Muere Benazir Bhutto en un atentado suicida en Pakistán

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22406555/?GT1=10645

BREAKING NEWS
MSNBC News Services
updated 1:51 p.m. ET Dec. 27, 2007
RAWALPINDI, Pakistan - Pakistan opposition leader Benazir Bhutto was assassinated Thursday in a suicide bombing that also killed at least 20 others and plunged the nuclear-armed country into chaos ahead of a general election she had hoped to win.

The death of the charismatic former prime minister created fears of mass protests and an eruption of violence across the volatile south Asian nation, which also is a hotbed for Muslim extremists.

Pakistani troops were put on "red alert" across the country as President Pervez Musharraf blamed terrorists for Bhutto's death and said he would redouble his efforts to fight them.

"I want to express my resolve and seek the cooperation from the entire nation and we will not rest until we eliminate these terrorists and root them out," he said in a nationally televised speech. He announced three days of mourning for her across the country.

In the United States, President Bush demanded that those responsible be brought to justice, calling them “murderous extremists who are trying to undermine Pakistan’s democracy.”

White House spokesman Scott Stanzel said it was too soon to say who was responsible.

"Whoever perpetrated this attack is an enemy of democracy and has used a tactic that al-Qaida is very familiar with, and that is suicide bombing and the taking of innocent life to try to disrupt the democratic process," Stanzel said.

Stanzel said an open review of the assassination was crucial for the long-term prospects of democracy in Pakistan. He would not get specific about what role, if any, the United States would play but stressed that the United States considers Pakistan a close ally.

Bhutto supporters enraged
Bhutto's supporters erupted in anger and grief after her death, attacking police and burning tires and election campaign posters in several cities. At the hospital where she died, some smashed glass and wailed, chanting slogans against Musharraf.

"At 6:16 p.m. she expired," said Wasif Ali Khan, a member of Bhutto's party who was at Rawalpindi General Hospital where she was taken after the attack.

“She has been martyred,” added party official Rehman Malik. Bhutto was 54.

A party security adviser said Bhutto was shot in the neck and chest as she got into her vehicle, then the gunman blew himself up.

An Associated Press reporter at the scene of the bombing could see body parts and flesh scattered at the back gate of the park where Bhutto had spoken. He counted about 20 bodies, including police, and could see many other wounded people.

The road outside was stained with blood. People screamed for ambulances. Others gave water to the wounded lying in the street.

The clothing of some of the victims was shredded and people put party flags over their bodies.

Security had been tight, with hundreds of riot police manning security checkpoints with metal detectors around what was Bhutto's first campaign rally since returning from exile two months ago.

Bhutto had planned an earlier rally in the city, but Musharraf forced her to cancel it, citing security fears. In October, suicide bombers struck a parade celebrating Bhutto’s return, killing more than 140 people in the southern city of Karachi.

Musharraf mulling elections
Parties across the country were stepping up campaigning for the Jan. 8 elections after a Muslim holiday late last week and a holiday on Tuesday for the birthday of Pakistan’s founder and revered first leader, Mohammad Ali Jinnah.

Musharraf convened an emergency meeting with his senior staff where they were expected to discuss whether to postpone the elections, an official at the Interior Ministry said, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the talks.

Western allies had hoped the elections will restore stability in a nuclear-armed country vital to their battle against Islamist militancy. The three-way race had pitted Bhutto against the party of another former prime minister, Nawaz Sharif, and a party that backs Musharraf, who took power in a 1999 coup.

Sharif and Bhutto had talked of an alliance, and Sharif on Thursday spoke to Bhutto supporters outside the hospital, saying: "Benazir Bhutto was also my sister, and I will be with you to take the revenge for her death. Don't feel alone. I am with you. We will take the revenge on the rulers."

Sharif later said his party would boycott the elections, which are for provincial parliaments and for a National Assembly from which a prime minister and a government will be drawn. It was not clear if they would still be held on schedule.


http://www.guardian.co.uk/pakistan/Story/0,,2232459,00.html

Benazir Bhutto assassinated at rally


· Musharraf announces three days of mourning
· Sharif party to boycott Pakistan elections
· Violent protests break out across country

Allegra Stratton and agencies
Thursday December 27, 2007
Guardian Unlimited

Pakistan was plunged into deeper political turmoil today after the assassination of the former prime minister and main opposition leader, Benazir Bhutto, in a suicide attack.

As he confronted a situation that threatened to spiral out of control, President Pervez Musharraf condemned the attack as the work of terrorists and appealed for calm.

"This is the work of those terrorists with whom we are engaged in war," he told Pakistan state TV. "I have been saying that the nation faces the greatest threats from these terrorists. Today after this tragic incident, I want to express my firm resolve."

Article continues
Musharraf announced three days of national mourning during which the Pakistani flag will fly at half-mast.

In the immediate aftermath of the attack, the president convened an emergency meeting to discuss the government's reaction. Unnamed sources told the Associated Press news agency that the discussions included whether or not to proceed as planned with January's parliamentary elections.

The US president, George Bush, broke off his holiday at Camp David to condemn the killing of Bhutto, who was the first woman to lead a Muslim state. Bhutto's death marks a severe blow for the US, which had encouraged Bhutto to return from exile and share power with Musharraf.

"The United States strongly condemns this cowardly act by murderous extremists who are trying to undermine Pakistan's democracy," Bush said, adding that those responsible for Bhutto's death "must be brought to justice".

Bhutto was killed as her jeep pulled away from an election rally in Rawalpindi. Standing up in an open-top jeep, she presented a clear target.

Eyewitnesses spoke of hearing gunshots followed by a bomb blast. Bhutto's security adviser, Rehman Malik, said the former PM was shot in the chest and neck. Conflicting reports from Pakistan's interior ministry said Bhutto was killed by the suicide bomber's collision with her jeep.

Bhutto was rushed to hospital for emergency surgery but is reported to have died on the journey at 6.16pm local time (1.16pm GMT). At least 20 others were killed in the attack.

Announcing the death of the Pakistan People's party (PPP) leader outside the hospital, Bhutto's lawyer said: "The surgeons confirmed that she has been martyred."

Bhutto's supporters at the hospital wept, smashed the glass doors and started fires around the hospital periphery. Some were heard to shout "dog, Musharraf, dog" and "killer Musharraf".

Her long-time political rival and former prime minister Nawaz Sharif went straight to Bhutto's bedside. Bhutto and Sharif had been attempting to form a united front.

In a statement, Sharif referred to her as a "sister" and said he "shared the grief of the entire nation". He later demanded Musharraf resign immediately.

"The holding of fair and free elections is not possible in the presence of Pervez Musharraf. After the killing of Benazir Bhutto, I announce that the Pakistan Muslim League-N will boycott the elections," he said.

Members of other opposition parties said her death could trigger civil war.

In Karachi, shop owners quickly closed their businesses as protesters set tyres on fire on the roads, torched several vehicles and burned a petrol station, said Fayyaz Leghri, a local police official. Gunmen shot and wounded two police officers, he said.

One man was killed in a shootout between police and protesters in Tando Allahyar, a town 120 miles north of Karachi, said the mayor, Kanwar Naveed. In the town of Tando Jam, protesters forced passengers to get out of a train and then set it on fire.

Violence also broke out in Lahore, Multan, Peshawar and many other parts of Pakistan, where Bhutto's supporters burned banks, state-run grocery stores and private shops. Some set fire to the election offices of the ruling party, according to Pakistani media.

The violence came at the height of campaigning by opposition leaders. Hours before the assassination, clashes between Sharif supporters and pro-government supporters at a separate rally saw four people killed and three wounded.

As soon as the government learned of Bhutto's assassination it convened an informal discussion on whether or not to go ahead with January's elections as planned. Holding the elections as planned was something for which Bhutto had campaigned hard.

The United Nations announced it was convening an emergency meeting concerning the assassination.

The British foreign secretary, David Miliband, called for "restraint but also unity" as he expressed his shock at Bhutto's death.

"All those committed to a stable future for Pakistan will condemn without qualification all violence perpetrated against innocent people," he said. "In targeting Benazir Bhutto extremist groups have in their sights all those committed to democratic processes in Pakistan. They cannot and must not succeed."

Malik, Bhutto's security adviser, questioned the adequacy of protection for Bhutto.

"We repeatedly informed the government to provide her proper security and appropriate equipment including jammers, but they paid no heed to our requests," he said.

It appears the Musharraf government had been considering ways to strengthen her security, and it forced Bhutto's PPP to cancel a rally in Rawalpindi in November due to security fears.

Today's Rawalpindi rally only went ahead after hundreds of riot police had set up security checkpoints. Rawalpindi is a so-called garrison city and popularly regarded as one of the most secure cities in Pakistan.

On Bhutto's return to the country in October after eight years in exile, a local Taliban leader threatened to unleash a series of suicide attacks.

Although today's attacks bore the hallmarks of Islamist opponents to the moderate Bhutto, critics attacked Musharraf.

In Rawalpindi, grieving supporters tore down the posters of Musharraf's ruling party and attacked police, who fled from the scene. Angry supporters also took to the streets in Peshawar, while in Karachi shop owners quickly closed for business as activists from Bhutto's party burned tyres on the roads.

The assassination came two months after more than 140 people were killed when suicide bombers struck a parade celebrating Bhutto's return from exile in the southern city of Karachi.


http://news.independent.co.uk/world/asia/article3287311.ece

Benazir Bhutto killed in attack
AP
Published: 27 December 2007

Pakistani opposition leader Benazir Bhutto was assassinated in a suicide attack today as she drove away from a campaign rally just minutes after addressing thousands of supporters.

The death of the charismatic former prime minister threw the campaign for the 8 January election into chaos and stirred fears of mass protests and a wave of violence that had already erupted by the evening. President Pervez Musharraf blamed Islamic terrorists for the killing.

"This is the work of those terrorists with whom we are engaged in war," he said in a nationally televised speech. "Today, after this tragic incident, I want to express my firm resolve ... we will not rest until we eliminate these terrorists and root them out."

Bhutto's death left a void at the top of her Pakistan People's Party, the largest political group in the country, and threw into turmoil US President George W Bush's plan to bring stability to this key US ally by reconciling her and Musharraf.

Speaking to reporters at his ranch in Crawford, Texas, a tense-looking Bush condemned the killing and demanded that "those who committed this crime must be brought to justice."

Musharraf convened an emergency meeting with his senior staff, where they were expected to discuss whether to postpone the election, an official at the Interior Ministry said, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the talks. He also announced three days of mourning for Bhutto.

Next to Musharraf, Bhutto, 54, was the best known political figure in the country, serving two terms as prime minister between 1988 and 1996. She was respected in the West for her liberal outlook and determination to combat the spread of Islamic extremism, a theme she returned to often in her campaign speeches.

As news of her death spread, supporters at the hospital in Rawalpindi smashed glass doors and stoned cars. Many chanted slogans against Musharraf, accusing him of complicity in her killing.

In Karachi, shop owners quickly closed their businesses as protesters set tires on fire on the roads, torched several vehicles and burned a gas station, said Fayyaz Leghri, a local police official. Gunmen shot and wounded two police officers, he said.

One man was killed in a shootout between police and protesters in Tando Allahyar, a town 120 miles north of Karachi, said Mayor Kanwar Naveed. In the town of Tando Jam, protesters forced passengers to get out of a train and then set it on fire.

Violence also broke out in Lahore, Multan, Peshawar and many other parts of Pakistan, where Bhutto's supporters burned banks, state-run grocery stores and private shops. Some set fire to election offices for the ruling party, according to Pakistani media.

Akhtar Zamin, home minister for the southern Sindh province, said authorities would deploy troops to stop violence if needed.

Nawaz Sharif, another former premier and leader of a rival opposition party, rushed to the hospital and addressed the crowd.

"Benazir Bhutto was also my sister, and I will be with you to take the revenge for her death," he said. "Don't feel alone. I am with you. We will take the revenge on the rulers."

Speaking to the BBC, Sharif also questioned whether to hold the elections.

"I think perhaps none of us is inclined to think of the elections," he said. "We would have to sit down and take a very serious look at the current situation together with the People's Party and see what we have to do in the coming days."

Afghan President Hamid Karzai, who met with Bhutto just hours before her death, called her a brave woman with a clear vision "for her own country, for Afghanistan and for the region — a vision of democracy and prosperity and peace."

Suspicion for the blast fell on resurgent Islamic militants linked to al Qaida and the Taliban who hated Bhutto for her close ties to the US and her support for the war on terror. A local Taliban leader reportedly threatened to greet Bhutto's return to the country in October with suicide bombings.

The attacker struck as Bhutto was leaving a rally of thousands of supporters in the garrison city of Rawalpindi.

"She was inside the vehicle and was coming out from the gate after addressing the rally when some of the youths started chanting slogans in her favour," said Sardar Qamar Hayyat, a leader from Bhutto's party who was about 10 yards away. "Then I saw a smiling Bhutto emerging from the vehicle's roof and responding to their slogans."

"Then I saw a thin, young man jumping toward her vehicle from the back and opening fire. Moments later, I saw her speeding vehicle going away. That was the time when I heard a blast and fell down," Hayyat said.

At least 20 others were killed in the blast, an Associated Press reporter at the scene saw.

Bhutto was rushed to the hospital and taken into emergency surgery.

A doctor on the team that attended to Bhutto said she had a bullet in the back of the neck that damaged her spinal cord before exiting from the side of her head. Another bullet pierced the back of her shoulder and came out through her chest, he said on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to speak to the media. She was given an open heart massage, but the main cause of death was damage to her spinal cord, he said.

"At 6.16 pm she expired," said Wasif Ali Khan, a member of Bhutto's party who was at Rawalpindi General Hospital.

Senator Babar Awan, Bhutto's lawyer, said, "The surgeons confirmed that she has been martyred."

Bhutto's supporters at the hospital exploded in anger, smashing the glass door at the main entrance of the emergency unit. Others burst into tears. One man with a flag of Pakistan People's Party tied around his head was beating his chest.

"I saw her with my own eyes sitting in a vehicle after addressing the rally. Then, I heard an explosion," said Tahir Mahmood, 55, as she sobbed. "I am in shock. I cannot believe that she is dead," he said.

Some at the hospital began chanting, "Killer, Killer, Musharraf." A few began stoning cars outside.

"We repeatedly informed the government to provide her proper security and appropriate equipment including jammers, but they paid no heed to our requests," Malik said.

Bhutto had returned to Pakistan from an eight-year exile on 18 October. Her homecoming parade in Karachi was also targeted by a suicide attacker, killing more than 140 people. On that occasion she narrowly escaped injury.

Bhutto was killed just a few miles from the scene of her father's violent death 28 years earlier. Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, a former prime minister and the founder of the party that his daughter would later lead, was executed by hanging in 1979 in Rawalpindi on charges of conspiracy to murder that supporters said was politically motivated by the then-military regime. His killing led to violent protests across the country.

As Bhutto addressed the rally today, she was flanked by a massive picture of her father.

Minutes later, as she drove away from the rally, the area was awash in blood.

An Associated Press reporter at the scene could see body parts and flesh scattered at the back gate of the Liaqat Bagh park where Bhutto had spoken. He counted about 20 bodies, including police, and could see many other wounded people.

Police cordoned off the street with white and red tape, and rescue workers rushed to put victims in ambulances as people wailed nearby.

The clothing of some of the victims was shredded and people put party flags over their bodies. Police caps and shoes littered the asphalt.

Today, hundreds of riot police had manned security checkpoints to guard the venue. It was Bhutto's first public meeting in Rawalpindi since she came back to the country.

In November, Bhutto had also planned a rally in the city, but Musharraf forced her to cancel it, citing security fears. In recent weeks, suicide bombers have repeatedly targeted security forces in Rawalpindi, a city near the capital where Musharraf stays and the Pakistan army has its headquarters.


http://www.jornada.unam.mx/ultimas/2007/12/27/muere-benazir-bhutto-tras-atentado-suicida-en-pakistan/

Muere Benazir Bhutto en un atentado suicida en Pakistán

AFP

En el ataque contra la ex primera ministra murieron otras 16 personas. En un mitin del ex jefe de gobierno Nawaz Sharif, otro líder de oposición, un tiroteo mató a cuatro personas.



Rawalpindi. La ex primera ministra paquistaní y líder de la oposición, Benazir Bhutto, murió este jueves durante un atentado suicida perpetrado durante un mitin en los suburbios de Islamabad, informó el portavoz del ministerio del Interior, Javed Cheema. El canal Ary-One Television dijo que murió de un tiro en la cabeza mientras que otras versiones reportaron que fue por una bala en la nuca.

La policía informó que un suicida disparó contra la líder opositora cuando estaba saliendo del lugar del mitin, celebrado en un parque, antes de inmolarse. "El hombre primero disparó contra el vehículo de Bhutto. Ella se agachó y entonces él se inmoló", explicó el oficial de policía Mohamad Shahid. "Según nuestras informaciones, -aseguró por su parte Javed Cheema-, (Bhutto) murió, pues al parecer la alcanzó un fragmento de la bomba".

Además, otras 16 personas murieron durante el ataque suicida, cometido a dos semanas de las elecciones, durante un acto electoral de la ex primera ministra, quien representaba uno de los principales líderes de la oposición.

"Fue un ataque suicida. No sabemos el número de víctimas. El kamikaze se hizo explotar cuando la gente se estaba dispersando después de la manifestación" de Bhutto, dijo el ministro Javad Iqbal Cheema Cheema.

Los cuerpos de numerosas personas, algunos en pedazos, yacían en la calle poco después de la explosión y varias personas estaban heridas.

Este drama es el último de una serie sin precedente de atentados suicidas en la historia de Pakistán, que causaron más de 780 muertos en 2007. El más sangriento, por ahora, fue contra una manifestación del partido de Bhutto el 18 de octubre, cuando dos kamikazes mataron a 139 personas en un gigantesco desfile de simpatizantes que celebraban, en Karachi, el regreso de la ex Primer ministra después de seis años de exilio.

Bhutto había escapado a los kamikazes porque estaba dentro de un camión blindado en la parte delantera del cortejo.

El miércoles, el presidente de Pakistán, Pervez Musharraf, había dicho a su homólogo afgano Hamid Karzai, de visita en Islamabad, que el terrorismo islamista está "destruyendo" a los dos países, durante una conferencia de prensa conjunta.

"Tenemos necesidad de cooperar, en especial en el plano de la información para enfrentar esta amenaza del extremismo y el terrorismo que destruye nuestros países", había asegurado Musharraf dirigiéndose a Karzai en una conferencia de prensa conjunta tras una entrevista entre ambos.

Por otro lado, cuatro personas murieron el jueves en Islamabad en tiroteos durante un mitin del ex primer ministro Nawaz Sharif, otro de los líderes de la oposición, anunció la policía. "Cuatro personas murieron y tres fueron heridas", dijo un oficial de la policía de Islamabad, Shoaib Janbaz. La policía no confirmó por ahora esta información.

El incidente ocurrió en un suburbio de la capital, cuando militantes del partido de Sharif preparaban banderolas antes de la llegada de su líder y estalló una pelea, indicó otro oficial de policía que pidió el anonimato.


http://www.corriere.it/esteri/07_dicembre_27/Esplosione_raduno_Buttho_pakistan_0ea21cb4-b478-11dc-82b4-0003ba99c667.shtml

L'ATTACCO in pakistan rivendicato da al qaeda. SCONTRI IN TUTTO IL PAESE
Benazir Bhutto uccisa in un attentato
La leader dell'opposizione morta in ospedale dopo essere stata colpita durante un comizio. Almeno altre 20 vittime

ISLAMABAD - Uccisa durante un comizio pre-elettorale, a pochi giorni dal voto dell'8 gennaio. Benazir Bhutto, leader dell'opposizione pachistana, icona anti-islamista e filo-americana, è morta in un attentato suicida avvenuto a Rawalpindi. Nell'attacco hanno perso la vita almeno altre 20 persone. Secondo la ricostruzione della polizia, uno o due attentatori su una moto si sono avvicinati all'auto di Benazir Bhutto e hanno sparato almeno cinque colpi con un fucile mitragliatore Ak75 (kalashnikov), colpendo la leader dell'opposizione alla nuca. I due si sono poi fatti esplodere poco lontano e i soccorsi hanno tardato a raggiungere l'auto della Bhutto perché temevano un'altra esplosione.

LE REAZIONI - Alla notizia della morte di Benazir Bhutto, il Pakistan - un paese di 160 milioni di musulmani (fra sciiti e sunniti) e dotato di atomica - è piombato sull'orlo della guerra civile. Mentre i principali leader mondiali hanno condannato l'attacco, rivendicato da Al Qaeda, il presidente Pervez Musharraf, alleato-chiave degli Stati Uniti nella guerra al terrore, ha proclamato tre giorni di lutto nazionale (rimarranno chiusi scuole, banche e negozi), puntando il dito contro i terroristi islamici. Ma dal marito della vittima sono arrivate accuse opposte: «È opera del governo» ha commentato a caldo Asif Ali Zardari, poco prima di partire da Dubai, dove una parte della famiglia vive in esilio, alla volta del Pakistan (per partecipare ai funerali che si terranno venerdì a Larkana, città natale della Bhutto).

AL QAEDA- L'attentato è stato rivendicato da Al Qaeda. Secondo quanto ha dichiarato il principale portavoce dell'organizzazione terroristica Sheikh Saeed in un colloquio telefonico da una località sconosciuta con AKI-Adnkronos International, è stato il numero due della rete terroristica, Ayman Al Zawahiri, a ordinare l'uccisione della Bhutto. «Abbiamo eliminato il più importante asset nelle mani degli americani», ha detto lo sceicco. Secondo Sheikh Saeed, l'assassinio è stato realizzato da un militante della cellula terroristica Lashkar-i-Jhangvi del Punjab.

DISORDINI - Dopo la notizia dell'uccisione della Bhutto, si sono verificati incidenti in diverse località pachistane, con scontri e vittime. Migliaia di sostenitori del Partito del popolo (Ppp) dell'ex premier si sono diretti verso l'ospedale di Rawalpindi. I sostenitori della Bhutto hanno attaccato anche la polizia, tirando sassi contro gli agenti. Fuori dall'ospedale di Rawalpindi i 'fedelissimi' della Bhutto hanno iniziato a intonare slogan contro il presidente Musharraf. A Karachi, città natale della Bhutto, i sostenitori del Ppp hanno occupato le strade della città, incendiato copertoni e lanciato sassi contro le automobili: negli scontri sarebbero morte dieci persone. Disordini anche a Peshawar, dove la polizia ha usato gas lacrimogeni e manganelli per disperdere una folla inferocita riunitasi spontaneamente.

L'APPELLO DI MUSHARRAF - Il presidente del Pakistan, Pervez Musharraf, ha rivolto un appello alla popolazione. Condannando l'attentato, Musharraf ha chiesto di mantenere la calma per affrontare «questa tragedia e continuare a combattere contro il terrorismo». E per la morte della Bhutto ha dichiarato tre giorni di lutto nazionale.

SHARIF: VOTO DA BOICOTTARE - Ma quanto accaduto a Rawalpindi è destinato a condizionare fortemente le elezioni previste per il prossimo 8 gennaio. Musharraf, la cui popolarità è crollata negli ultimi mesi in seguito alla crescente violenza nel Paese, potrebbe decidere di rinviare il voto e imporre nuovamente lo stato d'emergenza revocato il 15 dicembre dopo sei settimane. L'ex primo ministro Nawaz Sharif, un altro leader dell'opposizione, ha già annunciato che il suo partito, la Lega musulmana del Pakistan, boicotterà le elezioni. Sharif ha inoltre invitato Musharraf a dimettersi immediatamente e ha sollecitato uno sciopero nazionale (nel giorno della morte della Bhutto, a "completare" il quadro, altre cinque persone sono rimaste uccise in un attacco contro un comizio al quale lo stesso Sharif avrebbe dovuto partecipare).

LE ULTIME PAROLE - La Bhutto, 54 anni, era sfuggita a un primo sanguinoso attentato a Karachi a ottobre, il giorno del suo rientro in patria dopo otto anni di esilio volontario. Il suo ritorno in Pakistan era avvenuto sulla base di un accordo per la spartizione del potere con Musharraf, voluto da Washington. Un patto che le aveva procurato molte critiche, anche all'interno del suo stesso partito, alla cui guida è rimasta con pugno di ferro, fino all'ultimo momento. Poco prima di essere uccisa, la Bhutto aveva parlato dei rischi che sapeva di correre: «Metto la mia vita in pericolo e sono qui perché credo che questo Paese sia in pericolo», aveva detto durante il comizio di Rawalpindi. Una specie di testamento.


27 dicembre 2007