Assassination in Pakistan
Benazir Bhutto, former Pakistani Prime Minister and frontrunner in the upcoming election, has been assassinated. After speaking to several thousand people at a political rally, her motorcade was shot at and then attacked by a suicide bomber, reminiscent of the attack she survived several weeks ago. Approximately two thirds of the country supported her. The US and Pakistani governments were very quick to blame Al Qaeda (reminiscent of the way the government initially blamed the Oklahoma City bombing on Arab extremists), but counterterrorism groups say there is so far no credible link between the two groups, and Al Qaeda itself isn’t taking credit for this. Edit: Al Qaeda has taken credit for the assassination.
In the meantime, Pakistan has been plunged into protests and riots, and President Musharraf is considering postponing the upcoming elections and possibly even reinstating the martial law he ended scant weeks ago. Even if the elections are not postponed, many political parties are likely to boycott them.