Pakistan: Tops Iraq and Afghanistan in suicide bombings.

Pakistan now tops Iraq and Afghanistan in suicide bombings.

Pakistan suffered 28 suicide attacks during the first eight months of 2008, killing over 471 people and wounding 713 others...Available figures show there were 42 incidents of suicide attacks in Iraq between January 1 and August 31, 2008, claiming 463 lives, besides wounding 527 others. In contrast, 436 people were killed and 394 injured in 36 suicide attacks that took place in Afghanistan during the same period.

The Pakistani PM is appealing to the public for help in identifying the bombers and offers a $130,000 reward for information leading to their arrest and capture. It looks like 6 suspects have been rounded up already.

The ambassador of Czechoslovakia, Ivo Zdarek, is killed in Marriott blast. A Danish Diplomat is among the missing.

Interior Minister denies that there was a security lapse despite claims that the government was warned on an upcoming attack 2 days ago. Prime Minister Gilani is now claiming that it was HIS house (located nearby) that was the target but they could not do it due to tight security arrangements. No, no, no. The Parliament was the target. (Wack. It's like everyone wants to get in on being a target over there or something.) Not so fast there, it was a top secret and mysterious operation of the US Marines. Of course.

An eyewitness report:

The front cabin of the truck, loaded with five-to-six-hundred kilogram explosives, caught fire when it hit the automatic steel barrier at the main entrance of the 5-star Marriott Hotel before it exploded, eyewitnesses told The News on Saturday. The fire continued for some minutes before the big explosion, which shook the federal capital. They said five security guards of the hotel, one local intelligence officer, one traffic constable and one policeman rushed to the driver and started trying to extinguish the fire in front of the truck cabin while quarrelling with the driver. There was no trace of the bodies of eight security personnel and the driver of the truck, as the explosion created a crater of 20 feet deep with 40 feet width.

And in another ironic twist, yesterday marked the United Nation's observance of the International Day of Peace. I guess, the RELIGION OF PEACE didn't get the memo.