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Americans start leaving Pakistan

About 200 Americans left Pakistan on Tuesday after their government deemed the country unsafe, but United States Ambassador Thomas Simons vowed they would be back.

Simons is among the diplomats who remained behind as their families, non-essential staff and relatives departed under state department orders following the August 7 bombings of US embassies in Nairobi, Kenya, and Dar-e-Salaam, Tanzania.

The nearly simultaneous bombings killed 257 people and injured thousands.

"The Americans always come back. We have very important business to conduct in this country," Simons told the media after he arrived at the airport with the evacuees in a convoy of four buses, his car and a few police motorcycle outriders.

A plane carrying the evacuees took off hours later.

Though all American citizens have been strongly advised to leave as well, few took up their government's offer of a ride on the charter plane, booked to fly diplomatic staff and relatives to Brussels.

"People are thinking about leaving, but there is no general rush for the exits,'' Simons said, "They're going to continue to watch the situation. They're calm."

UNI

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