Disintegration Of Pakistan Continues-- Lahore Suicide Bombing

Lahore is the Los Angeles of Pakistan. With approximately 10 million people, it's the second largest city in the country as well as the film and popular culture capital. The headline in today's Washington Post, Car Bombing Kills At Least 30 In Pakistan doesn't give the full impact about how devastating this was for the Pakistani nation. The explosive-packed van entered a government compound that houses police, judicial and intelligence buildings on Mall Road, in the herat of the bustling city. After a brief gun battle at a checkpoint, the van drove up to an emergency response police building a detonated, killed at least 30, injuring at least 300 and causing the two story building to collapse.

Interior Minister Rehman Malik said linked the attackers to militants who have been fighting government forces in the Swat valley and tribal regions. In televised remarks, he said the insurgents, who have been linked to the Taliban, were facing defeat in Swat and were now moving to destabilize other parts of country.

Maybe. It could also have been the work of Lakshkar-e-Taiba, the country's biggest terrorist group, long nurtured by the country's intelligence service-- the venal CIA-like ISI-- which was responsible for the Mumbai attack last year. Their leader was supposed to be brought before a judge in a Lahore court today. The BBC has a more in-depth look at who may be responsible than any U.S. papers. And here's a report on the scene from Sky News"




UPDATE: Taliban Claims The Credit For Lahore-- And Blows Up A Market In Peshawar

When I was in Peshawar in 1970 it was like the Wild West, horses and guns everywhere-- but every cowboy was wearing a shalwar kameez and lungee and no one's guns were holstered. Although there was a certain rustic charm to the place-- red-plumed horse-drawn cabs and an ability to buy the latest heavy weaponry right out in the open-- I didn't linger long.

Fast forward nearly 4 decades: Soon after Baitullah Mehsud, leader of the Pakistani Taliban, claimed responsibility for yesterday's devastating blast in Lahore, there was another bombing in Peshawar (on the other side of the Khyber Pass from Afghanistan). The U.S. has offered a $5 million reward for Mehsud.

Meanwhile, Pakistani newspapers are abuzz with a U.S. congressional report that its government is adding to it's nuclear arsenal and upgrading the "quality."

"Pakistan's nuclear arsenal consists of approximately 60 nuclear warheads. It continues fissile material production for weapons and is adding to its weapons production facilities and delivery vehicles," said the report "Pakistan's Nuclear Weapons: Proliferation and Security issues," which was released to the media on Thursday. Admiral Mike Mullen, Chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, at a Congressional hearing on May 14 had said that the U.S. has "evidence" that Pakistan is expanding its nuclear arsenal.