Pakistanis Vent Fury Over US Attack

Pakistanis Vent Fury Over US Attack

Thousands of angry protesters took to the streets across Pakistan yesterday to condemn an American air strike aimed at al-Qaida's deputy leader, Ayman al-Zawahiri, that left at least 18 people dead.

Up to 10,000 people reportedly protested at rallies in the largest city, Karachi. Many chanted: "Death to America!" Demonstrators demanded the resignation of Pakistan's president, Pervez Musharraf. Smaller protests were staged in other towns and cities, including Islamabad, Lahore, Quetta and Peshawar

The protests across Pakistan put further pressure on General Musharraf, whose close relationship with the United States has made him unpopular at home.

"America raised the bogey of Zawahiri to provide justification for this attack," said Meraj-ul-Huda, a local leader of Pakistan's main Islamic alliance, Mattahida Majlis-e-Amal, who was attending the demonstration in Karachi.

Another member of the alliance, Liaqat Baloch, told protesters in Lahore that Gen Musharraf should stand down. "It is a threat to our sovereignty and shame for Musharraf's government that it failed to protect the country and the lives of its people," he said.

The rallies followed violent protests by thousands of tribesmen on Saturday in the Bajaur region on the Afghan border where the attack took place. The White House has remained tight-lipped over the missile strike, said to have been carried out by the CIA on Friday, using unmanned drone aircraft.

David Almacy, a White House spokesman, would not even confirm that the attack had been carried out by the US. He said only that "President Musharraf and Pakistan is a valued ally and partner in the war on terror".

Of course they are an ally, they were here the week of 9/11.
The US f***ed up again. The people of Pakistan have every right to be angry.