Benazir Blocked from Hiring Bodyguards

Bhutto Blocked From Hiring U.S. Bodyguards

Benazir Bhutto was so fearful for her life that she tried to hire British and American security experts to protect her, The Sunday Telegraph can reveal.
But the plans collapsed because Musharraf refused to
allow the foreign contractors to operate in Pakistan, according to senior aides.

“She asked to bring in trained security personnel from abroad,” said Mark Siegel, her U.S. representative. “In fact she and her husband repeatedly tried to get visas for such protection, but they were denied by the government of Pakistan.”

Ms. Bhutto’s entourage discussed deals with the American Blackwater operation, this newspaper has learnt. Sources within the British private security industry said that she also had negotiations with the London-based firm Armor Group, which guards UK diplomats in the Middle East – last night the company said that it had no knowledge of any talks.

A Blackwater spokesman confirmed the negotiations. “We were approached to provide PM Bhutto’s security, but an agreement was unfortunately never reached,” she said. She declined to go into the precise details.

Ms. Bhutto contacted officials, diplomats and friends in America, Europe and the Gulf to urge Gen. Musharraf to improve her security following the bomb attacks that killed more than 150 in Karachi during her homecoming parade on Oct. 19 2007.

Indeed, U.S. diplomats took the highly unusual step of providing her directly with confidential U.S. intelligence about military threats to her life.

Aides said that letters containing death threats had been smuggled into her home.

Husain Haqqani, a US-based Bhutto adviser, confirmed that she wanted to use private international security contractors but said that the Musharraf regime would not approve the plan.
He added that America, which has arranged for private contractors to guard the Afghan [Tyrant], Hamid Karzai, and leaders in Iraq, was reluctant to press Gen. Musharraf, its ally, to change his mind. This was despite Washington seeing Ms. Bhutto as a lynchpin in its crucial diplomatic attempt to encourage Pakistan to return to democracy.

Mr. Siegel’s comments will add to the long-running controversy over Ms. Bhutto’s security arrangements, which were widely regarded as woefully inadequate given the seriousness of the threats against her from others.

She relied largely on using a “human shield” of loyal [PPP] followers who would form a ring around her, but as Thursday’s attack proved, it was little real protection against a determined assailant.

Being surrounded by foreign bodyguards would have added to criticisms that Ms. Bhutto was in the pocket of the West – an accusation levelled at [Western Puppet] Karzai – and might not have been welcomed by her own Pakistani security staff. But the [American and British security] companies could have taken a back role as consultants and trained locals in bodyguard techniques to maintain a Pakistani face to her
entourage.

“It’s odd and disturbing that the Pakistan government did not do a better job of protecting her and that the U.S. apparently could not do more to persuade them,” said Bruce Riedel, a former CIA [U.S. Central Intelligence Agency] officer and former [U.S.] National Security Council Director for South Asia. “She made it very clear privately and publicly that she did not have enough security. That was abundantly
clear after the attack on her return.

“I can’t explain why the Bush Administration didn’t pressure Musharraf to do more. Her death leaves the U.S. with a Pakistan policy that is completely bankrupt.”

Benazir’s Murder Full of Cover-ups

Pakistan is reeling in the aftermath of Benazir Bhutto’s murder, as anger and overwhelming sadness drive its people towards hopelessness and violence . In the midst of all this, the government is foolishly trying to distort the facts surrounding Bhutto’s killing by trying to shift the blame from its own incompetence and possible involvement. Without credible elections , restoration of the independent judiciary and effective curbs on the activities of the country’s intelligence agencies in internal affairs, Pakistan cannot be rescued from a certain slide into more chaos.

Pakistan’s history is full of cover-ups and Bhutto’s murder is proving to be no different. Innumerable acts of violence creating choreographed instability in the country, abrupt dismissals of various governments and assassinations of many political and military leaders remain uninvestigated, or unresolved and shrouded in mystery.

Repeated martial laws and military interference in politics is the leading cause behind Pakistan’s failure to develop democratic institutions and a culture of accountability. An “insecurity” complex inspired the country’s military to meddle in regional conflicts and pursue a secretive “foreign policy”, for which the country is paying through its nose today. Shortsighted and uninformed policy decisions of the United States and the west, pertaining to Pakistan in particular and south-west Asia in general, further added to the problems in the region. For instance, the aftermath of the western-sponsored and supported “jihad” in Afghanistan in the 1980s is still haunting the region, as well as the rest of the world.

Coming to the present scenario, prospects of democracy started to rise when Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif returned to the country and decided to contest elections. Movement for the rule of law spearheaded by lawyers and civil society actors in response to the unlawful deposition of the chief justice, Iftikhar Chaudhry , since March 2007 was also a healthy development for the country. However, Musharraf started backtracking on the understanding he had developed with Bhutto, as his political allies began to feel uncomfortable with the reception she was getting all across the country.

Circumstantial evidence suggests that, since mid-November, some hardliner and extremist elements within the Musharraf camp have been saying Bhutto was pursuing an “American agenda” to “topple Pakistan’s army” and get rid of the nukes – a conspiracy theory. Some Pakistani journalists and analysts closely aligned with Musharraf started producing “news analysis” to this effect soon afterwards (for a glimpse, click here ). Intriguingly, a video clip was also telecasted from some media outlets (eg ARY TV and PTV) on November 29 showing that Islamabad police had confiscated a vehicle in the capital city with around two-dozen American M16 and Israeli Uzi guns. Clearly, this was an attempt to suggest that the US and Israel were planning to create violence in the country. The clip zoomed in on markings on the US weapons which read: “Property of the US government”. Many media channels that deciphered the deceptive motive of the “news item” refused to run it.

Statements made by Bhutto which were critical of the role played by Dr AQ Khan in nuclear proliferation were also hyped by government media managers. Despite all these manipulations and disinformation, her political campaign continued to gain momentum. At this point (around mid-December), Musharraf started to make statements challenging Benazir’s support base and refused to accept her demands regarding election matters and provision of adequate security for her. And then came the assassin’s bullet – in a professionally executed targeted killing – raising important questions about the identity of the killers and the role of elements from within the establishment. In an email to me on October 24, Benazir, while analysing threats to her life, maintained that the real “threat [is] not from the US perceived angle but estab[lishment] elements”.

The resultant chaos has shaken the state’s foundations and federation. PPP has a huge task ahead under the new leadership of Benazir’s 19-year-old son Bilawal and his father Asif Zardari – a combination of youth and experience guided by the Bhutto legacy. This is in line with South Asia’s traditions – where individuals and their backgrounds are often deemed more important than institutions because of the public’s emotional ties to charismatic leaders. It is quite likely that PPP will sweep the coming elections, whether held on January 8 or a bit later, benefiting from an additional sympathy vote all across the country.

Such an eventuality, if uninterrupted by the military establishment, will give Pakistan another chance to be rescued. Musharraf on the other hand is becoming increasingly irrelevant and there is a growing possibility that military leadership will distance itself from him and return to its professional job and regain people’s confidence. Such a scenario requires acumen and sagacity on the part of political and military leadership. The past provides little comfort in this regard, but one hopes that Benazir’s sacrifice will pay off, ushering Pakistan towards a progressive democratic order.

-

Baitullah Denies Hand in Benazir’s Assassination

Baitullah Mehsud Says Musharraf is the Real Killer of
Benazir

Baitullah Denies Hand in Benazir’s Assassination

Commander Baitullah Mehsud, accused of masterminding the attack that killed Benazir Bhutto in Rawalpindi, has
rejected the allegations as baseless.

“We are equally grieved by the tragic death of Benazir and
extend our sympathies to her family and party workers in this hour of grief,” said Mr. Omar, a spokesman for Baitullah Mehsud and his Tehreek-e-Pakistan [Pakistan Movement], a conglomerate of all the Pashtun organisations operating in tribal areas as well as the settled districts of the NWFP.

Baitullah Mehsud, Ameer or central leader of the recently-formed Tehreek-e-Pakistan, was accused by the Interior Ministry Spokesman Brig. (retd.) Javed Iqbal Cheema of sending the bomber near the vehicle of Benazir Bhutto outside the Liaquat Bagh in Rawalpindi.

Mr Omar on Saturday said Baitullah Mehsud, while sensing the gravity of the allegations levelled against him, convened an  emergency meeting of Tehreek-e-Pakistan [Council] comprising senior commanders at a secret place somewhere between South and North Waziristan tribal region to clarify his position.

“Why on earth would we kill her [Benazir Bhutto]? We had no enmity with her and more importantly she had done no wrong to us,” Mr Omar said while quoting Baitullah Mehsud as telling the Council meeting.

He said that it was against the teachings of Islam and Shariah, as well as the centuries old rich traditions of the tribal people, not to harm a woman and added that the [illegal Musharraf] government allegations against the commander were part of face-saving moves it had resorted to ever since the incident took place.

“By blaming us for the murder of an important political leader like Benazir Bhutto, the government is in fact misguiding the world. Planning such actions is simply beyond our imagination,” he claimed.

“We want to assure the Pakistan People’s Party [PPP] leaders and its workers that we can’t even think of killing their leader. We are with them in this hour of grief and sorrow,” claimed the spokesman.

He alleged that the unlawful Musharraf government was attempting to portray the tribal areas as centers of “terrorists” so as to earn dollars from, what he termed as, Western masters. “This is why they keep the tribal belt in continuous grip of violence.”

Accusing the Pakistan Army’s secret agencies for the crime, he said the modus operandi and precision of the strike revealed that the gruesome act was committed by professional hands.

It may be recalled here that Baitullah Mehsud was also [maliciously and illegally] accused of threatening Benazir Bhutto with “suicide attacks” – [by the Musharraf government-controlled Daily Times toilet
paper of Najam Sethi (venal Editor) and corrupt Salman Taseer (Publisher and illegal Minister for Industries, Production and Special Initiatives in the unlawful Caretaker Cabinet of Tyrant Musharraf and illegal Crime Minister Mohammedmian Soomro)] upon her arrival in
[Karachi] Pakistan [on 18 October 2007] – that he later denied.

The commander at that time said he had never thought of such an attack as he knew that it would kill innocent people.

Mr Omar said they had time and again disowned the statement attributed to Baitullah Mehsud regarding the “suicide attacks” on Benazir upon her return from abroad, but lamented that certain people conveniently ignored the same to promote their interests.

 Mehsud Had Told Benazir: ‘I Am Not Your Enemy’

“Identify your enemy, I am not your enemy, I have nothing to do with you or against you or with the assassination attempt on you on October 19,” Baitullah Mehsud, the local Waziristan tribal leader conveyed this message twice
to Benazir Bhutto, the PPP spokesman Farhatullah Babar claimed on Saturday.

“The top PPP leadership trusted the message,” Babar disclosed, adding that it was conveyed by Mehsud through two different reliable emissaries after the October 19 2007 assassination attempt on her life in Karsaz, Karachi.

Mehsud had conveyed to Benazir Bhutto that his activities were limited to Waziristan and were of a defensive nature. “I have neither the resources to fight outside Waziristan nor I have any plans to attack Benazir Bhutto in future,” Mehsud had conveyed to the top PPP leadership.

Babar claimed that the voice recording of the alleged  conversation between Baitullah Mehsud and another religious leader presented before the media on Friday by the Pakistan Interior Ministry was ridiculous and a deliberate attempt to divert the attention of the nation from the real culprits.

He added: “We have no doubt that Baitullah Mehsud is not involved in Thursday’s 27 December 2007 tragic incident. Rather, we have serious doubts against those mentioned in the letter written by Benazir to Pervez Musharraf before and after the October 19 Karsaz tragedy.”

“If the government had seriously gone through the contents of the letter and had fulfilled our demand to hire the services of some foreign investigative agencies to probe into the Karachi attack, Thursday’s tragic incident might have been avoided,” Babar added.

“Instead of diverting the attention of the people of Pakistan towards Baitullah Mehsud, should the government hire the services of an international professional investigative agency, matters can proceed in a better direction,” Babar said.

“Now the people of Pakistan can understand when someone is trying to fool them,” Babar said, adding: “If an inquiry in the murder case of Rafiq Hariri can be held by international experts, it can also be held in this case to expose the conspirators.”

PPP Demands Probe Based on Benazir’s Letter
http://www.dawn.com/2007/12/30/top12.htm

The chief of Benazir Bhutto’s security, Rehman Malik, told The News on Friday he was conveyed through a senior journalist who had directly spoken to Baitullah Mehsud that Mehsud had no enmity with Benazir and had no plans to attack or kill her.

He said that the PPP had demanded of the illegal Pervez Musharraf government to give credible evidences, if it had any, regarding the involvement of Baitullah Mehsud in the tragic incident.

He said as the security adviser to Benazir Bhutto, he still had not received any medical or enquiry report of the incident or the recording of the conversation on phone between Mehsud and his companion.

He said that he would be in a proper position to comment on the unlawful Musharraf government findings after he would officially receive the documents.

Earlier, on the directions of the PPP Chairperson, PPP Senator Safdar Abbasi had asked FATA Senator Mohammad Saleh Shah Qureshi to contact Baitullah Mehsud and ask him why he reportedly wanted to kill Benazir Bhutto. When Saleh Shah met Mehsud at an unidentified location in the tribal areas, Mehsud assured Saleh Shah that some enemy of Benazir was deliberately attempting to spread misinformation
that he wanted to kill her.

“I have no plans to do so and have no enmity with Benazir Bhutto,” Mehsud had assured the Senator.

NEWS FRAUD OF THE DAILY TIMES EXPOSED
http://www.dictatorshipwatch.com/modules.php?
http://groups.google.com/group/reportpress/t/851f65b20fd55ead

News Fraud of the Daily Times Exposed
http://www.dictatorshipwatch.com/modules.php?

Pervez Musharraf Blocked Security for Benazir Bhutto to Kill Her
http://groups.google.com/group/reportpress/t/81dc816c7bc8cd93

British Intelligence Service MI5 Says Pakistan Army’s ISI Killed Benazir
http://groups.google.com/group/reportpress/t/e77a8237d3907bb6

US Senator Hillary Clinton Says Pakistan Army Killed Benazir http://groups.google.com/group/reportpress/t/9fd61328ec98cf60

US Intelligence Official Points Finger at the Musharraf Army
http://groups.google.com/group/reportpress/t/6459c07ed023b46c

E-Mail of Benazir Says Musharraf Killed PPP Chief
http://groups.google.com/group/reportpress/t/1616094e2c853db8

Pakistan Army’s SSG Commandos Killed Benazir
http://groups.google.com/group/reportpress/t/e27767c0a815e6a0

Who Killed Benazir Bhutto?
http://www.dictatorshipwatch.com/index.php?

Benazir’s Medical Report Immediately After She was Shot

Fatima Bhutto Writes About Benazir

Farewell Wadi Bua, my aunt

By: Fatima Bhutto

30 12 2007

Courtesy: Hindustan Times

My aunt and I had a complicated relationship. That is the truth, the sad truth. The last fifteen years were not the ones we spent as friends or as relatives, that is also the truth. But this week, I too want to remember her differently. I want to remember her differently because I must. I can’t lose faith in this country, my home. I can’t believe that it was for nothing, that violence in its purest form is so cruel and so unforgiving. I can’t accept that this is what we have come to. So, I must offer a farewell. One that is written in tears and anger but one that comes from a place far away, from the realm of memory and forgiving a place where at another time, we might have all been safe. As a child, I used to call my aunt Wadi Bua, Sindhi for father’s older sister.

When I got the news, I was told that something had happened to Wadi Bua. It was an expression I hadn’t heard or used in a very long time, when I heard it said to me over the phone I remembered someone different.

We used to read children’s books together. We used to like exactly the same sweets ” sugared chestnuts and candied apples. We used to get the same ear infections that tortured us throughout the years.

I have never before written an article that seemed so impossible. We were very different. Though people liked to compare us, almost instinctively, because well, they could. It is difficult for me to write about two people, one in the present tense and one in the past, at the same time.

Especially when one person’s passing makes the other one wonder whether there is a cusp to things and whether or not there really is a past and present to life.

I never agreed with her politics. I never agreed with those she kept around her, the political opportunists, hangers-on, them. They repulse me. I never agreed with her version of events. But in death, perhaps, there is a moment to call for calm.

We cannot, and we will not, take any more madness. I mourn because my family has had enough. I mourn for Bilawal, Bakhtawar, and Asifa. I mourn for them because I too lost a parent. I know what it feels like.

I am at a loss. I am in shock because I have yet to bury a loved one who has died from natural causes. Four. That’s the number of family members, immediate family members, whom we have laid to rest, all victims of senseless killing.

I was born five years after my grandfather, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto‘s assassination.

I was three when my uncle Shahnawaz was murdered. I remember Wadi Bua sitting with me and telling me stories while the rest of the family was with the police.

When I was fourteen, my life was ended. I lost my heart and soul, my father Murtaza. I am and have been since then a shell of the person I was.

I suppose there are cusps in life, and thank god for that because that way we can stay in between.

And now at 25, Wadi. But this isn’t about me, it’s about those whom we have lost. It’s about the graveyard at Garhi Khuda Bux that is just too full.

I pray that this is the last, that from this moment onwards we will no longer have to bid farewell too quickly.

Wadi, farewell.

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–
It doesn’t interest me who you know or how you came
to be here. I want to know if you will stand in the center
of the fire with me and not shrink back.

It doesn’t interest me where or what or with whom
you have studied. I want to know what sustains you
from the inside when all else falls away. I want to
know if you can be alone with yourself and if you

truly like the company you keep in the empty moments.

-Excerpt from  Oriah Mountain Dream, Indian Elder
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