Fbi Investigating Killings In Pakistan Murder Of Americans Won’t Change Hillary Clinton’s Plan To Visit

An FBI antiterrorism team was dispatched to Pakistan Wednesday to investigate the killings of two American diplomatic workers. The White House condemned the attack and said it won’t change Hillary Rodham Clinton’s plan to visit Pakistan this month.

President Clinton called the shooting a “cowardly act” and ordered government agencies to work with the government of Pakistan to apprehend the perpetrators.

Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto said the attack was “part of a wellplanned campaign of terrorism.”

“We don’t know the motive,” said White House spokesman Mike McCurry. “And the last I’ve checked, there hasn’t been any group that I’m aware of that has claimed credit yet.”

McCurry said he knew of no plans to change Rodham Clinton’s itinerary for her Asian trip later this month that begins with a stop in Pakistan. She also plans to visit India, Nepal and Sri Lanka.

At the State Department, spokeswoman Christine Shelly said the U.S. consulate in Karachi was already operating under a “heightened state” of security because of recent violence when two American employees were killed and another wounded.

Shelly said there were no plans for Rodham Clinton to visit Karachi, a city of 10 million, which has been wracked by violence for several months.

“The U.S. Embassy has informed

the American community throughout Pakistan of the attack, urging American citizens to exercise prudent security precautions,” she said.

The shooting took place just a month after U.S. and Pakistani law enforcement agents arrested Ramzi Ahmed Youssef in Islamabad. Youssef was a prime suspect in the World Trade Center bombing and was immediately flown to New York on a U.S. government plane.

In the past, State Department officials have threatened to add Pakistan to the list of nations supporting terrorism because of its backing of Kashmiri and Sikh militants in India.