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Bhutto's Daughter Sings Tribute to Her Slain Mother

LibertySugar — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 14:30:23 -0800

The oldest daughter of Pakistan's assassinated former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, who was killed in a combination of gunfire and suicide bombing at a rally last year, has written and recorded a rap-infused song expressing the pain over her mother's death. The album, "I Would Take the Pain Away," and a five-minute video of clips and photographs of Benazir Bhutto has made its way to YouTube. Lyrics include:

My mother was murdered. I don't even comprehend. Was it worth dying for? I'm walking through screened doors. . . . No comfort or ease. I'm begging you please God bless the deceased.

Bakhtawar Bhutto Zardari, 18, is a student at Britain's Edinburgh University.

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Front Page: Pakistan and UN to Investigate Bhutto, Austrian Cellar Captive Questioned, Missing Soldiers' Bodies Found

CitizenSugar — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 06:57:38 -0700

Pakistan and UN to Investigate Bhutto:
Pakistan and the UN have agreed for the need to set up a UN panel to investigate the killing of Benazir Bhutto. A UN statement said a broad understanding between Pakistan and the UN had been reached, but further discussion was be required to move forward with the investigation. Pakistani's Foreign Minister said, "in principle we have decided to move on, but the modalities have to be discussed." Bhutto was twice prime minister of Pakistan, and was campaigning for the parliamentary elections when she killed in a suicide attack on a rally last December, setting off deadly riots around the country. Though five people have been arrested in connection with her killing, none have been convicted.

Austrian Cellar Captive Questioned:
Prosecutors have questioned Elisabeth Fritzl, the woman held captive in an Austrian cellar for 24 years by her father. Part of the questioning was to determine how one of the seven babies she was forced to bear by her father had died. Josef Fritzl has confessed to incinerating the body of the dead baby, and a trial on all formal charges may start later this year.
Missing Soldiers' Bodies Found:
The bodies of two US soldiers missing in Iraq for more than a year have been found, according to their families. The father of Army Sgt. Alex Jimenez, of MA, said the remains of his son and another soldier, Pvt. Byron W. Fouty, of Michigan, had been identified. The soldiers were kidnapped during an ambush in May 2007 in an unstable area area south of Baghdad known as the ''triangle of death.'' Fouty's stepfather said, ''Byron went to Iraq to help people who couldn't help themselves. I know their sacrifice was not for nothing. It was not in vain.''

Pakistan Votes, a Day in Pictures

CitizenSugar — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 03:00:54 -0800

Brave Pakistanis ignored fears of polling place violence, and quelled suspicions of possible election rigging, and turned out to vote yesterday.

Total turn out was low, but as you can see in these pictures, steadfast. In Peshawar, Islamic militants stopped many women from voting. Officials estimated that only 523 of 6,431 women who were registered to vote at six polling stations had cast ballots. Though results might not be known for a while, current President Pervez Musharraf said, "whatever the result, whatever the result, we will accept it with grace. Whoever is the prime minister, I will work with that person in a reconciliatory mode. We should end the confrontationist politics. Let's enter into a conciliatory politics." Al-Jazeera has a round up of all of Musharraf's opponents.

View 5 Photos ›

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Headline: Suicide Blast Kills 37 at Pakistan Campaign Rally

CitizenSugar — Sat, 16 Feb 2008 10:30:42 -0800

A suicide bomber crashed his car into a campaign rally today in the tribal areas of Pakistan, killing 37 and injuring 90. This attack comes just two days before the country is set to hold parliamentary elections, and was evidently conceived to deter voter turnout. Despite this sad event, the country is still in excited preparations for the elections.

Javed Iqbal Cheema, the retired brigadier and spokesman for the Interior Ministry said, “it’s the same people who have been carrying out attacks, whose purpose is to create confusion and chaos and stop the polling process.” The hope is that despite the attack, voters will still come to the polls. Preparations are well underway for Monday's vote. They were rescheduled following the assassination of Benazir Bhutto in December. To see some inspiring pictures of the pre-election excitement, read more.

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Headline: Arrests Made Over Bhutto Assassination

LibertySugar — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 11:15:58 -0800

Pakistani police arrested two alleged terrorists in connection with the assassination of opposition leader Benazir Bhutto. The suspects alleged involvement is unknown, but they are being held along with two previously arrested suspects - Aizaz Shah, 15, and Sher Zaman

The government in Pakistan has determined that Baitullah Mehsud orchestrated last December's assassination. Mehsud, the leader of Pakistan's Taliban, also has connections to al-Qaeda. The CIA reached the same conclusion. Bhutto's family and party are accusing President Musharraf's government of being involved in Bhutto's death. Musharraf denies any involvement.

The arrests come at the end of the 40-day mourning period - a day when thousands of people have gathered at Benazir Bhutto's tomb in southern Pakistan.

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Headline: Pakistan President Musharraf Pledges Fair Elections

CitizenSugar — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 10:03:59 -0800

The EU has told Pakistan that their future involvement together will hinge on the fairness of Pakistan's elections next month. Elections are set for Feb. 18 following the December assassination of Benazir Bhutto.

As Pakistan's biggest economic partner, the EU and its mandate prompted Musharraf to state in Brussels, "We must have fair and transparent elections on February 18. Whoever wins, obviously power will be handed over to them. We are going to be returning to free, fair and transparent elections, and peaceful elections."

Musharraf's trip, the first abroad since Bhutto's assassination, is thought to be a public-relations mission aimed at shoring up his flagging popularity and credibility after months of violence and unrest in Pakistan. Not just the matter of fair elections, the EU is also especially interested in maintaining the stability of a nuclear-armed Pakistan.

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Headline: Bhutto Assassination and the Campaign

CitizenSugar — Fri, 28 Dec 2007 17:36:03 -0800

As commentary and analysis of the assassination of Benazir Bhutto continues to tumble in, the presidential candidates, in Iowa with less than a week to the first true contest of the campaign, are carefully weighing their reactions. An international tragedy, especially one deeply entrenched in the struggle between democracy and terrorism, at this point in campaign serves as a grave litmus test. A not-so-hypothetical "what would you do?" Here's a sample:

From John McCain:
According to the Washington Post, McCain said that he was the only Republican candidate with the credentials to deal with national security threats posed by Islamic jihadists. McCain said,

"I think my record is clear - 20 years, I've been involved in every national security issue that's faced this nation. And I have the judgment to handle it, and I've proven it."

For more candidates' reactions, please read more.

From Rudy Guiliani:
Also in the Washington Post, Guiliani stated that the assassination serves as another reason why the United States needs to play offense against Islamic terrorism and expand its forces in Afghanistan to block the possible resurgence of the Taliban and al-Qaeda. He said,

"We need a military that is ready for anything the terrorists might throw at us. The reality is we need a larger military so these things don't become a strain."

From John Edwards:
He was the only candidate who actually spoke with Musharraf, the current President of Pakistan, almost immediately after the assassination. According to MSNBC, Edwards said,

". . . we had a conversation in which I urged him to continue the democratization process. He told me, he gave me his assurances that he intended to do that, and we also spoke about having international independent investigators allowed into the country for transparency purposes, for credibility purposes, and we spoke briefly about the elections.”

And from Barack Obama:
He issued a lengthy statement yesterday to CBS News.

"We’ve been distracted by Iraq. We have not been paying attention to Pakistan for several years and as a consequence we have had a subversion of democracy at the same time we have ignored or at least not dealt with the growing threat of Islamic militants in Pakistan. If anything, Iraq has helped to spur some of the militancy in Pakistan. Now moving forward we have to send a message that we stand strong with the Pakistani people in moving the democratic process forward but we have to continue to press, to deal with this on going chaotic situation with the militants in Pakistan."

Regardless of the content their individual statements, what is made crystal clear by the sheer necessity of making them at all is that whoever wins also wins a whole truckload of global challenges.

Check This: Pakistan, Bhutto, and Al-Qaeda . . .

CitizenSugar — Fri, 28 Dec 2007 09:52:09 -0800

From the terrifying "it's not you, it's us" file.

Al-Qaeda spokesman Mustafa Abu Al-Yazid claimed responsibility for the crime, describing Bhutto as "the most precious American asset." The Pakistani government stated that it had proof that al-Qaeda was behind the assassination.

This possibility is almost too scary to process. I'm trying to focus instead on what an inspiration Bhutto was, and I hope that the beliefs she was martyred for triumph.

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Headline: Benazir Bhutto Assassinated

CitizenSugar — Thu, 27 Dec 2007 20:29:18 -0800

Just 12 days before the already troubled elections in Pakistan, minority leader Benazir Bhutto, recently returned from exile, has been killed in a combination of gunfire and suicide bombing at a rally.

Bhutto had recently voiced concern over her safety, and this tragic realization of her fears will be felt internationally. The United States' strategic relationship with Pakistan was tested in November, when leader Pervez Musharraf imposed a six-week period of emergency rule that threatened to impede the upcoming election.

While sifting through the breaking information on the assassination, I found this chilling tidbit from Wonkette:

"We would normally probably snark, but we also recall that Al-Qaeda assassinated Northern Alliance leader Ahmed Shah Massoud as sort of a favor/thank-you gesture to the Taliban on September 9, 2001 to ensure their continued protection, so we’re sorta just going to hide under the covers for a couple of days."

Not meant to scare, but it does go to show that even events halfway around the world can't possibly get far enough away anymore. Stay tuned for more information as it breaks.
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Front Page: Embassy in Serbia, Ceasefire Renewed, PPP

CitizenSugar — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 06:49:09 -0800

More is now known about the Serbian attack on the US Embassy in Belgrade. Some 1,000 protesters set the embassy ablaze in protest over US support of Kosovo's independence. After the mob was dispersed using tear-gas, one burnt body was found inside the building, though all embassy staff members were accounted for. In addition to burning the facade and setting fires within the embassy, protesters also ransacked a nearby McDonald's and Nike store. 140 people were injured in the incidents, 32 of them police officers. Security sources estimated that 150,000 people have joined the protests in total. The United Nations Security Council in a unanimous statement said they “condemn in the strongest terms the mob attacks against embassies in Belgrade which have resulted in damage to embassy premises and have endangered diplomatic personnel.”
Shiite cleric Muqtada al Sadr has ordered a renewal of the ceasefire his militia has been observing in Iraq for the past six months. The current ceasefire was set to expire on Saturday. The agreement states that his Mehdi Army will not attack rival armed groups or American forces in Iraq. US military officials are likely relieved as the ceasefire, in conjunction with the surge of US troops and the emergence of US-backed Sunni militia, are all credited with helping to stabilize parts of Iraq.
The party of the late Benazir Bhutto, which captured the largest number of votes in Pakistan's election earlier this week, is set to meet to select a Prime Minister. Asif Ali Zardari, the party's leader and Bhutto's widower, is not eligible to run for PM but retains great influence. The fate of Pervez Musharraf is not known.