Pakistan Surgeon General Killed

Pakistan's surgeon general was killed today by a suicide bomber who blew himself up at a busy intersection in the city of Rawalpindi.  Lt. Gen. Mushtaq Ahmad Baig, his driver and his guard were killed, the Washington Post reports; Baig was the highest-ranking military officer to be killed in attacks by militants in recent years.. Five other people died, and 20 were injured. Three children's aid workers were killed in a separate attack.

Yesterday  a top Taliban leader, Baitullah Mehsud, sent word that his group  is prepared to negotiate with a new Pakistani government±— if President Pervez Musharraf is out of the equasion—to end hostilities. And if he's not, the group theatened to escalate hostilities. "We want to make it clear to those politicians who are going to form the next government not to impose war on us, otherwise we will retaliate vigorously," a spokesman said in an interview. (More suicide bombing stories.)