First place I look is at the government:
"Suicide Blasts Kill 25 in Pakistani Garrison City" by SALMAN MASOOD
RAWALPINDI, Pakistan, Sept. 4 — Powerful coordinated explosions set off by two suicide bombers jolted this garrison city near Islamabad, the capital, early Tuesday, killing at least 25 people, some from Pakistan’s intelligence agency, and wounding at least 68, government and military officials said.
The brazen attacks took place within a mile of each other in the heart of Rawalpindi, a tightly guarded city and home to the headquarters of Pakistan’s military.
No one claimed responsibility for the blasts, which occurred amid great political tension.
[CUI BONO, reader?]
The Pakistani military is battling militants sympathetic to the Taliban in the tribal areas along the Afghan border.
Javed Iqbal Cheema, a spokesman for the Interior Ministry, confirmed that suicide bombers had carried out both attacks, Pakistani news media reported. Mr. Cheema said the attacks were connected and were related to the situation in the tribal areas.
[Uh-huh! How you know so soon already?]
The first blast occurred at 7:15 a.m. in the Qasim Market neighborhood. A bus loaded with security personnel, most in civilian clothes, stopped at a regular pickup point before it blew up, witnesses said. Eighteen people died, Mr. Cheema said.
Many of the victims worked for the Inter-Services Intelligence agency, according to an intelligence official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, and a witness.
[??]
Imram Khan, a witness who lives about 200 yards from where the bus exploded:
“One badly wounded person with burned clothes told me that he was from the I.S.I. as he lay near the bus. He told me to call the rescue police.”
But the connection to the intelligence agency was not officially acknowledged.
[Hmmmmm!]
Maj. Gen. Waheed Arshad, a spokesman for the Pakistani military, said:
“The bus belonged to one of the organizations working under the Ministry of Defense.”
Mr. Khan described a scene of devastation:
“The explosion was very loud. The roof of the mangled bus was ripped apart, and windows were blown out. I saw nine dead bodies. Four were lying in front of the bus. Body parts were scattered all over.”
Security officials quickly cordoned off the area before towing the bus.
The second blast occurred 20 minutes later at a busy intersection lined with small storefronts in the Royal Artillery Bazaar neighborhood. Seven people were killed, the Interior Ministry said. Nine vehicles were severely damaged.
Pools of blood dotted the asphalt. Shards of glass were strewn about. A charred motorbike was parked nearby. Ball bearings and shrapnel pierced the walls and shutters of nearby stores.
Hafiz Islam, who owns a nearby laundry:
“I rushed to the blast site after I heard the explosion, along with some other shopkeepers. A motorbike had caught fire. I saw seven dead bodies myself.”
The wounded were moved to the Combined Military Hospital, Rawalpindi General Hospital and other hospitals.
General Musharraf condemned the blasts and called for a thorough investigation so “those responsible for the heinous crime could be brought to justice.”
Pakistani officials played down fears that the blasts would result in the imposition of a state of emergency or in a delay in presidential and general elections this year.
Also Tuesday, two close aides to General Musharraf met with the opposition leader and former prime minister, Benazir Bhutto, in the United Arab Emirates to try to forge a power-sharing agreement. The two sides have talked for months."
[Not only is Musharaff losing the battle in the hills to the "insurgents," he is losing his army!
Bye-bye, Mushy!!!
You ready for an Islamic government in Pakistan soon?
AmeriKa gonna TALK then?]
