ISLAMABAD, 22 July 2007 — A grand jirga of tribal elders making efforts to salvage the “peace deal” narrowly escaped a rocket attack in Miranshah headquarters of North Waziristan. Officials confirmed the attack.
Another rocket was fired at a local women’s college. No one was hurt. A jirga member Muhammad Alam confirmed to journalists about the attack. “We heard a big explosion and we could not believe it was meant for us,” he said.
In a related development, President George W. Bush said yesterday he was troubled by a US intelligence report’s finding that Al-Qaeda had become entrenched in a safe haven in Pakistan’s tribal region near Afghanistan.
But Bush offered support for embattled Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf, saying he believes Musharraf was committed to fighting Al-Qaeda and Taleban militants.
A portion of the National Intelligence Estimate made public this week found a “persistent and evolving” threat to the United States from Imilitant groups, especially Osama Bin Laden’s Al-Qaeda.
In his weekly radio address, Bush said the report’s assessment that Al-Qaeda was gaining strengthen in the tribal region of Pakistan was “one of the most troubling.” The White House has acknowledged that a truce reached last September with the tribal leaders had not worked.
