December 27, 2007
Breaking: Benazir Bhutto Killed In Attack
UPDATED.
Outraged supporters of Benazir Bhutto have taken to the streets following confirmation that the Pakistani opposition leader was assassinated today, with at least one province placed on emergency alert.
Bhutto had just spoken at a campaign rally in Rawalpindi, near Islamabad, and had gotten into a car when a gunman opened fire. The apparent assassin then blew himself up. There are conflicting reports on how she was killed. Some witnesses said she had been shot in the neck and chest, while a doctor at the hospital that treated her told the New York Times she had shrapnel wounds but would not confirm she had been directly shot.
At least 15 other people were also killed in the attack, according to various news reports. "Police in Sindh have been put on red alert," a police official told Reuters, referring to Bhutto's home province. "We have increased deployment and are patrolling in all the towns and cities, as there is trouble almost everywhere."
Television footage is showing mobs of people setting fires and destroying property in the streets.
Bhutto, 54, had ended a self-imposed exile in October after reaching a power-sharing deal with President Pervez Musharraf. Musharraf is wildly unpopular among Pakistan's Islamists and democratic reformists alike, but has been courted by Washington as a necessary ally in the war on terror.
"We send our condolences to the families of the others who were killed in today's violence. And we send our condolences to all the people of Pakistan on this tragic occasion," President Bush said in a brief statement from his ranch in Crawford. "The United States strongly condemns this cowardly act by murderous extremists who are trying to undermine Pakistan's democracy. Those who committed this crime must be brought to justice."
Bush urged Pakistanis to "honor Bhutto's legacy by continuing the democratic process for which she so bravely gave her life." The president was planning a phone conversation with Musharraf later today, State Department spokesman Scott Stanzel said in an afternoon briefing.
"I found her to be a very, very brave woman with a clear vision for her own country [and] for Afghanistan," said Afghan President Hamid Karzai, who said he'd met with Bhutto earlier today. "We in Afghanistan condemn this cowardice and immense brutality in the strongest possible terms. She sacrificed her life for Pakistan and for the sake of this region."
Karzai has accused Musharraf of accommodating extremists and not clamping down hard enough on al-Qaida and Taliban fighters along their tumultuous shared border.
"Her murderers must be brought to justice and Pakistan must continue the path back to democracy and the rule of law," said Rudy Giuliani, the first presidential candidate to release a statement on the attack. "Her death is a reminder that terrorism anywhere -- whether in New York, London, Tel-Aviv or Rawalpindi -- is an enemy of freedom. We must redouble our efforts to win the terrorists' war on us."
Bhutto had escaped an attempt on her life shortly after she returned to Pakistan on Oct. 18. That bombing, blamed on Islamic extremists, killed at least 126 and wounded 248.
Musharraf was accused of failing to provide sufficient protection for Bhutto. In a letter dated Oct. 24, Sens. Joseph Biden, Joe Lieberman and Patrick Leahy implored Musharraf to beef up her security detail.
"The failure to protect Ms. Bhutto raises a lot of hard questions for the government and security services that must be answered," Biden said today. He is the chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee and a Democratic candidate for president.
The former prime minister, still incredibly popular in her Pakistan People's Party (PPP), had vowed on her return to protect her country from Islamic extremists and from Musharraf, whom she viewed as a dictator. The two engaged in a tug-of-war over when Musharraf would step down as head of the Pakistani military, which he finally did late last month but not before taking the extraordinary steps of suspending the constitution and imposing martial law.
According to reports, Musharraf appealed for calm in a brief TV statement, and announced three days of official mourning.
Bhutto's assassination will undoubtedly exacerbate an already precarious situation in Pakistan. Nawaz Sharif, another former prime minister and fellow Musharraf foe, has been barred from the Jan. 8 election, but he could rally anti-Musharraf forces in time for the vote. It is not clear how Musharraf hangs on to power without yet more extraconstitutional measures.
Because Pakistan is a nuclear-armed country within reach of al-Qaida and the Taliban, the ripple effects of this crisis are potentially quite serious. India, also a nuclear power and a rival, has reason for immediate concern if Pakistan destabilizes further. News of Bhutto's death sent investors running toward gold, a safe-haven commodity.
The White House, which was already agonizing over its relationship with Musharraf, cannot risk chaos in Islamabad and will have to consider direct intervention.
"We will have to devote a lot of effort to make sure things don't" worsen in the region, said Sen. John McCain, speaking to supporters at a campaign stop.
Democratic presidential candidate Bill Richardson, a former U.N. ambassador, called for Bush to break with Musharraf once and for all.
"President Bush should press Musharraf to step aside, and a broad-based coalition government, consisting of all the democratic parties, should be formed immediately. Until this happens, we should suspend military aid to the Pakistani government," Richardson said. "It is in the interests of the U.S. that there be a democratic Pakistan that relentlessly hunts down terrorists. Musharraf has failed, and his attempts to cling to power are destabilizing his country. He must go."
The Jan. 8 election is now widely expected to be postponed. Stanzel said the White House would not advise Islamabad on how to proceed, but would offer assistance. Asked whether the administration was changing its attitude toward Musharraf, Stanzel said that "Pakistan has been an ally in the war on terror" and that "the president looks forward to his conversation with President Musharraf."
Pakistani officials would not say if Bhutto would be afforded a state funeral, though the prospect seems likely. The Pakistani ambassador to the U.S. said he was "almost 90 percent sure" that Islamic extremists were behind the assassination, and that he expected the government would launch an investigation.
"This should firm up Pakistan's resolve to fight terrorism and extremists. We will keep democracy going in Pakistan," said Mahmud Ali Durrani, speaking to reporters outside the embassy in Washington.
That may be, but the U.S. and the West are wary of a truly democratic election in Pakistan, fearing a repeat of Hamas' surprise victory in the Palestinian territories.
The Politicker has compiled more candidates' reactions, while AP has statements from world leaders. The Guardian and the New York Times have obituaries, while Der Spiegel has a photo essay of Bhutto's life. Slate has re-posted Bhutto's "Diary" entries from 1997, and the Christian Science Monitor is linking to audio of two recent interviews with the former PM.
Posted at 12:52 PM
Posted to:
Al-Qaida, Asia, Bill Richardson, Bush Administration, Campaigns, Democrats, John McCain, Nuclear Weapons, Pakistan, President Bush, Republicans, Rudy Giuliani, Terrorism, WH 2008
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