Benazir Bhutto assassinated

[Meadbh]

Bhutto was not perfect but she fought bravely for democracy, knowing the risks. She paid for that decision with her life. May she rest in peace.

Will Pakistan now erupt in civil war?

 

[dex]

Removed twice for currupton?
Benazir Bhutto - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

In a part of the world where currupton is a way of life; she must have been doing a lot of it or very bad about keeping is a secret.

Benazir Bhutto: Damsel In Distress

"[FONT=Arial, Times New Roman, Palatino, Times]Many cyncial Pakistanis discounted accusations against the Bhuttos as a frame-up. But all this changed when incorruptible Swiss federal prosecutors announced the Bhuttos and their Pakistan People's Party had hidden at least 20 million Swiss francs (C$20 million) made from money laundering, illegal payoffs, and, possibly, drug dealing in numbered accounts in Geneva. A Swiss firm hired by the Bhutto government to monitor customs duties was accused of having paid a percentage of their collections to the Bhutto's secret Swiss accounts. Swiss prosecutors froze the Bhutto accounts and sent their indictment to Pakistani federal prosecutors for criminal action."

So what did she fight for - Democracy or to get her mafia back in power?
[/FONT]

 

[template]

... incorruptible Swiss federal prosecutors ...

No such thing. Think: Assets confiscated from Jews and others during World War II and held in Switzerland ever since.

 

[mh]

Removed twice for currupton?
Benazir Bhutto - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

In a part of the world where currupton is a way of life; she must have been doing a lot of it or very bad about keeping is a secret.

Benazir Bhutto: Damsel In Distress

"[FONT=Arial, Times New Roman, Palatino, Times]Many cyncial Pakistanis discounted accusations against the Bhuttos as a frame-up. But all this changed when incorruptible Swiss federal prosecutors announced the Bhuttos and their Pakistan People's Party had hidden at least 20 million Swiss francs (C$20 million) made from money laundering, illegal payoffs, and, possibly, drug dealing in numbered accounts in Geneva. A Swiss firm hired by the Bhutto government to monitor customs duties was accused of having paid a percentage of their collections to the Bhutto's secret Swiss accounts. Swiss prosecutors froze the Bhutto accounts and sent their indictment to Pakistani federal prosecutors for criminal action."

So what did she fight for - Democracy or to get her mafia back in power?
[/FONT]

I have a co-worker whose parents are in pakistan.
and there general feeling is yes, she saw it as an opportunity
to grab some power. Perhaps not so much for the money (she'd already
stolen plenty). It's just lonely being out of the limelight
after you've worn the london jet-set lifestyle thin.

In any case, her demise is probably the last thing the pakistan needs.

 

[dex]

Jihad Watch: Al-Qaeda claims murder of Benazir Bhutto
Karachi, 27 Dec. (AKI) - (by Syed Saleem Shahzad) - A spokesperson for the al-Qaeda terrorist network has claimed responsibility for the death on Thursday of former Pakistani prime minister Benazir Bhutto

If correct, then this might push Pakistan to go after al-Qaeda in Pakistan.

 

[grumpy]

When I heard this, my reaction was "this headline could have been written in October when she returned to Pakistan". I admire her courage but question her sanity. Maybe she had a martyr complex.

Grumpy
​

 

[Niko]

When I heard this, my reaction was "this headline could have been written in October when she returned to Pakistan". I admire her courage but question her sanity. Maybe she had a martyr complex.

Grumpy
​

Around that time I listened to an interview with her broadcast on NPR. My thought was the same. There was definitely an overtone to the interview, suggesting that she might not be around long. I felt like it was almost inevitable.

Sad when something like this happens -- whether you liked her style or not.

 

[A854321]

I sure hope american foreign policy advisors have plans for this almost-inevitable situation.

On PBS last night, Judy Woodruff had an interesting mix of three men who knew her and worked with her. The most surprising was the older fellow who worked with her father and deeply criticized her, her family, and most all other Pakistani politicians as a thieving elite who did little or nothing to advance the status of the majority of people of Pakistani.

On the other hand, who was the senator who described her as glamorous and beautiful, as if she was just a beauty queen?

Expect oil prices to reflect the increased political instability of this region. Yipes.

 

[Ed_The_Gypsy]

Expect oil prices to reflect the increased political instability of this region. Yipes.

Allah be praised! (I work in the oil patch and energy is about 10% of my portfolio. Sorry about that. )

 

[Ed_The_Gypsy]

Radical Islamists once again win friends and influence people, winning more support for the inevitable 100% Moslem world. The Religion of Peace.

 

[Dawg52]

When I heard this, my reaction was "this headline could have been written in October when she returned to Pakistan". I admire her courage but question her sanity. Maybe she had a martyr complex.

Grumpy
​

I think I read where everyone in her family had been murdered over the years. You think that would have been enough to keep a low profile.

 

[Niko]

I think I read where everyone in her family had been murdered over the years. You think that would have been enough to keep a low profile.

It's like the scene in Forest Gump where Gump's officer said that a member of his family had been killed in every US war since the 18th century. Maybe Bhutto thought she had to keep up the family tradition??

 

[steve88]

Pakistan says sunroof, not bomb or bullets, killed Bhutto

I have a bridge for sale

 

[Meadbh]

I do think she had a death wish. Looking at interviews she gave within the past year, it's clear she believed her destiny was to return to Pakistan. Months ago, she emailed Wolf Blitzer of CNN about the lack of security and asked him not to reveal it until after her death. And she left her husband abroad with the children "just in case anything should happen". Maybe it's an Islamic thing to be fatalistic.

Pakistan has nuclear warheads, Musharraf is in trouble and there is rioting in the streets. The international community needs to tread very carefully to defuse this crisis before it becomes a global one.

 

[Ed_The_Gypsy]

Maybe it's an Islamic thing to be fatalistic.

I go with death wish. Also a sense of Destiny and rejection of rationality.

 

[dex]

The most surprising was the older fellow who worked with her father and deeply criticized her, her family, and most all other Pakistani politicians as a thieving elite who did little or nothing to advance the status of the majority of people of Pakistani.

The media tends to apply the "Priincess Dinania" syndrone to women like BB. She's a good looking woman so she must be good.

It would not be proper to apply our western way of thinking of the situation there. The "older fellow" probably had it right. It is closer to one mafia family trying to ease into another's turf rather than one political party vs another - or one idealogy versus another.

 

[frayne]

Another POV on Bhutto

THE BHUTTO ASSASSINATION: NOT WHAT SHE SEEMED TO BE

 

[FinanceDude]

The media tends to apply the "Priincess Dinania" syndrone to women like BB. She's a good looking woman so she must be good.

What looting and stealing did Princess Diana do??

 

[dex]

How about stealing the attention from this person.
Jody Williams Winner of the 1997 Nobel Prize in Peace

 

[FinanceDude]

How about stealing the attention from this person.
Jody Williams Winner of the 1997 Nobel Prize in Peace

That's not as bad as Al Gore beating out a truly worthy person for the Nobel Prize this year...........

 

[dumpster56]

So the Pakistanis go ape $hit and riot all around their country . Maybe they should find the torches ala Frankenstein the Movie and head for the western part of pakistan and hunt down al zwahiri and bin laden and the real animals that decided to have Butto killed.

 

[TromboneAl]

Could someone explain to me why it matters whether she died from gunshot wounds, bomb blast, or hitting her head due to bomb blast or gunshots?

 

[dex]

Could someone explain to me why it matters whether she died from gunshot wounds, bomb blast, or hitting her head due to bomb blast or gunshots?

I think it somehow has to do with creditability and covering something up. Of course we all know G. Bush is behind it.

 

[Pavo]

Could someone explain to me why it matters whether she died from gunshot wounds, bomb blast, or hitting her head due to bomb blast or gunshots?

Gunshots and bomb blast indicate a martyrs death. Withstanding bullet wounds and a bomb blast, but receiving the fatal blow in your own doing by trying to fall back into the limo but nailing your head on a latch denies you a martyrs death. In the Islamic world, there isn't anything more honorable and noble than a martyrs death.

The story has been changed 3 times so quickly, that I don't know who to believe. She had a way of rallying people to her, but she was unable to consistently lead the people. Regardless, I did like her and it's sad news.

 

[A854321]

The BBC had a discussion with one of her aides who said she clearly had a gunshot wound in her left skull with massive bleeding. She said there was blood all over the car, all over everyone's clothes. A simple skull fracture doesn't give you lots of external bleeding. And honestly, it would take a huge impact to fracture your skull that badly. The skull fracture story is utter garbage.

I think Pavo, above, is on to something. It would make sense that the government is trying to deny her as a martyr.