Bhutto: I know exactly who wants to kill me

[robertpaulsen]

Source: The Guardian

Benazir Bhutto today accused supporters of the former Pakistani military dictator General Zia-ul-Haq for the assassination attempt that turned her homecoming into a bloodbath.

"I know exactly who wants to kill me," she told the French magazine Paris-Match. "They are dignitaries of General Zia's former regime who are behind extremism and fanaticism."

Nobody has yet claimed responsibility for one of Pakistan's deadliest bombings, which killed at least 136 people and injured 290.

Article continues
In a subsequent press conference at the Karachi home of her parents-in-law, Ms Bhutto said she had been warned on her flight to Pakistan about a plot involving army officers and told three unnamed people were behind it.

Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/pakistan/Story/0,,2195027,00.html

[Ellen Forradalom]

1. I Know Who Wants to Kill Me

Isn't that Lindsay Lohan's last movie?

[robertpaulsen]

3. LOL! Just goes to show real life's more dramatic than fiction.

And scarier!

[Enrique]

7. lol!

[Warpy]

2. Good for her!

A lot of us smelled BS when the original story blamed the Taliban and northern tribes.

This attack was MILITARY.

[saigon68]

5. YUP HERE IS THE LEADER OF THE PACK

GANGSTER CHENEY'S WAR CRIMINAL BUDDY

[Froward69]

9. second!!!

[ohio2007]

32. isn't he they guy thaqt overthrew the general in the bloodless coup?

yeah it is. The Taliban have gone on record as stating a woman running a country is some sort of slam against what they believe in

[robertpaulsen]

8. ISI is the real power there.

They are the reason Pakistan is a terror sanctuary. They helped finance 9/11. I'm glad Bhutto is pointing the finger and shining a spotlight on ISI.

[closeupready]

10. How many of the hijackers were Pakistani???

n/t

[robertpaulsen]

14. You're asking about the 9/11 hijackers?

If so, the answer is zero. 15 Saudis, 2 from UAE, 1 Lebanese, and 1 Egyptian named Mohammed Atta, who received financing from ISI.

[closeupready]

15. No motive. Why would the ISI be interested in financing an al-qaida plot

executed by a team of foreign nationals??? Not believable.

The ISI supported the Taliban pre-9/11, but so did the governments of three states. So that doesn't say much.

[robertpaulsen]

17. Well. I guess you've made up your mind then.

[closeupready]

18. I just don't see how someone can buy into this notion that

the ISI is doing all this stuff, all over the world. I don't see sufficient motive, means or opportunity. You're entitled to your opinion, of course.

[robertpaulsen]

21. If you're genuinely interested in finding out about ISI's 9/11 role

I recommend reading a book by fellow DUer Paul Thompson titled The Terror Timeline. Everyone's entitled to their opinion, but Thompson does an excellent job compiling over 5000 reports and articles concerning the 9/11 attacks.

[closeupready]

25. Thanks, I appreciate that - I think I will.

:hi:

[robertpaulsen]

29. You're welcome.

His website is also worth checking out:

http://www.cooperativeresearch.org/project.jsp?project=911_project

:hi:

[ohio2007]

33. ISI oversaw the Afghan country the way Syria oversaw Lebanon

Some high ranking ISI /Paki officials flew out of Kabul when the US owned all Afghan airspace in late 2001. That night flight should have been shot down instead of being given the ok to proceed.

[Igel]

16. There's much less of a difference than you suppose.

ul-Haq was a big Islamizer. He introduced some of the medieval religious laws (zina, hudood) that the Taliban and madaris-grubs so adored, managed to make sure the madaris-mongers were well funded. He played tribal politics, but Islam was his tribal designation.

I'm not sure if the MMA loves dear uncle Zia, but they should: Without him the Taliban would have been emasculated, the Islamists not have years of support and encouragement, of power and the authority that they so attribute to their Allah but want for themselves. His "dignitaries" would have been those most in bed with the maulanas (possibly literally, at least with their students at least).

Under Zia the ISI flourished, and the elements that are most Talibanized and most likely to be leaking information to the pigs in the NWFP and FATA were put in power. Musharaff tried to tamp down the madaris, he tried to purge the ISI. And he ran into so much flack that the bloodthirsty dictator with absolute power failed, fairly miserable. He acted late or early--if he acted early, it was premature; if he acted late, he was dilatory.

His attitude towards the press shows how much a dictator he is. The press is freer by far, with isolated incidents, than it was under Zia, Bhutto I, Sharif, or Bhutto II. And the "incidents" that show Musharraf to be so vile are average for the good times under his predecessors. People vanish (and sometimes reappear); this is a horrible thing. But it's no worse than the best of times under the "democrats".

Note that Bhutto didn't seriously try to counter the obscurantists. She talked a lot more than she acted, and it was under her reign (under Sharif's, as well) that the Taliban elements in Pakistani society really grew, became entrenched. The MMA and other elements are concerned that this time she might actually *do* something, in addition to the ideological stigma of having an inferior person not properly disguised as a mobile black object in charge. Why might she do something?

Because it's just possible that Musharraf and Bhutto will be on the same page, and to accompany her pleasant words there will be effective deeds. This terrifies the #3 MMA. (Not that there's much of a chance of this; she's a player, has no problem convincing people to follow her higher morality than the law, so he'll be out in short order by hook or by crook because it's more important that the proper symbol be on the country than any progress be made, other than progress for her party's leadership and prominent supporters.)

Excuse me. I'm not nearly as emotionally labile as I was a couple of hours ago, it must be time for more prednisone.

[frankf]

34. Don't forget that

She is as corrupt as they come while you are cheering her on.

[Warpy]

37. Just because I'm delighted she's identifying who

just slaughtered over 100 people doesn't mean I've put a white hat on her, either.

[Eurobabe]

4. Sure it doesn't begin with a C and end with a Y?

The Deer (Quail) Hunter.

[robertpaulsen]

31. There's always some Dick causing trouble.

Bhutto has a lot more guts than Mr. Undisclosed Bunker.

[Eurobabe]

38. LOL, Dick could never stand the protesters n/t

[Enrique]

6. Zia was a statesman of world stature

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muhammad_Zia-ul-Haq

President Zia was a statesman of world stature, and there should be a re-dedication to regional peace and reconstruction to which President Zia had dedicated himself. It is with profound grief that I hear news of his death. -- Ronald Reagan, President of the United States

[Binka]

11. Gee Zus What A DoucheBag Ronnie Was

World stature my ass. Raygun just made shit up on the fly. What a tool.

[robertpaulsen]

12. With friends like that...

It's no wonder he ended up the way he did.

[fujiyama]

35. Another reason to hate that rotting dead bastard a bit more

Which rotting dead bastard, take your pick - Reagan or Zia. Zia was largely responsible for the slaughter of thousands in Bangladesh (while Nixon and Kissinger more or less cheered him on).

Fuck them all.

[On the Road]

13. So She's Indicating a Split Within the Military/Intelligence Community?

or is she saying that Musharraf is in league with the former Zia ul-Haq people and lured her back into Pakistan to be assassinated?

[Name removed]

19. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Ellen Forradalom]

20. Whoa

Easy on the misogynist pejoratives there buddy. Not taking a position on whether her return was well- or ill-advised, but the b-word is a problem.

[noamnety]

27. Thanks, Ellen

I don't like coming to a forum of supposedly progressive people, and reading post after post after post of sexist, racist, and homophobic slurs. How is that any sort of progress?

The last year here as been a constant deluge of this shit.

If there's a photo of a black woman people here who disagree with, you can bet DUers are going to post up a photo where her hair is natural, not put back in braids, or "done", each and every time they complain about her. And they don't view that as racist.

If there's a photo of a woman they don't like where the curve of her breasts is more visible, rather than hidden under a jacket, you can bet they will pick that one, so they can subtly (or not) imply she's a "slut." But, you know, nothing sexist about that.

And if they have a chance to call a woman some other sexist slur, something they wouldn't use to describe a similar man, they will, every time. Ah, but that's not sexist. No sirree. It's just special words we use for women who step out of line. :(

[Chovexani]

22. Guess she should have stayed in the kitchen, then, hmm? (n/t)

[IronLionZion]

28. I wish more women would be out there running for office and other stuff

so men like me can stay in the kitchen and cook. mmm....yummy idea...

[Chovexani]

36. I like the way you think

:D

[LanternWaste]

23. No... I think 136 people died because someone wanted her dead.

No... I think 136 people died because someone wanted her dead. Lay the responsibility where it's warranted rather than where it makes dramatic copy.

[ThomCat]

24. What does her being a politician have to do

with using sexist language?

What politician wouldn't have made a grand entrance? And how would you have described it if it had been a man?

[IronLionZion]

26. Wash that misogynistic mouth out with soap hon

There's no need to call her any names.

Dems are advised against all sorts of things. Repubs bullied and intimidated a 12 year old boy because he supported SCHIP. They do it to .....TERRORIZE...people in order to advance their political agenda. The terrorists who killed the people in Pakistan are trying to send the message that it is deadly dangerous to support her. The Republicans are trying to send the message that it is dangerous to support Democrats and health care for children.

[closeupready]

30. Interesting that you decline to blame the government for providing

inadequate crowd control security measures or sufficient street lighting (as she mentioned today). Easier to blame a boogey(wo)man, I guess.