Assassination in Pakistan

[Ramza]

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=17638522

I'd been following the Benazir Bhutto story since her return to Pakistan, thanks to NPR. This turn of events is just awful.

But what's really insane is that the "emergency" government set up by Musherif (sp?) had her put under house arrest, apparently for her own safety (the military was positioned all around her house; no one in, no one out). She and her close friends/political allies, while stuck in that house, conducted some interviews with NPR and talked about how silly it was, and how this was a stall tactic that wasn't any good.

Maybe they were better off stuck in house arrest?

This is just too sad.

Anyone else keeping up on this?

[Dincrest]

I'll bet conspiracy theorists are having a field day with this, especially since Musharrif was never fond of Bhutto.  Cause of death is conflicting, some reports saying one thing and others saying another.  Pakistan's already a very volatile country and has been so for decades now.  This turn of events cannot be good.  In a perfect world, that region of the world should be able to deal with its own civil unrest "cleanly" but because the US has stakes in both India and Pakistan (who have been at each others' throats for decades), this could be the start of a political nightmare.

[Bloodstar6078]

I've been loosely following the events in Pakistan as well, and I was very suprised to read about her death today. This is really sad news indeed.

Cause of death is conflicting, some reports saying one thing and others saying another.

Really? What are they saying. The story I read claimed the attacker was a suicide bomber that shot her before detonating his bomb.

Edit: I just read the article in the first post and it says the same thing.

[Dincrest]

There was shrapnel.  Whether it came from a suicide bomber or a gunshot has yet to be determined.  The majority of reports are saying suicide bomber though.  However, I think some reporters there said something about hearing gunshots too.  There are just so many question marks surrounding this event.  

Regardless, the fact remains that Bhutto was violently killed and her assassination will have some pretty heavy repercussions.

From what I understand, Bhutto was given a burial pretty much right away so no autopsy was done.  That's fishy to me.

[Dade]

CNN is reporting that apparently Pakistani intelligence intercepted a phonecall apparently by an al Qaeda operative (edit: according to the news story below possibly Taliban leader) congratulating his people on a job well done or some shit.

http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/asiapcf/12/28/bhutto.dhs.alqaeda/index.html

Oh and cause of death:

http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/asiapcf/12/28/pakistan.friday/index.html