Pakistani President Survives New Attack By Suicide Bombers

Pakistan's president, Gen. Pervez Musharraf, survived the second attempt on his life in less than two weeks on Thursday when suicide bombers in two pickup trucks rammed a motorcade carrying him through the city of Rawalpindi, Pakistani officials said.

Musharraf was not injured in the attack, but 15 people, including four military policemen, were killed when the truck bombs struck vehicles at the rear of the motorcade. The windshield in the president's armored Mercedes-Benz was damaged as Musharraf and his military secretary ducked for cover, an aide said.

Officials said the speed of the motorcade may have prevented the attackers from hitting Musharraf's limousine. "Apparently the two attackers were just outpaced by the presidential convoy," said Israr Ahmed, Rawalpindi's police chief. "Their calculations went wrong by only a few seconds." He said the convoy was traveling at about 80 mph.

The attack occurred barely 500 yards from the bridge where a remote-controlled bomb exploded on Dec. 14, less than a minute after Musharraf's motorcade had passed. Pakistani officials said after that attack that the bomb might have gone off right under the presidential limousine if the vehicle's electronic jamming system had not delayed the remote trigger.

"After failing to target the president in their first attempt because of an electronic jamming device in his car, the terrorists went for direct action by deploying the suicide bombers," said a senior military official involved in the investigation.
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Don't forget that Pakistan is a nuclear power and that the Taliban was(/is?) supported by Pakistan. Musharraf's death could pave the way for fundamentalists to take over those nuclear weapons.