Friday, December 28, 2007

Bhutto dead

Benazir Bhutto assassinated. A brave woman who risked all for her country. What a tragedy for Pakistan. What a terrible further tragedy for the Bhutto family. It was only 13 days to a general election that she had a good chance of winning.

What conceivable good can come from this evil action? Civil strife, more killings, abandoning even the fragile pretence at democratic process? Perhaps the only bright spot - an intensified revulsion for the murderous thugs who could only see one way of addressing her ideas namely to kill her. Al Qaeda vermin have claimed responsibility for the killing.
Posted by hc at 7:06 pm
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7 comments:

Anonymous said...

My first reaction was that this was revenge for the murder of Murtaza Bhutto (her brother) who was assassinated in all probability with Benzir's blessing.

But that is probably far too romantic a narrative.

Nevertheless, given the recent fondness of Kalimna for Christian scripture I'm inclined to think "they that take the sword shall perish with the sword."

i.e., I don't get why people are making a big deal out of this.

10:52 pm
Anonymous said...

She was from the centre-left, but it is very difficult to know what exactly she stood for. (Sound familiar, Harry?). She was never in power for long enough to make any difference to Pakistan, but this means her reputation remains untarnished (despite the dubious corruption charges) by the need to run a country that is virtually ungovernable.

12:23 am
hc said...

Rabee,

She was certainly seen as a positive voice by ordinary people in Pakistan.

Yes, some are already claiming the killing was triggered by supporters of her brother who hold her (or her husband) responsible for the death of Murtaza..

As with the numerous unproven corruption charges who knows.

I guess it is 'a big deal' because it is such a total disaster for Pakistan.

Mark, I agree her views were complicated and her record had blemishes. As you point out how could it not?

For example she supported the Taliban initially - so too did the Americans. It is hard to make judgments about these things but it is certainly clear what her latter views were.

2:00 am
hc said...

Rabee, further response.

Isn't your moral argument just wrong? It is simple thing mate.

Killing a popular political leader who is facing an election is always a 'big deal'. Let us suppose the charges of corruption against her or involvement in murder were proven - even then it is still morally wrong and counter-productive.

You are right about my pro-Xmas post though. I was drifting along feeling good about the world - thinking mainly about surfing and seafood - and this killing occurs. She did offer Pakistan some hope.

Its a bad end to the Xmas break.

2:43 am
Anonymous said...

What conceivable good can come from this evil action?

For a start, GWB may now, as a result, rethink his support for Pervez Musharraf and the beind-the-scenes military-mullah clique with whose support the generalissimo rules.

The Islamists only have 10 per cent support in Pakistan at best; previously their electoral showing was ca. 5-6%.

So I say, bring on the civil war in Pakistan and clean out the vermin. Let them then have a Committee of Public Safety and let a Pakistani secularist Robespierre emerge.

11:36 pm
hc said...

GWB clearly supported Bhutto because she was strongly anti-terrorist and gave Musharraf legitimacy.

It is a dangerous game to suggest a case for civil war if only because Pakistan is nuclear armed.

The Islamic fanatics played this one skillfully - killing one person damages the key Islamic country supporting its actions in the war on terror.

Of course the fanatics are a tiny minority thats why they employ terrorism.

9:43 am
Anonymous said...

Perhaps we should leave the final scintillating analysis to father of the year David Hicks- She was just in the wrong place at the wrong time
http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/story/0,22606,22989157-2682,00.html?from=public_rss
Like our 4 fallen in Afghanistan fighting David's good buddies I suppose.
observa

7:50 am

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