Injury From Blast Killed Bhutto, Report Says

[FourScore]

Source: NYT

Investigators from Scotland Yard have concluded that Benazir Bhutto, the Pakistani opposition leader, died after hitting her head as she was tossed by the force of a suicide blast, not from an assassin’s bullet, officials who have been briefed on the inquiry said Thursday.

The findings support the Pakistani government’s explanation of Ms. Bhutto’s death in December, an account that had been greeted with disbelief by Ms. Bhutto’s supporters, other Pakistanis and medical experts.

SNIP

It is unclear how the Scotland Yard investigators reached such conclusive findings absent autopsy results or other potentially important evidence that was washed away by cleanup crews in the immediate aftermath of the blast, which also killed more than 20 other people.

The British inquiry also determined that a lone gunman, whose image was captured in numerous photographs at the scene, also caused the explosion, said the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the report has not been made public. Pakistani authorities originally said there were two assailants, based partly on photographs splashed across the front pages of the nation’s leading newspapers.



Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/08/world/asia/08bhutto.html?hp

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Are these the same slacker sleuths who deternimed whistleblower Dr. David Kelly committed suicide?

[ck4829]

1. She was still murdered

And it is Musharraf's responsibility to bring those criminals to justice.

[terryg11]

19. EXACTLY!!

Arguing over how she died is just taking focus off of the real issue, she was assassinated and Musharraf would be taking serious action to find those guilty if he was truly for justice, which he isn't.

[MadMaddie]

2. Bullshit. They didn't examine the body. Interesting how

the hitting her head made it back as a cause of her death.

[varkam]

3. Even if she did die as a result of head trauma...

then isn't the assassin still responsible since the head trauma was a direct result of the blast?

[Bacchus39]

13. one would certainly think so, she was murdered

n/t

[frylock]

4. a lone gunman..

The British inquiry also determined that a lone gunman, whose image was captured in numerous photographs at the scene, also caused the explosion, said the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the report has not been made public.

[Swagman]

5. ah yes..that lone gunman again..from Kennedy to Bhutto..

[badgervan]

6. Wait Just a Minute.....

I'm sure that I am not the only one who watched the video of the guy hanging off the back bumper shooting into the back of her head at point blank range.... and her head jerking forward - before the explosion went off!
Something stinks badly with this "report". Hate to see Scotland Yard's good reputation go down the drain, but this ain't right.

[reorg]

7. the lone gunman must have been a genius

According to witnesses, he was apparently able to shoot from different directions and to kill several people at once.

“It is very intriguing where the bullets were coming from. It looks like the person we saw in the video footage and the suicide bomber may have been decoys, even though they caused a lot of damage. There could have been more than one sniper, may be two, three or even four,” he said. “There was cross-fire. This is one aspect that needs to be investigated.”

http://www.hindu.com/2008/02/05/stories/2008020553560900.htm
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=103x335965

[soothsayer]

8. Where's Sherlock when we need him? Even Watson could probably

tell Scotland Yard they're wrong.

[chatnoir]

9. Even Scotland Yard are complicit in this??

:wtf:

The British govt must have sth they want to protect in Musharraf.

[dipsydoodle]

10. UK police say blast killed Bhutto

Source: BBC News

British detectives investigating the death of ex-Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto say she died from the effect of a bomb blast, not gunfire.

Detectives from Scotland Yard were asked by Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf to examine the circumstances surrounding Bhutto's death in December.

Scotland Yard's account matches that of the Pakistani authorities.

But Bhutto's party has insisted she was shot by an assassin, and has accused the government of a cover-up.


Read more: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/7234147.stm

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She banged her head on the sunroof catch. Presumably they're accusing Scotland yard of the same cover-up - IMHO that's unlikely.

[wtmusic]

11. If only there was a grainy videotape

which could be analyzed for the next 40 years in a new DU "Bhutto Conspiracy" forum.

[dipsydoodle]

12. Unfortunately

there was no grassy knoll this time around.

[muriel_volestrangler]

14. Includes the executive summary of the report

Here: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/bsp/hi/pdfs/08_02_2008bhuttoreport.pdf

Worth people reading, before they just say "that's rubbish", IMO.

[SoCalDem]

15. Since they won't autopsy, they might as well say she died of scurvy

I'm starting to think that her family wants the conspiracy aspect of the whole thing to continue.. :grr:

[speedbird]

16. what difference does it make?

bomb blast or gunshot

[struggle4progress]

17. Inquiry into Bhutto's death fails to satisfy supporters (Independent)

By Andrew Buncombe and Omar Waraich in Karachi
Saturday, 9 February 2008

... Atizaz Ahsan, a senior PPP member and leader of the lawyers' movement against Mr Musharraf, ... Currently under house arrest ... said ... "Scotland Yard had nothing to go by and couldn't have come to any definite conclusion. It could only, at best, speculate."

Ms Bhutto was killed on 27 December as she was leaving a campaign rally in Rawalpindi. Video footage showed a gunman firing several shots at her when she stood up through the sun-roof of her car, before an explosion was triggered.

There was immediate controversy about her death and claims that the government was seeking to obscure the truth and possibly its own involvement. Police hosed the scene within 45 minutes and the authorities also failed to carry out a post-mortem examination. Ms Bhutto's husband, Asif Ali Zardari, said he did not require one to be performed ...

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/inquiry-into-bhuttos-death-fails-to-satisfy-supporters-780174.html

[mitchum]

18. I am reserving judgement until Arlen Spector confirms this conclusion