Shock waves from Marriot blast
Posted: Sunday, September 21, 2008 12:11 AM
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Islamabad, Pakistan
By NBC News photojournalist Mike Simon
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan – "Be careful, Mike! These things usually come in pairs."
The words of my sound recordist, Bobby Lapp, ring as loudly as any memory of the attack.
There was no doubt what had just happened. A huge truck bomb had ripped apart the Marriott Hotel in downtown Islamabad. The shock wave started as a low rumble, then quickly blew through us, tearing apart every window pane and door jamb in our location nearby.
But once it passed, it was strangely quiet. No sirens. No wails of pain or children crying.
I know now that quiet is the sound of a country going into shock. The strange silence didn’t last long before the night sky was filled with the sounds of chaos.
We were safe, though. Our previous hour had been spent with the security detail for Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari at his home, the presidential palace. The palace sits high on a hill behind the Parliament building. It is less than a kilometer from the Marriott Hotel.
Our interview with NBC News’ Ann Curry and Zardari was scheduled for 9 p.m. But first, the country’s presidential security detail had to inspect, search and scrutinize every one of our 34 pieces of equipment going into the palace. We arrived at 6:45 p.m. at the presidential palace compound gates so we could begin the laborious process of admission and screening for our interview.
Before we could even get into the compound though, we had to wait while a steady procession of diplomatic and governmental motorcades drove by us en route to a special dinner at the prime minister’s residence, which is next door to the palace.
It is the Islamic holy month known as Ramadan. This means that Muslim faithful must fast for more than 14 hours during the day. The fast is broken at sunset and celebrated with a feast at night. On this night, the fasting ended at approximately 7:30 p.m. The feast is known as Iftar. It is usually a great party, and tonight, the prime minister of Pakistan was holding his own Iftar with plenty of dignitaries and diplomats.
While we waited, three presidential motorcades drove by. Our local fixer told us the president always travels in three motorcades so terrorists wouldn’t know which one to hit. Not a bad tactic considering the many attempts made on the previous Pakistani president’s life.
We may never know why the attackers chose the Marriott Hotel. Most here believe security near the Parliament and presidential residences was so formidable that they chose the softer target of a hotel packed with innocents enjoying the fruits of a day’s fast. But clearly, if the bomb had been detonated close to the prime minister’s party, it could have killed many of the politically elite of Pakistan and quite possibly have altered the course of the region forever.
