Pakistan: Assassination Attempt on President Musharraf

Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage met this afternoon, December 29, with Pakistan’s Ambassador to the U.S. Ashraf Jehangir Qazi to discuss a number of bilateral issues, including cooperation in the War on Terror.

The United States is deeply appreciative of the strong, continuing support of President Musharraf and the Government of Pakistan in our ongoing battle against terrorism. The risks both to our nation and to the people of Pakistan posed by this terrible scourge were all too evident December 25 as terrorists killed 18 security personnel and innocent bystanders in a failed attempt to assassinate President Musharraf. This was the second such attempt in 11 days.

We are grateful that President Musharraf was not harmed, and offer our heartfelt condolences to the families and friends of those who were killed or wounded in this murderous attack.

We are proud to call Pakistan our ally in this most critical of battles, and are convinced of Pakistan’s staunch support as we work together to make the world safer for our respective peoples and the entire South Asia region.

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