Benazir Bhutto speaks from the grave... along with Osama bin Laden?

With David Frost in an interview on November 2, 2007, Benazir Bhutto talks about the attempted assassination in Karachi and her dealings with Musharraf.



But the weirdest moment comes at about 6:13 or so into the interview where she talks about those who might be trying to kill her. She mentions a military man and without naming him says he had dealings with Omar Sheik (sp?) who was the one who murdered Osama bin Laden.

Murdered Osama bin Laden?

And Frost didn't stop and shout,"What did you say?"

Murdered Osama bin Laden?

Is this why Bhutto is dead?

Our boogey man since 9/11/01 is dead?

...

Then who is the poor bastard who is pretending to be Osama and giving us red and orange alert fits for the last six years? Is he Osama Smith of the CIA? The NSA? The Hollywood Extras Corporation?

...

Of course Bush and Cheney know, don't they? They had to keep Osama alive to keep the fear alive; the fear that propelled us into this unholy quagmire of Iraq and $100 barrels of crude.

Update 1/26:
An excellent and different perspective of the character of Benazir Bhutto by Adjit Hegde of Lenin's Tomb.

Bhutto was shot

Via JJ of Unrepentant Old Hippie, the horrible video of the shooting with two different perspectives.

And via Chet Scoville of Vanity Press, the fact that Bhutto's group was begging the US State Department for more security detail for months before the assassination.

So, what are we going to do about this?

Based on previous actions, absolutely nothing.

Musharraf supports democracy and respects our freedoms and liberties and stuff.... and also has socked away about 10 billion dollars of our foreign aid.



Update: Via Avedon Carol of Sideshow, Charles of Through the Looking Glass shows the history of Bhutto and her family 'dynasty'.

Modifications of the truth about the assassination

Have already begun. Bhutto was shot then the assassin blew himself up. She was alive afterwards but died in hospital. She wasn't shot, the doctors found no bullet fragments. She hit her head on the sunroof of the car and that caused her death. Al Qaeda. Musharraf. ISI.

Pick and choose, mix and match. But listen to someone who was there.

Update: Josh Marshall of TPM cites several doctors giving their opinions.

Update: Larry Johnson's thoughts.

Update: What Digby said.

Update 12/29: DangerRoom lists the many people who wished Bhutto dead or benefited from it.

Shit...Musharraf's doing?

RAWALPINDI, Pakistan, Dec. 27 -- Former Pakistani prime minister Benazir Bhutto was assassinated Thursday at a political rally, two months after returning from exile to attempt a political comeback.

Bhutto, 54, was shot at close range as she waved to supporters from the rooftop opening of a bulletproof car, witnesses said. Seconds later, a suicide bomber detonated explosives just behind Bhutto's car. The explosion killed at least 20 people, and injured many others.

Musharraf, Bhutto, and the United States

The remarkable falling out between Bhutto and Musharraf since he declared a state of emergency nearly two weeks ago on the surface dashes all US hopes for a stable democratic government in Pakistan amenable to Washington's dictates in the "war on terror".

Yet the seemingly calamitous developments - which have provoked widespread demonstrations against Musharraf's government - might in fact still fit into the US's grand scheme for the embattled country: to gain control of its nuclear weapons so they do not fall into the hands of Islamist fanatics.

Contacts close to the power circles in Pakistan told Asia Times Online that there is a feeling that the US is prepared to take "hurricane" measures to ensure the safety of the country's nuclear arsenal. The thinking goes that by changing horses and supporting Bhutto, the US could exploit the current unrest by dictating new terms to Pakistan in the "war on terror" and coerce it into allowing the US to safeguard its nuclear stockpile.

[snip]

Enter, therefore, King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia, whom Musharraf is expected to meet "soon" in Riyadh for what the official Pakistani media describe as "important discussions".

Musharraf aims to convey to the West - and to the US in particular - through King Abdullah that the Americans would never be allowed to fill any vacuum in Pakistan. Rather, chaos will play directly into the hands of the very militants and extremists the West fears so much and who have ever-growing bases just hours from the capital in the tribal areas on the border with Afghanistan.

I mean...why would Pakistan resist? We've done so well in every other country we've dealt with in that area....

Welcome home, Benazir Bhutto.

Please be careful:

Karachi, Pakistan (AHN) - Authorities now say a suicide bomber was behind the twin blasts that killed at least 126 people and wounded about 200 more just feet away from the motorcade of former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, Thursday night.

"Evidence available at the scene is suggesting it was a suicide bombing and... exploded near police vehicles destroying the two police vans escorting Benazir Bhutto's truck," police officer Raja Umer Khitab told the AP, adding several policemen died.

"We are still working details, but it seems that there was a suicide bombing there," Tariq Azim Khan, Pakistani information minister, told CNN. "The truck that Benazir Bhutto was riding on was surrounded by police cars - so the suicide bomber could not get onto the truck and could not get anywhere near it, so he blew himself up and that has caused many casualties, mostly among the policemen who were riding beside the truck."

Musharraf wins the election

But a large section of the country is boycotting the votes:

PAKISTAN'S military ruler Pervez Musharraf took most of the votes in a presidential election yesterday but he has to wait for the Supreme Court to confirm the legality of his bid before being declared the winner.

His landslide in an election largely boycotted by the opposition was widely expected but the west is keen for Musharraf to be accepted because of his support for the 'war on terror' and his pledges to rid the border of Pakistan and Afghanistan of al-Qaeda fighters.

[snip]

"This result shows the people want continuity of policy," Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz said in parliament. Doubts over whether the result will stand have fuelled uncertainty in the nuclear-armed Muslim country that is entering a transition period from military to civilian rule, due to culminate in a national election by mid-January.

If his re-election is confirmed, US ally Musharraf - who came to power just over eight years ago in a military coup - has promised to quit the army and be sworn in as a civilian leader.

Coinciding with the vote, lawyers behind a campaign against Musharraf led anti-government protests in the four provincial capitals - Karachi, Lahore, Peshawar and Quetta.

[snip]

The outcome vital to the west, which needs Pakistan's support for its efforts to stabilise Afghanistan and tackle the threat from al-Qaeda.

Musharraf's task was helped by protest resignations of more than 160 assembly members from an opposition alliance led by Nawaz Sharif, the prime minister Musharraf ousted in 1999 and later exiled.

On the eve of the election, Musharraf averted resignations by the biggest opposition party, Benazir Bhutto's Pakistan People's Party (PPP).

PPP lawmakers abstained instead, walking out before voting began, even though the party had fielded a candidate.

Musharraf and Bhutto have been discussing a power-sharing deal to help him broaden his support and clear the way for her return to politics.

On Friday, he annulled corruption charges against her and other civilian leaders, paving the way for her return on October 18 after more than eight years to lead her party.

The world watches to see if this man can pull this off.

Can Pakistan survive Musharraf?

The world is watching with bated breath:



Pakistan's Supreme Court is in conflict with the Pakistan government:

Islamabad, Pakistan (AHN) - The government of Pakistan was ordered by the country's Supreme Court to release at least 100 opposition workers who were arrested at the weekend to stop protests against President Pervez Musharraf, officials said on Friday.

Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry gave the order after summoning officials to the high court. Chaudhry is well known opposition icon since Musharraf failed to sack him in March.

The activists ordered released were seized after threatening to hold demonstrations against Musharraf's plans to be re-elected as president for another five years in a poll on Oct. 6.

Javed Hashmi, the acting chief of exiled former premier Nawaz Sharif's Pakistan Muslim League party, and several key leaders of hard-line Islamic parties is expected to be freed a senior police office, who was present during the special hearing, said on Friday.

The police officer said the detainees were taken into custody for the maintenance of public order. The move was highly condemned by the United States, a well know Musharraf ally, stating that such arrest were extremely uncalled for and disturbing. The European Union and Canada also expressed concern.

The government justified such move claiming that the opposition had threatened institutions including the Supreme Court and the Election Commission.

During Musharraf's filing of nomination for the presidential election on Thursday Pakistani authorities clamped tight security on the capital blocking all roads into the capital.

Yet Musharraf has obtained 'permission' to keep his uniform:

Pakistan's Supreme Court says President Pervez Musharraf can stand for election next week despite still being head of the country's army.

It dismissed a number of legal challenges to his right to hold both posts at the same time.

Gen Musharraf registered for the forthcoming ballot on Thursday.

The main opposition alliance say it will boycott the poll. The president is chosen by the national parliament and the four provincial assemblies.

Friday's verdict is a serious blow to opposition parties, especially as the Supreme Court has handed down a number of key verdicts against the government in recent years.

And Musharraf's opponents wait eagerly in the wings:

By announcing her return to the country a month in advance, Pakistan's former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto seems to be taking one last chance with the government.

For a year she has been talking to the country's military ruler, President Pervez Musharraf, to work out a formula for free and fair elections and the return of democracy to the country.

But talks have stalled.

On Friday, her Pakistan People's Party (PPP) announced that she would return to the country on 18 October, deal or no deal.

Even though the end result might be forced and immediate deportation like what Sharif experienced.

Meanwhile, al-Qaeda and the Taliban grow stronger:

Islamabad, Pakistan (AHN) - A soldier was killed, while 12 others were wounded after a roadside bomb hit a Pakistani security force convoy on Friday in the northwestern region.

Major General Waheed Arshad, Chief Military Spokesman said the convoy was travelling between the towns of Tank and Dera Ismail Khan when they it was attacked.

If Pakistan explodes, the nukes will be up for grabs. Just so you know....

Musharraf makes his move

Changing the constitution so he can have another term:

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (AP) -- The Election Commission announced a rule change Monday that would apparently allow President Gen. Pervez Musharraf to seek a new, five-year term while still serving as army chief.

Opposition parties insist the U.S.-backed Musharraf is ineligible to run, but the commission said it had changed a rule so that a key article of the constitution no longer applied.

"The chief election commissioner of Pakistan has made the requisite amendment, with the approval of the president," the commission said in a statement.

The rule change drew an outraged response from opposition leader and former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto. She also accused Musharraf's allies of leading the country toward a dangerous crisis by refusing to restore democracy and share power.

Let's hope Bush doesn't notice the constitution thing Musharraf just pulled off...

Nawaz Sharif deported soon after he arrived in Pakistan

As the U.S. helps Musharraf keep his grip on power. Bhutto is being brought in as a balance to prevent the citizens from revolting and provide stability, but the military will still be in complete control:

KARACHI - Pakistan has established itself over the past six years as the strongest link in the West's chain of influence in South and Central Asian countries whose internal stability is linked to progress toward Western goals in the region, especially in the US-led "war on terror".

Pakistan's military establishment has used this for both its de facto and de jure rule and for its broader strategic regional goals. Therefore, when US Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte arrives in Pakistan on Wednesday, after visiting Afghanistan, he will finalize a blueprint for a fresh and aggressive two-pronged US approach to defeat radical Islamists in Afghanistan and to nurture a new popular political leadership in Pakistan.

The major contractor of US policy in Pakistan will remain the military, which, under President General Pervez Musharraf, aims for a smooth political transition of power from civilian-military rule to complete civilian rule.

Amid much publicity, former prime minister Nawaz Sharif arrived in Pakistan on Monday after seven years in exile, only to be deported within a few hours. Lebanese leader Saad Hariri and Saudi Prince Muqrin bin Abdul Aziz were in Islamabad to persuade Sharif to return to exile in Saudi Arabia to avoid muddying the region's political waters.

The Supreme Court's decision to allow Sharif - ousted in a coup by Musharraf in 1999 - to return to Pakistan came at a time when Washington and Islamabad were putting the final touches to the formation of a consensus government between Musharraf and another former prime minister, Benazir Bhutto. Under this arrangement, Musharraf is likely to be re-elected as president, after which he will shed his uniform and position as army chief of staff and share power with Bhutto. The aim is to bring more stability to Pakistan, as Musharraf currently faces widespread popular opposition.

The real battle in the "war on terror" can then begin. Negroponte is expected to spell out Washington's aims in very clear terms to Pakistani authorities. He will provide precise targets for Pakistan to tackle, such as al-Qaeda and Taliban bases in Pakistan, and if Islamabad fails to act within a given timetable, North Atlantic Treaty Organization-led forces from across the border in Afghanistan will take matters into their own hands.

[snip]

The political endgame is expected this month, with Musharraf announcing that Parliament will re-elect him as president, in uniform, and at the same time he will announce a date this year to change into civilian clothes. A new chief of army staff will also be named.

Washington is absolutely right in including the army in its plans, despite the popular political face of Bhutto, as militants will remain a threat across the country. In fact, Bhutto will need the army to protect her and the government's security. In such a "protected" atmosphere, Bhutto, Washington's ace card, will be beholden to General Headquarters Rawalpindi and its regional games. All the same, the army will stay behind the scenes as far as politics is concerned, but it will be the only channel through which Washington will deal.

[snip]

Once a smooth transition of government is completed, the demands of the militants for a complete withdrawal of Pakistani forces from the tribal areas will be met and a ceasefire agreement between the security forces and the Taliban is likely by November.

Musharraf tries to hang on to power

By saying no:

Islamabad, August 26: Refusing to abide by the recent Supreme Court judgement, President Pervez Musharraf has said that exiled former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif would not be allowed to return to Pakistan to take part in the general elections slated for later this year.

"The government will neither allow the Sharif brothers to come back nor would they be given a free hand if they chose to return. If Nawaz Sharif is not honouring his 'exile' deal, the government will put him behind bars or send him back to Saudi Arabia," The News quoted Musharraf as saying here.

Considering petitions filed by the deposed Premier and his brother Shahbaz Sharif, the apex court had ruled on Thursday that they were free to return to the Islamic nation after seven years in "forced" exile.

Musharraf yesterday held an emergency meeting of the ruling party MPs at the Presidency here amid reports that Sharif might return home possibly by next month to lead Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz's campaign in the general polls in Pakistan.

A little bit of history to explain the animosity between Musharraf and Sharif:

Sharif came to power in 1990, running on a platform of conservative politics with the intentions of wiping out corruption in Pakistan. But his term was cut short in 1993 when the presiding president of Pakistan, Ghulam Ishaq Khan, dissolved the National Assembly and placed his own caretaker prime minister in Sharif's place. Although the Supreme Court eventually overruled this move by Khan, Sharif was indignant and resigned, leaving the way open for the election of the first woman prime minister of Pakistan- Benazir Bhutto, in 1993.

The nature of Pakistani politics is less than transparent and corruption is endemic- no matter who sits in the executive mansion. Within a few years, Bhutto had also fallen out of favor- corruption being the common parole at election time- and Sharif was returned to power in an overwhelming vote of support in 1997. This time, the returning prime minister left nothing to chance, and proceeded to alter the constitution in a way that left virtually no possibility of removing him in a vote of no confidence. Securely in his position, it was Sharif who pursued the ultimate achievement of Pakistani foreign policy: on May 28, 1998, he oversaw the explosion of the country's first nuclear device, which was an act of retribution for India's trial explosion two weeks earlier, and it was with this event that Sharif's height of power was achieved.

It was also the zenith of his popularity, for after this, it was all down hill for Sharif. Over the course of his term of office, he had fallen out with several army officers who were trying to reassert military prominence in the decision-making process in Pakistan's highest office. Sharif dismissed them all, and finally he replaced the incalcitrant generals with the one person who would orchestrate Sharif's downfall: General Pervez Musharraf.

Following the nuclear tests, financial deterioration set in as President Clinton was forced to introduce sanctions on Pakistan for its nuclear crime. As a result, it was widely believed that the military would intervene in politics, and Sharif decided to counter any such move by relieving Musharraf of his duties while he was out of the country. Having heard of his termination, Musharraf boarded a commercial airliner and returned to Pakistan, but Sharif ordered the airport to deny landing rights to the plane. Musharraf was able to contact key officers on the ground, and within hours they had successfully overthrown Sharif and Musharraf landed safely but with little fuel to spare.

Thus defined, we can now understand the animosity shared between the two men, but we must also add that Musharraf had seen to the conviction of Sharif for crimes against the state, but it was decided to trade the sentence of life imprisonment for political exile in Saudi Arabia. But Musharraf's power has since then waned- evident in the court's overturning of the sentence of exile- and Sharif is due to return to Pakistan to wide public jubilation. He has allied himself with conservative Muslim groups who are miffed at the country's close ties to the US, and with the support of his native state of Punjab, Sharif looks like a candidate to be reckoned with.

As other ex-leaders circle around:

Washington, August 25: Former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto has said that in the event of the much touted 'deal' with President Pervez Musharraf failing to materialize, she might join hands with PML-N leader Nawaz Sharif if he agrees to part ways with the Islamist Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal.

Musharraf may not last much longer, especially when the U.S. is stepping back:

Bush administration is prodding Pakistan's Pres Gen Pervez Musharraf, who is mired in political crisis, to share authority with his longtime rival and former Prime Min Benazir Bhutto; Musharraf has lost so much domestic support that administration thinks alliance may be his best chance for remaining president; many in Pakistan voice doubts about workability and political wisdom of such deal; US officials say power sharing that might install Bhutto as prime minister could help defuse confrontation in which Musharraf has already considered invoking emergency powers; say they fear that Musharraf could eventually be replaced by leader who is less reliable ally.

Just remember why the U.S. is mucking about with Pakistan... Pakistan has an active Islamic militant faction, a corrupt government, a porous border, ongoing arguments with all its neighbors especially India, and ... nukes.

Pakistan's courts reinstate chief justice, blocking Musharraf's attempt to remove him

Musharraf may not have much longer as president:

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — Pakistan's highest court dealt President Pervez Musharraf the biggest political blow of his eight years in power, blocking the U.S.-allied general Friday from removing the country's chief justice.

The surprise decision to throw out Musharraf's case against the jurist spurred new demands from democracy campaigners that the president step down, clouding his future just as Pakistan faces a surge in violence by Islamic militants.

Recent fighting had overshadowed the judicial dispute, and the ruling likely will ease public anger over the ouster, at least for now. Musharraf said he would respect the decision, but analysts said Pakistan could be in for turbulent times if he sticks with his drive to stay in power.

In its landmark ruling, Supreme Court judges ruled unanimously that Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammed Chaudhry be restored to his post and voted 10-3 to quash charges of misconduct that the president filed against the justice before a separate judicial tribunal.

[snip]

Former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, who lives in exile, called the ruling one of the most remarkable judgments in Pakistan's history and said it weakened Musharraf politically. She said the movement to support Chaudhry had become a "struggle against dictatorship, (for the) restoration of the Constitution and for supremacy of the Parliament."

There has been speculation Bhutto was considering joining her Pakistan People's Party with Musharraf in a new coalition government, but political analysts said the ruling could scuttle that idea.

"I have real doubts whether Benazir Bhutto would jump onto a sinking ship," said Rasul Bakhsh Rais, a political science professor at Lahore University of Management Sciences. "But even if that happens, it will be temporary relief because any measure by the president will be challenged in the Supreme Court."

He predicted judges emboldened by Friday's decision would torpedo Musharraf's plan to continue as military chief and get a new presidential mandate from the outgoing parliament and also block any attempt by the president to impose a state of emergency or martial law.

Musharraf has been embattled since he suspended Chaudhry on March 9, accusing the judge of using his rank to secure a police job for his son and enjoying unwarranted privileges such as the use of government aircraft.

While the government insisted the case had no political motive, critics suspected Musharraf wanted to remove an independent-minded judge before the legal challenges are made against his effort to retain power.