Wow.. not that I wasn't already expecting this, but it's still sad to read. RIP BB

This was a woman who didn't fear death.

Rest in peace.

Anything the US touches catches fire. They should have left her alone and not have encouraged her to go back to Pakistan.
RIp

Truly unfortunate. Isn't it clear to anyone that Musharraf is a dictator? You know, Bush' buddy, like Putin. Birds of a feather.....

Nice to see all those billions of dollars we've given Musharef have been put to good use. This is a sad day for Pakistan...

The dynamics of change are often brutal and ineficient. Because of the internet, this is the first time in history that the entire world is changing at the same time. It is also the first time in history that peoples feel the shocks of worldwide change simultaneously. It is a stew of hope, despair, violence, peace, accomplishment, failure, profit, loss, saints and sinners all cooking under a hot flame. The speed of change and events are disorienting as events reform our mental and physical selves. Alvin Toffler calls this psycho/biological condition Future Shock. Buckminster Fuller referred to it in his book, I Seem To Be A Verb. Human beings are now being reformed and remade. What seasonings will you add to the stew? What will you become?

All the chickens of Bush's war on Islam coming home to roost, on the same week that American Special Forces begin operations in Pakistan. Would that our tax money could build instead of spreading hell around the world.

World War III continues. The US started it. I wonder who will have the courage to end it.

"The United States has for months been encouraging Musharraf to reach an accommodation"

I'm sure the current administration has wished for this. I'm sure the current administration has encouraged this, and not even tacitly in private communications with that jackal-infested dictatorship of Musharraf. And I'm sure this will be seen by future generations as merely yet another example of how American hegemony f%&ked up more than the lives of its own people. But although I believe every living thing has equal value, this assassination in particular stands apart as an offense to democracy, to decency, to wisdom, to sanity.

I'm sad, I'm angry, I'm surprised (though, like Twister22 I saw this coming as well), and I am thoroughly and completely and physically disgusted with the state of things. I'm on the verge of typing something that would set off bells in the computer rooms at Langley. The path (not just the current participants) of America needs must be checked.

Stopped. Halted. Reversed. Prosecuted. On a world stage. She has been martyred. Let the uprising commence. No scapegoats, no equivocation: this was someone's plan, someone's idea, someone's goal. Find the person or the people, and MAKE THEM PAY. We must expose the dirty details, the perverted plan, the sick scheme. The corrupt connections, the telling timelines, and the murderous masters. We must give voice to the journalists who expose these details, and let their findings lay a rock-hard brick path to the source of this insult to humanity. Strike, and strike hard, because this is murder, and the iron is still hot.

A lone gunman-suicide bomber... Rest in peace Benazir Bhutto.

I am so sorry for her family and her supporters.

Gee, y'think a US-supported military dictator had anything to do with this?

"A lone gunman-suicide bomber…"

Yep. He blew himself up and then opened fire. No conspiracy here.

To Doom n Gloom:

Thank you so much for giving my mind something else to ponder. You write well. I'm very curious about that Fuller book now, especially because its title strikes me deep as an English teacher. A verb. Interesting idea...what if we all became verbs, became active? I mean, ALL of us. All of us. Active. Man, the things we could do...

What a sad and tragic family this has been . Her father Ali Bhutto (also a former President)was hung by the military dictator Zia al Hoq. Two brothers were killed in violent incidents--one in Paris, the other in Pakistan, and now this. What a sorry, sick, and evil place Pakistan has become!

The new "Axis of Evil" ought to be Pakistan,Kuwaite, and Saudi Arabia because they are about the three most anit-democratic nations in that part of the world.

Poet:

Can an axis have four dimensions? I'd like to add the U.S. to that trio.

The true Axis of Evil: China, Russia, and the United States

Bhutto would have ended Pakistan's funding and support of the Taliban. I truly believe she would have. This is bad news for Afghanistan also. Now the Afghans and Pakistanis are stuck with Musharraff.

This is a sad day for Pakistan and South Asia at large. The US can now congratulate itself. Another thorn in the flesh removed. You could say what you want about her but she was brave and has always been courageous.
Its a curse of the sub-continent. Assasinations. Mahatma Gandhi, Zulfikar Bhutto, Indira Gandhi, Sheikh Mujib-ur-Rahman, Rajiv Gandhi, Benazir Bhutto ... im sure ive missed a host of others.

And God said to his son, Jesus W, the Jesus of Crawford, "Heck of a job!"

Guys, it is sad to see someone die this way. But she is no hero, no martyr, etc...She is another political hack takimg advantage of a situation. Just like Musharraf, she is also supported by the US. US was hedging their bets. This outcome was predictable. Don't make her more than what she is. A corrupt political official.

What is Bravery but to face down death in a struggle for the common good, better lives for your brothers and sisters; What is Cowardice but to bring death and destruction to your brothers and sisters for power, control personal gain. Let us all honor Benazir Bhutto by being Brave, and peacefully push the masters of war from all power and relevance.

One has to look into the role of the US in the assassination of Benazir Bhutto? Is it the result of collusion between Musharaf and Negroponte (Negroponte met Musharaf recently)?????? US needs Musharaf to be incharge of Pakistan, so that the latter not only continues to provide safe haven to Al-Qaeda and Taliban, but also be a reliable conduit to these terrorists, whom the US can continue to use to occupy and plunder other sovereign countries.

The other recent assassination that has not been given wide coverage by the US media is the murder of an Army General in Lebanon, who was a potential candidate for the office of president of Lebanon.

So, those who do not collude with the US' terrorist plans and acts will suffer the fate of Benazir Bhutto and the Lebanese Army General.

Seems as if a few could benefit from Benazir Bhutto's death from those who wanted her stopped to those who want her to be a martyr. Who is her heir in her own party? How will each of her opponents try to capitalize on her death without appearing to do so.

This is a sad day for her family and children. Beyond this you will see those who will either try to capitalize on, or those (like Musharraf) who need to do damage control on her death.

It would be stupid on Musharraf's part if he did it because he is everyone's first choice in the blame department. I don't think that Musharraf has enough control in Pakistan or enough clout on the world stage to get away with this like other dictators would.

I get the feeling that we will see Bush's next move in this within the half hour.

Why did Benazir Bhutto return knowing the potential danger?

Benazir Bhutto has been giving all sorts of interviews prior to her return and this is one of them with Peter Mansbridge:

http://www.cbc.ca/national/blog/video/internationalus/benazir_bhutto_interview_1.html

A brave and willing martyr she was. It was painfully clear from the day she returned that her days were numbered. A life that is given in such a fashion is not wasted. It is an example of inspiration to world. Bhutto's voice can no longer be contained. It is for us always.
This is not a regional conflict, but a world terrorist act. Designed and implemented from distant lands. The bullets are covered in the words "made in the usa." I am ashamed. We should all feel the shame for allowing such deeds to take place.

Deepa, you are very right...The US is not supporting any democratic process. It is not in their benefit whatsoever. This admin feeds on chaos. The key folks are making off like bandits with their stakes in security, weapons, and natural resources.

yes, Doom,

it seems that a great number of individuals are gaining an "indigenous" perspective. God is after all Red. I find that global communication is responsible for revealing that which has been concealed or difficult to see and hear. there's a substrata which is more fascinating than the news itself. you can read it like an evolving lyrical book.

a friend I have who is diagnosed as a schizophrenic, tells me that this kind of communication is something akin to communicating with the "mind of god." I enjoy curious observations, you can scoff at them, or you can mull them over.

Benazir Bhutto's interview with Carol Off

http://www.cbc.ca/aih/features/2007/benazir_bhutto_20070807.html

There are two separate aspects to any assassination:
1. Who really did it (I mean behind the planning of it)
2. Who is blamed for it

Sometimes the one who did it takes credit. But, in this case, I think that the one did it won't want the credit and know who they want blamed for it.

BB was a kleptocrat in power who took corruption to new, previously unplumbed, levels. Good riddance.

douglas ames says: A brave and willing martyr she was. It was painfully clear from the day she returned that her days were numbered. A life that is given in such a fashion is not wasted.

While I agree with you that Bhutto knew this was a real possibility, the term "martyr" means a belief on a person facing possible death that their death will serve a specific purpose. What purpose does Bhutto's death serve?

She was shot and then her convoy blew up - so does this mean that there was one plot or two?

Here we go...

I swear, I'm no fan of this Adm but to hear you all talk you probably blame the U.S. for the last Ice Age. Bhutto may have had faults but she represented the common people and cared for her country and wanted to right it. Give her credit for the intelligent woman she was with a mind of her own. The U.S. doesn't have a hand in every single good or bad thing that happens anywhere; nor is everyone our puppet. THE WORLD DOES NOT REVOLVE AROUND US (U.S.). It's a nice scapegoat theory but the fact of the matter is that human beings, at whatever level of power, for whatever reason, are flawed; to the point of atrocities and self-destruction.

So, while this (tragic death) distraction is taking place, what else is transpiring under the radar screen with the Bush Administration? What legislation will pass this morning to give final rites to our civil rights?

Benazir Bhutto knew the risks and I admire her courage for returning to Pakistan despite them. Pakistan is such a mess right now that I am sure a dozen groups would have wanted her dead. Her stewardship was marked by corruption so she was part of Pakistan's problem but who wants anyone to die like this? Mercifully, her death was swift unlike that of her father who was dragged half-fainted to his place of execution. Bhutto's assassination scuttles another brilliant Bush-Cheney plan to manipulate Pakistani politics to have its thug Musharraf installed as Prez while Bhutto did its bidding as PM. Heckuva a job, Dubya! You can't pretend to promote democracy while openly undermining it. You are either for it or against it. We need as a planet to take a consistent approach to combating suicide attacks; there are other groups that regularly practice this odious art without getting too many Western hearts a-flutter (e.g., the Tamil Tigers). In closing, wish that the US Congress had an iota of the courage that Bhutto possessed.

for a quite different opinion from a close blood relative of Ms BB
please Google
"Benazir Bhutto niece"

So, it seems in recent interviews Bhutto indicated the Pakistani government had reduced her security. And then there are reports that the gunshot(s) that killed her may have come form inside the vehicle. Now a Pakistani government spokesman has been saying "Terrorists did this" (which is different from U.S. politicians' statements that start from that assumption without feeling a need to state it).

So what are the chances Musharraf is behind the assassination? And what are the chances the Pakistani government is working with Al Qaeda (assuming they executed the assassination) behind the scenes?

I would say the chances are as likely that the Bush Admin. helped engineer this assassination.

Dear redruby, You seem to not understand the depth of involvement of the USA in Pakistan. Over five billion dollars have been sent since 9/11 to prop up the military government. Today's news announces a masssive increase of our Special Forces in Pakistan, who will merge with Pakistani forces and attempt to secure the northern frontier areas, something that has never been done in history. This is analogous to similar counter-insurgency schemes in Vietnam in the early sixties prior to introduction of actual ground troops. Our war-crazed administration is in the process of committing us to a general land war in the middle east from Syria to India.

It is my understanding having done alittle research that Bhutto and her husband were up to their necks in corruption during her reign..
Not that would I condone anything like this murderous act,but she had made many any enemy.
To bad she allowed herself to be used as a pawn by the U.S. by letting them talk her into coming back and thus putting in her in very dangerous situation. So, goes the way of vanity.
How very sad!

I hate to break this whole love-in for Benazir up, I know we've been told over and over again what a freedom-fighter she was, and a stalwart defender of human rights, but this is not the woman who ruled Pakistan for 9 years. Just because someone dies doesn't make them a hero. The truth is that Bhutto was a corrupt puppet who sold off all of Pakistan's national assets for prices so low they would put wal-mart out of business. What was the price? Some posh living quarters in the first world for Ms. Bhutto and a seat at the table with the big boys (Blair, Clinton, etc...). For a horrific example of this, involving Pakistan's energy policy firesale, check out Greg Palast's "Best Democracy Money Can Buy" http://sandiego.indymedia.org/media/2007/02/125032.pdf

The dirt on Bhutto is on pg. 80.

This talk that Bhutto represented the common people is the Wolf Blitzer-esque rhetoric that we are on CD to get away from. I would really appreciate someone clarifying for me exactly what she DID in her time as leader to deserve such literary adoration. Stop looking at the images and look at the actions!

Why should anyone be suprised regarding Ms Bhutto's assassination?

If we were a properly informed citizenry, we would know that the 9/11 conspirators were not trained in Taliban-ruled Afghanistan. Most were trained and indoctrinated in Pakistan.

In addition, the main donors that kept these camps alive and running were members of the House of Saud and the Pakistani security forces.

Where were the 9/11 conspirators from? Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Egypt.
Funny. The dictators of these three countries are American allies.

The point is? There are thousands of well-trained self-proclaimed Islamic "freedom fighters"(which is what they were designated during Charlie's War) within Pakistan.

It didn't take much in the way of thinking that Bhutto would become the target of these organizations.

And these organizations are run and adhered to by people who are tenacious, intelligent, enterprising and who deeply believe in their cause.

They are usually successful reaching their targets.

Last,unfortunately, the actions of the US elite in the Third World fully support their collective worldview of these organizations.
So, expect many more successful targeted hits.

The only thing that's sad about this whole thing is that Pakistan will continue to be lead by the monetarists, militarists and mullahs within Bhutto's own camp, who no doubt will now seek to portray her as a "martyer who stood at the eye of the storm". She helped stir it up, and it devoured her, as it did her father.

And of course, the United States will seek every opportunity to help re-establish "order" in Pakistan, up to and including giving Musharraf carte blanche in the wake of this "tragedy".

I said it yesterday, here is his chance. If others become involved in this assassination, ie;bush, this is reason to suspend Posse Comitatus due to the John Warner Defense Act, it allows this criminally insane person to declare Marshall Law, bye-bye- what's left of the Constitution.
Let the Fascist regime commence...
RIP PM Bhutto

Before people get wishy-washy fuzzy warmy about Mrs Bhutto, I suggest doing some real searching for information about the [real] Mrs Bhutto, and among the very good sources I've read from is one of the articles that was posted not long ago, over the past month or so, at www.globalresearch.ca . That particular article is about an interview held with Mrs Bhutto's niece, or if not an interview, then nonetheless quoting excellent statements she stated or made about her aunt; exposing her aunt for the person she really is and who many of the readers who've already posted above are clearly UNAWARE of.

Wishy-washy warmy fuzzy goodie feelings about people based on NOT BEING INFORMED is not a good way to adopt for way to live, imo.

She was in bed with the hellbent criminal U.S. govt as much as the Mushareff govt is, and the U.S. criminal elites use (used in the case of Mrs Bhutto) both of these people the way these hell-bound fiend elites always do. She did not take a principled ground or position against U.S. hellbent corrupt influence on the Pakistani govt; that's evidently a "for sure", certain (and now past) reality.

Do your information searches and readings, folks. Always work at being WELL INFORMED.

Only some Pakistanis like her, and her working with the U.S. to do [good] for Pakistan is a sick satanic joke. We know entirely well that the U.S. ruling elites intend no good anywhere, always using the notion to try to deceive.

The U.S. State Dept is very criminal around the world, as are also USAID and other instruments of the 'invisible' ruling elites of the U.S. govt.

vaudree opined "It would be stupid on Musharraf's part if he did it because he is everyone's first choice in the blame department. I don't think that Musharraf has enough control in Pakistan or enough clout on the world stage to get away with this like other dictators would."

Ahahah. Sure. And the CIA/FBI/Mafia coalition couldn't get away with killing JFK, MLK, and RFK either.

Oh, wait...

Whatever Mrs. Bhutto's own faults, this is another day when you just want to crawl under the table of humanity and hide your face in shame.

vaudree observed "There are two separate aspects to any assassination:
1. Who really did it (I mean behind the planning of it)
2. Who is blamed for it"

Interesting point. Let's see, Bhutto was shot and then the gunman apparantly dies in a suicide bomb blast. Kinda dead-ends the trail.

Does anyone besides me see a parallel between this and Lee Harvey Oswald being murdered by Jack Ruby, who, it subsequently comes to light, is dying of cancer?

Clean. Very clean.

...and I think that as often happens, people even more determined to democratize the world will rise from this. We are witnessing the slow bloody tortured death of militarism as a solution to anything---a destination that the world began to choose only about 4000 thousand years ago (we've been living together a lot longer than that, whatever the History of Violent Death Cable-Channel tells you). Choices can be undone by other choices. And if we don't construct new ones, game over and deservedly so. And this is why I will write KUCINICH on every vote I cast. "If you don't vote your heart, your heart never wins."

"Do your information searches and readings, folks. Always work at being WELL INFORMED"

True that people ought to be well-informed. But don't forget that Bhutto was a human being. Are we so callous and critical that we have no regard for human life anymore? Yes, she was corrupt, and perhaps some people feel she rightfully got what was coming. But should that overshadow humanism?

Helix, JFK was an inside job, like you say - something we cannot rule out in this case yet. In the case of JFK, there is a disconnect between who was blamed for the assassination (ie Lee Harvey Oswald) and who you believe actually did it. The same can be true in this case.

Was Musharraf behind it or was he the latest Lee Harvey Oswald? Musharraf's hold on power was pretty shaky prior to the assassination and seems even worse now.

Musharraf could be behind it, but I am not ruling out the other possibilities at this point.

eshu says: And of course, the United States will seek every opportunity to help re-establish "order" in Pakistan, up to and including giving Musharraf carte blanche in the wake of this "tragedy".

Probably.

I can see the throwing around of the word "martyr" since many of those declare saints by the church were martyrs. But, to be a martyr, one's death has to have the potential to further the causes on has in life.

One tends to sing the praises of the dead immediately after death and to look into the gritty details later when trying to determine the person's historical significance. Bhutto's eventual significance will depend much on what happens next and what is done in her name.

I have to agree with some of the previous comments about the negative role Bhutto played in Pakistan. People commented on her role in corruption, but they didn't mention her role in financing and supporting AlQaeda and Taliban. I clearly remember one of her interviews with BBC that she was explaining why she supports Taliban in Afghanistan. Let's not forget that Pakistan under Bhutto and Navaz Sharif was the first country in the world to recognize and fully support Taliban government in Afghanistan. It seems she fell into the same well she dug for others.