Benazir Bhutto Assassinated

We are saddened by the death of opposition leader Benazir Bhutto of Pakistan. She was the former Prime Minister of Pakistan, and was drawing increasingly huge crowds to her rallies critical of Mushariff. That apparently became too much of a concern for the Pakistani government. We see the results of their concern this morning.

Remember, Bhutto's own father was assassinated. Her two brothers were murdered outside of Pahistan under mysterious circumstances. Benazir Bhutto had said repeatedly that she was in fear of her life. And yet she decided to return to her country, after a self-imposed exile, to run for office again.

At the airport, on the day of her return to re-enter Pakistan, there was an unsuccessful assassination attempt. And yet she continued her work to expose the Pakistani government's true character and intentions. This was truly a courageous woman, a courageous politician - the kind we no longer see here in our own country.

It is very interesting to watch as the Pakistani government scrambles to gain control of the story. CNN at approximately 7:30 CST had on a former Information Minister of Pakistan who urged "caution" about continuing to report the story that Bhutto's husband said she was shot in the neck and died from this wound. He instead said that the "situation is a bit confused, as one would expect." They are working hard to float the story that she died as a reult of the suicide explosion, not from bullet wounds.

CNN should be applauded for poking a hole in the official report out of Pakistan that she died as a result of an explosion at the rally. CNN further reported that attendees of this rally were required to pass thru metal detectors and were subject to searches. And yet someone was able to get a gun past these checkpoints. There were aware of the make and model of the car she was driving in. When she attempted to flee for her safety at the start of the violence, her car was hit by five bullets, and she suffered her fatal wound.