Islamabad says bomb blast a warning to the U.S., Pakistan
Islamabad says bomb blast a warning to the U.S., Pakistan
Agencies, Karachi, Pakistan
The deadly car bomb attack on the U.S. Consulate here was a clear
warning to the United States and Pakistan to abandon its war
against terrorism, Pakistani authorities said on Sunday.
Friday's blast killed 11 people including six women and
injured more than 50, blew a four-meter (13-foot) hole in the
consulate wall and shattered windows within a one-kilometer (more
than half-a-mile) radius.
Although investigators initially believed it was a suicide
attack, they now suspect the bomb could have been a remote-
controlled device planted in a driving school-owned Toyota
Corolla carrying four women.
Meanwhile, U.S. FBI agents fanned out on Sunday over the site
of a deadly car bombing outside the U.S. consulate, seeking
clues as investigators tried to reconstruct how the attack took
place.
About 20 Americans - most, if not all, FBI agents flown in to
help in the probe - extensively videotaped and photographed the
scene of carnage where 11 people died and 45 were injured in a
massive blast on Friday.
The home secretary of Sindh province, Brig. Mukhtar Sheikh,
said although the culprits have not been identified, authorities
were sure the attack was linked to the ongoing battle against
Islamic militants.
"We are working on different leads, but the message of the
blast was for America and that is why the U.S. consulate was
targeted," he told AFP.
"It sounds a warning to the Pakistani government as well, as
we are an ally of the international coalition against terrorism,"
he said, referring to its efforts to track down al-Qaeda and
Taliban fighters fleeing from Afghanistan.
"This is a big challenge. There can be more attacks."
In talks here last week with top leaders in Pakistan's
military regime U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld described
their cooperation in the fight against terrorism as "truly
wonderful".
Such praise may prove to be a double-edged sword for
Pakistan's leadership as it faces a wave of suicide bombings
waged by al-Qaeda and other extremists who are battling for their
survival.
Pakistani police have so far not been able to trace any record
of the previously unknown group, al-Qanoon (The Law), which has
claimed responsibility for the attack.
"So far we have not been able to establish the presence of any
such group. It could be possible that some other group might be
using a fake name to misguide the investigators," Sheikh said.