Bhutto: There's a very slim line between what are called Musharraf's people and the terrorists

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from ABC News interview, Nov. 4, 2007: http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Story?id=3818161&page=1

{snip}

Bhutto: There's a very slim line between what are called Musharraf's people and the terrorists who tried to kill me in Karachi. I have long held that the forces that supported an earlier military dictatorship in Pakistan in the '80s, which formed the Iran mujahadin, have crept into the administration and security services under Gen. Musharraf, and they have covertly aided and abetted the rise of extremism and militancy.

They have focused their attention against the very civil and political institutions that build a tolerant society. They have consistently attacked the press, the court system, the judicial system, political parties. I feel that their attention should be on the extremists, but they look the other way. A terrorist three days ago gave a threat that he would kill me in Bindi in a public press conference and I was surprised that the police didn't arrest him. The administration didn't clamp down on his press conference, and it's just unbelievable that wanted terrorist leaders can actually hold press conferences in my country.

Weir: Do you accuse the general of being complicit in all of this, or is he blind to it?

Bhutto: I don't accuse Gen. Musharraf directly of being complicit in all this. But I do believe that the ruling party, called the PMLQ, that was put together during the last elections in 2002, was put together in the headquarters of a powerful intelligence agency, known as the ISI.

And that ruling party has some moderates in it, but the core support or the core strength lies in the hands of those people who were the political allies of the military dictator of the '80s who formed the Iran mujahedin, who later went on to become Taliban and al Qaeda. And unless those elements are cleansed from our administration and security apparatus, I simply don't see how we are going to turn the tide against extremism.

Weir: So do you believe -- just so we can keep the players straight here -- you believe this faction is deliberately trying to destabilize Gen. Musharraf's government so that they can take power?

Bhutto: I believe that this faction is using Gen. Musharraf's acceptability to the international community to bring in the money, which, by the way, is not going to the people of Pakistan because poverty has increased in Pakistan over the last five years. But I believe that this faction is using Gen. Musharraf's moderate image to actually covertly and clandestinely expand the entire extremist structure within the country. And if we take look at the balance sheet, we will see that a demoralized Taliban and al Qaeda have regrouped.

interview: http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Story?id=3818161&page=2


my take:

Bush's Falling Dominoes
December 27, 2007 at 10:41:30

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x2537652
http://www.opednews.com/articles/opedne_ron_full_071227_bush_s_falling_domin.htm

[mmonk]

1. A big kick for the big picture.

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2. in the age of little windows

for viewing

[mmonk]

3. Indeed.

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4. Al Qaeda 'likely' to be behind Bhutto death: Pakistan

Updated 3 hours 34 minutes ago


Pakistan has pointed a finger at Al Qaeda for the assassination of Benazir Bhutto, as her body was taken to her ancestral home for burial and anger at her death erupted into deadly unrest.

Interior Ministry spokesman Brigadier Javed Cheema said Ms Bhutto had been on an Al Qaeda hit-list and that it was likely the Islamic extremist network played a role in the suicide attack that killed her on Thursday (local time).

"Benazir has been on the hit-list of Al Qaeda," he said.

"Now there is every possibility that Al Qaeda is behind this tragic attack to undermine the security of Pakistan."

{snip}

Ms Bhutto was an outspoken critic of Al Qaeda-linked Islamic extremists blamed for scores of bombings in Pakistan and had received death threats.

She had also accused elements from the intelligence services of involvement in a suicide attack at an October 18 rally welcoming her home from exile. She narrowly escaped, but the attack killed 139 people.

article: http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/12/28/2128590.htm?section=world

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5. poot