Death Toll Climbs in Pakistan Marriott Bombing

The message from Saturday's gruesome suicide bombing of the Marriott in Islamabad was clear: Pervez Musharraf is no longer around to use his martial law and other tactics against terrorists; Asif Ali Zardari is in power, and al-Qaida and the Taliban are telling him to change course now. The symbolism of the target is powerful: The hotel was a key spot for political meetings, popular with foreigners, and near the National Assembly. Heavily guarded around the clock, the terrorist groups now can capitalize on the symbolism of getting through such a toughly defended property. The timing was also key: Soon after the American border incursion against militants, after Zardari responded angrily to the U.S. military action.

The conclusion is also ominous: The oft-fractured opposition that ousted Musharraf has a seriously tough road to hoe. Al-Qaida has seen an opening in the instability, and has seized the opportunity to put the new government on the defensive. Simply put, you don't want to be on the defensive against terrorists in Pakistan, because it puts you just one step from being completely out of control.

Today's updates:

• The death toll is up to 60 and is on the rise as crews pull bodies out of the burned building, with more than 250 wounded. The AP notes that the bomb, which left a crater 59 feet wide and 24 feet deep, was timed to go off when many Muslims were packed into the hotel restaurants, breaking the Ramadan fast.

• Czech Ambassador Ivo Zdarek is among at least 21 foreigners killed in the blast.

• IntelCenter notes that last month al-Qaida No. 2 Ayman al-Zawahri released his first as-Sahab video in English: "He addresses the Pakistani army and people, calling them to rise up."

• Bill Marriott blogs about the bombing, noting that "a large truck pulled up to the security checkpoint of the heavily guarded hotel and exploded. The huge blast engulfed the front of the hotel and ruptured a gas line, which caused a large fire to break out. ... I salute the bravery of the security personnel who were right there when the suicide bomber struck. They had stopped the truck just outside the fortified gate. They were examining it when the bomb detonated. Sadly each member of the team was killed."