Breaking News: Bombing in Pakistan
CHETRY: More now on the breaking news that we're following out of Pakistan, where an explosion has rocked a political rally. Some of the first pictures now coming in to AMERICAN MORNING to show you. Pakistan's G.O. television is reporting at least 15 people are dead. Other media outlets are reporting the number as high as 20 killed. There you see ambulances rushing to the scene. This blast happened amid supporters of former Pakistan Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, now opposition leader Benazir Bhutto. Her spokesman saying she is safe and that the blast happened as she was leaving the rally. We will continue to follow the story and bring you the latest as we get it. We do have with us right now CNN's Moshin Naqvi. He is live in Rawalpindi, joins us on the phone right now. Moshin, were you at that rally and can you tell us what was going on?</s>VOICE OF MOSHIN NAQVI, CNN PRODUCER: No, we were right near the rally, right opposite is a building where we were witnessing this rally and when we heard this loud explosion, and then we rushed to the scene and now police are confirming that at least 14 people were killed in this suicide attack. Again, police sources are telling us that this was a suicide attack and the suicide bomber was trying to enter inside that compound where thousands of people were gathered and were listening to Benazir Bhutto's speech when this loud explosion happened.</s>CHETRY: So this is the situation there right now, that they're calling it a suicide attack. We have just heard actually from our own Pentagon reporters as well that there has been talk about Al Qaeda turning its face toward Pakistan from our own defense chief, Robert Gates, saying there would be more attacks inside of the country. We've also heard that confirmed from ex-CIA analysts, et cetera. Do you know at this point as to who may be responsible or behind this or who they even suspect at this point?</s>NAQVI: No, not right now but you know, there was some reports earlier also that there will be more attacks on Benazir Bhutto as she is considered pro-U.S.A.. She considers that there should be operation in Pakistani tribal area. She met earlier today with Hamid Karzai, who was also in Islamabad on a two-day visit, and she again said after that meeting that she supports war against terrorism and she supports U.S. policies. So according to police and some other analysts, they are saying that, yes, there's quite possible that Al Qaeda and local Taliban might be behind these attacks.</s>CHETRY: Actually, this entire election process right now has been no stranger to violence in that country. In fact, we also heard the news that four supporters of another former Pakistani Prime Minister, Nawaz Sharif, were shot, this taking place as well in the last day. In this situation, they believe it might have been members from another political party opening fire, this also in a rally but in Islamabad earlier today. What is the mood there? What seems to be going on as we head closer to these elections?</s>NAQVI: We are witnessing for the last two days, the momentum was picking up. The political parties are getting involved more. And more and more people were coming to the rally than they were attending these political rallies organized by either pro-Musharaf party or by opposition parties. And that's what people are also saying that in these last two weeks these political parties will have momentum which we saw also in the last two, three days. But on the other side, like you mentioned, that there was fighting on Nawaz Sharif supporters in which four people were killed. So today is the first day that we have witnessed the clashes on the political activities.</s>CHETRY: All right. And for people who are just joining us right now, we have one of our CNN producers Mohsin Naqvi with us on the phone right now. He is in Rawalpindi, the scene where just moments ago at a Benazir Bhutto rally, an apparent suicide bomb attack. Reports out of Pakistan saying 14 people killed. Now, Mohsin, tell us gain about whether or not Benazir Bhutto herself was present at the time. What do you know about where she was?</s>NAQVI: We have talked to her spokesperson. We have talked to her political secretary. Both have confirmed that she's safe and she is on her way to some safe place but according to her party, she is safe.</s>CHETRY: All right. Of course, there was another assassination attempt or some sort of attempt that had taken place, I think we were covering it just two weeks ago, Benazir Bhutto saying that she understands that she assumes some risk every time she goes out and that she will not be afraid. What is the recommendation for her as well as others who are attending these rallies and saying things that, among parts of the population, are not popular in Pakistan?</s>NAQVI: According to the interior ministry officers, they have warned her a few times, they were in the briefing also, they said that there's a serious threat to Benazir Bhutto and there are, according to them - there are some reports that Al Qaeda and local Taliban will attack on her and this we have witnessed, earlier. The two months back, there was an attack in which more than 76 people were killed. So this is the second attack on a rally in the last two months.</s>CHETRY: Well, thank you for bringing able to bring us more information from the scene, Mohsin Naqvi, CNN producer there in Rawalpindi. Again, ahead of this news. They were trying to make sure that there were as many checkpoints as possible at this rally. This was Benazir Bhutto's first big campaign rally since returning from exile just two months ago. They had spoken about having hundreds of riot police, as well as manned security checkpoints but apparently that did not thwart this attack. We're getting the news from the various wires as well as CNN that there was a suicide bomb attack. At least that's what the interior minister is saying at this point at this rally where at least 14 to 15 people were killed. That number could possibly climb as we get new details. So, again we're going to continue to follow the developments out of Pakistan this morning. But we have other news here as well, extreme weather here out west, record snowfall. We're going to take a look at the forecast from Rob, find out where it's heading next, coming up on AMERICAN MORNING.