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.
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.
-
Biden allows Ukraine to hit deep in RussiaSpeed Read The U.S. gave Ukraine the green light to use ATACMS missiles supplied by Washington, a decision influenced by Russia's escalation of the war with North Korean troops
-
Today's political cartoons - November 18, 2024Cartoons Monday's cartoons - new furniture, cleaning supplies, and more
-
What does the G20 summit say about the new global order?Today's Big Question Donald Trump's election ushers in era of 'transactional' geopolitics that threatens to undermine international consensus
