debate on the abolition of the death penalty in Bermuda.

A spokeswoman for the US State Department said: "People make all kinds of comments about the US all the time, around the globe.

"We usually don't respond to comments of this kind.'' The US reaction came only days after Development and Opportunity Minister Terry Lister branded America's use of its death penalty as racist.

He slammed the US leadership and military as "people who kill people for a living''.

The attack was condemned by the United Bermuda Party, with Acting Opposition Leader Grant Gibbons calling for an apology -- and for Mr. Lister to resign or be fired by Premier Jennifer Smith.

And he warned the controversial statements could wreck Bermuda's good relations with its massive neighbour -- and damage tourism, leading to hardship for Bermudian workers.

Lister row Yesterday, the future of Mr. Lister -- who has not returned calls from The Royal Gazette since his controversial House statements -- was still up in the air.

Government Information Services were unable to obtain comment from Cabinet Office on what the Premier planned to do -- if anything.

Mr. Lister's office said the Minister was "unavailable'' -- and likely to be so for the rest of the day.

The Minister described the use of the death penalty in the US as "nothing other than legalised murder of black men''.

And he said for the Opposition to hold up America's use of execution as an example to Bermuda was wrong -- and that Bermuda should not follow the US lead, especially "under a black government''.

Mr. Lister added: "There are no morals in the United States. There is no moral leadership. If you want moral leadership, do not look there.'' A total of 38 of the 52 US states have some form of death penalty on their books.

There is strong evidence that -- especially in US southern states like South Carolina -- a disproportionate number of those sentenced to die are poor and/or black.

And Mr. Lister also told MPs he and Environment Minister Arthur Hodgson deserved to be laughed at for visiting the US military nerve centre, the Pentagon, as part of Bermuda's bid to win a $60 million payoff to clean up the old US bases on the Island.

Mr. Lister told MPs: "We went to the Pentagon and tried to raise moral issues to people who kill for a living.'' The US spokeswoman declined to comment on the status of negotiations between the Island and US on the clean-up of the old US Naval Air Station in St.

David's and the Naval Annex in Southampton.

She said: "This is completely a Department of Defense issue, although we are obviously aware of it.''