2008 Woodie Awards
Assassination plot of Benazir Bhutto unfolds
New investigation suspects Al-Qaeda involvement in 2007 bombings
Lucia Reed
Issue date: 1/24/08 Section: World Views
Three weeks after the assassination of Pakistani opposition leader and former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, government officials claim they have found the perpetrator. The arrest of a 15-year-old boy, Aitezaz Shah, has led investigators to believe that Baitullah Mehsud, a Pakistani tribal leader with strong ties to Al-Qaeda, orchestrated the assassination. President Pervez Musharraf publicly stated that Mehsud is the prime suspect in the assassination.
Shah has allegedly confessed that he is one of the participants and was led by the Islamic militant Mehsud. Bhutto was shot at on December 27, 2007, standing in the sunroof of her limousine as she was leaving a political rally. After the shots were fired, a bomb went off that killed twenty people in the surrounding area.
Pakistan has been in a state of chaos since, and riots have killed hundreds of people. The public has accused the current President Musharraf for Bhutto's death, but this break in the investigation may prove his innocence.
However, Bhutto's party, the Pakistan People's Party, has rejected the validity of Shah's confession. The party has accused Musharraf of being involved with the assassination. Tensions between Musharraf and Bhutto date back to 2002, when Musharraf imposed a two-term limit on prime ministers, which was believed to be directed at Bhutto (who had already served two terms). Last May, Musharraf threatened to prohibit her from returning to the country, but ended up giving her amnesty and allowed her to return. In October, she asked that her security be stepped up after there was an attempt on her life. Bhutto blamed the weak security detail on Musharraf's closest advisers, implicating that Musharraf was involved.
On January 3, Musharraf denied any involvement with the assassination. He also rebuked criticism from supporters of Bhutto that the government did not provide enough security detail for Bhutto. Bhutto's family has been adamant in their accusations against Musharraf and the Pakistani government.
Shah has allegedly confessed that he is one of the participants and was led by the Islamic militant Mehsud. Bhutto was shot at on December 27, 2007, standing in the sunroof of her limousine as she was leaving a political rally. After the shots were fired, a bomb went off that killed twenty people in the surrounding area.
Pakistan has been in a state of chaos since, and riots have killed hundreds of people. The public has accused the current President Musharraf for Bhutto's death, but this break in the investigation may prove his innocence.
However, Bhutto's party, the Pakistan People's Party, has rejected the validity of Shah's confession. The party has accused Musharraf of being involved with the assassination. Tensions between Musharraf and Bhutto date back to 2002, when Musharraf imposed a two-term limit on prime ministers, which was believed to be directed at Bhutto (who had already served two terms). Last May, Musharraf threatened to prohibit her from returning to the country, but ended up giving her amnesty and allowed her to return. In October, she asked that her security be stepped up after there was an attempt on her life. Bhutto blamed the weak security detail on Musharraf's closest advisers, implicating that Musharraf was involved.
On January 3, Musharraf denied any involvement with the assassination. He also rebuked criticism from supporters of Bhutto that the government did not provide enough security detail for Bhutto. Bhutto's family has been adamant in their accusations against Musharraf and the Pakistani government.
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