This was a foregone conclusion in November 2001. The USA was India's ally and Musharraf's mortal enemy. Pakistan then offered to let the US use it's soil to launch air strikes on Afghanistan. The USA agreed and instantly all united Nations efforts to defame Musharraf and change Pakistan ended within a month. Pakistan then had a free hand to threaten India with nuclear destruction (which they did) and to intensify the slow "tribal" genocide that the urban military presses against the yaksmen of the north. More or less, the USA gave Musharraf carte blanche to do anything and everything by parking their fighter jets in his country. If someone attacks Pakistan, they attack the USA
( ... )
Since when is American relations with Pakistan an "either-or" situation? The situation isn't binary, and I'm unaware of America severing relationships with India, relationships both have fostered throughout the last two decades.
Bhutto was definately a stabalizing element for the region proper, regardless of US intervention, but the thing is, she wasn't all that great.
No wait, stop...
I don't have an anti-feminist agenda, nor am I promoting political assassination or warmongering.
But take a look down her track record prior to getting blowed up. That woman had it coming! She pissed off her collegues, (allegedly) positioned or/and killed family members in government, and spent quite a bit of time in exile. She is, after all, the daughter of a past ruler who rose to power my military coup... Hardly the darling little angel the news made her out to be by virtue of her being a influential female politcal leader.
You're right about Bhutto not being the greatest candidate for government in a Western setting, but let's also look at the alternative heads of government in Pakistan. They're not exactly saints when it comes to incorruptibility. Shit, they're not even Liberal Party members.
I'm not saying she was the best, but she was better than most everything Pakistan had before or since.
And people seemed to flock to her. Which scared the shit out of Musharraf.
It was more than likely a pistol that fired the rounds at B Bhutto. Smuggling a pistol close to armed security elements would be easy in any crowd outside a secured perimeter (where the shooting took place) ... an assault rifle or especially a 42 inch long battle rifle, would be less than ideal.
It is quite possible that she was not struck by bullets, that they wound was caused by the handle as she was pushed/recoiled from the blast-wave. It's very believable, it's damn hard to shoot a pistol accurately (harder than anyone would believe) especially one-handed and not "set." Without a proper autopsy we'll never know for sure.
Interestingly, it was Bhutto's husband who prevented an autopsy. As, according to islamic tradition, she was interred the following day, there's no reason to believe one will ever be done.
Tragically, her son Biliwal has been appointed Chairman of the PPP upon his mother's assassination, just as his mother eventually took over the chair of the PPP after her father Zhiliwal's execution.
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really does suck some hope out of world afairs
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And ... what the hell is America supposed to do?
Doug.
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No wait, stop...
I don't have an anti-feminist agenda, nor am I promoting political assassination or warmongering.
But take a look down her track record prior to getting blowed up. That woman had it coming! She pissed off her collegues, (allegedly) positioned or/and killed family members in government, and spent quite a bit of time in exile. She is, after all, the daughter of a past ruler who rose to power my military coup... Hardly the darling little angel the news made her out to be by virtue of her being a influential female politcal leader.
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I'm not saying she was the best, but she was better than most everything Pakistan had before or since.
And people seemed to flock to her. Which scared the shit out of Musharraf.
Reply
It is quite possible that she was not struck by bullets, that they wound was caused by the handle as she was pushed/recoiled from the blast-wave. It's very believable, it's damn hard to shoot a pistol accurately (harder than anyone would believe) especially one-handed and not "set." Without a proper autopsy we'll never know for sure.
Interestingly, it was Bhutto's husband who prevented an autopsy. As, according to islamic tradition, she was interred the following day, there's no reason to believe one will ever be done.
Tragically, her son Biliwal has been appointed Chairman of the PPP upon his mother's assassination, just as his mother eventually took over the chair of the PPP after her father Zhiliwal's execution.
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