WIREDISPATCH REPORTS TOP TALIBAN LEADER VOWS REVENGE ON US AFTER BOMBING KILLS CIVILIANS

Top Taliban leader vows revenge on America after alleged missile strike in Pakistan

HABIBULLAH KHANAP News
May 15, 2008 12:01 EST

http://wiredispatch.com/news/?id=170541

A top Taliban leader vowed Thursday to target the U.S. after an alleged missile strike killed several people in northwest Pakistan, a threat that could undermine the new government's efforts to negotiate peace deals with militants.

Blasts destroyed a compound Wednesday in Damadola village, a militant stronghold in the Bajur tribal region near the Afghanistan border. A similar attack in 2006 reportedly missed al-Qaida's No. 2 leader, Ayman al-Zawahri.

The governor of the turbulent North West Frontier Province condemned the incident as an "attack on the sovereignty of Pakistan" that would hamper the country's efforts against terrorism. He said the dead included an 8-year-old boy.

Residents said they saw a U.S. aircraft flying in the area before two explosions rocked the village. The U.S., which has not commented on the incident, is believed to operate unmanned drones out of Afghanistan.