Car bomb explodes outside US consulate in Karachi

KARACHI – A car bomb outside the US consulate in Karachi killed an American and at least four other people yesterday, but President George W.

Bush said “terrorists and killers” would not stop his scheduled visit to Pakistan. The blast came less than 48 hours before Bush was due to hold talks in Pakistan on Saturday, though he is not expected to visit the southern city of Karachi during his short visit.Addressing a news conference in New Delhi just hours after the blasts, Bush said he wouldn’t change his plan to go to Pakistan at the end of his three-day visit to India.This is Bush’s first visit to south Asia.”I’ve been briefed on the bombings.We have lost at least one US citizen in the bombing, a foreign service officer,” Bush told reporters in the Indian capital.”Terrorists and killers are not going to prevent me from going to Pakistan.”A Pakistani employee of the consulate was also killed, according to a spokeswoman for the US embassy in Islamabad.Police confirmed that five people were killed in the explosion, which also wounded at least 35 people, including three security guards at the main entrance to the consulate about 30 metres away from where the car bomb exploded on a road at the rear of the Marriott Hotel used for parking.”It was an act of terrorism.So far we can only say that it was a bomb fitted in a car,” Jehangir Mirza, police chief for Sindh province.- Nampa-ReutersThe blast came less than 48 hours before Bush was due to hold talks in Pakistan on Saturday, though he is not expected to visit the southern city of Karachi during his short visit.Addressing a news conference in New Delhi just hours after the blasts, Bush said he wouldn’t change his plan to go to Pakistan at the end of his three-day visit to India.This is Bush’s first visit to south Asia.”I’ve been briefed on the bombings.We have lost at least one US citizen in the bombing, a foreign service officer,” Bush told reporters in the Indian capital.”Terrorists and killers are not going to prevent me from going to Pakistan.”A Pakistani employee of the consulate was also killed, according to a spokeswoman for the US embassy in Islamabad.Police confirmed that five people were killed in the explosion, which also wounded at least 35 people, including three security guards at the main entrance to the consulate about 30 metres away from where the car bomb exploded on a road at the rear of the Marriott Hotel used for parking.”It was an act of terrorism.So far we can only say that it was a bomb fitted in a car,” Jehangir Mirza, police chief for Sindh province.- Nampa-Reuters