Who Benefits from Bhutto's Killing?

The inevitable question after any assassination is: who benefited from it? The answer in this case is Musharraf and the extremists. Bhutto was the enemy of both. Could they have worked together to eliminate her?

With her murder Musharraf has had his chief rival removed and he can resume his authoritarian rule with the Americans off his back: Washington has nowhere else to turn. He is the man. He has secured power--for the time being anyway. Musharraf has played America brilliantly. His intelligence service helped create and still has ties to al-Qaeda and the Taliban. Indeed, Bhutto accused him of harboring extremists for just such an attack. Their claim of responsibility gives Musharraf deniability, since he is supposed to be fighting them.

Now Musharraf can clamp down on the human rights and democracy crowd, his real enemy, while running his phony war against extremists, all the while taking American military aid intended to fight terrorism and use it to upgrade his defenses against India. A very clever, but dastardly plan.

If Musharraf's claims are to be believed, then rogue elements of his intelligence service were involved in the killing and not Musharraf himself. But the effect is the same: he is not effectively fighting the terrorists and he benefits from their enmity with democracy and from American financial backing.

But Musharraf's game is dangerous. For the moment, the Taliban and al-Qaeda won't touch him, because he has their back, as it were. He is an uneasy ally for now, keeping the gullible Americans, or at least American public, believing he is actually fighting them.

Musharraf must fear that this game will last only until al-Qaeda and the Taliban feel strong enough to try to overthrow him and rule Pakistan with their allies in military intelligence. That day hopefully may never come. But in the meantime he is a very useful placeholder for them.

Read more reactions from HuffPost bloggers on Benazir Bhutto's assassination

Comments

[poopdeck]

Her 19-year old son.

[darker]

CIA-style "designer" propaganda is the same in Bhutto's killing as in that of JFKennedy, RFKennedy, MLKing. It's a signature pattern.

Who benefits? If Bush-Cheney didn't benefit, there would be no Bhutto killing. Bush pushed her to return to Pakistan. That's "who".

[Pdubya]

Follow the money. Lets see if we keep sending Musharaf $$BILLIONS OF OUR DOLLARS...

...bets anyone of who really is benefitting?

[dgscol]

I thought the US might have provided some intelligence, or some security. I was amazed - she apparently was there on her own, with no help, no security. There was a burial, and no coverage. She seemed to be well connected to people back here who wished her well. What happened? Did Bush withhold support because of his connections to the Saudis?
They benefit, because they are getting rid of the US in the extended kingdom.

[dansnow]

In this piece Mr. Lauria presumes that Musharraf is in control of the situation in Pakistan, and has the authority to make everything come his way.

In reality mr Musharraf does not control Pakistani politics, people, territory, or even all of his security service. He is holding on for dear life to what influence he has left.

He has given up his military role and accepted mrs. Bhutto back in order to secure Western support for his leadership. This assassination makes him look helpless, or indifferent, and not the man to back. The ensuing disorder will only help the most radical Islamists, who will use the chaos to help their own agenda.

[Merg]

This article is right on target. Bush actually wanted to foist Bhutto on Mushy because he just didn't really trust Mushy but couldn't do much about him. Mushy wanted her gone. The lasted on TV has Mush'y government saying Al Qaeda did it AND (get this) she wasn't actually SHOT or HIT BY SHRAPNEL but instead she hit her head on some kind of knob on the sunroof. They are saying this, despite the fact that the first doctors to examine her identified two entry and two exit wounds as gunshots. Now why would Mushy lie about a thing like that?

[tinkaboutit]

great article. 5 stars. finally someone says the obvious.

CUI BONO

[crimson]

Completely flawed analysis by the author. It is obvious he has no understanding of the ground realities in Pakistan. Mush has been elected President for the next five years. He proclaimed emergency so that he COULD change laws that WOULD allow Benazir to compete in the election. Otherwise, according to laws of Pakistan - anyone who has been convicted of crimes ( as was Benazir) would not have been allowed to run. Mush is probably pissed of at the Americans for agreeing to go along with their moronic plan to bring Benazir in from out of the cold. Since she reemerged into the scene - all it has done is brought FURTHER instability to Pakistan.

[grendl]

Now that Pakistan's only hope for democracy is gone, where are the others to pick up the baton in her stead? Do they exist?

Most of the population of that country were not privileged to enjoy the kind of education Ms. Bhutto did, nor were they in a position to see firsthand the true power of a democracy, as she mentioned her awe at the toppling of this country's corrupt administration in the 1970's. She was a messiah of sorts, delivering the promise of a free society to people who could only imagine such a thing, a Middle East Hans Christian Anderson. But it is in Pakistan, as it is in Iraq little more than a pipe dream.

Religious sectarianism is the root of this problem. The divides are great, and impenetrable. The Taliban's support is still strong, the suppression of woman widely accepted and nothing will change that until the indigenous population sees a need for change.

And just because we in America have become enlightened over the past few centuries, it doesn't mean all cultures develop at the same rate. Foisting democracy on cultures who can't comprehend its intrinsic value is kind of like giving an I phone to a polar bear. More than likely, they'll just eat it.

[Kirin]

Benazir Bhutto accomplished absolutely nothing in returning to Pakistan, not for her people and certainly not for herself. Immediately upon her return there was much turmoil, violence and death, she chose to ignore it and yet again Pakistan went spinning out of control. It was teetering on the edge of total disaster under the iron fist of Musharaff but now what is going to happen? This country was not ready for her. She created more problems than anything else for Pakistan. Will we ever know who really is to blame for her death? Very doubtful. Who is responsible for the assassination of this family, Benazir, her father and her brothers before her? When you witness the rage this event unleashed, one wonders, knowing the fate of her family, how could such devoted followers not protect her better?

[SparXaFire]

For that matter, who benefited when JFK was assassinated? Hmm. (Sorry about the off-topic...)

[hopeless277]

Mushy promised security then took it away. You tell me who's responsible.

[drricklippin]

Hillary Clinton benefits by virtue of gender identification.

Dr. Rick Lippin
http://medicalcrises.blogspot.com

[fourex]

Who benefits, Dictators, Militarists, and Zealots praying for the end of time.

[newideaz]

absolutely absurd analysis. You have no idea as to what you are talking infact writing about. I being Pakistani and not big fan of Parvez Musharraf and
Benazir both , but believe you me this is the most illogical analysis I have read in the last 36 years of my life. WHo is getting the most benefit, you ask any Pakistani and they will tell you it is either those so called Islamic militants or US americans who are playing this dangeorous game in my part of world.