Benazir Bhutto was assassinated today, 5 shots fired. Apparently 2 struck, one in her neck, one in her chest. She was alive when she was brought to the hospital, but quickly bled to death. She had just survived a suicide bombing attempt.
Fingers are being pointed at three groups: Taliban, Al Qaeda and President Musharraf. Bhutto had come out vocally against the two terrorist orginazationsand had often complained that Musharraf had turned a laregly blind eye to those groups, not asserting the will or might involved to fight and get rid of the two terrorist organizations (or go in and get Bin Laden, who is largely believed to be in the mountains of Pakistan, nor will he allow us the ability to go in and get him)
Apparently, Bhutto was at a rally, with their elections set for January 8th, trying to get support and urge people to vote. She was becoming very popular, having the experience needed (she was a Prime Minister once) and wanting to reform alot of the country's laws, as well as get rid of the terrorists. This made her rather unpopular with some people, but VERY popular with many.
The big winners? The terrorists.... and their supporters. Possible Musharraf, but that will depend on how this pans out. There are already threats and talk of Civil War. (and in a nuclear-armed country, that is very dangerous indeed.) There is also talk of establishing emergency law or martial law.
Hopefully, the parties that organized this assassination wil be found and put to an end.
UPDATE: Apparently the current report is that the killer shot her a few times with a rifle, and then blew himself up. There are calls against Musharraf for not providing her with better security during this election.
UPDATE 2: The Opposition Party (of which she was a part) has called for a boycott of the Election. They have also called for Musharraf to resign for his failure to have any sort of control on these jihadist groups such as Al Qaeda and the "Neo-Taliban."
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Looks like she's a female, Pakistani Martin Luther King Jr. She spoke out for reform for education, health care, and against the discrimination between men and women. She might have been a good leader again and be able to change things this time. Though she did end up involved in things the government didn't like (she was charged with corruption in the late 80s and they weren't dropped until earlier this year, and even then, the Supreme Court challenged it).
It looks to me that Musharraf himself didn't organize this (either that, or he used the amnesty to make it less likely he'd be suspected), though I wouldn't put it past his party. The Pakistan People's Party had a lot of support, as did the branch-off PPP Parliamentarians.
-- quis custodiet ipsos custodes?
This is without a doubt terrorist organizations, people in power don't use suicide bombers they usually assassinate. This is a sad day indeed not just for Pakistan but the world.
The suicide bomb is not what killed her, though... it was a rifle, which is what I'm assuming you mean by "they usually assassinate."
Assassination just means murdering someone in power. That's what happened.
And what makes you think people in power don't use suicide bombers? What about Bin Laden? He's in power.
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If You Swear That There's No Truth And Who Cares, How Come You Say It Like You're Right? [Bright Eyes]
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The reports I've been getting today (I'm on Vacation, so I can watch the news networks, as I"m also sick), is that there was a shooter who fired a few shots, hitting her, then blew himself up.
So he was both assassin and suicide bomber.
The Pakistani President, it looks like, has called off the coming elections. Rampant violence and protests in the streets. Travel to and from have been called off.
But wouldn't it be considered assassination even if it were only a bombing?
As long as it killed her?
I'm asking seriously now, because I really thought that assassination was just killing someone in power.
Guess I should look it up?
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If You Swear That There's No Truth And Who Cares, How Come You Say It Like You're Right? [Bright Eyes]
http://progressiveu.org/143541-how-to-survive-the-2008-elections
as·sas·si·nate
–verb (used with object), -nat·ed, -nat·ing.
1. to kill suddenly or secretively, esp. a politically prominent person; murder premeditatedly and treacherously.
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If You Swear That There's No Truth And Who Cares, How Come You Say It Like You're Right? [Bright Eyes]
http://progressiveu.org/143541-how-to-survive-the-2008-elections
Yes forgive me Burningexample you are perfectly correct. My definition of assassination was wrong. What I meant was people in power usually assassinate in more secretive way like poison or sniper fire I have been thinking about it and suicide bombing is a perfect way for Musharraf to cover up an assassination he ordered he could simply blame Al Qaeda or who ever the terrorist organizations are.
Oh, no problem. I do understand exactly where you're coming from.
This is the first "explosive" (sorry, I couldn't help the pun.) assassination I've heard of other than what I read in political books...
The first one that is significant enough to our generation to be more than "just another suicide bombing."
What you're saying is very true... now they say they have evidence that Al Qaeda and the Taliban were behind it.
Scary.
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If You Swear That There's No Truth And Who Cares, How Come You Say It Like You're Right? [Bright Eyes]
http://progressiveu.org/143541-how-to-survive-the-2008-elections
Well, technically, yes.
However, it is important to note that this wasn't just some random kook who was off his rocker. This was, clearly, a planned event. The killer shot her a few times, then set off explosives to take his own life and others that he could.
This wasn't a bombing attack like those that take place in Iraq, where the terrorists bomb public places for the purpose of killing innocents and children.... this was a specific event to kill a possible political leader in which they disagree.
The islamic terrorists hate democracy... they hate for the PEOPLE to have a voice. When someone disagrees with them, they don't talk... they kill.
THAT is why it is important to spread democracy across such areas, so that the terrorists lose their power of fear.
Okay, I definitely see what you're saying.
I guess the fact that it was planned makes it fit the definition of "assassination" even better.
I wasn't under the impression that the bomb was just a typical, random suicide bomb, but I am glad you made it more clear.
I'm at work, so the only news I have it the same article that's been on MSNBC since early this morning.
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If You Swear That There's No Truth And Who Cares, How Come You Say It Like You're Right? [Bright Eyes]
http://progressiveu.org/143541-how-to-survive-the-2008-elections
Almost all news sources agree this was not a random
act, the assassination,
was the work of a planned act of a
specific terrorist group.
restinpeace: your funeralguy
... I know.
That's what I said :-)
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If You Swear That There's No Truth And Who Cares, How Come You Say It Like You're Right? [Bright Eyes]
http://progressiveu.org/143541-how-to-survive-the-2008-elections