October 22, 2007

Bhutto Vows To Press On With Election Bid

Less than a week after the deadly terrorist attack on the day of her homecoming, former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto continues to insist her country is on the edge of democracy. But has her return destabilized the region even further?

In an interview that aired on the "Today Show" this morning, Bhutto told Ann Curry that she knew people would be put at risk by her choice to return to Pakistan. When pressed as to why she chose to arrive in an open-air motorcade rather than by helicopter, which could have prevented the deaths of 139 people, Bhutto said she found the question "uncomfortable." She finally responded that if she had taken a helicopter, it "means that terrorists can dictate the agenda. It means that terrorists, by threatening violence, can take over nations and destroy the quality of life of their people."

Despite her intentions, Bhutto's mere presence in Pakistan has already proved provocative to extremists. The Washington Post examines how Bhutto's return has made the political situation there even more volatile.

Bhutto has been visiting the many wounded since Thursday's attack. Her camp has questioned whether the government did as much as it could to provide security for her return. Islamabad has rejected her request to bring U.S. and British investigators into the probe.

Amid the uncertainty, Bhutto has vowed to remain in the country until January, when she will seek a third term as prime minister.

Today, she made a "symbolic visit" to the Karachi mausoleum of Pakistan's founder, Mohammad Ali Jinnah. Her convoy had been headed there Thursday before the attack.

Posted at 3:34 PM
Posted to: Asia, Pakistan, Terrorism
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