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1. • CommentAuthorKosmopolit
   • CommentTimeDec 29th 2007 edited

    (410.1)
   I'm hiving this off from the "Fox News" thread.
   
   The big question about the assassination of Benazir Bhutto's assassination is who ordered it.
   
   The two most popular theories focus on the Taliaban and their Islamist allies and the government of Pervez Musharref.
   
   But there's another possibility which has been overlooked for the most part.
   
   Bhutto's principal political rival was ex=Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif of the Pakistan Muslim League.
   
   Sharif was a political ally and protege of former Dictator Zia Ul Haq who had Bhutto's father executed.
   
   After the Supreme Court ruled that Sharif, as a convicted felon, was ineligible to run in the January 8th general elections, he called for a boycott of the election and said his party would not run. This was in contrast to Bhutto who was planning ot contest the election.
   
   With Bhutto's death, her Pakistan People's Party is likely to join the boycott and Sharif, who was detested by Bhutto was cheered when he visited Bhutto's family.
   
   Sharif is also reported to be close to the powerful ISI intelligence agency which also has links to Kashmiri and Afghan Islamists.
   
   So far, Sharif has been the big winner for Bhutto's death. So I have to wonder, was he or some of his less savory allies involved?
2. •  
     CommentAuthorUnsub
   • CommentTimeDec 29th 2007

    (410.2)
   I'm having a time out until I can learn some manners.
   Great post Kosmopolit. I personally don't think it was the military just because they would be considered suspects and they have more to lose.
   There keeping her under house arrest for her own safety seems more reasonable now as well. Al Quaida usually takes credit for their work as well.
   I am woefully ignorant of Pakistani internal politics but I would say that Kosmopolit's idea at least seems reasonable.
3. • CommentAuthorerudite_ogre
   • CommentTimeDec 30th 2007

    (410.3)
   It's hard to unravel, from the conflicting reports about the cause of death to claims of both responsibility and NOT responsibility, to the question of local versus foreign agitators. I don't think Sharif has so much to gain that he would assassinate Bhutto, but it's difficult to say. And there is little chance of any genuine investigation; all the players can reap some benefit from the chaos and from obfuscation of what actually happened (even Bhutto's party, who if she was actually shot or directly affected by the attack can make Bhutto a martyr). Most of what we see now are attempts to set reality to the advantage of a particular group. How it plays out will have more to do with such maneuvering than anything else, especially given that pretty much all parties are in part to blame for Bhutto's death, from the government's selective security measures to jockeying between extremist groups to Bhutto herself constantly putting herself in harm's way, knowing it would likely get her killed eventually. One does not write a letter to a major media outlet about one's coming assassination unless one is likely to be assassinated. . . .