Benazir Bhutto Killed in Pakistan

[Ummagumma66]

from http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2007/12/30/bhutto.html

Son successor to slain Pakistani opposition leader

Benazir Bhutto's 19-year old son, Bilawal Bhutto, has been appointed chairman of his late mother's opposition party in Pakistan.

The Pakistan People's Party (PPP) announced its decision on Sunday, three days after Bhutto's assassination in the city of Rawalpindi. The party named Bhutto's widower, Asif Ali Zardari, as co-chairman.

Zardari was a minister in one of Bhutto's short-lived governments and faced corruption charges, along with his wife, after Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif came to power in 1990. He denied the charges, saying they were politically motivated.

PPP delegates were still discussing on Sunday whether to continue the party's campaign for Jan. 8 parliamentary elections, but it's looking less and less likely that the election will go ahead as planned.

The country's ruling party, Pakistan Muslim League-Q, said on Sunday the elections may be delayed up to four months because of the assassination.

PML-Q information secretary Tariq Azim said the vote would lose credibility if held as planned because the PPP was in mourning and other opposition groups may boycott the vote.
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"How long the postponement will be for will be up to the Election Commission," Azim told the Associated Press. "I think we are looking at a delay of a few weeks ... of up to three or four months."

Sharif, leader of the Pakistan Muslim League, has said his decision on whether to run will depend on what the PPP does.

Imran Khan, who leads Pakistan's marginal Tehreek-e-Insaf party, is calling for a postponement.

"The elections should definitely be postponed," he said. "We demand Gen. [Pervez] Musharraf resign. We need a caretaker set up here, a neutral caretaker, approved by all the political parties, and we need the reinstatement of the judges who should conduct an inquiry into what happened on Dec. 27."

The country's Electoral Commission meets on Monday to decide whether the elections will go ahead.
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I guess the question is, will Bilawal Bhutto end up like his mother and grandfather?

 

[DENTROBATE54]

Ugh, another case of a youth just getting a start in life forced to clean up the messes of the previous generations .

And the extent that white-dominated former british colonies are wealthier than non-white, I attribute much of it to racism.

About the British Commonwealth nations as a side-note, before this subverts into another ethnocentric quagmire, let me just say that the sting of colonialism (conquering invaders) creates class divides amongst the indigeneous population that likely would not have existed otherwise. The gov'ts of war-torn nations aren't entirely to blame but also the influences of Westernization vs. lost native cultural identities; transnational conglomerates vs. local business and distribution channels (tariffs, duty free zones, protectionism barriers from developing world's goods, outsourcing) and Eurocentric democracy vs. pluralist political ideologies.

Forgive me for saying this but the U.S. more often than not is too domineering in its foreign policy. Before the West points fingers at some African/South American/Asian dictator, we should look square in the mirror for politically/financially backing 'puppet' rulers who've gone rouge, training said nations armies and monopolizing trade and commerce channels such that indigenous produce is too expense for locals to buy but can't find international markets to sell to.

 

[Admiral Beez]

I guess the question is, will Bilawal Bhutto end up like his mother and grandfather?

If he's reckless enough to stick his head out of his armoured limo while stopped by a crowded, unpredictable mass of people only a few short days since a previous assassination attempt and while multiple influential opposition/religious leaders have called for your death, then it shouldn't be long until the Bhutto shrine needs to make space for another coffin.

Honestly, if she'd only kept her damn head inside the limo, she'd be fine or at least alive with minor injuries today. The suicide bomber wasn't armed with armour piercing weaponry, but instead had IIRC the usual body pack of explosives and nails used for killing and maiming folks. Bhutto had been living the easy life in Britain for too long, and had forgotten that when these Imans and despots put a death warrant on you, you must take it very seriously. That was her undoing.

 

[theman23]

Would she have been as popular if she spent all her time hiding behind bullet proof glass? She was campaigning for an election, after all.

 

[Admiral Beez]

Would she have been as popular if she spent all her time hiding behind bullet proof glass? She was campaigning for an election, after all.

It's not necessary to hide behind bullet proof glass "all the time", but if surrounded by a potentially hostile mob during a heightened period of security risk, it's better to be prudent. She could have just as easily have waved from inside the limo, and perhaps have spoken to the crowds from a sound system in the limo (this could have been installed).

 

[theman23]

I see what you're saying, but I think she was trying to portray herself as being unafraid of terrorists and even death. To some, that may have been part of her appeal. Waving from inside the car would probably help defeat that image. It seems to me that she took a gamble and it didn't pay off.

 

[Hydrogen]

Curious. It is sad to read the sentiment that somehow suggests that Bhutto was reckless for going out among the people during an election. In my opinion, the killers alone are responsible for her death. It is clear that there is both a desire and a struggle for democracy in Pakistan, and that those who murder political aspirants and the population at charge are those most responsible for attacking democratic ideals in that country.

 

[afransen]

I disagree. It was careless of Bhutto. Blame can also be placed on Musharaff's government for failing to ensure adequate security for his rivals.

Remember the guy who broke into 24 Sussex? Had he managed to kill Chretien before Aline managed to take him down, I think the RCMP would be at fault for failing to protect the PM. Sure, that guy shouldn't have been crazy, and carrying a knife in the PM's residence, but the RCMP were neglectful in allowing that to take place.

Exposing oneself to unnecessary or frivolous risk places at least partial blame for any unfortunate consequences on oneself.

 

[Hydrogen]

I disagree. It was careless of Bhutto. Blame can also be placed on Musharaff's government for failing to ensure adequate security for his rivals.

Remember the guy who broke into 24 Sussex? Had he managed to kill Chretien before Aline managed to take him down, I think the RCMP would be at fault for failing to protect the PM. Sure, that guy shouldn't have been crazy, and carrying a knife in the PM's residence, but the RCMP were neglectful in allowing that to take place.

Exposing oneself to unnecessary or frivolous risk places at least partial blame for any unfortunate consequences on oneself.

Yes, of course, blame the victim.

Do you in any way hold the killers responsible? Are those died at the rally to be held entirely responsible for their own deaths too? Maybe democracy is not worth the risk, huh?

 

[Admiral Beez]

Do you in any way hold the killers responsible? Are those died at the rally to be held entirely responsible for their own deaths too? Maybe democracy is not worth the risk, huh?

Don't be silly. Of course the killer is responsible for the killing, not the victim. I'm not blaming Bhutto for her death, since that was the killer's responsibility. What I am blaming Bhutto for is being careless when in a high threat environment, thus vastly increasing the odds that her killer(s) will be successful in their killing.

If you put yourself in front of a charging bull, well it's the bull's fault for running you down, but perhaps putting yourself at risk is your responsibility.

 

[ganjavih]

Bhutto was reckless, absolutely. Her death is unfortunate. Despite her past mistakes, she was a symbol of reform in Pakistan.

 

[afransen]

It's really a simple idea.


Let say you're walking down the street in Kingston, Jamaica, brandishing a handful of $100 USD bills. If you get mugged, surely the mugger is at fault for breaking the law, just as surely as you hold some blame for being reckless given the situation. People have to accept some responsibility for their own safety. Relying on the government to protect us from the slightest bit of harm that is easily avoidable is antisocial.

 

[Urban Shocker]

The big Armani logo on Bilawal's eyewear is considerably less provocative than the huge, vulgar, starburst Chanel logo on his late mother's glasses, so perhaps he'll be less of a draw for assassins.

 

[DENTROBATE54]

Honestly, if she'd only kept her damn head inside the limo, she'd be fine or at least alive with minor injuries today. The suicide bomber wasn't armed with armour piercing weaponry, but instead had IIRC the usual body pack of explosives and nails used for killing and maiming folks. Bhutto had been living the easy life in Britain for too long, and had forgotten that when these Imans and despots put a death warrant on you, you must take it very seriously. That was her undoing.

Get a grip. She was campaigning for the presidency in a riding of known pro-democracy supporters and political reformists. The onus shouldn't be on her to hide away herself. All she was doing was building rapport with the people she purported to be saving. You surely didn't expect an election victory resting on her father's legacy alone, did you? She was surrounded by security forces and in an armored vehicle. Sometimes these things just happen. Then after the tragedy skeptics spin all this hypothetical bullshit merely to justify their own apathy towards issues affecting "them". This is no different than the JFK assassination. Only this time the scapegoat conveniently becomes Al Qaeda and the death of innocents wages on .

The big Armani logo on Bilawal's eyewear is considerably less provocative than the huge, vulgar, starburst Chanel logo on his late mother's glasses, so perhaps he'll be less of a draw for assassins.

OMG, it's 2008 (almost) and there's still whole socities of people unaffected by globalized conglomerization? No, better yet how can imperfect citizens expect absolute and immutable standards of perfection from their political leaders? Happy New Year, I suppose !

 

[adma]

The big Armani logo on Bilawal's eyewear is considerably less provocative than the huge, vulgar, starburst Chanel logo on his late mother's glasses, so perhaps he'll be less of a draw for assassins.

Ah, I wasn't alone in noticing...