Assassination attempt
The week's news at a glance.
Rawalpindi, Pakistan
A massive, remote-controlled bomb blew up a bridge less than a minute after Pakistan’s president, Gen. Pervez Musharraf, had crossed it in his presidential motorcade. Musharraf blamed Islamic extremists from the Taliban and al Qaida, who have regrouped in Pakistan since the U.S. invasion forced them out of Afghanistan. “It was certainly a terrorist act,” Musharraf said, “and certainly it was me who was targeted.” The bombing was the third attempt on the general’s life since 1999, when he assumed the presidency in a bloodless coup. This time, al Qaida is suspected; the Al-Jazeera network recently aired two taped messages from Ayman Zawahiri, Osama bin Laden’s deputy, in which he labels Musharraf a traitor and calls on Pakistanis to bring down the government.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
-
The Finest Summer Flavours
By Sponsored Content Published
-
Today's political cartoons - May 20, 2024
Cartoons Monday's cartoons - flags flipped, Diddy dunked, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Diddy admits to beating girlfriend after video
Speed Read Though he previously denied allegations of abuse, Combs apologized for abusing Cassie Ventura following the release of new CCTV footage
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published