War on Terror - missed al-Qaeda targets, suicide bombs & Iran nuclear row increase concerns for peace

The US led war on terror took a dramatic turn over the weekend when a village was targeted after it was believed Ayman al-Zawahiri was there. Zawahiri, al-Qaeda’s second in command, was said to be in Damadola which is near the border of Pakistan and Afghanistan. However the pre-dawn raid on Friday failed to kill the al-Qaeda leader. Instead, 18 men, women and children died in the attack which has precipitated a number of anti-US protests throughout the region. Some opposition leaders have subsequently called for Pakistani leader, Pervez Musharaf’s resignation. Zawahiri, who has a $25 million bounty placed upon his head, remains free [Fox News]. And violence continues in the bordering country of Afghanistan. On Monday a suicide bomber killed 25 and injured many others in Spin Boldak. The Taleban have claimed responsibilty for the attack which is the fourth such attack in the last few days [CNN ]. And in Iraq another suicide bomber killed several people near Baghdad. A second US helicopter was lost north of Baghdad near the village of Mishahda early Monday [BBC], the fate of the crew is as yet unknown. Meanwhile it was confirmed on Sunday that the crew of a US helicopter, shot down near Mosul on Friday, both died. Much of the attention in the continuing war on terror now focuses on Iran and its persistence in following through on its nuclear energy policy. In London, members of the Security Council met to discuss the crisis which further threatens to create instability in the region [CNN] .