Politics in Pakistan and International Terror

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President Pervez Musharraf has not captured or killed Osama bin Laden. Maybe Pakistan's new coalition will. Political changes make terrorist leaders increasingly vulnerable, as the US reviews its billions of dollars in aid. A survivor of two suicide bombings talks about the urgency of immediate action to reduce real threats to Europe and America. Also, twenty-two people are killed in weekend tornadoes, and Second Life is more than a game for big corporations who can save money in virtual reality.

Banner image: Pakistani former premier Nawaz Sharif (R) and his ruling coalition partner Asif Ali Zardari (L) Farooq Naeem/AFP/Getty Images

Making News

Twenty Two Killed in Weekend Tornadoes ()

We've been hearing a lot about Cyclone Nargis in Myanmar and today's massive earthquake in China, two humanitarian of massive proportions. Here in the US this weekend, twenty two people were killed by a massive tornado that struck the Midwest. Steve Koehler of Springfield's News-Leader is in Purdy, a small town in the southwestern part of Missouri that was hard hit.

Guests:

Steve Koehler: Reporter, Springfield News-Leader

Main Topic

Al-Qaeda Regroups in the Mountains of Pakistan ()

Terrorists trained in northwest Pakistan have wreaked havoc in Europe. They're a real threat to the US and its interests. Since September 11, President Pervez Musarraf has received $10 billion in US aid, but the region where Osama bin Laden is thought to be hiding out is said to be more dangerous than ever. The newly elected government has the incentive to neutralize terrorist leaders, unless it's diverted by political infighting. We hear about bin Laden's approval ratings and talk to a Pakistani politician who has survived two suicide bombings, as the US reviews where the money went.

Guests:

James Astill: South Asia Correspondent, The Economist
Aftab Khan Sherpao: Member of Parliament, Pakistan
Steve Coll: author, 'The Bin Ladens'
Craig Cohen: Fellow, Center for Strategic and International Studies

Reporter's Notebook

The Virtual World of Corporate America ()

Second Life is virtual reality on the Internet, but some international corporations are going there to do real work. For getting middle managers together, it's a lot cheaper than plane tickets and hotel rooms. You don't even have to come as yourself. On a recent afternoon, 20 avatars appeared for a lecture on software development sponsored by Intel Corporation. Opening the event for the semiconductor giant was a half-man, half-lynx dressed in a tuxedo. That's according to a story in the Los Angeles Times by Alana Semuels.

Guests:

Alana Semuels: Reporter, Los Angeles Times

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