Did the US Fail Bhutto?
Robert Novak says yes:
The assassination of Benazir Bhutto followed two months of urgent pleas to the State Department by her representatives for better protection. The U.S. reaction was that she was worried over nothing, expressing assurance that Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf would not let anything happen to her.
That attitude led a Bhutto agent to inform a high-ranking State Department official that her camp no longer viewed the backstage U.S. effort to broker a power-sharing agreement between Musharraf and the former prime minister as a good-faith effort toward democracy. It was, according to the written complaint, an attempt to preserve the politically endangered Musharraf as George W. Bush’s man in Islamabad.
President Bush confirmed that judgment with his statement Thursday, within hours of learning that Bhutto was dead, when he urged that the elections scheduled for Jan. 8 be held in furtherance of Pakistani “democracy.” That may be Musharraf’s position, but it definitely is not the position of his critics. They believed the election would be a sham with Bhutto dead and with Saudi-backed former prime minister Nawaz Sharif boycotting the balloting, though Sharif’s party reversed course yesterday.
In fact, one gets the impression that Bhutto truly felt that the US betrayed her. If Novak is telling the truth, she was right of course. In that case, the US used Bhutto, not in an attempt to democratize Pakistan, but in an attempt to strengthen Musharraf’s rule / to give people the idea that his rule is legitimate.
I agree with Ed though (linked to above), that even though the US didn’t do what it promised to do, Bhutto herself took great risks. And unnecessary risks at that. She didn’t have to stick her head outside of the car, nor did she have to organize so many rallies which were attended by so many people. She could’ve played it a bit differently.
Instead of being careful, she wanted to become Pakistan’s queen, so to speak. Now that she’s dead, her family seems to continue on the path of dynasty: they could’ve appointed someone who’s not of her family to succeed her, someone with the right credentials, the experience, the appeal, etc., but instead her party decided that her 19-year old son should succeed her.
Having said all the above, what’s clear is that there was a lot going on. The Bush administration was very actively involved in Pakistani politics, but - if Novak’s account is correct - they stabbed one of its major allies in the back when she cooperated with them and went back to her native country. Again, if Novak is correct, the US played very dirty politics, and not only that, it also played in a horrible, amateurish manner.
American Govt. can’t do anything right. They spend billions on wars, and give money to other countries when we don’t have healthcare, homeless, VA benefits, and our own people "AMERICANS" go to bed hungry. Now that we have messed up AMERICAN we are branching out to other countries, like Iraq, Iran, Pakaistan, and we shall now mess those countries up. We need to take care of home first then other countries. Yes, we let her down "BIG TIME". But that is the American WAY..God Bless
How is the US responsible for the security of foreign politicians in their own country??? The responsibility is entirely that of the Pakistani government. That the Pakistani government might perfer to see opposition politicians dead is a separate issue.
Oh Please. This gang of neo-cons would like us to believe they’re the keystone cops. Opps we did it again. Too bad the traditional media are the only ones buying their "I goofed again" mantra. When we Americans finally wake up and smell the coffee, it will be too late for us all. I hope the worthless politicians and "mainstream" media get the worst of it. The boys who are so afraid of the terrorists seem to disregard an awful lot of intel; with the exception of our unprotected borders and 80 year old grandmothers with more than 3 ounces of liquid at airport security checkpoints. WAKE UP AMERICA!
may you rest in peace with GOD Benazir Bhutto.
not to worry yourself here dear lady, politicans and the Mushrarrf’s wont ever bother you again.
satan holds their numbers!
oops!
the ‘Bu$hite’ Mafia mite read this…. we could be so lucky lol.
Novak? What is that all about?
MAN, you people really need to grow up!
How is it the responsibility of the U.S. Govt. to protect Politicians from another country in another country? By reading some of these post, you would believe that the U.S. is the cause of all the worlds problems. If you do not love America, then you have the freedom to leave it for another country. The world is not a perfect place so dont bash America because the govt. does not fit into your idea of a perfect society. You have the right to vote your Representatives and Senators out if they are not doing what you want. So stop crying about Health care. Back to the topic; Bhutto knew what she was doing and she took the risk. It is a set back for Democracy in Pakistan and the world when she was killed. However, she has already been named a Martyr by several sources. The blame should rest on the shoulders of the one(s) responsible for her death. I doubt that the mean, ole U.S. had anything to do with her death.
Quit the BS rant. If the US negotiated with Bhutto, told her that she would be protected, etc. to make it appear as if Pakistan’s on the road to democracy, but then abandoned her once she got back, the US has considerable responsibility for what happened. Sure, the ultimate responsible ones are the ones who killed her, and Bhutto herself has a lot of responsibility as well (she took the risk), but the US shares in it, if true.
Depends. If the US worked hard to get Bhutto back (it did), promised her she would be relatively safe (did) and then abandoned her (it appears they did), the US certainly is partially to blame. That’s what happens once you mingle in the internal affairs of other countries (as the US has done with Pakistan). Never forget that Bhutto wouldn’t have come back if it wasn’t for the US.
I absolutely agree with you, Michael. Bhutto would not have come back without certain assurances about her security. She wrote several letters to the State Dept complaining about having difficulty obtaining tinted windows and devices to offset roadside bombs. She knew she was a sitting duck, because she also wrote that if she was killed it would be partially Musharaf’s fault for failing to provide what was needed.
Its difficult to see how a military that protects Pakistans nuclear weapons can’t protect one female from radical Islamists.
The US should not have engineered her return, and failed to pressure Musharraf to keep her safe. What US-backed opposition leader will want to return to their country after this disaster?