Video: For Bhutto’s assassination, Musharraf blames…Bhutto
posted at 11:31 am on January 7, 2008 by Bryan
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What he said to 60 Minutes last night does contain nuggets of truth that I’ve brought up before: Bhutto’s decision to pop up out of the top of the van in the middle of a throng exposed her to her fate. But for Musharraf to put all of the blame on her for her assassination — all of it — won’t and shouldn’t play well. First of all, the person who is most responsible for Bhutto’s death is the man who carried the attack out, not the victim. Second, it’s likely that the man wasn’t acting alone, and it’s possible that he had help from elements of Pakistan’s military or ISI. Scotland Yard is being brought in to find out who else may have taken part in the plot. For people who followed Bhutto, think she was the greatest hope for Pakistani democracy etc, Musharraf’s remarks here will probably add some fuel to the fire. We have Bhutto blaming Musharraf from the grave and now we have Musharraf blaming Bhutto in the grave. This represents the best hope for Pakistan’s stability? Sheesh.
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At least he’s not blaming India.
larkydozer on January 7, 2008 at 11:32 AM
I do agree with him on one point. It was reckless of her to stand up in the car.
Thursby on January 7, 2008 at 11:34 AM
They caught/stopped a 15 year old suicide bomber THE DAY BEFORE. They got lazy after thwarting this attack.
Yes it was her fault.
Agrippa2k on January 7, 2008 at 11:38 AM
Oh sure. Why on earth blame the monster that pulled the trigger? After all, it might actually point the finger at the ideology that created him.
geesh.
Tim on January 7, 2008 at 11:38 AM
Sheesh is applicable to every square inch of Pakistan and all it’s inmates.
BL@KBIRD on January 7, 2008 at 11:39 AM
It was reckless of her to go out at all. She knew the risk she was taking when she did it. HELLO they blew up 100+ people her first day in the country in an attempt to kill her.
bj1126 on January 7, 2008 at 11:39 AM
Yup, she asked for it.
Allowing for “mob rules” in the streets of your country? Well that seems to fall squarely on the shoulders of…..George W. Bush! I mean, Cheney!? Or ol’ what-his-name pictured above.
Plenty are at fault here. To lay blame fully on any one entity is laughable. This country has been heading down this road (again) for some time now.
The Perfect Sh*t Storm
ej_pez on January 7, 2008 at 11:40 AM
Ok, this clip shows Musharraff is utterly tone deaf, especially saying these things in English. Blaming the victim is never smart politically.
BUT, is he right on one substantive point? Musharraf is getting a lot of personal blame (especially from the west) for not providing more security for the woman. But if a candidate decides to wade into a crowd of people and stand there, immobile, you can’t blame the security. You could have the entire Secret Service plus the 82nd Airborne protecting a politician, but if he did what Bhutto did, they’re basically helpless.
So I do think Musharraf is right to push back a little on some of the criticism.
Nessuno on January 7, 2008 at 11:40 AM
There you go Bryan. Now you are talking!
Musharraf is showing his hand here by saying, ‘well it is her fault that she was killed because she was alive. If she wasn’t alive, she wouldn’t have been killed – so it is her fault. If she wasn’t in my country, she would not have been killed. It doesn’t have anything to do with me, it is her fault for coming into my country.’
This guy is as corrupt as they come. I’m not defending Bhutto, but for him to say this shows that he is RELIEVED that she is dead. He knows where Bin Laden is, he knows where Al Zawahiri is. If we tell him we will strike, he will let them know before hand. Musharraf is no friend.
ThackerAgency on January 7, 2008 at 11:41 AM
Well he’s absolutely correct, I mean you just can’t go catching sniper rounds in the head.
Every body knows that.
If we would have built the twin towers just 1000 yards over to one side, we’d never have had 9-11.
Yeah that’s the ticket, I see where he’s going with it.
TheSitRep on January 7, 2008 at 11:41 AM
“God was kind and she went into the car”..? What? I’m surprised he didn’t follow with Allah wills it…. How’a’bout placing the blame on the true culprit… No doubt a “Gentleman” doing the will of his god as dictated by the… what’s the name of that book?
whiskeytango on January 7, 2008 at 11:41 AM
Where I’m concerned, Musharraf is preaching to the choir. One would think she was actively courting her martyrdom.
Nyog_of_the_Bog on January 7, 2008 at 11:43 AM
Bhutto was a great woman, but at times she seemed pretty naive about the danger of her position. I remember hearing her saying she wasn’t worried about being assassinated because “real muslims” know they can’t hurt women. She should not have been worried about “real muslims, but rather the maniacs with explosives who have been making the news for the past half-decade.
Ephraim on January 7, 2008 at 11:43 AM
That pic looks like Dustin Hoffman with a few pounds…has anyone seen them together?
right2bright on January 7, 2008 at 11:44 AM
Bhuttos death was caused by one thing and one thing only!
And that is ISLAM!
To not recognize that, means you are a fool, Musharraf.
TheSitRep on January 7, 2008 at 11:45 AM
Pakistan’s a basket case, and I expect the government to implode within the year. By this time next year, we’ll be worrying about a Pakistani Islamist government in possession of nuclear weapons.
flipflop on January 7, 2008 at 11:45 AM
There is a lesson to be learned here.
An assassin was also the one responsible for the death of JFK, but that didn’t exclude Kennedy from culpability in his own demise. That tragic shooting could have been avoided if Kennedy had used better judgement and left the bullet-proof bubbletop on his convertible that day in Dallas.
Same goes for Bhutto, don’t give them an easy target.
In a world brimming with nukes, we don’t need world leaders who tempt fate.
fogw on January 7, 2008 at 11:46 AM
Well said and much more eloquent than my comment.
TheSitRep on January 7, 2008 at 11:47 AM
Bhutto wasn’t afraid because she set up the Taliban when she was in office in Pakistan. The Taliban owes their existence to her. We need to treat Pakistan like we treated Afghanistan. . . or at least treat the provinces where Pakistani military won’t go like we treated Afghanistan.
ThackerAgency on January 7, 2008 at 11:47 AM
Well said.
Thursby on January 7, 2008 at 11:50 AM
There is a lesson to be learned here.
An assassin was also the one responsible for the death of JFK, but that didn’t exclude Kennedy from culpability in his own demise. That tragic shooting could have been avoided if Kennedy had used better judgement and left the bullet-proof bubbletop on his convertible that day in Dallas.
Same goes for Bhutto, don’t give them an easy target.
In a world brimming with nukes, we don’t need world leaders who tempt fate.
fogw on January 7, 2008 at 11:46 AM
What??? that line of logic is reductio ad absurdum. nuff said
whiskeytango on January 7, 2008 at 11:50 AM
Yup. He just cemented his position as the most westernized leader of the Middle East. Blaming the victim? Check. After 9/11 was our fault for being so imperialistic and completely failing to understand islamo-fascists according to the left. Perhaps if Bhutto had just talked to her opponents and succumbed to their wishes then this whole mess could have been avoided.
It wasn’t just standing up in the car that was her problem — it was standing up to the radical forces that did her in. All. Her. Fault.
Musharraf would fit in well with the blame America first crowd.
MMW on January 7, 2008 at 11:50 AM
The fact of the matter is that Bhutto’s death while unfortunate wasn’t exactly unforeseen.
It wasn’t her “fault” that she was assassinated but the woman was nearly killed within hours of returning to the country. To stand up in a limo under those conditions is tempting fate. The Secret Service wouldn’t let any of our politicians be that exposed in that kind of an environment. Even the Pope runs around in a bubble in far more safer parts of the world! I get the sense that Bhutto was prepared to be a martyr from the minute she returned.
highhopes on January 7, 2008 at 11:59 AM
Yes, it was the shooter’s fault but she has been reckless her whole life. It’s a miracle she hadn’t been killed before this.
It’s also very telling that Bhutto hired Mark Penn, Hillary’s campaign strategist, for PR recently. I’m sure that has something to do with the revisionist posthumous branding of Bhutto as some kind of martyr. Bhutto Hires Penn
PattyJ on January 7, 2008 at 12:04 PM
Bhutto’s assasination can be blamed on more than her standing up in the car for sure. But you have to admit, there is a certain “Darwin Award” type quality to doing such a thing in a country like Pakistan, especially knowing you were a marked woman in the first place.
thirteen28 on January 7, 2008 at 12:10 PM
So, you don’t mind if a loose cannon like Ahmadinejad pokes his head up above the sand dunes and says, “Go ahead, give us your best shot and watch what happens”?
fogw on January 7, 2008 at 12:12 PM
Considering what he has done to Hillary’s campaign I am not surprised.
Bill C on January 7, 2008 at 12:19 PM
Ummm… do you even bother to read history?
She inherited her position in the party… she was corrupt and helped LOOT her country… she supported the Taliban in its takover of Afganistan… she was part of the destabalization of Pakistan…
She then is such a believer in Democracy that she wrote a will and BEQUEATHED the running of her part… to her son.
Great woman?
Just cause someone killed her, does NOT make her great.
Romeo13 on January 7, 2008 at 12:21 PM
Bhutto’s limited responsibility for her fate is characterized by only two things: One, she was a powerful, outspoken Muslim woman calling for democracy and reform, and two, knowingly took on radical opponents, many of whom were violent and whom she knew were trying to kill her because of who she was and what she believed. So, in that sense, she made herself vulnerable. However the real reason she was killed is because of ideology, another casualty in the conflict of civilization and ideas which right now is very visible in Pakistan.
mattyj86 on January 7, 2008 at 12:24 PM
When will women learn they cannot stand up outside of a car? It’s madness.
I blame the West for inventing cars, and Thelma and Louise for propogating the insane notion that women could somehow drive them, let alone ride in them.
saint kansas on January 7, 2008 at 12:27 PM
Fogw – good point. Whiskeytango – who left the screen door open?
infidel on January 7, 2008 at 12:29 PM
I completely agree with him. Bhutto was pretty stupid and dumb. She was definitely asking for it and she got it. That rally that killed 100 people, they told her not to do it, but she went ahead and refused everything. Where is the blame for her. yes, suicide bombers kill people, but she was also reckless, and she endangered the lives of her people too.
She is dumb.
Chudi on January 7, 2008 at 12:36 PM
Ignoring intelligence and rational advice, Bhutto got what she deserved or wanted. Granted she did not pull the trigger, but she exposed more than an ankle.
infidel on January 7, 2008 at 12:39 PM
Yes, the person responsible for Bhutto’s death is her assassin. She does bear some responsibility, though. She knew there were threats, she knew she didn’t have the security she wanted, and she knew there had been previous attempts. There is no good explanation for her doing what she did, and I doubt any amount of security could have stopped what ultimately happened.
I won’t blame her, but she bears some responsibility.
Was the ISI in the car telling her to stand up? I don’t understand why she did that.
MayBee on January 7, 2008 at 12:41 PM
All this twisted episode proves is that the Pakistanis are way more frightened of the terrorists than we thought. They’re just as afraid of the terrorists as the american left. Of course they blame each other….it’s exactly the way al qaeda wants it to go. No one is willing to stir the sh*t storm.
Here is a way they could rally together against the scourge of the world and they play the blame game. Pathetic…and oddly similar to us. They never miss an opportunity to miss an opportunity, these Pakistanis.
wildweasel on January 7, 2008 at 12:44 PM
Musharraf’s like “Hey! You stick your head out in my country and you see what happens. Not my fault!”
nottakingsides on January 7, 2008 at 12:58 PM
There’s no doubt in my mind, he’s right.
If you haven’t figured out yet, we’re dealing with a Suicidal Death Cult, what else can be said?
franksalterego on January 7, 2008 at 1:00 PM
I would have to agree, seems she wanted martyr status. Maybe she thought she would just get winged and use the injury status as a sure fire vote getter.
melachiro on January 7, 2008 at 1:32 PM
ThackerAgency – Upon what are you basing this statement? I ask because I’ve been hearing from folks who say blame everybody but Al Quaeda or the Taliban.
AubieJon on January 7, 2008 at 2:28 PM
Actually, Thacker, all I’ve been hearing is the woman was a saint.
AubieJon on January 7, 2008 at 2:30 PM
The day she came back there was an assassination attempt. Who did this surprise? Bringing democracy to Pakistan, okay, whatever. Let’s bring logic to Democrat minds while we’re at it.
sloopy on January 7, 2008 at 3:16 PM
While the triggerman is ultimately responsible, Bhutto ought to get a Darwin award this year. She was stupid, reckless, idiotic. Given the threat level against her, she might as well have jumped off a cliff while her family blames that awful gravity for her demise.
It’s the jihad, stupid. Bhutto knew that well and offered herself for martyrdom anyway.
Pablo on January 7, 2008 at 3:42 PM
No, she did that but standing out of the sunroof of an armored vehicle that would have protected her in the midst of a mob that was not controlled. How many people have already committed suicide in trying to kill her? Have we forgotten the infant bomb these freaks tried to hand her?
When you know that a large group of really, really, really crazy people wants you dead, you are obliged to take reasonable precautions in the furtherance of your own safety. Bhutto ignored much advice in that vein and got herself killed in the process.
Pablo on January 7, 2008 at 3:49 PM
Come on let’s think… who killed bhutto? Most likely it was mushie..or us.. or could be al qaeda I guess. Either way it is potentially a good thing… let’s not forget Bhutto was a major supporter of the taliban(which is a perfect example of an islamic gov’t in all it’s insanity) IMHO when Bhutto says she wants democracy she means “let’s democratically elect an islamic government and institute sharia law and give al qaeda our nuclear weapons”! How is it possible that she supports the taliban and is not an islamist??
HaraldHardrada on January 7, 2008 at 4:28 PM
What’s the point of having an armored vehicle if you don’t utilize its primary function? She only barely escaped death like twice in the past month. I have to wonder if she was a martyrdom seeker of sorts.
Levinite on January 7, 2008 at 5:23 PM
Hmmm… Nail in coffin?
What a dumb thing for him to say.
Lawrence on January 7, 2008 at 5:40 PM
Straight Gangsta’
Mussarraf knows he’s on borrowed time so he pulls out the stops and thumbs his nose at the liberals here getting ready to Shah of Iran him. I never liked the guy, but I respect his heavy handed Mafioso routine, especially when he pullsi it on lefty reporters.
The only thing better would be if he said :I could have protected her better if John Edwards would stop calling me”
Rob Taylor on January 7, 2008 at 6:21 PM
Would you say the same thing about JFK?
CABE on January 7, 2008 at 8:31 PM
Can’t agree with him totally, but his argument is reasonably sound, and not really ‘comparable’ with ‘we should’ve built the twin towers somewhere else’ rhetoric
You have every right not to get mugged while getting onto a subway train at 3 in the morning in [insert dodgy suburb here]. But it’s a dumb thing to do when you know the risks. Musharraf himself knows the risks, considering how many attempts there’s been on his life (with one bomber getting as close as killing the driver of his car in the blast), so he makes a sound point. Rather obvious point, and probably not the best thing to say at the moment, but I don’t think any other pundit on TV has actually pointed that out
Reaps on January 7, 2008 at 9:09 PM
Bhutto had nice things said about her because she is now dead. For some misbegotten reason American officials thought they could staunch a broken sewerage pipe with her wrapped up in American toilet paper dollars. He tenure as overseer of the destruction of the Pakistani educational system is just one example of her deep seated corruption. She siphoned off a huge portion to the cellars of Bhutto Inc.s golden mausoleum. The Saudis had offered to replace Pakistani education with Wahabbist Madrassas at their expense. Bhutto and her husband, Mr. 10% (as he is known)said “sure” then helped themselves to the education funds while “returning” it to the state.
It’s going to sound ***racist***, but you cannot trust individuals or nations if Islam is their nervous system. Sometimes not even if your Muslim yourself! The pathetic “history” of Pakistan is no mystery, look it up.
BL@KBIRD on January 7, 2008 at 10:03 PM
Thanx infidel… You know your words of wisdom prevail, but to what end? Make an Easy target? No What we need is to make some easy terrorist kills.. That’s the solution. She may have been easy to get to but who isn’t… To say that it’s her fault is ridiculous, and relieves the blame of the culprit. It’s like accusing a woman wearing a mini-shirt of seducing her rapist.. What kind of logic is this?
whiskeytango on January 8, 2008 at 6:49 AM
Easy terrorist kills are the solution? And a mini-skirt analogy to boot. Logic indeed.
Do you have a masters in logic, since you seem to be an expert on deciphering what is, and what is not logical?
You missed the point by a country mile. People with a death wish shouldn’t get anywhere close to running a country, particularly in a Middle East state with a nuclear weapons arsenal and an enemy sitting on their doorstep with a matching arsenal at the ready. At best it’s called bad judgement, inviting trouble, and at it’s worst, it could provoke a nuclear war. Personally, I don’t want to be wiped off of the face of this planet because some irresponsible nitwit halfway around the world decided it would be a good idea to be a martyr. I hope that spells it our for you in terms you can understand.
Oh, and ‘morning after’ comments on the tail end of a thread are really lame.
fogw on January 8, 2008 at 9:35 AM
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