit ▁for ▁the ▁Arab ▁spirit ,' ▁while ▁the ▁committee ▁itself , ▁in ▁an ▁attempt ▁to ▁distance ▁itself ▁from ▁the ▁incident , ▁tried ▁to ▁throw ▁doubt ▁on ▁the ▁authentic ity ▁of ▁Abd ▁al - Q ad ir ' s