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June 11, 2009

UN Withdraws Staff from Peshawar Following Deadly Bombing
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In Pakistan, the United Nations has withdrawn most of its staff from the
northwestern city of Peshawar following the killing of two officials in
a massive truck bombing of a luxury hotel. The pullout is heightening
concerns over the plight of the more than two million people who have
fled their homes in the US-backed offensive on Taliban militants in
neighboring Swat Valley. On Wednesday, the US envoy to Pakistan and
Afghanistan, Richard Holbrooke, praised the offensive in Washington.

US Envoy Richard Holbrooke: “What I saw in Pakistan on this trip was the
slow emergence of a consensus behind the government’s actions.
Everywhere, there was a dramatic change in attitudes from my previous
trips, because of the outrages of the Taliban and their supporters.”



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