Benazir Bhutto assasinated!

[Storm]

http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/asiapcf/12/27/pakistan.sharif/index.html

This is pretty bad.....still news of it coming through

[harsha]

yeah just saw it on the news...and they had interviewed Asma Jehangir,the chairman of the Human Rights Commission in Pakistan as saying
"When will the world wake up to what's happening"

oh well....think the US and other countries are too gutless to actually do something against Musharaff and a failed state that pakistan has become

this situation could have been easily avoided in my opinion...Pakistan has become a threat both to itself,India and the other countries around the world

[Camelopard]

Yes i'm watching it at work on CNN now, (pity we can't get the BBC), anyway not good news for the area at all, will Pakistan descend into civil war or are Marsharaff's forces stong enough to put down all opposition?
Following the huge bomb blast when she arrived back in Karachi a few months ago, it seemed like only a matter of time before this happened.
Nawaz Sharif must be very concerned for his own safety now, I wouldn't like to be in his shoes.

So who do you think is behind the assassination?

[jim mcglinchey]

I thought Musharraf was coming round to her. Al Quaeda I reckon because of her pro-western slant.

[Magnus]

I saw an interview with Bhutto abt two monts ago in which she said she was not afraid of terrorists since they were not likely to kill a woman. I was surprised by her statement, but thought that she probably knew what she was doing.
It is a great loss I think.

[RaceFanStan]

It is sad when a person of peace suffers a violent death. :s


http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g202/gr8link/misc/c.gif

[Daniel]

sad. You would immediately suspect Musharraf of course but I think in a way he had a lot to lose with this. Because he is going to bear the brunt of criticism and a lot will simply turn against him. I think this is definitely a bad thing for the country. I think like Jim that it's some sort of extremist group which is neither a fan of her or the current government.

[Roamy]

yeah just saw it on the news...and they had interviewed Asma Jehangir,the chairman of the Human Rights Commission in Pakistan as saying
"When will the world wake up to what's happening"

oh well....think the US and other countries are too gutless to actually do something against Musharaff and a failed state that pakistan has become

this situation could have been easily avoided in my opinion...Pakistan has become a threat both to itself,India and the other countries around the world
So governing Pakistan was our responsibility. We are somehow responsible to this. You need to go take your medicine!!!

[Daniel]

The US has given backing to this military dictator. Funny how the US trumpets on about democracy and then supports a dictator.

[Eki]

The US has given backing to this military dictator. Funny how the US trumpets on about democracy and then supports a dictator.
Daniel, you're being anti-American.

America decides what's democracy and what's not. What America says goes. If they say a dictatorship is a democracy then it is. Just remember all those democratic leaders backed by the US, such as Batista in Cuba, the Shah in Iran, Saddam Hussein in Iraq, Pinochet in Chile, Marcos in the Philippines, etc.

[BDunnell]

Another very sad example of the pointlessness and utter bankruptcy of the concept of the 'war on terror'.

[Camelopard]

Daniel, you're being anti-American.

America decides what's democracy and what's not. What America says goes. If they say a dictatorship is a democracy then it is. Just remember all those democratic leaders backed by the US, such as Batista in Cuba, the Shah in Iran, Saddam Hussein in Iraq, Pinochet in Chile, Marcos in the Philippines, etc.

Stop it Eki, you are just being naughty ;) .

[yodasarmpit]

A very sad day, Pakistan was already on the edge.
This may be more than enough to push it over, not only that, the ramifications will be far reaching.

We may see a further partitioning of an already partitioned country, and what happens after that is anyone's guess, will the moderates prevail or will the extremists take charge and isolate the country further.

Relations with the west were already strained, and without a doubt this won't help.
I'm afraid I see dark days ahead.

[Malbec]

Sad news indeed.

I doubt Musharraf was involved, the MO is that of Al-Qaeda and its related tribes in the NW of the country. Not only that but Musharraf has an interest in ensuring that the elections in January run smoothly.

I know the Indians might not like my POV but Pakistan is best held in Musharraf's grip. He's trying to modernise the economy and extend the power of the state in a country where vast reaches are beyond government control. Pakistan needs this change.

Sometimes people put too much emphasis on achieving democracy without thinking whether its the right time for that particular country. Iraq is an obvious example. Pakistan sadly is another.

[BDunnell]

Sometimes people put too much emphasis on achieving democracy without thinking whether its the right time for that particular country. Iraq is an obvious example. Pakistan sadly is another.

I agree with this assessment. To be honest, Afghanistan can be added to the list.

[Drew]

Watching the news it's apparently obviously a terrorist, without anybody taking responsibility :confused:

[Hawkmoon]

Why is it that in certain parts of the world people seem to think it's OK to kill someone who disgrees with them?

[leopard]

I was shocked once hear this from VOA last night. For whatever reason I feel sorry for that.

[harsha]

So governing Pakistan was our responsibility. We are somehow responsible to this. You need to go take your medicine!!!

it wasn't america's responsibility,but wasn't America responsible for

1-providing arms to Taliban and Al-Qaeda
2-ignoring the obvious signs and still supporting the army regime of Musharaff

the americans should be feeling pretty proud of themselves with all the money they sent to pakistan in the form of weapons and cash being used to ferment insurgency...

funny thing is that the americans still haven't taken action against a country who refused to hand over the worst nuclear spy ( A Q Khan ) for questioning

[Ranger]

Another very sad example of the pointlessness and utter bankruptcy of the concept of the 'war on terror'.

I'll agree with that. Who decides when the "war on terror" ends anyway?? :\

This will probably (conveniently for the government) mean that elections will be cancelled or postponed.

Damn shame.

[harsha]

Benazir Bhutto wasn't the beacon of democracy and all that..she had quite a few corruption cases pending against her...

really pity the Pakistan People if she was the only credibile leader there.....

[leopard]

There is nobody perfect, massive support he had was sort of evidence that Pakistani still see her as charismatic leader.

Let the court decide what punishment suitable for the corruption cases or any lawsuit against someone, and not at the snout of the gun. I think that is what we have to feel sorry to.

[janneppi]

Apparently there was explosion in another election rally, this time in Musharafs party's camp.

[millencolin]

what a shame... well... there goes pakistan

[Storm]

Last night on CNN there was a documentary (don't know when it aired first) by Nick Robertson about Pakistan being the Terror Central.....it was frightning to say the least....did any Americans actually watch it?

I am pretty sure it would have opened a few eyes on that side of the pond about how the Musharraf regime is acting and its not exactly all lovey-dovey like Bush/Musharraf say it is and that ISI is a pain in the a@@
Which is what the Indian govt has been shouting for ages with no effect with regards to their actions in Pak Occupied Kashmir and militancy in Jammu & Kashmir

[Roamy]

Storm,

We are quite aware of the potential problems in pakistan. The bigger problem however is that the rest of the world has signed on to let rouge nations posess nukes and to allow Russia to be the new arms broker the world. So it is just a ticking time bomb and anyone 45 and under will certainly witness a major nuke war in their lifetime. Bhutto's death was very sad as she was at least trying. But in the scheme of what is going on it will amount to no more and roe floating down the Panoi River. I suspect someone will smuggle a new into country such as israel and set it off and then we will have many spots glowing around the globe for quite awhile.

The US tried but you guys voted us down so now it is up to you and the russians. I will be glad when we get the hell out of every country over there. Unfortunately that probably won't happen unless we get a third political party that wins.

I wonder how many nukes israel has because I am sure they are posed to detonate them all. But WTF the wind probably blows east. So EKI will be able to watch the world fry from a grandstand seat.

[slinkster]

I'm not going to pretend I know more about the politics of all this than what I hear on the news etc, but from what I know and heard this woman was incredibly brave and was the only one talking any sense over there. I think it's a real shame.

[harsha]

oh well...it seems that the Al Qaeda have denied any involvement in killing Benazir Bhutto which then makes the claims of the pakistani government all the more suspicious..

[harsha]

@fousto...are u denying the support that the US government gave the Taliban and the Pakistan Army :?:

[Malbec]

oh well...it seems that the Al Qaeda have denied any involvement in killing Benazir Bhutto which then makes the claims of the pakistani government all the more suspicious..

Al Qaeda hasn't made any statement regarding these attacks. South Waziristan spokesmen have, there's a big difference.

A considerable amount of Musharraf's funding comes from Washington. Please explain the logic of killing someone who was sent due to pressure from Karachi's single biggest aid donor right now. Not only that but the military government were well aware that a major death would destabilise Pakistan as it has done. If they were anti-Bhutto they would either have had her killed overseas or not let her into the country in the first place.

There is a possibility that as Bhutto herself claimed that rogue elements within the ISI wanted her dead but I suggest that the most likely suspect in Pakistan is still Al-Qaeda. She was female and pro-democracy/anti-Islamist. What bigger target could they have? And the Modus Operandi fits them completely.

Sadly you'll also find that the vast majority of Americans are unaware of the links between their tax money and the beginnings of the Taliban/Al Qaeda.

As Marcus Wolfe (former head of the East German Intelligence Service) once said it takes a special kind of incompetence to nurture an organisation like the Taliban and Al-Qaeda and then lose track of them so much that you don't even realise that they're about to pull off an attack like 9/11.

[Placid]

Seems that the parliament have a ringer who was involved and the Taliban who want to push back women to slavery. It is a nice victory for the ayatollah of Iran. The weight will come on Musharraf who is probably taking bribes and shielding Omar - The leader of the Taliban. Karzai and Musharraf are in each others throats saying that Bin Laden and Mullah Omar are in its territories.
President Musharraf said that he does not want outside help from Scotland Yard or the FBI. That gives suspicion that Musharraf is somewhat involved.

And the main issue is this. The muslim world want only the male to lead with the women left in obsurity of enslavement. Somewhere along the line Jordan's Queen Noor will take some action. This date was the exact day that Saddam Hussein was excecuted.

[Roamy]

@fousto...are u denying the support that the US government gave the Taliban and the Pakistan Army :?:

I don't think so - However since you ask - it was supporting the lesser evil

[Daika]

Benazir Bhutto has a strange idea of democracy, her son and husband has been appointed to succeed her.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7164968.stm

[leopard]

The issue of women shouldn't go anywhere to take the lead I think the opponents used to topple possibility of those which has more probability on winning than men.

We might frequently get confused over enslavement of women and the assumption of parents had the blemish when finding their children were female which happened before Arab recognized Islam as the tradition of Arab and Islam in general. And in this today's life we should consider more whether or not such assumption is still relevant.

We may need to look more at the fact that the rest of moslem populated country had also their president a woman and women hold some their proportion in the cabinet and strategic position in the governmental institution. We shouldn't see it a harm as long as they are capable.

All possibility those involved behind the death of Benazir has its own reason that political reason seems to be on top of any other reasons may logically happen. However we will do the more objective observation without cornering certain belief although they have that possibility also. I think that called fundamentalist has officially announced that they weren't responsible for the death of Benazir. So who's next and what did they do it for ?

After all, It will never be considered right treating women harsh :)