Pakistan: al-Qaida behind Bhutto assassination

[Pale Blue Dot]

Source: MSNBC

Al-Qaida and Taliban were behind the assassination of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, Pakistan's interior minister told The Associated Press.
"We have the evidence that al-Qaida and Taliban were behind the suicide attack on Benazir Bhutto," Interior Minister Hamid Nawaz said.

Interior Ministry spokesman Javed Iqbal Cheema said that on Friday the government recorded an "intelligence intercept" in which militant leader Baitullah Mehsud "congratulated his people for carrying out this cowardly act."

Cheema described Mehsud as an "al-Qaida leader" and said he was also behind the Oct. 18 bombing against Bhutto's homecoming parade through Karachi that killed more than 140 people.

Mehsud is regarded as the commander of pro-Taliban forces in the lawless Pakistani tribal region South Waziristan, where al-Qaida fighters are also active. This fall, he was quoted in a Pakistani newspaper as saying that he would welcome Bhutto's return from exile with suicide bombers. Mehsud later denied that in statements to local television and newspaper reporters.

Read more: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22416009 /

[C_U_L8R]

1. uh huh

i guess the writer's strike is still going on

[Kikosexy2]

20. al-Aqaida...

aka CIA...oops, how did that leak out? must have been that Negroponte visit to the country earlier...

[maddezmom]

2. here is CNN's blurb

Pakistani ministry: al Qaeda behind Bhutto assassination
Posted: 11:01 AM ET
(CNN) — The Pakistani government has intelligence showing al Qaeda was behind Benazir Bhutto’s assassination, a spokesman for the Interior Ministry said Friday.

Brig. Javed Iqbal Cheema said the government has an intelligence intercept in which an al Qaeda militant “congratulated his people for carrying out this cowardly act.”

There has been no claim posted on radical Islamist Web sites that regularly carry such claims from al Qaeda and other militant groups.

http://cnnwire.blogs.cnn.com/2007/12/28/pakistani-minis... /


This sounds all to convenient to me.

[The Magistrate]

7. In This Instance, Ma'am, 'al Queda' And 'I.S.I.' Are Interchangeable....

[Captain Hilts]

3. A ploy to get more money from the US. nt

[originalpckelly]

4. In one day they intercepted this? Did they know about it before her assassination?

If you release a lion from its cages to kill someone, did you do it or did the lion?

[subsuelo]

22. remember how a passport was 'found' after 911 ...

[Democrat 4 Ever]

5. Why anyone would take anything coming out of the Musharraf's or Chucklnuts'

administration seriously is beyond me. Just for them claiming immediately after the assassination that it was al-Quida makes me pretty sure that is bunk and pure BS. I wouldn't believe either group if their tongues came notarized. We know Chucklenuts & The Cabal lie, lie, lie and Musharraf hasn't exactly been the epitome of trust, justice and democracy to stay in power. Birds of a feather...

[originalpckelly]

6. You presume al-Qaeda has been used like a lion in the Coliseum.

How did they know that she was killed by al-Qaeda so quickly? If they had the intel yesterday about this assassination, why not enhance her security to protect her?

Have you ever considered that al-Qaeda is being manipulated?

[Democrat 4 Ever]

17. I know al-Quida could be manipulated. That's one theory, another

one is Musharrah's men did the deed and is blaming it on the bogeyman - just like Chucklenuts. Scare, scare, fear, fear. You need me to keep you safe. I thought I made that clear with my posting. I don't believe either administration - both are full of crooks, liars and sycophants who aren't above putting out false information to make themselves look better.

[earthside]

8. 'Busharraf' Propaganda

Who benefits most from Bhutto's removal from the Pakistan political scene?

Pervez Musharraf.

Politically in Pakistan and here in the U.S., however, al Qaida is going to be blamed -- no matter who really committed the crime.

Are there al Qaida links to the assassination? Undoubtedly, since the ISI is full of Taliban and al Qaida sympathizers.

But, it already seems rather clear that Musharraf -- either by denying Bhutto proper security or actively conspiring to kill her -- is responsible.

[Tempest]

9. The Pakistani officer releasing the intelligence intercepts

Is code named "Curveball".

[mr_hat]

10. Send more billions!

[bdamomma]

11. ................

this report coming from BBC as Breaking News


http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7163307.stm

just a snip:

The interior ministry said it had "intelligence intercepts" indicating "al-Qaeda leader" Baitullah Mehsud was behind the killing.

The suspect is one of Pakistan's most wanted militant leaders and is based in the South Waziristan tribal region.

[truebrit71]

12. Well wouldn't THAT be convenient....

...

Blame it on the baddest, bad-ass you haven't been able to capture yet and all is well...

[Binka]

15. This Shit Makes Cartoons Look Serious

I am ready to jump off a cliff. I hate these lying bastards. HATE. THEM.

[Lone_Star_Dem]

18. Why not? It's worked for Bush. n/t

[skip fox]

13. They NEED to make intercept public for our analysis.

If it ISN'T credible . . . then we should withdraw our support for Musharraf immediately.

[Robbien]

14. "Don't believe the words of Bhutto, believe me, I didn't kill her, al-qaida did or the

boogyman did. Anyone else did, just not me."

[rockybelt]

16. This is just as believeable

as the Secret Service telling us that there was no indication of arson in Cheney's office.....before the fire was extinguished!

[and-justice-for-all]

19. al-Qaida?

al-Qaida is one of those phantom enemies that does not exist, nothing more than fantasy brought on by the those who need a constant threat to keep their agenda alive.

al-Qaida, I am afraid, is a complete and total fabrication.

[rocktivity]

21. As opposed to his own boss, you mean?

rocknation

[Didereaux]

23. Yeah and Santa Clause put the radioactive dust in the russians tea!

[bushmeister0]

24. Everyone's wants to take credit.

This supposed "intercept" includes this dialog:

Mehsud: Then congratulations to you again.

Maulvi: Where are you? I want to meet with you?

Mehsud: I am in Makin. Come I am at Anwar Shah's home.

Maulvi Sahib: OK I will come.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071228/ap_on_re_as/pakista...

Did it ever ocurre to the Pakistani security people to go over to Anwar Shah's house and arrest these guys? I guess they were too busy holding a press conference about it.

Meanwhile, Asia Times Online reports:

"'We terminated the most precious American asset which vowed to defeat mujahideen.' These were the words of al-Qaeda’s top commander for Afghanistan operations and spokesperson Mustafa Abu al-Yazid, immediately after the attack that claimed the life of Pakistani politician Benazir Bhutto on Thursday (December 27). . . He said the death squad consisted of Punjabi associates of the underground anti-Shi’ite militant group Lashkar-i-Jhangvi, operating under al-Qaeda orders."

http://www.atimes.com/atimes/South_Asia/IL29Df01.html

Lashkar-i-Jhangvi is a Sunni territory group that was hired by the ISI back in 2001 to go down to Sindh, where the Bhuttos are from, and go after the Sindh independence movement, led now by Benazir Bhutto's cousin Mumtaz Ali Bhutto.

I'm going with Mustafa Abu al-Yazid's story. It's bad when a terrorist has more credibility than one of our allies.

[arewenotdemo]

25. Well, if it was Mehsud and the intercept is legit...

they should have already knocked on Anwar Shah's door.

Something tells me that that hasn't happened.