Richard Tafoya
Oct 18th, 2007, 04:50 PM
LA Times:
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-bhutto19oct19,0,514319.story?coll=la-home-center
Two explosions early Friday rocked a convoy carrying former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, turning a joyous celebration of her return from self-imposed exile into a blood bath that left hundreds dead and injured.
Bhutto was not hurt in the attack that reportedly killed more than 100 people and injured as many as 150. The numbers climbed steadily as officials sorted through shattered body parts.
Photos showed a shaken Bhutto being pulled from a truck. She was rushed to her home here.
The blasts, shortly after midnight, tore through the huge crowd surrounding the motorcade and sent flames into the night sky. Police said they thought at least one of the explosions was a suicide attack.
A Taliban commander had threatened to greet her return with suicide bombers.
"The United States condemns the violent attack in Pakistan and mourns the loss of innocent life there," said Gordon Johndroe, a spokesman for the White House National Security Council. "Extremists will not be allowed to stop Pakistanis from selecting their representatives through an open and democratic process."
While in exile, Bhutto had reached a power-sharing alliance with President Pervez Musharraf.
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-bhutto19oct19,0,514319.story?coll=la-home-center
Two explosions early Friday rocked a convoy carrying former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, turning a joyous celebration of her return from self-imposed exile into a blood bath that left hundreds dead and injured.
Bhutto was not hurt in the attack that reportedly killed more than 100 people and injured as many as 150. The numbers climbed steadily as officials sorted through shattered body parts.
Photos showed a shaken Bhutto being pulled from a truck. She was rushed to her home here.
The blasts, shortly after midnight, tore through the huge crowd surrounding the motorcade and sent flames into the night sky. Police said they thought at least one of the explosions was a suicide attack.
A Taliban commander had threatened to greet her return with suicide bombers.
"The United States condemns the violent attack in Pakistan and mourns the loss of innocent life there," said Gordon Johndroe, a spokesman for the White House National Security Council. "Extremists will not be allowed to stop Pakistanis from selecting their representatives through an open and democratic process."
While in exile, Bhutto had reached a power-sharing alliance with President Pervez Musharraf.