she was largely ignored by America’s political elite for more than a decade until about 18 months ago.
The West adored Benazir Bhutto. She, spoke fluent English, was educated at Harvard and Oxford and she was not an Islamic fundamentalist.
There were no frenzied, flag-burning demonstrations where the main chant was: ‘death to America’ at any of her rallies.
This endeared her to Western leaders in just the same way as it made many of her own people view her with suspicion. As far as some Pakistani voters were concerned she was 'America 's choice' at a time when anti-Americanism is at an all-time high in Pakistan. Yet her return to the international political arena is a bit of a puzzle when you think about it. After all, she was largely ignored by America’s political elite for more than a decade until about 18 months ago.
The media rarely bothered her unless it was to mock her appalling performance as the twice-failed Pakistan Prime Minister. And during that period out of the political glare, a much more intrusive spotlight focused on the seemingly endless litigation in Spanish, Swiss and British courts over allegations of corruption. But her political comeback coincided with a rise in American criticism of Pakistan.
There has been a concerted campaign in the right wing American media to portray Pakistan as yet another Muslim country which needs to be pacified and civilized by US military intervention. During my most recent visits to America I’ve switched on TV or picked up newspapers to read about those talking openly about Washington contemplating regime-change in Islamabad. Much of this came after what appeared to be the Pakistani leadership's refusal to cooperate with American foreign policy on China, Iran, and Afghanistan.
 Bhutto waving to the crowds shortly before her death America obviously needed a new best friend in the corridors of power. British-Pakistani historian, writer and political commentator Tariq Ali summed it up perfectly recently when he wrote: “Arranged marriages can be a messy business. Designed principally as a means of accumulating wealth, circumventing undesirable flirtations or transcending clandestine love affairs, they often don't work. Where both parties are known to loathe each other, only a rash parent, desensitised by the thought of short-term gain, will continue with the process knowing full well that it will end in misery and possibly violence. That this is equally true in political life became clear in the recent attempt by Washington to tie Benazir Bhutto to Pervez Musharraf.”
Assuming Tariq Ali is right, US propelled negotiations brought back Benazir from her self-imposed exile. But far from acting like a virginal bride, Benazir waded in to the bear pit of Pakistan politics with the gusto of a champion, bare knuckle fighter. Her disastrous return, marked by the trademark destruction of a suicide bomber killing 130 of her supporters, failed to deter her. Hard as nails she continued to tackle her opponents and detractors head-on. She called for Pakistan's feared intelligence service, the ISI, to be 'restructured', using the arguments of neo-cons and rightwing, US think-tanks.
And in a press conference during her house arrest in Lahore in November she went as far as asking Pakistan army officers to revolt against the army chief.
Whatever you think of Benazir or her politics, surely her assassination deserves a thorough investigation to bring those responsible to justice?
This call was seen as an attempt to destroy the all powerful military from within – this was regarded as treachery beyond belief by some in uniform.
It was a brave and reckless call. After all, you don’t wander into the lair of the beast making loud threats unless you have powerful allies ready to protect you.
Undaunted, she continued to lash out at her adversaries without fear or favour.
She even said she would consider handing over nuclear scientist Dr Abdul Qadir Khan to international investigators. He is a hero to most Pakistanis.
And while some were catching their breath over that announcement, she then went on to say she would allow US forces to operate inside Pakistan. Some regarded it as a killer blow.
Hours before her assassination Afghanistan’s leader Hamid Karzai, singled out Bhutto – and not Nawaz Sharif or any other political rivals – for a meeting after ending his official engagements in Islamabad.
This was interpreted by many as a clear signal from Karzai to all Pakistanis, and especially to his rival President Pervez Musharraf, that he was endorsing Washington’s darling.
Many Pakistanis do not trust Karzai and there are those who regard him as a US installed puppet.
America’s Bush Administration must have looked on with admiration as it continued to nudge and push Benazir to the abyss. May be it was pay back time since it was the United States which actively aided Benazir's rise to power in Pakistan in 1988. Of course that political meddling was discreet and confined to diplomatic channels and was never made public. This time, however, the support was so blatant it might even have marked her for assassination. United States Ambassador Anne Patterson and British High Commissioner Robert Brinkley were extremely vocal as they spurred on Benazir and other Pakistani politicians towards what was looking like an extremely dodgy election. Even US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Assistant Secretary of State Richard Boucher were shouting their encouragement from the wings along with their boss George W Bush and other western leaders.
But they are all silent now, aren’t they?
I don’t hear any of them screaming for the United Nations to hold an investigation into the assassination of Benazir, and yet we all heard their calls for an international investigation when former Lebanese leader Rafik Al-Hariri was assassinated. Whatever you think of Benazir or her politics, surely her assassination deserves a thorough investigation to bring those responsible to justice? Sending in a couple of detectives from Scotland Yard does not do justice to her memory or, more importantly, the people of Pakistan. They, above anyone else, need closure to this terrible chapter in their history.
Was Washington planning a regime change? If so, then it has seriously backfired with Benazir being sacrificed as a martyr on the altar of Uncle Sam. That makes the Bush Administration just as guilty as the assassin who pulled the trigger on December 27 2007.
 Quote this article on your site | Print | E-mail
1. Written by
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
, on 19-07-2008 20:33
In short & in few words
"It's a family dispute" |
2. Written by
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
, on 04-07-2008 13:48
why did theydo that to Benazir Bhutto that was fair she was trying help them. |
3. Written by
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
, on 30-06-2008 10:36
HI,
Well controversies are their over Bhutto's Assasination, my opinion is that all the current turmoil in pakistan is a gift from KARZAI, either indians or americans are operating that; and may be all our true leaders are taken in confidence b4 doin so. |
4. Written by
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
, on 31-05-2008 03:58
One of the most disgusting aspects about the whole affair is that Ms. Benazir Bhutto was callously murdered by people who were SCARED of her return to power. Fact remains, that she was perhaps amongst the very few Pakistani Women and indeed from Asia who could have changed the political scenario. To make matters miserable, her children are getting into active politics. Look at what happened to the Gandhi Clan, all died voilently. Hopefully with Ms. Bhutto passing away, the zealots in Pakistan will see logic and STOP their monkey business. Now why is an Indian venting his spleen. Simply because irrespective of caste, creed or culture, how in heaven's name can you harm let alone KILL a Woman. May the Almighty Give her eternal peace |
5. Written by Mohammad Junaid, on 23-05-2008 17:30
Salam,
I do not agree with the persons, Bhuttoo has clearly endorced the LAL Mousqe Operation In Islamabad.
There were more than 1000 sisters who died in the operation, before this killing Musharraf ordered the authorities to diconnect all the supplies like water, power food everything and this was highly apreciated by Benazir Bhutto.
Are you still like her????????? |
6. Written by
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
, on 05-05-2008 10:18
The article about Benazir is good but i think we need more to uncover many facts regarding her brutal assisination.Her death ,in my view was most important thing on the ameriacn agenda,a part of american bid to kill muslim leaders one by one . |
7. Written by
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
, on 02-05-2008 14:57
both the uk and usa governments threatened musharaf with his demise if benazir wasnt given the win she so deserved.
why? because she had signed over the sovereignty to the uk -usa , her intent was to give free reign to the nato forces within pakistan.
for whatever one may think of musharraf he has played the best hand that he has been dealt under the threat of uk - usa governments to do their bidding by not selling pakistan to the lowest bidder.
the fly in the ointment has been nawaz sharif, he fared better than the rigged pro benazir elections predicted.
the intent of the uk - usa is clear to have a contrived destabilisation of pakistan - and a formal case for intervention and regime change.
why no UN investigation, it will preovide the uk - usa what they want under chapter 6 or 7 of the UN chartr if it goes to the security council. the president of pakistan is against it for good reason. |
8. Written by
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
, on 09-04-2008 13:57
Stefan: I don't know where you're from, but in most jurisdictions in the United States, if you help make a murder possible you are just about as guilty in the eyes of the law as the one who actually pulls the trigger.
Either the Bush Administration are a bunch of incompetent nincompoops who had no business being in power or they were accessories to Bhutto's murder because they had to know she was in danger if she repatriated, and they had to know it would be viewed negatively that they were backing her.
Don't act like this was just some poor little isolated incident, this attempt to "promote an individual's political career." How disingenuous. |
9. Written by
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
, on 19-02-2008 08:14
A very well written article, after all it was USA who brokered the deal and gauranteed the safe passage for her return is to be charged for her cold blooded murder. There are no permenent friends and foes in "Western" politics. What a level of "morality" |
10. Written by
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
, on 15-02-2008 15:42
A very dry Lol. Not that its funny but I remember my father commenting that "they were sending her to die over there" a while back when she was getting ready to repatriate, all a bit weird when you see how it went down. |
11. Written by
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
, on 06-02-2008 20:50
"That makes the Bush Administration just as guilty as the assassin who pulled the trigger on December 27 2007."
Under what system of morality or justice? I simply cannot fathom any value system which attributes moral equivalence to the following two action: committing murder, and seeking to promote an individual's political career.
You are irrational and filled with an ideology of hatred. |
12. Written by AbuUbaida, on 20-01-2008 19:05
BTW General javed said she handed over a secret Pakistani rangers log book to the Indian Ragiv Ghandiin an interview with a Pak channel during her Pm days. result of which was the Indian army went to the houses of sikhs in that log and slaughtered their women and kids and anone else they found in the house.
So she had a habit of selling out Pakistan |
13. Written by
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
, on 15-01-2008 17:58
Hi, I'm from Pakistan & a student of Engineering.As Pakistan is the strongest muslim country,So US knew from the very first day that only external invasion cannot be the only way to get hold of this nuclear power.so.she created the internal destability in Pakistan.BB's assassination is also its contnuity.your article expresses almost all of my feelings.... |
14. Written by
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
, on 09-01-2008 11:23
Asa all l,thank you for ur article ,its written carefully and to the point .I would say America these days is making last dance and then the show is over for good .Every one knows that America is not at all doing well in her economy and wants to make trouble all over the world before they fade a way and become past like many others and I hope we segregate our selves (British )before its too late ......thanks once again . |
15. Written by
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
, on 05-01-2008 08:32
I would like to know who killed Ms Bhutto, and why. But frankly, I don't care whether or not they are "brought to justice". This term is used so often these days by those, including George W Bush, who treat the rule of law with contempt, that it now has little or no meaning.
In fact, I think one could argue that, with the effective abolition of habeas corpus in much of the world, there is no longer any real justice. There is only political expediency and primitive revenge. |
Powered by AkoComment Tweaked Special Edition v.1.4.6 |
Comments (15)
