Suicide bomber assassinates opposition leader Benazir Bhutto at rally in Rawalpindi Thursday
December 27, 2007, 4:11 PM (GMT+02:00)
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| Pakistan's opposition leader Benazir Bhutto murdered by suicide bomber |
The bomber caught the Pakistani opposition leader Benazir Bhutto as she exited a campaign rally in Rawalpindi near Islamabad on Dec. 27 ahead of the Jan. 8 election. At least 15 people in the crowd were killed and many injured. She died in emergency surgery in hospital. President Pervez Musharraf is faced with decisions to reinstate emergency and/or cancel the general election as country faces violent backlash.
DEBKAfile: Twice prime minister of Pakistan, Benazir Bhutto leaves no apparent heir to lead her Pakistan People’s Party. Her death is a huge setback to hopes of stability in Pakistan and neighboring Afghanistan. As an ally against al Qaeda and Muslim radicals, Washington had pressed Musharraf to allow her return from exile, pinning hopes on her strong presence in the post-election Islamabad government for a more determined assault on al Qaeda and the Taliban than Musharraf’s flagging effort.
The Bush administration failed to take into account the number of Benazir’s enemies at home, ranging from al Qaeda and other radical groups to the Pakistan army and SIS intelligence. Her demise is a grave blow to Washington’s plans for a stable de-radicalized Pakistan and a coup for al Qaeda and its fellow extremists.
The former Pakistani prime minister survived a previous dual bombing on her arrival home from eight years in exile in October. No arrests were made. She then accused elements within president Pervez Musharraf’s government of seeking her death. No arrests were made.
At another rally led by another former prime minister, Nawaz Sharif was attacked earlier Thursday by gunmen shooting into the crowd. At least four people were killed and 12 wounded. His motorcade was three km away when the shooting occurred.
AP File Photo
Pakistani Opposition Leader Assassinated at Rally
Former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto shot in head and chest attempting to flee homicide bombing at Rawalpindi campaign rally, dies during surgery; at least 20 others killed by blast. Riots flare across Pakistan after suicide bomber assassinates opposition leader Benazir Bhutto at Rawalpindi rally
December 27, 2007, 9:20 PM (GMT+02:00)
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| Pakistan's assassinated opposition leader Benazir Bhutto |
The bomber shot Pakistani opposition leader Benazir Bhutto, 54, in the neck and chest, then blew himself up as she exited a campaign rally in Rawalpindi on Dec. 27 ahead of the Jan. 8 election, killing at least 20 people. She died in emergency surgery in hospital. President Pervez Musharraf declared three days mourning and placed security forces on "red alert" nationwide. As tributes to Bhutto and shocked condemnation of her murder poured in from world leaders, President Bush was on the phone to Musharraf, who appealed for calm, facing decisions to reinstate emergency and/or cancel the general election.
Cars were torched in Karachi and Hyderabad, anti-Musharraf protests were broken up in Peshawar and Quetta, Multan and Shikarpur was seething.
DEBKAfile: Twice prime minister of Pakistan, Benazir Bhutto leaves no apparent heir to lead her Pakistan People’s Party. She was the youngest and first female prime minister to lead a Muslim nation. Her exile began eight years ago under a cloud of corruption allegations against her and her husband.
Benazir's death is a huge setback to hopes of stability in Pakistan, a nuclear power, and neighboring Afghanistan. As an ally against al Qaeda and Muslim radicals, Washington had pressed Musharraf to allow her return from exile, pinning hopes on her strong presence in the post-election Islamabad government for a more determined assault on al Qaeda and the Taliban than Musharraf’s flagging effort.
The Bush administration failed to take into account the number of Benazir’s enemies at home, ranging from al Qaeda and other radical groups to the Pakistan army and SIS intelligence. Her demise is a grave blow to Washington’s plans for a stable de-radicalized Pakistan and a coup for al Qaeda and its fellow extremists.
The former Pakistani prime minister survived a previous dual bombing on her arrival home from eight years in exile in October. No arrests were made. She then accused elements within president Pervez Musharraf’s government of seeking her death
arrests were made. She was the last survivor of a political dynasty after her father and two brothers were murdered by a military dictator.
At another rally led by another former prime minister, Nawaz Sharif, was attacked earlier Thursday by gunmen shooting into the crowd. At least four people were killed and 12 wounded. His motorcade was three km away when the shooting occurred.
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(Aamir Qureshi/AFP/Getty Images)
Benazir Bhutto was killed in a suicide bombing this morning. The bomber shot at the Pakistani opposition leader and former prime minister several times before blowing himself up as she was leaving a rally of her Pakistan People’s Party. Bhutto was a key figure in Pakistani politics. This murder is probably the start of a new era of violence in Pakistan.
Only hours after Bhutto’s death, signs of this violence are evident. In Rawalpindi, where the attacks took place, rioters have taken to the streets, stoning, smashing and burning buildings. Police stations and vehicles have been set ablaze. Reports of arson have come in from across the country. Karachi, one of the world’s most populous cities, has completely shut down. Even journalists are staying off the streets, which are now filled with rioters. At least three banks, a government office and a post office are blazing there. Shops are closing down across the country in fear of violence. Reports say that in response, the army has been deployed on the streets of Rawalpindi, Karachi and Islamabad, though a cnn reporter notes that despite the sound of distant gunfire, no law enforcement is to be found. The situation on the ground is changing fast; the whole country has been put on red alert.
“The impact will be that Pakistan is in more turmoil—it will be the start of civil war in Pakistan,” said Riaz Malik, of the Pakistan Movement for Justice party. The Russian foreign minister echoed his concerns.
Pakistan—nuclear-armed Pakistan—may plunge into chaos. This could precipitate be one of the biggest disasters so far this century.
Rawalpindi, a garrison city, is viewed as one of the most secure cities in Pakistan. Likely linked with the Taliban and/or al Qaeda, the attacks, according to Stratfor, would not have been possible unless the jihadists had help from government and intelligence services. There exists, says Stratfor “murky links between Islamist militants and elements within the Pakistani security/intelligence establishment.”
Bhutto’s supporters blame the establishment, many argue Pakistan’s president Pervez Musharraf is responsible through negligence, though the more extreme believe he may have been behind the attacks himself. Upon hearing of her death, chants broke out of “Dog, Musharraf, dog.” A more chilling and more plausible possibility is that radical Islam has already infiltrated Pakistan’s security service.
With only 12 days until the election, the main opposition leader is dead. Her supporters blame the government, and some are baying for blood. Meanwhile radical Islam continues grow and spread. Even before this attack the government had lost control of great swathes of the country. Now they could lose control completely.
Trumpet editor in chief Gerald Flurry wrote, “Pakistan also has the nuclear bomb and could be taken over by radical Islam, with plenty of help from Iran. That means it could become a proxy of the Iranian mullahs. This would be the worst possible disaster!”
Today, Pakistan took a leap toward this worst possible disaster.
