Report: Bhutto killed in attack

[almaty 19]

good point as always sister cindi......and i hope you had happy holidays..your brother dean

[mawilson 2,133]

Here are some facts on Bhutto:

• Benazir Bhutto was born on June 21, 1953, into a wealthy landowning family. Her father,

  Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, founded the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and was president and later

  prime minister of Pakistan from 1971 to 1977.

• After gaining degrees in politics at Harvard and Oxford universities, she returned to

  Pakistan in 1977, just before the military seized power from her father. She inherited the

  leadership of the PPP after her father’s execution in 1979 under military ruler General

  Mohammad Zia-ul-Haq.

• First voted in as prime minister in 1988, Bhutto was sacked by the then-president on

  corruption charges in 1990. She took power again in 1993 after her successor, Nawaz Sharif,

  was forced to resign after a row with the president. Bhutto was no more successful in her

  second spell as prime minister, and Sharif was back in power by 1996.

• In 1999, both Bhutto and her husband, Asif Ali Zardari, were sentenced to five years in

  jail and fined $8.6 million on charges of taking kickbacks from a Swiss company hired to

  fight customs fraud. A higher court later overturned the conviction as biased. Bhutto, who

  had made her husband investment minister during her period in office from 1993 to 1996,

  was abroad at the time of her conviction and chose not to return to Pakistan.

• Geneva lawyers for Bhutto said last month they had lodged an appeal in a Swiss inquiry

  into alleged money laundering by Bhutto and her husband. The motion filed with Geneva’s

  criminal appeals court could lead to hearings in the long-running case, but not before early

  2008.

• In 2006 she joined an Alliance for the Restoration of Democracy with her arch-rival Sharif,

  but the two disagreed over strategy for dealing with military president Pervez Musharraf.

  Bhutto decided it was better to negotiate with Musharraf, while Sharif refused to have any

  dealings with the general.

• Bhutto returned to Pakistan in October 2007 from eight years of self-imposed exile after

  Musharraf, with whom she had been negotiating over Pakistan’s transition to civilian-led

  democracy, granted her protection from prosecution in old corruption cases.

• On her return, as she was driving through Karachi, a suicide bomber struck killing 139

  supporters and members of her security team.

• On Dec. 26, Bhutto vowed to fight for workers’ rights as she took her campaign for

  January general elections to an industrial belt near the capital.

Source: FT

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

Alot of peoples were looking to Bhutto to make pakistan more democratic and modern. Its sad her dream wasnt realized. I dont think anyone else wil take it on, or one who would be followed in such masses.

JMHO, if someone can do that in Pakistan, that would be great. But Benazir was never going to be the person who did it. Her history is one of political patronage and incredible corruption. She was self serving and was never going to be a true agent of change. Neither is Nawaz Sharif.

If you're looking for a real agent of change in Pakistan, look to the judiciary. One of those judges.

[chispas 0]

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

Benazir supporters take anger to the streets

ISLAMABAD, Dec 27 (Reuters) - Angry supporters of slain opposition leader Benazir Bhutto took to the streets of Pakistani cities on Thursday, from the Himalayas to the southern coast. The unrest was predictably fiercest in Bhutto's native Sindh province and its capital, Karachi. “Police in Sindh have been put on red alert,” said a senior police official. “We have increased deployment and are patrolling in all the towns and cities, as there is trouble almost everywhere,” he said. Reports said security was deteriorating in Karachi, where thousands poured on to the streets to protest. At least three banks, a government office and a post office were set on fire, a witness said. Tyres were set on fire on many roads, and shooting and stone-throwing was reported in many places. Most shops and markets in the city shut down. At least 20 vehicles were torched in Sindh’s second biggest town of Hyderabad. There were also small protests in Rawalpindi and the nearby capital, Islamabad. Protesters blocked roads with burning tyres and chanted anti-Musharraf slogans in Muzaffarabad, capital of Azad Kashmir. Police said they had been ordered to block the main road between Punjab province and Sindh province, apparently to stop the movement of protesters. Disturbances were also reported in the southeastern city of Multan, although details were sketchy. In Lahore, capital of Punjab province, Bhutto party workers burnt three buses and damaged several other vehicles, police said. (Posted @ 22:38 PST)

http://www.dawn.com/2007/12/27/benazirbhutto.htm

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

Riots break out in aftermath of Bhutto's death

Updated Thu. Dec. 27 2007 12:49 PM ET

Shyema Sajjad, Special to CTV.ca

KARACHI, Pakistan -- The major cities in Pakistan, including the garrison city of Rawalpindi, have all broken out in chaos after the assassination of Benazir Bhutto, chairperson of Pakistan People's Party.

The buildings are being torched and there are people out on the streets yelling anti-government slogans, attacking vehicles on the road. In Karachi, riots have broken out on the streets and people are leaving their cars parked on the road and walking home to avoid being attacked.

In residential areas in Karachi, such as the Defence Housing Authority, people are running around with sticks and stones, attacking cars passing by. Gas stations are being torched and there is mayhem among the groups who don't know whom to blame and what implications lie ahead for the country.

There is a lot of apprehension about what lies next and the people who are out on the streets are being motivated by sadness and anger.

Bhutto, a key player in Pakistan's upcoming election, was a hero to many. Her death has caused mixed emotions as people vent their anger and confusion out on the streets. There is also a fear that this was a ploy to delay Pakistan's democratic process.

Weddings were left abandoned and restaurant meals left untouched as people raced home and all public places closed down.

A big explosion occurred at 9 p.m., local time, opposite Park Towers, one of the largest malls in Karachi. People across the mall were stoning cars and shouting PPP slogans as terrified shoppers rush to escape.

Anti-Pervez Musharraf slogans are being yelled out in the cities. And in Larkana, Sindh, people are walking around with guns on the street. At least 10 banks have been burnt in Larkana, according to local news alerts. Buses are also being torched to block major bridges leading to Karachi's industrial areas.

The people on the streets, of all ages, are large groups of young men. Election posters and banners are being torched and an address was made to the nation by President Pervez Musharraf who stated that the flag will be raised at half-mast for three days in Pakistan.

Gun shots can be heard in Karachi's residential areas and not a person can be seen on the streets of the quieter areas. Houses are being locked and bolted to avoid attacks and no one is stepping out of their homes. With phone lines jammed and television stations randomly going off-air, people are making sure they have supplies in case electricity is turned off as well.

Even those who were not particularly in favour of her policies are shocked and saddened by her violent and sudden death and the mixed emotions can be seen on the streets where people are turning to violence as their confusion and anger prevails.

Shyema Sajjad, a journalist in Karachi, attended Ryerson University's journalism school in Toronto last year.

Edited December 27, 2007 by VJ Troll

[bhajishah 4]

IMO, AJ true of her background, however now she is older and given second and third chance, she also had the backing of the majority in PK and backing of the americas, also an old friend of our future president Clinton. I think she would have been pointed in the right direction. Most of her past corruption seemed to be @ the hand of her loser husband.

Salaam brother Dean, yup had good holidays, still have my Eid tree up. Brats came back to visit me and grandma. Husband got a belly ache. Thankful its all over. Best regards always. drop me a note when you need me to stop by and pipe up

In Islam,

sis

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

An obscure Italian Web site said Mustafa Abu al-Yazid, al Qaeda's commander in Afghanistan, told its reporter in a phone call, "We terminated the most precious American asset which vowed to defeat [the] mujahedeen."

It said the decision to assassinate Bhutto was made by al Qaeda's No. 2 leader, Ayman al Zawahri in October.

...

Bhutto had been outspoken in her opposition to al Qaeda and had criticized the government of President Pervez Musharraf for failing to take strong action against the Islamic terrorists.

http://blogs.abcnews.com/theblotter/2007/1...hecking-al.html

[almaty 19]

IMO, AJ true of her background, however now she is older and given second and third chance, she also had the backing of the majority in PK and backing of the americas, also an old friend of our future president Clinton. I think she would have been pointed in the right direction. Most of her past corruption seemed to be @ the hand of her loser husband.

Salaam brother Dean, yup had good holidays, still have my Eid tree up. Brats came back to visit me and grandma. Husband got a belly ache. Thankful its all over. Best regards always. drop me a note when you need me to stop by and pipe up

In Islam,

sis

salaams sister cindi,

i will do that..we still have out new years tree/Islam up ..my best to you and your family...dean

An obscure Italian Web site said Mustafa Abu al-Yazid, al Qaeda's commander in Afghanistan, told its reporter in a phone call, "We terminated the most precious American asset which vowed to defeat [the] mujahedeen."

It said the decision to assassinate Bhutto was made by al Qaeda's No. 2 leader, Ayman al Zawahri in October.

...

Bhutto had been outspoken in her opposition to al Qaeda and had criticized the government of President Pervez Musharraf for failing to take strong action against the Islamic terrorists.

http://blogs.abcnews.com/theblotter/2007/1...hecking-al.html

if true, theya re dumb chopf##ks and played into america's hand

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

He functions well when there's an enemy.

Which is why he gets along so well with Bush, I suppose.

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

Nawaz Sharif just announced he is boycotting the elections. I don't get that at all, unless he stays on the ballot either way and his boycott announcement is purely symbolic. This assassination guarantees that Nawaz Mia will be the next PM.

[almaty 19]

is he trying to make the election into a void and look like a sham...?

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

is he trying to make the election into a void and look like a sham...?

A sham election means Musharraf wins (by default). If Nawaz wants to be PM, he needs to contest. If he can convince people that Musharraf was complicit in her death (by neglect, if nothing else) then he wins.

[almaty 19]

wow....the cunning #######

[Saddle Bronc 124]

It seems democracy cant work in PK, their culture and beliefs is as varied as in Iraq.

It appears to work (as a whole) next door in India, where there is even more variability of culture and religion.

One wonders in a military state how the "enemies that we are fighting" according to Mushareff got so close to her in the capital city in order to assasinate her. I noticed the last time i went that in Swat and Peshawar you (women) even had to cover your mouth and nose to go out. and now the embassy spokesman says Pakistan is a liberal democracy , whatever.

I almost spilled coffee all over my desk reading that; it hasn't been a democracy of ANY kind since 1951/10/16.

Mushareff seems to let alot of unstable things go on , that is how he keeps power (ie arijits statement) Alot of peoples were looking to Bhutto to make pakistan more democratic and modern. Its sad her dream wasnt realized. I dont think anyone else wil take it on, or one who would be followed in such masses.

Well, he basically learned from Zia--during whose (mis)rule, a huge militant cadre was created for multiple purposes:

• having a strikeforce to use against India
• taking over Afghanistan, to give Pakistan "strategic depth" against India
• also any misbehaviour by militants inside Pakistan provided Zia excuse to extend his martial-outlawry

Difference is that Zia had control of all four capitols***--while Musharraf is missing one of them (Lahore) due to his ethnicity.

***The four capitols, in order:

1. Washington DC -- for moneys (foreign aid)
2. Rawalpindi (military HQ)
3. Lahore (because majority of post-1971 Pakistan's population is Punjabi)
4. Islamabad (official capitol)

is he trying to make the election into a void and look like a sham...?

Eh, that would be a typical approach of the Pakistan military since 1970 (when the country's LAST fair election was held) at least.