Who Killed Bhutto
And the story of how she was, in some way, responsible for her own death. In Lahore, Ahmed Rashid writes for the Telegraph/UK that Bhutto was murdered by extremists she helped create:
Even Miss Bhutto allowed extremist groups to flourish during her last stint as prime minister in the 1990s. The Taliban in neighbouring Afghanistan received support from her government, while Pakistani Islamist fighters were given backing as they tried to wrest control of the divided region of Kashmir from India.However, it is President Pervez Musharraf who has done most to undermine efforts to combat terrorism and turned Pakistan into the epicentre for al-Qa'eda, the Taliban and other groups.
advertisementToday, Islamist extremists in Pakistan - rather than in Iraq or Afghanistan - are the main threat to global stability. Since 2004 every fatal or foiled terrorist plot in Europe and elsewhere, has had its origins in the tribal areas of Pakistan.
The al-Qa'eda campaign in Pakistan is being spearheaded by the Pakistani Taliban, who in recent months have captured large tracts of territory in the Pashtun tribal belt in the north-west.
Lately, they have occupied the Swat valley, just over 60 miles from Islamabad and the centre of the country's tourist trade.
The Pakistani Taliban are now a major force in every city in the North West Frontier Province.
They are led by Baitullah Mehsud, who warned in October that his suicide bombers were waiting to kill Miss Bhutto when she returned home from exile.
Here's the conversation, released by the Pakistani interior ministry, between Mehsud and another militant, about Bhutto's murder:
Maulvi Sahib (MS): Asalaam Aleikum (Peace be with you).Baitullah Mehsud (BM): Waaleikum Asalaam (And also with you).
MS: Chief, how are you?
BM: I am fine.
MS: Congratulations, I just got back during the night.
BM: Congratulations to you. Were they our men?
MS:: Yes, they were ours.
BM: Who were they?
MS: There was Saeed, there was Bilal from Badar and Ikramullah.
BM: The three of them did it?
MS: Ikramullah and Bilal did it.
BM: Then congratulations.
MS: Where are you? I want to meet you.
BM: I am at Makeen (town in the South Waziristan tribal region). Come over, I am at Anwar Shah's house.
MS: OK, I'll come.
BM: Don't inform their house for the time being.
MS: OK.
BM: It was a tremendous effort. They were really brave boys who killed her.
MS: Mashallah (Thank God). When I come I will give you all the details.
BM: I will wait for you. Congratulations, once again congratulations.
MS: Congratulations to you.
BM: Anything I can do for you?
MS: Thank you very much.
BM: Asalaam Aleikum.
MS: Waaleikum Asalaam.
Brave boys, huh? Not where I come from. Gunning down a woman waving out of a sunroof takes some real guts for the primitives.
And finally, here's a bit of realism on Bhutto. I'm reminded of the Lily Tomlin quote, "The trouble with the rat race is that even if you win you're still a rat."
Bhutto was a rat. It's just that her tail was a little less long and ropey than those of the rest of them.
I don't know why you say they are not brave. Sure, Bhutto, as the immediate target, was no threat to them. But they will have the Pakistani police and about half the population on their case now. You can disagree with what they did, while admitting that it took guts, and hoping they are caught and punished according to the law. It's not necessary to dehumanise them. They are all too human.
Norman at December 31, 2007 1:38 AM
They think they'll get 72 virgins and all that, and then there's the camaraderie and kudos they get from their backward homeys. They get lots out of this.
Amy Alkon at December 31, 2007 5:37 AM
I think we should be very careful in our response to Bhutto's assassination.
In 1979 we basically pulled the rug out from under the shah of Iran, because he was not a 'nice guy'. Consequence: we traded the shah for the mullahs.
Now we're considering pulling the rug out from under Musharraf, because he's not exactly a 'nice guy' and didn't protect Bhutto and isn't combating extremists. And he really is not a 'nice guy', but a posssible consequence is that we'll install Osama as the de facto head of state of a nation with lots of nuclear weapons.
The last thing we should be worried about is democracy in Pakistan. What we SHOULD be very worried about is anarchy in Pakistan.
Snoop-Diggity-DANG-Dawg at December 31, 2007 5:55 AM
As I've said before, I don't believe Muslim mentality, which is collectivist and as backward as can be on granting rights to the individual, can foster or accept democracy.
Snoop is right.
And by the way, don't miss reading that Ralph Peters piece, linked on "realism." It's terrific.
Amy Alkon at December 31, 2007 6:12 AM
Yeah, Bhutto didn't see it coming. You should see the dirt she dished in the underworld http://cherylswizardry.blogspot.com/
Dr. Cheryl at December 31, 2007 11:07 AM
I suspect you have not met a Muslim that you can either like or respect.
moe99 at December 31, 2007 11:57 AM
I find it hard to respect people who have evidence-free belief in god no matter what their religion.
As far as Muslims go, I've encountered Muslims throughout my lifetime. As I said before, I thought of them the way I thought of astrology buffs -- until 9/11, and my reading since then. Now, I consider Islam not just ridiculous (how I think of other evidence-free belief in god), but dangerous and evil-promoting.
Luckily, the astrology buffs don't seem to want to convert or kill me because I don't believe the moon being in Saturn has jack shit to do with how my afternoon will turn out.
Amy Alkon at December 31, 2007 1:29 PM
Cheryl, I didn't read your comment before I posted about astrology, but this is what I call crapthink. This isn't an advertising venue for your site, or the fact that you believe in really silly stuff. Here's why it's asinine to believe in astrology:
http://www.advicegoddess.com/archives/2007/12/belief_in_a_lif_1.html
Amy Alkon at December 31, 2007 2:08 PM
"Brave boys, huh?"
Bravery had nothing to do with it. They accomplished their mission.
This in a land when kidnapping, the stab in the back and any kind of chickanery in warfare are acceptable. Including killing women and children to "make a point".
My point is we cannot measure these people by our our standards. They are doing what has been done in their culture for many hundreds of years.
Richard Cook at January 1, 2008 7:48 AM
Religion killed Madalyn Murray O'Hair.
Religion killed Larry Hooper.
Religion kills five people per minute globally.
Religion killed Bhutto.
William at January 1, 2008 8:54 AM
William just set the mark for lamest analysis.
Richard Cook at January 1, 2008 11:00 AM
You might make a side trip over to "Existentialist Cowboy". Len Hart might not look at the situation the way you do, but he's nobody's fool.
opit at January 1, 2008 4:42 PM
I took a trip over. "....the Bush crime syndicate...." Yeah...okay. No analysis there. He is still stuck in impeachment mode.
If Bush needs to be impeached for anything then every president previous has done something to trip the low evidence standard for the Cowboy. All he is talking about is indictments. The phrase holds true...you can indict a ham sandwich.
Even though I am on the "other side" I thought that the impeachment the Repubs jinned up against Clinton was a sign of Clinton Derangement Syndrome. All the Cowboy is talking about is payback. Derangement Syndromes don't cancel each other out.
Richard Cook at January 1, 2008 5:28 PM
Yeah, real brave. The first time since her return that they tried to kill her, they kidnapped a baby, and strapped a bomb to it.
Bravery and Islam don't quite fit together.
Smarty at January 1, 2008 5:31 PM
There's a lot of drive-by stupid on this thread, isn't there...
brian at January 2, 2008 4:19 AM
I see Brian is contributing mightily to the stupid quotient....
Richard Cook at January 2, 2008 10:51 AM
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