Benazir's Assassination

The tragedy of Benazir Bhutto's assassination was all too predictable. I see some are already comparing her assassination to JFK's in 1963: key member of dynastic political family killed after heedless (even reckless) exposure to gunmen opponents; conspiracy indicated but unsolved, etc.

I would suggest also that one consider the parallels to a fictional assassination, in the classic movie "Z", by Costa-Gavras. Charismatic figure challenging reactionary rule killed in rally (in the movie, by a cosh to the head--a head injury, instead of the bomb or the bullets, being one of the many strange turns in the aftermath of Bhutto's killing), bureaucratic cover-ups, political party in chaos.

Benazir was certainly no saint (like JFK), but her loss was most untimely and is ultimately irreplaceable.

In the follow-up, I'm looking for the U.S. to take an active role in trying to mediate, permanently, between India and Pakistan in order to bring their 50+ years of conflict to an end. This is achievable, believe it or not, and is a precondition for a serious effort to bring the terrorists' refuge in Pakistan to an end.


I would suggest that the bomb was part of an elaborate plan, to make sure the shooter (who's currently considered to have delivered the fatal injury) didn't survive. He (the shooter) probably didn't even know he was due to get blasted. CNN's counterterrorism expert Peter Begley (sp?) seems to have penetrated the fog and obfuscation and correctly identified the assassination as a Qaeda/Taliban operation.