Al Qaeda Claims Responsibility For Bhutto’s Murder
ADNKronos:
Karachi, 27 Dec. (AKI) - (by Syed Saleem Shahzad) - A spokesperson for the al-Qaeda terrorist network has claimed responsibility for the death on Thursday of former Pakistani prime minister Benazir Bhutto.
“We terminated the most precious American asset which vowed to defeat [the] mujahadeen,” Al-Qaeda’s commander and main spokesperson Mustafa Abu Al-Yazid told Adnkronos International (AKI) in a phone call from an unknown location, speaking in faltering English. Al-Yazid is the main al-Qaeda commander in Afghanistan.
It is believed that the decision to kill Bhutto, who is the leader of the opposition Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), was made by al-Qaeda No. 2, the Egyptian doctor, Ayman al-Zawahiri in October.
Death squads were allegedly constituted for the mission and ultimately one cell comprising a defunct Lashkar-i-Jhangvi’s Punjabi volunteer succeeded in killing Bhutto.
Bhutto had just addressed a pre-election rally on Thursday in the garrison town of Rawalpindi when the bomb went off.
She had come to Rawalpindi after finishing a rapid election campaign, ahead of the January polls, in Pakistan’s volatile North West Frontier Province (NWFP) where she had talked about a war against terrorism and al-Qaeda.
Reports say at least 15 other people were killed in the attack and several others injured.
As news of Bhutto’s death spread throughout the country, there are reports that people have taken to the streets to protest the death of the leader of the PPP, which has the largest support of any party in Pakistan.
In the southern port city of Karachi, Bhutto’s hometown, residents reportedly threw stones at cars and burnt tyres.
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Deeply saddened of this news but not the least bit surprised. She was very clear on how she felt about the Taliban and Al Qaeda and yet she knew that she was largely alone inside Pakistan on doing something about it. I admire her courage and will not forget her…
December 27th, 2007 at 8:19 amJust like Sadat?
“We terminated the most precious American asset which vowed to defeat the muja”. They certainley have a crazy way with words.
Actually now this will allow the US to attack their last remaining base in the world. Border region w Afghanistan.
Another small victory. Which now opens the way for their destruction.
Just drop a Hydrogen bomb already. Get it over with.
December 27th, 2007 at 8:21 amThat clears waters up now doesn’t it?
Choose a side Paki’s
December 27th, 2007 at 8:30 amHer courage to stand up for her people is unequalled. And AQ will take credit for all the bad that happens in the region as they try to rebuild their base.
December 27th, 2007 at 9:32 amThe locals need to take a lesson in courage from this brave lady and stand and fight the AQ cowards.
Whole swaths of Asia and Africa and the mid-East are engaged in a struggle between the forces of religious extremism and modern civilization. While the US is not so directly engaged at home at the moment, the US citizens and their dem “leaders” are foolish to ignore the ramifications. The dem “leaders” think by ignoring the problem (as they did during Clinton I & II) and doing happy talk (”we’ll make the world respect us again”), this will make things better. They are sadly mistaken. Why are all the immigrants beating a path to get into the US? Because it’s the last great bastion of economic and personal freedom in the world. Sure, there’s Europe, etc., but which nation is strong enough (at the moment) to defend its liberty? Our foolish downfall is allowing lawbreakers to pass free into our nation without enforcing our laws and our borders. They will rot us from within, because most of them aren’t American, they don’t want to become American, they don’t care about America. They are cheaters who want to be handed the most precious gift on a platter–American citizenship–ahead of those who respected our laws and followed the rules. Like Abraham Lincoln said, “Shall we expect some transatlantic military giant, to step over the ocean, and crush us at a blow? Never! — All the armies of Europe, Asia and Africa combined, with all the treasure of the earth (our own excepted) in their military chest; with a Bonaparte for a commander, could not by force, take a drink from the Ohio, or make a track on the Blue Ridge, in a trial of a Thousand years. At what point, then, is the approach of danger to be expected? I answer, if it ever reach us, it must spring up amongst us. It cannot come from abroad. If destruction be our lot, we must ourselves be its author and finisher. As a nation of freemen, we must live through all time, or die by suicide.”
December 27th, 2007 at 10:08 amAs tragic as her death is, I can’t say I’m surprised. She’d had a target on her back since she got back to Pakistan, and her death is going to bring about the kind of chaos that AQ is looking for. I’m guessing they’re trying to influence the upcoming elections, much like they did so successfully in Spain.
She was a brave woman, and would have been a great ally to have against terrorism - hopefully others will pick up where she left off and not let AQ tell them how to govern themselves.
December 27th, 2007 at 10:14 amI want to add that Bhutto was a very brave woman and she was on the right side of the issue. We can only hope AQ claiming responsibility will cause a backlash–these people will open their eyes and reject the savagery of extremism in the name of religion.
December 27th, 2007 at 10:23 amLamplighter, I like both your comments.
December 27th, 2007 at 10:42 amWill this change the opinions of her reporters and supporters that were outraged at Musharraf immediately after the attack? I agree with Lamplighter that this should cause a rally of support from the people to deal with the scumbags that have been ignored by the Pakistanis for so long. Pakistan needs to just give the U.S. a broad swath of fly zone and stay the hell out of the way, that would be a good start.
December 27th, 2007 at 11:38 amIf I may … I think what we see in the “Muslim” community (in this region of the world) is very similar to what we see in our own thug/crime ravaged urban areas in this country. Over the last two weeks Bash has illustrated the thug mentality we have to deal with here when crime is committed in certain hot spots in our cities … “No snitching!” Although many within those areas do not agree with the crime(s) taking place, they are either too apathetic or fearful to counter it with assisting the police … I am not so sure we will see it in this instance in Paki either … Look how long it has taken the [sects] in Iraq to yell “UNCLE” and kick into the fight to take back their own country from the terrorists and thugs …
I don’t know how smelly Pres. Musharraf’s hands are in this (although I do have my serious doubts … the man IS NOT stupid … all fingers would aim at him in this woman’s death), and I don’t know to what degree he will continue to allow the terrorist elements inside his own country to call the shots. But I do know, if he is serious and wants to strongly dispel allegations that he had a hand in this he should now make some very big decisions about going into those hot areas with his own army … and quite possibly inviting us in to assist …
But WTF do I know, huh?
December 27th, 2007 at 2:44 pm