Suicide Bombing At Pakistan Airport

Attacker Detonates Bomb In Parking Lot Of International Airport; 2 Wounded

(CBS/AP)  A suicide attacker detonated a bomb in a parking area at the international airport that serves Pakistan's capital late Tuesday, wounding at least two police and killing himself, officials said.

A security official stopped the bomber, who was on foot, said Mohammed Farooq, a police official at the central control room in Rawalpindi where the airport is located. After a brief exchange of fire, the attacker detonated the bomb, he said.

"This attack demonstrates that al Qaeda is very eager to destabilize Pakistan," a senior western diplomat tells CBS News reporter Farhan Bokhari on the condition that he would not be named. The diplomat said Pakistan was in danger of witnessing more suicide attacks.

Mohammed Sarib, who was at the airport to collect someone arriving on a flight, said he saw a man exchanging fire with security officials. "That man later blew himself up," he told The Associated Press.

The bombing follows a series of suicide attacks targeting security forces in northwestern Pakistan, where pro-Taliban militants are active, and a Jan. 26 blast at Islamabad's Marriott Hotel that killed one security guard and wounded seven other people.

After Tuesday’s attack, Pakistan placed its main airports on high alert across the country and ordered added security measures, adds Bokhari. Pakistani officials, however, agreed that these attacks were set to intensify concerns over the country’s internal security conditions at a time when General Pervez Musharraf was eager to encourage western nationals to travel to the country. "As a reaction to these incidents, it's likely that people would want to stay away from Pakistan," said one senior official who spoke to CBS News on the condition that his identity would not be revealed.

Authorities suspect the bombings could be in retaliation to a recent Pakistani army air strike on an suspected al Qaeda hideout near the Afghan border that a prominent Pakistani militant vowed to avenge.

A security official, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to release information to reporters, said airport security officials arrested a man who was trying to flee. It was unclear whether the detained man was a suspected accomplice of the suicide attacker.

[bluestardad]

Was it Bin Laden? if not we are not interested!

[lars008-2009]

Video: Imam prays to stop %u2018oppression and occupation%u2019 at DNC meeting Update: Imam ID%u2019d Update: More info on Imam
http://hotair.com/archives/2007/02/02/video-imam-prays-to-stop-oppression-and-occupation-at-dnc-meeting/

[shingles1]

singinrick, you seem to be in need of some attention.

Since no one else has responded to notblue's strawman argument I will. Terrorism is real and is a real threat - the vast majority of Americans, of all political persuasions agree with you - even, gulp, scary liberals. Where we don't agree is when it comes to Iraq.

Because terrorism is a real threat, we should be focusing on terrorism, REAL terrorism, instead of being bogged down and caught in the crossfire of an Iraqi civil war. It has been a huge waste of time, blood, and money - and is not helping to win the war on terror.

I will never understand why this Administration snatched defeat from the jaws of victory in Afghanistan by suddenly and disastrously pivoting and going after Iraq instead. Right when we had Osama and Al Qaeda on the run. They should have finished the job in Afghanistan.

[dargay]

Americans should appreciate the contributions and suffering of Pakistanis, who are helping the US in the war on terror.

[zootallures2]

If you air lift the entire al Qaeda from Afghanastan to Pakistan, this kind of thing just might happen. Must be nice to fly for free. I wonder who's taxes paid the bill?

[lars008-2009]

funny how many fascist nazi islamic muslims are pretending to be american liberals........

[lars008-2009]

no it's not haji.... but you knew that already.....
'Obsession'
Documentary gives insight into radical Islam%u2019s global threat
http://www.foxnews.com/video2/launchPage.html?110506/110506_fnl_obsession&%27Obsession%27&FNL&Documentary%20gives%20insight%20into%20radical%20Islam%92s%20global%20threat&Foxlife&-1&%27Obsession%27&Video%20Launch%20Page&News
http://www.obsessionthemovie.com/12min.htm
http://myspace.com/waragainstthewest
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3BL4-mxE87w
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EUpcpEQtgp4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7BUqXSeCDJc
UK TV AIRS SHOCK 'UNDERCOVER' LOOK INTO MAINSTREAM BRIT MOSQUES...

Dispatches: Undercover Mosque
This is part one of the much-anticipated UK Channel 4 documentary Dispatches: Undercover Mosque, exposing evidence of Islamic supremacism, shocking misogyny, and support for violence at a number of Britain%u2019s leading mosques and Muslim institutions. (Thanks again to LGF operative kasper.)
http://littlegreenfootballs.com/weblog/?entry=24018_Dispatches-_Undercover_Mosque&only

[shingles1]

"Everyone"?
notblue, surely you exaggerate.

[notblue]

This article must be incorrect, the Islamist threat according to everyone that frequents these comment areas is nothing more than a scare tactic perpetrated by the Bush administration to compell the American people to go to war. Somebody better tell the Pakistanis that it's all made up by Bush Administration and they should believe the left here in America and go about there own business and stop all this bombing and war making.