After her triumphant and controversial return to Pakistan, former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto had been the constant target of assassination attempts and was campaigning for office under massive protection, including a large contingent of state security police and an armored Land Cruiser with a sun roof from which she could make speeches. All of this protection proved insufficient today as an assassin broke through her security, shot Bhutto twice and then detonated a suicide bomb killing himself and more than 30 people in the crowd. Bhutto was rushed to the hospital where she was pronounced dead less than an hour later.
With the declining popularity of the Musharraf regime in Pakistan, Bhutto's presence in the election offered hope to many that a government with ties to the west and an interest in progressive, secularist policies could be maintained. Initially Bhutto was perceived as a threat to oust Musharraf, but in the last month or so they seemed to have reached an accommodation to share power which would have guaranteed the country stability and set it on the path to more representative government.
Naturally, Islamic radicals within Pakistan had been hostile to Bhutto who is both pro-American and in favor of purely secular government. Clearly the fact that she was a politically prominent woman was extremely galling to Muslim fundamentalists who have a large and dangerous presence in Pakistan. The attack which ultimately killed her was only the latest of many attempts, including one in October which killed 170 people in the crowd she was speaking to and missed her by pure luck.
Speculation is already circulating that President Musharraf may have had a hand in the assassination, with suspicion focusing on state security police and their apparent inability or unwillingness to control crowds and stop attacks on Bhutto launched from those crowds. Whether this is just an unavoidable problem of protecting a politician in the midst of a huge crowd, or something more deliberate, is debatable.
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - Dr Dreadful
Not that many in Pakistan will be listening - at least not until the dust dies down - but even Bhutto's aides don't believe Gen Musharraf had a hand in it. They point out that Musharraf has himself been the target of numerous assassination attempts.
It's as plain as a pikestaff who's behind this and hopefully, despite the inevitable backlash, the PPP and the government can work together towards the mastermind's testicles' date with a bolt cutter.
2 - Dave Nalle
I did try to downplay the speculation about Musharraf, but it's widespread on Pakistani blogs and discussions.
The main point on that is that it makes no sense. Bhutto was his best hope of retaining any legitimacy at all, and the fact that she was willing to play along pretty much saved his ass.
I don't see much of a future for him with her dead and I think the future for Pakistan as a whole is looking pretty grim.
Dave
3 - Ruvy in Jerusalem
There is a a glimmer of hope here folks. An Al-Qaida branch in Afghanistan claimed credit for this assassination.
Here Al-Qaida may experience blowbasck. For all of her corruptness, Benazir Bhutto was a very popular woman in Pakistan. If an Aghani Al-Qaida force pulled this off, it may turn out that Pashtun, who are the majority of the "Taliban" but who are also Children of Israel by their own claims, may in the aftermath of this, turn like snakes on Al-Qaida. One hopes so. Nothing could get rid of the Taliban and Al-Qaida like a pissed off bunch of Pashtun who are tired of being bombed and attacked for nothing.
4 - Greg 'Peace Song' Jones
Obama Was Right....Hillary Wrong
Re: PAKISTAN
With today's terrible announcement of Benazir Bhutto's assassination in Pakistan, one can't help but be reminded of a recent Democratic debate in which Hillary Clinton literally laughed at Barack Obama's statement that the United States should concentrate on the unrest in Pakistan even if it meant sending U.S. troops to the Afgan/Pakistan border where the Taliban, al-queda and other terrorists are camped. Hillary did her pompous, smirky laugh stating that Obama wants to 'talk to our enemies (Iran) and attack our allies' (Pakistan border). But as events unfold in the region we are learning more and more of just how disasterously wrong she and our foreign policy have been. We are supporting a crazy dictator (Musharaf) who we have given millions of dollars to....who has point blank told us that he will not go to the Pakistan border to address the true terrorists because they 'made a deal'. It doesn't matter that crazy Mu has weapons of mass destruction and is probably hiding Bin Laden in the border region. And to Hillary.....this is all just fine. Is this the great 'experience' that she boasts having ? Now, as we watch the turmoil increase in the Pakistan region Hillary will surely state that we need her 'experience' to handle the situation when in fact, it is this very mindset or experience that is leading America and the entire world toward catastrophe. Face it Hillary.....You are wrong...Obama was right. Oh.....and need I mention that the recent findings show that our 'enemy' hasn't had a weapons program for years ? But Hillary voted to basically crush Iran........wrong again Hill. And to top things off....you'll probably stay supportive of Crazy Mu ! With 'experience' like yours.....who needs enemies ?
Greg 'Peace Song' Jones
5 - Dave Nalle
Musharraf is not a 'crazy' dictator, he's an extraordinarily weak dictator and his inability to do some of the things we want him to do is a manifestation of that.
Dave
6 - Ruvy in Jerusalem
Greg,
You're blowing smoke through your butthole, and the problem is you do not even realize it. The same is true for this idiot, Obama what's his face. You American navel-gazers don't know shit, and it's scary.
The only way to get rid of the Deoband disease, the Taliban, is for the Pashtun tribesmen in Afghanistan and Pakistan to vomit them out themselves. For you Americans to be so arrogant as to think you can get the Pashtun to ditch the Taliban because you say so, is just to get yourselves into the same shithole the Soviets stepped into a number of years back.
You mean Iraq is not enough for you? You need another drain on your treasury, not to mention another source of bodybags? You wouldn't happen to be in the funeral business would you?
7 - Ruvy in Jerusalem
And Greg,
Some facts you do not know.
Military bases in the States are being hit with an adenovirus that severely weakens the immune system. You want to send all these weakened troops to northwest Pakistan, where the bird flu is raging, spreading from person to person, so American troops can get it too?
And then they die like flies there right? Brilliant strategy there, kid!! You should be a brigadier!
8 - Dave Nalle
Ruvy, I think Greg's just trying to run down Hillary and push his guy Obama. Not sure he really cares about what's going on in Pakistan.
He does have a point that this assassination might piss people off enough to push Pakistan into taking action, but I wouldn't bet on it.
Dave
9 - Ruvy in Jerusalem
Ruvy, I think Greg's just trying to run down Hillary and push his guy Obama. Not sure he really cares about what's going on in Pakistan.
That's the kind of mentality that gets soldiers killed for nothing, Dave. Greg "peace song" Jones can pontificate from his armchair while some grunt bets blown to bits in the Suleiman Mountains.
10 - Dave Nalle
Ruvy, everyone here in the states has adenovirus as far as i can tell. It ran rampant through my daughter's school earlier this month. Not the end of the world.
And there have only been 8 cases of Bird Flu in Pakistan, so that''s not exactly an epidemic either.
It appears that even human to human transmission of Bird Flu isn't all that common, at least so far.
We've got bigger things to worry about than these diseases - like Pakistan's nukes.
Dave
11 - Baronius
Anyone know offhand when elections were scheduled? Do candidates or parties run? Would a postponement of the election make things better or worse?
Also, I seem to remember another reform candidate who returned from exile, before Bhutto. I'd be curious to know how he's doing.
12 - Dr Dreadful
They were supposed to take place next month. I severely doubt whether that will even logistically be possible now.
13 - Ruvy in Jerusalem
Dave, before you spout off on the bird flu, check this website out carefully. The Pakistani government has been lying through its teeth for the last month or so. More cases of human to human transmission are found almost daily, and the Pakistani government, along with the Useless Nothings World Helpless Organization, keep fudging and denying and shucking and jiving.
14 - Colin
I think that was Sharrif (I may have the name completely wrong, but the pronounciation shouldn't be so far out)... Who has already stated he will withdraw from the elections and called for Musharraf to step down. The news on the BBC is all very grim - "Chaos" "Turmoil" and don't go google-news with Civil War as your search term, it's very frightening...
I'm not sure how reform he was and he flew in from to be jetted immediately out again - to Saudi Arabia I believe - the first time. I've already seen conspiracy speculation concerning the speed with which he made it to Bhutto's side after the attack - did he know something... No doubt, as in all such events, this will continue...
15 - Jacob
"We are supporting a crazy dictator (Musharaf) who we have given millions of dollars to..."
Millions, hell!
We have given him over $10 Billion. (That's over 10,000 million.)
And much of the $10 Billion has been applied to a possible Pakistan conflict with India.
We pass out (borrowed) taxpayer money with no strings attached. It's like alcoholics passing out kegs of whiskey to all their 'crazy friends'.
16 - Jacob
At last --
proof of Saddam's WMD's has been established!.
17 - bliffle
Clearly, Musharaf had nothing to do with it since he will be the big loser. He wanted Bhutto as PM because he had already successfully neutered the position and she would provide good legitimization for his Presidency.
Probably, Al Queda, or something similar did this to create more chaos in Pakistan so that out of the anarchy they could seize power and have nukes to play with (courtesy of the criminal AQ Kahn who should be locked up in soitary for the rest of his life). That's their style.
So pretty soon we'll see a fanatic muslim regime in Pakistan, brandishing nukes at the rest of the world. Worse than anything Saddam Husein or Iran could ever dream of.
Of course, the USA will simply be too broke after the bootless war against Iraq and the $5trillion of new debt created by the Bush Regime. They spent the defense budget for the next generation on a totally unnecessary war. And created additional US indebtedness with expensive gifts to his rich friends.
Plus, greatly diminished USA power, prestige and international influence will create a global power vacuum that the USA will neither be able to control nor to greatly influence.
Meanwhile, Bush keeps poring money into Musharaf (who uses it to arm against India, not chase down OBL as he promised), any of which left over when Musharaf flees from office to avoid hanging, will fall to his succesor, probably a muslim fanatic.
All of this underlines the utter foolishness of Bush and the Iraq Invasion, as well as the witlessness of the neocon strategic maneuvers.
GWBs brainless Vanity War In Iraq shows what a sap he is for a military feint. Maybe he'd have done better if he'd actually served his time in the TANG.
18 - Alec
Dave - re: With the declining popularity of the Musharraf regime in Pakistan, Bhutto's presence in the election offered hope to many that a government with ties to the west and an interest in progressive, secularist policies could be maintained. Initially Bhutto was perceived as a threat to oust Musharraf, but in the last month or so they seemed to have reached an accommodation to share power which would have guaranteed the country stability and set it on the path to more representative government.
Ms Bhutto's assassination is a tremendous tragedy, but as I noted in replies to your December 18 article, "Just In Case You Forgot," people who insist on looking at Bhutto as a hope for more secular pro-West democracy are misreading Pakistani politics. The most knowledgeable observers on the situation predicted that Musharraf, who has clamped down on the legal system and the media despite lifting the state of emergency, had plans on rigging the election. The only question was whether Bhutto would be allowed any piece of parliament. But there was no chance that he would accede to Washington's empty dreams of power-sharing.
Bliffle - Re: Clearly, Musharaf had nothing to do with it since he will be the big loser. He wanted Bhutto as PM because he had already successfully neutered the position and she would provide good legitimization for his Presidency.
There is absolutely no evidence that Musharraf wanted Bhutto as PM. And as an editorial in the Hindustan Times notes, "Regardless of who ultimately claims responsibility -- or, in keeping with Pakistani history, doesn't -- Mr Musharraf has much to answer for."
In fact, every indication is that Musharraf has played Washington more nimbly than even Russia's Putin, pretending to comply with Bush Administration demands while maintaining his grasp on political power. From this perspective, citing his decline in popularity is stunningly irrelevant, since authoritarian rulers don't really have to be concerned with how they are doing in the polls.
A recent London Review of Books article by Tariq Ali provided a very insightful look at the pointlessness of the forced attempt at an "arranged marriage" of political convenience involving Bhutto and Musharraf, and also gave a powerful background into past intrigues and assassinations as various factions in Pakistan sought power ("Daughter of the West"). Ali's article takes on even greater significance now with the terrible outrage of Bhutto's murder. Ali suggests, for example, that Washington willingly acquiesced with Musharraf's gutting the Supreme Court:
"Certainly no US spokesperson or State Department adjunct in the Foreign Office criticised the dismissal of the eight Supreme Court judges or their arrest: that was the quid pro quo for Washington's insistence that Musharraf take off his uniform. If he was going to turn civilian he wanted all the other rules twisted in his favour. A newly appointed stooge Supreme Court would soon help him with the rule-bending."
Hopefully, the article is still available online at this link.
When Bhutto's father was hanged in Rawalpindi, protesters shouted, "Zia, dog!" at the general believed to be responsible for his death. Ironically, at Benazir Bhutto's death, also in Rawalpindi, one has also heard cries of "Dog, Musharraf, dog!"
Let me also repeat a source of background info that I had posted in an earlier article on Bhutto....
By the way, especially for people with iTunes, I recommend the NPR: Fresh Air podcasts of interviews with journalist Ahmed Rashid, about the situation in Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iraq, particularly the podcasts for December 12, 2007 and November 6, 2007. If you do a search on the NPR site for his name, you will find other informative articles and interviews.
There is also the September 27, 2007 podcast, featuring an interview with Wall Street Journal reporter Yaroslav Trofimov, who traces the beginning of the global jihad to Nov. 20, 1979, in his book "The Siege of Mecca." I think he overstates the case a bit, but his book is very interesting and informative.
I also recommend the December 10 interview with Sarah Chaves, who previously reported on the fall on the Taliban, and who mentions, for example how Afghan warlords sometimes use false claims of fundamentalist attacks to cover their own power-grabs.
Chaves and Trofimov, in different ways, point out how sometimes the Islamic fundamentalists are not independent operators or threats, but are used by more cynical power brokers.
I also recommend Internet streams or podcasts of the public radio show Air Talk, from 89.3 KPCC in Southern California. The host, Larry Mantle, intelligently and fairly interviews guests with substantial knowledge of the Middle East, Pakistan and other areas of the world where fundamentalism is an issue. And note here that except for these programs, I don't think much of other NPR or public radio news programs.
19 - Marcia L. Neil
Dave! Eric! Say it ain't so! Internet website www.grassrootspa.com as a common cache? Is that possible -- bullets in a Las Vegas casino from the same network as an assassination in Pakistan?
20 - temporal
the talibans are overwhelmingly pushtoons!...they have a naive and distorted understanding of islam as such...and the pakistani taliban leader mehsud has been quoted many times he will assassinate musharraf and benazir...the last quote i read was from two days back
***
bush and rice pushed for parachuting benazir in pakistan and twisted musharraf's arms
with her death white house and foggy bottom will have to scramble in a hurry
***
the elections on january 8 are most likely going to be postponed
***
this is what i wrote at Desicritcs in response to a comment half an hour ago:
it is 415am there
last night there were protests and burnings in karachi, lahore, islamabad, peshawar and interior sind
if they escalate over the next two or three days they will pose a dilemma for musharraf
he cannot impose yet another emergency....martial law may be the only option...and there he runs a risk not being the army chief now...
big uncertainty
augurs bad for politicians hoping to usher in some form of democracy
21 - Bennett
Ruvy,
Your broad brushed insult of "Americans" undermines the credibility of your comments. If not for US Taxpayer support of your country, I believe that Israel would have fallen decades ago under the combined forces of your hostile neighbors.
I view your situation with very mixed feelings. I appreciate then need for a Jewish State, as most Americans do feel somewhat "sorry" for what the Jewish people suffered at the hands of Hitler, but that doesn't mean that you've can both insult and receive financial benefits with impunity.
Take your pick. Either lobby for an end to US financial suppport of Israel, or shut the fuck up with your insults to "Americans".
Cheers,
Bennett
22 - Clavos
Bennet,
"Either lobby for an end to US financial suppport of Israel..."
Actually, he does, and has; repeatedly.
AND he's an American, so he can say what he wants about them.
Jump to conclusions much??
23 - Dave Nalle
Alec, I think you may be underestimating the weakness and desperation of Musharraf to hold onto power at whatever cost. It's been the defining characteristic of his administration for years.
Certainly a hell of a lot of people in Pakistan were pinning their hopes on Bhutto. Early reporting on the riots which started even sooner than I anticipated and are worse than I imagined, is just coming in, and it looks like the country is falling apart and there's no way I can see Musharraf surviving this.
BTW, al Qaeda in Pakistan has laid claim to responsibility for the attack.
Dave
24 - STM
Bhutto promised to crack down on extremists, and that's why al-Qaeda bumped her off. But Musharraf must pocket some of the blame.
He has been trying to hold all the strings together, and now all he's got is a knot he can't undo.
That's what happens when you are too frightened of "blowback" to deal with murderous lunatics.
The classic example: what happened overnight.
25 - Marcia L. Neil
Maybe the photo of Jameson whiskey should be removed from the Home Page.