U.S. ambassador targeted

Kabul

Afghan officials said this week they had foiled a plot to assassinate the U.S. ambassador. The National Security Directorate said it caught three Pakistanis who were laying in wait for Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad with rockets and assault rifles. Khalilzad was making his last tour of the country before leaving to serve as U.S. ambassador to Iraq. A native of Afghanistan, Khalilzad has been a vocal critic of Pakistan, accusing it of doing far too little to combat militants who attack Afghanistan from bases in Pakistan. The Pakistanis have consistently refused to meet to discuss the issue.