Sarah Palin breaks silence on Arizona tragedy and criticises media's 'blood libel'

• Palin: 'Acts of monstrous criminality stand on their own'
• School friend: Loughner 'was NOT politically motivated'
  

Sarah Palin today her silence over the Arizona shootings and accused pundits and journalists of a 'blood libel' over attempts to link overheated political rhetoric to the massacre.

The former Republican vice presidential candidate has been criticised for an online campaign map that targeted the district of shot congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords with the cross hairs of a gun sight.

In the video Mrs Palin said vigorous debates are a cherished tradition. But she said after the election, both sides find common ground, even though they disagree.

She was also blamed for creating a poisonous political atmosphere that drove 22-year-old loner Jared Loughner to go on the rampage, shooting congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords in the head.

But after four days of silence Palin hit back with a video posted on her website called 'America's Enduring Strength.'

'Acts of monstrous criminality stand on their own,' she said.

'They begin and end with the criminals who commit them, not collectively with all the citizens of the state, not with those who listen to talk radio, not with maps of swing districts used by both sides of the aisle, not with law-abiding citizens who respectably exercise their First Amendment rights at campaign rallies, not with those who proudly voted in the last election.

Palin said she had 'listened at first puzzled, then with concern and now with sadness to the irresponsible statements from people attempting to apportion blame for this terrible event.'