BREAKING: Benazir Bhutto Assassinated In Pakistan--UPDATED
By Jamie Wednesday Dec 26, 2007 9:06am
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From Reuters:
Pakistan opposition leader Benazir Bhutto was assassinated Thursday in a suicide attack that also killed at least 20 others at a campaign rally, aides said.
"The surgeons confirmed that she has been martyred," Bhutto's lawyer Babar Awan said.
A party security adviser said Bhutto was shot in neck and chest as she got into her vehicle to leave the rally in Rawalpindi near the capital Islamabad. A gunman then blew himself up.
There is no word out of the White House yet, but this is a very delicate situation. It should be interesting to see how they address it. There are already predictions that Musharraf will invoke martial law again.
UPDATE: (Nicole) In addition to Bhutto, snipers fired upon former Pakistani PM (and current candidate) Nawaz Sharif, killing four and wounding 16. Sharif was not harmed in the attack.
UPDATE: (John) He is now boycotting the election.
Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif will lead a boycott of upcoming elections, even though President Pervez Musharraf met a key U.S. and opposition demand Thursday by announcing plans to lift a state of emergency.
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Oh fuck.
Ok, I'll claim ignorance - but admitting it is half the battle...
How is this a delicate situation? In all honesty - no trolling here
Bud @ 2:
Do you know how WW1 started? ;)
Let's see big bad Al Queda or Musharraf doing his usual form of democracy.
Hard to pick that one.
Imagine that... king bush and dictator musharraf getting just what they wanted for Christmas. Had to get rid of that complaining about the US tax payers money being used to impose musharrafs dictatorship on the Pakistani people didn't they.
A "delicate situation"? Well, let's talk about those nuclear weapons, in a country about to plunged into anarchy...
That might be part of it.
JohnnyThief @ 3:
Yeah... oh.
...
Oh, come on!
This has ISI writen all over it.
Call me a conspiracy theorist, but isn't the ties between the US and Musharref awfully fishy in light of current events. Anyone think our gov't might have some role in this?
she was a supporter of the US, to my understanding. They were afraid she might lead the US there.. I think that's why it's delicate.. there was a situation 'there'.. but we're still dealing with iraq...
I think the water is clearing up a bit for me.
http://www.commondreams.org/views02/0907-01.htm
I can understand being disposed of as an opposition leader but I wasn't completely clear (and still am not) about the Boosh-Musharaff connection. Hmm...
CNN.com has video running of her getting in the car and then again just after the shots are fired into her SUV and then the bomber blew himself up.
Where's Condi? Was this another development she didn't give thought to because she didn't want to creat another "mushroom cloud"?
Bhutto's supporters are claiming Musharraf had her whacked, and if he's in cahoots with Bush, that means our POTUS bought off on this...and if he tries to send in troops we don't have because they're stretched thin in Iraq...
It was just a matter of time. She risked her life by returning to Pakistan and this is what happened.
Peaceful @ 9:
No. No upside for the US in creating a martyr figure in Pakistan, not even to pump up Musharraf. Bhutto was useful in helping Bushy keep Mushy in line. The "delicate situation" is treading water between Mushy loyalists (stabiility through force) vs. Bhutto's legion supporters (Bush's alleged goal of promoting "freedom" and "democracy")
Oh, great... just what that rat bastard Musharraf needs: another excuse to declare martial law and become a dictator.
Wait... he already is a dictator.
Now I'm starting to think Pakistan is a trial run for Bush in 2008...
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21675162/
There are many similarities between him and Musharaff.
Ugh - where's the aspirin? Its too early for paranoia.
Bud @ 7:
Bud, you don't have to say you are claiming ignorance with statements like that. We all know about it!
Coffins draped in flags @ 14:
Which some my say made her a true patriot of her nation. Our leaders can't even speak honestly about our government unless there is a multi million dollar book deal involved, even then spinning for sales more than truth. You can bet if there was a real threat to their lives they would not show up in public for years.
Musharrif killed her. Bhutto did not support the current US policy. The current US policy is to provide money and military weapons to Musharrif. Bhutto is not Musharrif, and so she is a destabilizing element toward this US/Musharrif agreement.
Peaceful @ 9:
The US was never really trusted in this part of the world. Bush has only made this more so. She maintained close ties to the US (and London) so any affilitation by any world leader with the Toxic Texan would lead to their being overthrown by the people of that country in the next election cycle...or as perhaps in this case, worse.
Case in point look at how many Bush supporters world wide have lost their seats in their country's election since being affiliated with Bush's America. And has their been another bombing in Madrid since Spain unhitched their wagon from George Bush's train? We may never know how many innocent deaths Bush/Cheney are directly or indirectly responsible for but one thing for sure BushCo has made America a pariah in the world.
Peaceful @ 9:
I bet quite a bit on it.
Sweet Christ! Anyone who doesn't see or understand (or denies!) that this was a clearly sanctioned gov't hit is either grotesquely naive or an outright imbecile conspiracy theorists be damned!
boom goes london
boom parieee
more room for you
more room for me
Very interesting Bhutto got whacked. Never had democracy there or here.
Listening to the news about home price decline this morning while surfing the Net. All gave me a moment of “Time Scaling” some thing to reflect on, thinking about the past, the present, the future developing my predictions for the New Year.
The old English story about Scrooge and Tiny Tim compares to American stories that we have some in that Classic mold. When it come to Charity our cultural masters in Mainstream Media either bring out short stories like “Saving Youssef “, or, surprise returns of war patriots. It’s pretty obvious, but surprised that this year America was not bomb barded with the Jimmy Stewart movie “It’s a Great Life” that classic Hollywood model in which the citizenry bailed out the failing bank because of the drunken uncle. Or, the Jimmy Stewart one where “Mr. Smith Goes to Congress” love, the part where he blasts through opening those huge doors of the Congressional chamber, what a hoot. Curious we haven’t seen these two on Mainstream Cable. Wonder why? What if we replaced Jimmy Stewart, and gave the part to Barrack Hussein Obama. America would still say is that his screen name, what’s his real name. Obama should play in “Doctor Do Little” and walk around saying “you never have seen anything like it”.
My point in this, big money manipulates Hollywood types, and in the future Americans will examine the Ronald Reagan types and its ambitions in a very different way from today. It’s happening in “Big Screen” for posterity to watch Romney who has that neat postured Ronald Reagan hair cut be called a Phony several time over. Leading history for many, and my new personal conclusion about that era. Many were duped into voting for Ronald Reagan as I was.
Looking back and reflecting on that time one realizes it was a clever mix of the media masters, none of it had any real value, none of it. Especially the immigration policy part totally an open door, rather a door ripped of the latches tossed away buried by mainstream media for decades. Ironically, the same party that loosened the laws of our Republic, ignoring the very foundation which the Republican Party stands for “True Conservatism” which is following the law. Now, absolutely, corrupted and stuffed it with bible laws, parables, duality in meaning, and especially an Executives interpretation of the law. This totally dismisses the judiciary in its fundemental balance. The new “Huckabee” effect. Huckabee conclusions, not the judgments by the justice depart, Bush taught America, who needs that? Guideline by the Constitution, Sheesh that’s just a piece of paper.
That real Compassionate Conservatism. It’s certainly is Compassionate to a most disgusting end.
Americans are having a hard time realizing hype over real value and substance. Even Mainstream Media the imbedded master minds of political manipulation are beginning to realize themselves that they are destroying the very system they want to flourish in.
And, may, while holding their nose unanimously support Hillary Clinton for president. Sean Hannity will likely jump from the top of the Fox News Building to take his life to avoid being humiliated by hiding all of Dick Cheney’s secret classified war documents in his computer. Luckily, though Hannity will survive the fall. Rush Limbaugh will be there to brake his fall, and help him through this difficult period with his private supply of pharmaceuticals. Rush Bow’s Pharmaceutical kit of pain relieve and divine chemistry to get more loans from God.
As for Hillary, after opening up the secrets of the last years of Bush and Company, it may correlate to those ancient curses where one life maybe in danger. Be careful Hillary, they really don’t want anyone to know how America was swindled out of trillions of dollar.
Musharraf will hold onto power at all costs... if he didn't do this one of his proxies did... and the silence from Bush will be deafening...
natisman @ 18:
uh, yeah... ok. Thanks for the help, sunshine.
Bud @ 11:
Wow, are you kidding or do you just not read? I see that your posting here so you must be some what literate...you should take a minute out and learn what is going on. then it's OK to come back and play.
Dahgrostab'ph-r-i @ 28:
Hey, I admitted ignorance and I still stand by my comment. I'm still figuring it out.
Right now, Bush is in a national security meeting to decide how to handle the situation.
But first, they have to explain to him who Bhutto is. And where Pakistan is.
So now our current administratian now has another country to go to besides butar/getair/UAE.
I wonder if there is much woodchopping in Pakistan?
It's too bad though that Muscharrf will get blamed for this bombing when it clearly has the all the earmarks of Bill Clinton.
I would just like to point out that Bhutto was a pretty corrupted lady she and her family stoled a lot of money. So it's said that she was killed, but there is really no need to make a national hero out of her. She was no saint at all, but the western politicians liked her because she was a secularist.
LakeFX @ 15:
I have to disagree. In the first place you're right about no upside for the US. But that does NOT equal no upside for bush and the denfense contractor industry. And secondly if bush wanted to keep musharraf "in line" why all the secret untracable millions giving to musharraf then? Why wouldn't the White House have made that "aid" money accountable and transparent in order to keep musharraf "in line"? That's where I'm coming from. Musharraf has been propped up for years and the only one doing it was the bush administration.
There is no conspiracy. The United States has a long history of favoring the strong man over a democracy, many cases in South America and Asia prove this. Same thing with Pakistan. Why trust a bunch of different political factions to serve American corporate interests when all we have to do is go through one man named Musharrif? Besides, Musharrif speaks good english.
Musharrif has an alibi in this latest murder: "It wasn't me, it was the Taleban!"
Who cares if the Taleban is just a paramilitary wing of the Pakistani army? You won't hear anybody in our media say it. The studio in New York is a long way from Pakistan, and it is a long standing policy of American corporate media to support our governmen't support of the strong man banana republic.
there was also an attempt on the other former PM Nawaz Sharif........at the same time....
Just watched Romney speak about the blah blah blah of global terrorism blah blah blah.
I wonder if he though America should have been 'taken to the woodshed' by the world when we:
1. Assassignated President Kennedy
2. Murdered Robert Kennedy
3. Got knee-deep into Vietnam
4. Killed the students at Kent State.
Maybe Romney will invade Pakistan and get Bin Laden.
DuepefromPrague @ 32:
Was that really any different though than ear marks and lobby jobs? In the end she was the first female leader of an islamic nation, who maintained strong support from the people and risked her life. Maybe she was corrupt, who really knows. Remember the charges came mostly from the dictator that lead a military coup.
seele @ 34:
You just contradicted yourself buddy.
In other news, I just lost a million dollars because of this. FUCK
Why Are We Allied With A Terrorist?
Pawsie @ 10:
She WAS for democracy,womens rights,fair elections,....and human rights.........and more.......but it's off to work.......try to have a decent day folks...
Rawlpindi/Islamabad is under a curfew right now. Some one I know is stuck at her unversity and can't get home. Her family is waiting for word that she has gotten to a friends house. The alternative is that she has been arested. It is very tense in many ways right now.
So CNN says the WH won't even confirm the assasination. No comment coming soon.
Hillary Clinton though will be making a comment shortly regarding the assasination. Again HRC will appear more presidential and react more quickly than the republicans who have to continue to bow to Musharraf.
I thought Iraq has "made the world safer"
mudshark @ 40:
Yes but with all the intrigue of those who kept trying to oust her she could do very little for women's rights, like repeal the Zinna Hadud laws
actor212 @ 39:
Thank you!
danger @ 38:
It would be a conspiracy if there was some secrecy to the whole operation many cases in South America and Asia prove this is not a secret.
cthulu's mom @ 30:
Bush: "I thought Bhutto was the guy who kept beating up Popeye"
Glad you could find a way to bring it back to you, Mr. "Danger" ...
Joe Scarborough just stated on MSNBC that this will really help Hillary's campaign. Actually, he may be right. But no doubt the wingnut blogs will be pinning this assasination on the Clintons. Especially if chaos reigns in Pakistan in the weeks ahead.
We need competent grown-ups running our government right now and instead we have Darth Cheney and Monkey-Boy.
Pakistan has nukes and Bin Laden's friends run the security services and a large part of the country.
Happy Fucking New Year everyone!
Jay Severin Has a Small Pen1s @ 36:
DuepefromPrague @ 32:
Let's face it, this whole part of the world is basically corrupt and full of thugs. It's like Republicanism middle east style.
I heard the first news of it happening on CNN very early this morning and my first thought was Musharraff had it done. He knew she would win the election and there is no way it could have happened unless his Security Services let whoever did it past them
FUCK.
Are you sure those are current US interests?
Dick Cheney orchestrated the hit.
mudshark @ 51:
"Victory attained by violence is tantamount to a defeat, for it is momentary." Ghandi
Horrrible news.
Bhutto was no saint. I think there is a tendency to lionize her in the west but she was no friend to human rights when she was in power before:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/story/0,,2160288,00.html
A very sad day.
Clytemnestra @ 41:
If I was there right now I would be trying to get the fuck out as quickly as possible.
Bush's cowardly allies strike again.
Bud @ 57:
actor212 @ 39:
"Indeed, it almost seems he has stood four-square against our interests."
Musharraf or bush/cheney??? ;-)
god what terrible news. fanatics strike again.
Bhutto was a threat to Muscharrif's paramilitary organization the Taleban, so Musharrif killed her.
Don't worry about Romney. America isn't going to elect anyone who looks like a cross between a televangelist and a used car salesman.
...but then again, we did elect a chimp. Scratch that.
Musharraf's cooked with Bhutto's assassination. He will likely put in martial law. That will provoke massive unrest. I don't see Musharraf in power in six months. The problem then becomes: who will succeed Musharraf? We have to understand: Pakistan is in a state of civil war. If it was all hunky dory, Musharraf wouldn't be, well, Musharraf. Dictatorship is an indication of a war. Usually, it's a war of the rich vs the poor, but in Musharraf's case, it's more the military vs. everyone, as the ruling class in Pakistan is split between Musharraf and the secularists, like Bhutto.
Musharraf needed Bhutto so he could defeat her in rigged elections, and thus give himself some political cover. There are no good outcomes now. Musharraf's admin has been coddling the Islamic radicals, and now the radicals have exercised their power by eliminating their greatest competition and the voice of the democratic secularists. Now it's down to Musharraf and the radicals who will fight for power. If the radicals win, then you will have a VERY bad situation. Their relations with India will deteriorate with a fundamentalist gov't.
This is really really bad.
My predictions:
1. Musharraf declares martial law
2. Massive unrest. Musharraf forced to resign in 6 months.
3. IF no secular democratic leader comes forward to lead, civil war will follow
4. If point 3, and militarist seculars "win", then expect a bloodbath
5. If point 3, and the radicals win, then expect a war between India and Pakistan within 5 years.
6. If a secular democratic leader comes forward, and is able to clean up the military (which is clearly infiltrated by the radicals) then the war can be brought into dramatic relief: secularist vs radicals. That's something that can only go bad places...
Nuclear war between India and Pakistan in 5 years? Or the first beach head against Islamic radicalism?
Not good.
HW
Of COURSE it was Musharraff.
this cant be blamed on the chimp , hes cutting brush in crawford,
Jim @ 59:
Thanks for posting this article. I think that I am going to vomit many times in the couple of next days when she will be printed in our western medias as a champion of human rights.
I've personally always wondered if the US had a hand in Musharraffs coup. Wouldn't be the first time we've overthrown a government to install a dictator.
Bush has said in the past that Musharraf is one of his favorite leaders in the region. A man of peace and force for democracy. Bush also said that Pakistan is the greatest example of Democracy in the region. And he said all of this in a time when the White House knew that Pakistan was supplying North Korea with the supplies and knowledge necessary to produce nuclear weapons.
Musharraf and Bush are soul mates.
It doesn't matter so much what Bhutto was as what she represented to the people.
Not sure how this will play out...but I'm sure it won't be good...
Frizzlebear @ 68:
He's probably going for the Tianamen Square solution.
Weaseldog @ 73:
Bush was also the guy who "looked into Putin's soul and saw a good man".
Everybody makes a monkey outta Chimp.
Musharraf will cry in public over this, and so will Bush and Cheney. But neither the Pakistani nor the American dictator will lose any sleep over it.
Musharraf must have had a hand in it, of course -- he either knew it was going to happen but, like Pat Robertson's god on 9/11, "lifted his protective hand" from the scene OR he was directly involved in the planning. Bush/Cheney probably had no specific forewarning of it, but I think there were enough winks and nods passing between them and Musharraf that the murder came as no surprise.
Musharraf will consolidate his power, re-assume his military role (with Shrub's blessing) and get on with the business of sucking the wealth and life out of Pakistan.
May Peace by on her soul. And condolences to her family. I was in Pakistan when the military dictator who overthrew him subsequently hung him. As I recall her brother was murdered as well. May they all rest in peace.
A tragedy for Pakistan. A preview of what opponents of the Republican Party can expect? The right has always been willing to capitalize on violence to promote their interests i.e. MLK, JFK, RFK, Medgar Evers, Goodman, Cheney, Schwermer, Liuzo et al.
natisman @ 31:
Earmarks of Bill Clinton? Geez, are the wackos ever going to stop blaming Bill for everything?
Maybe Romney will invade Pakistan and get Bin Laden.
Maybe Romney's hair will move. Maybe Pakistan will invade Utah. Maybe the Mormans will discover they have more in common with the Muslims than with the Founding Fathers and their inspiration from the Enlightenment.
Such senseless killing. People in so much of the world think nothing of murdering other people for the paltriest of reasons...
How is our moderation and tolerance and even-handedness supposed to compete with the frothing fundamentalism of our adversaries?
I wish I knew...
Terrible @ 8:
I believe this is more likely the same group that's been attempting to kill Mushareff.
The intent of the attack is the same, which is to destabilize a U.S. friendly administration, with the long term goal of returning pakistan back to a Islam oriented theocracy for fundamentalist muslims
okieguy @ 19:
Okieguy, you're right. Bush slipped out of the elementary school on 9/11, after he finally stopped sitting there, paralyzed with fear and crapping his pants. And then he went into hiding. He won't even let people with so-called Liberal t-shirts sit in his audience, because he cannot handle or tolerate dissent.
Benazir Bhutto was acutely aware that so many people wanted to kill her, and yet she risked everything to try and do something positive for her country. She could have easily stayed away from Pakistan and lived comfortably into old age, but she chose to try and make a difference. We are all poorer in this world without her presence.
andhakari @ 81:
Maybe Romney's hair will move. Maybe Pakistan will invade Utah. Maybe the Mormans will discover they have more in common with the Muslims than with the Founding Fathers and their inspiration from the Enlightenment.
Maybe Romney will lead the psychlos in overthrowing the man animal government in Pakistan, and install a proper bureaucracy and get the gold mining operations moving again?
cthulu's mom @ 30:
Laughing and crying at the same time..it's Crooks and Liars I guess.
myiq2xu @ 61:
mudshark @ 40:
Interesting. She definitely talked about it, but did jack about any of it unless it served her own (personal) interest--read: $$$ in her pocket.
She was corrupt (her husband is even worse), embezzled millions from the public coffers, was convicted of money laundering in Switzerland, and likely had a hand in one of her brother's deaths, and possibly in the death of the other.
On top of all that, she was partnering with the US to try and get back into power. It's unlikely she was killed by Musharraf, as her assassination makes life very difficult for him in the short term--having to deal with questions about Pakistan stability, lack of security, "who's in control?", etc.
The message being sent by the fundamentalists is most likely: Align yourself with the US and you'll be made to pay.
Like most Pakistanis, I'm not shedding one tear. I'm sad that Pakistan has become what it has today--sadness for the situation, but none for Bhutto. She was corrupt (in more ways than one) and while the way she died was horrific, justice has been served.
BTW, Musharraf is the same, if not worse: he committed treason by suspending the constitution and replacing the judiciary. For those of you who don't know, what he did is akin to Bush putting all the liberals on the Supreme Court under house arrest and replacing them with his talking heads. I suspect someone will want a piece of him for both trampling on the constitution and for becoming the US's puppet.
Someone put a fork in him. I think he's done.
Barbra Starr still on her elboes sucking off the bush administration for cnn, your next!
Have no fear, the AWOL coke-snorting fratboy drunk is here.
The year ends on a high note for BushCo. Another sad day for democracy.
This is so bad on so many levels.
Frizzlebear @ 68, But remember it's just come out that Musharraf himself has alledgedly been using a great portion of the "aid" for fighting the "war on terror" to build up his conventional forces in the south for use against India also. So I'm not so sure about the radicals will start war with India but Musharraf won't. But I definitly agree that there are no good scenerios to the situation.
Will Musharraf start moving troops to the Indian border now?
Crisis have to follow in quick succession in order to keep the opposition off balance.
I didn't realize he'd un-invoked martial law at any point.
Not good. In fact, bad. Very, very, very bad.
nothing has changed. she was not in charge.
the purpose of getting her back into the country WAS to assassinate her, else she would have been killed wherever else she was in the world.
booshco engineered her return with musharraf. that's why they tried to kill her as she arrived at the airport. this was just the execution of Plan B.
Nothing has changed. musharraf is still in charge.
Nothing has changed. booshco's man is still in charge.
And with a curfew how would you get out?
DuepefromPrague @ 71:
She still has been more trustworthy than Hillary Clinton during her "career". http://www.tribuneindia.com/2001/20010712/2world.gif This assassination should help Clinton Joe Scarborough? Sick. Name a single reason, a single example of what that boosting factor would be! Anyone? That should be interesting.
Goddess take her to Her bosom.
Someone busts a cap on Bhutto, and six of Sharif's supporters get whacked as well. This smells to high heaven, but who are the possible players? ISI, Musharraf's thugs, the Taliban, al-Qaeda, or the homegrown extremists?
I'm leaning heavily toward Musharraf myself. Despite her faults, she was a possible alternative to Pervez, and as such posed a threat. In typically short-sighted fashion her elimination will not make things calm down. Her spokesman called her a martyr, and that will be exactly what her supporters will call her.
I anticipate a very vicious January in Pakistan.
okieguy @ 4:
my vote is for Al CIAda, they work for booscho. terrah!
More of the same from Musharrif. Only if there is regime change in the United States will his totalitarian dictatorship be dissolved.
Condi says there is a bombass shoe sale at Nordstrom's right now. Go show your patriotism and buy something. We fight over there so we can keep shopping over here.
seele @ 101:
I don't see how you get there from here.
Step 1. Regime Change in the US.
Step 2. ?
Step 3. Democracy flourishes in Pakistan.
Coffins draped in flags @ 14:
I agree that she willingly accepted the risk.
Gee, let's see, who benefits from this assassination?
Well, Musharraf's future as dictator of the democracy looks a bit more assured.
Bush, as dictator of our democracy, is probably pleased.
Rice may be a bit peeved that this could cause questions about her 'diplomatic ability', but who gives a sh*t what she thinks?
Cheney, great control freak that he is, will easily be able to keep himself from ROFLHAO during the funeral 'celebration'.
So it seems like Win/Win/Win/Win, except for the aspirations of the people of Pakistan, not to mention the dwindling hopes for Middle East peace.
Terrible @ 93:
Well unless you're a defense contractor that is. Or one of their stockholders.
Terrible @ 8:
Very true, and the ISI has a very close relationship with our CIA. Look up "Wire transfer ISI 9/11 Atta."
Ruthless People @ 63:
The Wanderer @ 99:
I don't claim to be an expert, but I do know that there are several different factions in Pakistan, including the military, the religious fanatics, the tribal groups and the secularists. Some of these groups overlap.
Like Iraq, it's a very complicated and dangerous situation. The same people who tried to kill Musharrif could be behind the assassination of Bhutto.
Bhutto was the U.S. hand-picked successor to Mushariff, who has been less than obedient in recent years.
Is it really a surprise she was killed?
YES. Because the CIA and the ISI are super-tight. It was the head of the ISI that wired Atta $100,000 just prior to 9/11.
This was done without their permission. This was a revolt against the US.
a radical plot hatched by anti-freedom, islamic theocratic-leaning, caliphate-craving, al qaeda-connected thugs????
mmmmaybe...
but, NEVER FORGET where the true money, power, influence and corruption lay.
fact 1:
(paraphrased) there are tens of thousands of army personnel working in government-owned airline and other government-owned industries. there are army officers in civilian govt. departments and government owned industries and civilian institutions of Pakistan including Universities.
http://www.pppusa.org/Corruption/28.htm
fact 2:
the US is funneling billions of dollars into pakistan. this money, with a wink and a nod, is then used to buy defense related products from the US. it is the same old story, we give money to a 'developing' country, with the assurance that the "aid" money will be used to buy from US/Western corporations.
"rather than use the more than $7 billion in U.S. military aid to bolster its counter-terrorism capabilities, Pakistan has spent the bulk of it on heavy arms, aircraft and equipment that U.S. officials say are far more suited for conventional warfare with India, its regional rival"
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/110507M.shtml
and what did bhutto symbolize? the end of the military dictatorship. and very possibly the end of the 'aid for arms' deal. which threatens not only the military-civlian structure in pakistan, but also the defense industry's bottom-line.
i would bet that once you scratch the surface, see thru the 'official story', things won't be as simple as cnn is reporting.
or so i believe.
Weaseldog @ 103:
According to the Underpants Gnomes:
Step 4: Profit.
When some one gets shot in the head or face it's Cheney.
This is another example of failed U.S. Foreign Policy in the Bush administration and its inability to face facts.
The Bush administration pushed this "democracy experiment" with Bhutto onto Pakistan too fast and without enough caution.
The Bush administration gave Bhutto false hopes and set her up to fail in a very volatile environment.
Bhutto may have been a good leader but the continued myopia of the Bush administration to gage world events allowed her to be in harm's way. In short, the Bush administration in giving Bhutto false hopes to restore a democratic regime, set her up to fail, and in the end, killed. The Bush administration should have known better, but, then again, that is asking an awful lot.
This episode is just one more foreign policy failure of the Bush administration!
myiq2xu @ 109:
Exactly. This was a "people's" assassination. Without a doubt.
natisman @ 31:
:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:
"That was the 'SHOCK' portion of our Doctrine...
http://www.crooksandliars.com/2007/12/26/mid-day-open-thread-best-books-...
The 'AWE' segment will begin directly after the break!"
AKahn @ 88:
Thanks for this post. It is always interesting to get a little from an inside view. I have read about Bhutto's and her husband in some magazine couple weeks ago, and according to what was written there her husband was a really awfull person. He was called mr. 10% for his custom to demand 10% from every deal right into his pockets.
This makes me wonder again, what would the world be like today if Charlie Wilson had been picked up after his 'hit and run' and could not get the Afgans financed. I do believe the world would be a very different place right now.
I see the shit hit fan in the near future.
Call me a cynic, but I'm picturnig someone, someplace, taking notes. "So, after assassinating the leading opposition female candidate, hav the assassin blow himself up? Interesting touch..."
I'm really anxous about what this election year is going to bring...
This is truly tragic. After having lived through assassinations of the Kennedys and Martin Luther King, I feel the same sick feeling in my stomach about the state of the world now that I did then. However, being a parent, I now worry about the future for my daughter and her children. What have Bush and Cheney wrought in pursuit of the new American century? Isn't it time now that we take a really hard look at what they have done to the world and stop them before the entire world erupts into war? Are you listening Nancy and Harry? November 2008 is looking light years away right now.
actor212 @ 39:
Inquiring minds want to know!
actor212 @ 39:
Because we're led by one also?
ConcernedCanuck @ 108:
SMAWG @ 120:
no loose ends....
She fleeced the country and split. She just said nice things while doing it. Now, she sees a chance to feed her megalomaniacal power hungry ego through unrest and tries to return a hero and take power back. Maybe she was running low on all that booty she stole and needed to fill back up the old coffers.
I certainly don't condone the assasination but please stop making her out to be some heroic and pure individual.
Terrible @ 64:
Both.
el kanuckistani @ 124:
Sigh @ 126:
Exactly! People should really became familiar with the facts before they made their judgement. And the fact is that Bhutto was corrupted politician with only her personal interests on her mind.
Is this part of Bush's plan for a safer world?
SHOCKING!
Not.
Sigh @ 126:
Here here! I think most of those thinking she was some honest, pure soul don't know anything about her.
seele @ 46:
how about collusion?
col·lu·sion /kəˈluʒən/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[kuh-loo-zhuhn] Pronunciation Key - noun
1. a secret agreement, esp. for fraudulent or treacherous purposes; conspiracy: Some of his employees were acting in collusion to rob him.
2. Law. a secret understanding between two or more persons to gain something illegally, to defraud another of his or her rights, or to appear as adversaries though in agreement: collusion of husband and wife to obtain a divorce.
in other words, plausible deniability
Yet another convenient excuse to boost oil prices! http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12400801/
King of Mean @ 130:
For us .. .remember what Lynne Cheney said at TDS?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1lY-_hxo4oY
Allies get the fend for themselves
Frizzlebear @ 68:
do you write speeches for booshco?
It does not matter if she was not pure as the driven snow.
Killing one's enemies like this, proverbially in the back when they're not looking, is evil, as was the case with the Kennedys, King, Wallace, and Lennon.
People or groups who sanction this solution are cowards to the core; they don't make humans any lower than this.
And as far as "no comment" yet from the White House, what exactly should we expect from such an administration which, time and again, has demonstrated that death is the preferred activity to win and earn a profit? Hell, they're probably trying to contain their glee at this point.
JohnnyThief @ 3:
Remember September 10, not 11, 2001. There was an assassination in Afghanistan. That's how WW III started.
Would all this have happened had Bush not invaded Iraq?
Would Iran have become more aggressive?
Would the taliban have reconstituted?
Would the Pakistan situation have been as is?
Would Bhutto have been assassinated
How about Spain and England terrorist attacks?
Do terrorists now see the US as unable to come to the defense of anyone?
Weaseldog @ 94:
Yes, what will India do if they see Pakistan become more unstable?
I have no idea what the roots of this assassination are.
ronhohn @ 139:
With regards to the attacks in Spain and England: Like in the US on 9/11, there were drills in London on the day of the attack. Guess what the drills were about: Bombings of busses and the "Tube"
I don't know about Spain, but the events in London, New York and WDC happened for a reason: They enabled the war in the Middle-East.
danger @ 1:
Indeed. First thought through my head.
A longtime adviser and close friend of Benazir Bhutto places blame for Bhutto's death squarely...
--> on the shoulders of U.S.-supported dictator Pervez Musharraf.
http://www.tpmmuckraker.com/archives/004985.php
She was a very courageous person.
her father was assassinated
and her two brothers were also assassinated
Sigh @ 126:
Yo! name a Pakistani PM that that claim hasn't been true or at least leveled at
D to the Izzle @ 134:
no excuse. just a pickup in prices that was guaranteed to happen after christmas.
Can anything good ever survive in this fucked up world?!?
cthulu's mom @ 30:
Bush thought Mushy's DOJ was just going to have her convicted on trumped-up charges.
But, as the former govnur' of the execution state, he's probably thinking this "approach" may even be more effective than Karl Rove working with Gonzo.
Bhutto was the Bush team's choice for replacing Musharraf. She was going to be their next puppet. Just another corrupt would-be dictator, who couldn't sell her own people out fast enough if it meant more money and power.
This is certainly interesting, but I seriously doubt it's anything the Bush team wanted.
The Smiths Go To Washington @ 143:
After the fall of the Soviet Union, with very few exeptions, any given totalitarian regime in the world has close ties to the US. Pakistan is not one of the few exeptions here.
When Musharraf first invoked emergency powers, I distinctly remember posting a message either here or on a similar board predicting (yet hoping I'd be proved wrong) that Bhutto would be arrested and die mysteriously while in custody. I was wrong, but not by much -- I only miscalculated in terms of timing and circumstances. It's been my thought all along that Bhutto was deliberately lured back into Pakistan under false pretenses precisely so that she could be assassinated, and there's little doubt in my mind that it's Musharaff who's responsible. Is it merely a coincidence that the leader of the largest political party in Pakistan has been killed -- and that an attempt was made on her life almost as soon as she set foot back in the country? I think not.
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