BENAZIR BHUTTO: They don't blame al-Qa'ida. They blame Musharraf

by Robert Fisk–The Independent, UK–29 December 2007–

Weird, isn't it, how swiftly the narrative is laid down for us. Benazir
Bhutto, the courageous leader of the Pakistan People's Party, is assassinated in
Rawalpindi – attached to the very capital of Islamabad wherein ex-General Pervez
Musharraf lives – and we are told by George Bush that her murderers were
"extremists" and "terrorists". Well, you can't dispute that.

But the implication of the Bush comment was that Islamists were behind the
assassination. It was the Taliban madmen again, the al-Qa'ida spider who struck
at this lone and brave woman who had dared to call for democracy in her country.

Of course, given the childish coverage of this appalling tragedy – and
however corrupt Ms Bhutto may have been, let us be under no illusions that this
brave lady is indeed a true martyr – it's not surprising that the
"good-versus-evil" donkey can be trotted out to explain the carnage in
Rawalpindi.

Who would have imagined, watching the BBC or CNN on Thursday, that her two
brothers, Murtaza and Shahnawaz, hijacked a Pakistani airliner in 1981 and flew
it to Kabul where Murtaza demanded the release of political prisoners in
Pakistan. Here, a military officer on the plane was murdered. There were
Americans aboard the flight – which is probably why the prisoners were indeed
released.

Only a few days ago – in one of the most remarkable (but typically
unrecognised) scoops of the year – Tariq Ali published a brilliant dissection of
Pakistan (and Bhutto) corruption in the London Review of Books, focusing on
Benazir and headlined: "Daughter of the West". In fact, the article was on my
desk to photocopy as its subject was being murdered in Rawalpindi.

Towards the end of this report, Tariq Ali dwelt at length on the subsequent
murder of Murtaza Bhutto by police close to his home at a time when Benazir was
prime minister – and at a time when Benazir was enraged at Murtaza for demanding
a return to PPP values and for condemning Benazir's appointment of her own
husband as minister for industry, a highly lucrative post.

In a passage which may yet be applied to the aftermath of Benazir's murder,
the report continues: "The fatal bullet had been fired at close range. The trap
had been carefully laid, but, as is the way in Pakistan, the crudeness of the
operation – false entries in police log-books, lost evidence, witnesses arrested
and intimidated – a policeman killed who they feared might talk – made it
obvious that the decision to execute the prime minister's brother had been taken
at a very high level."

When Murtaza's 14-year-old daughter, Fatima, rang her aunt Benazir to ask why
witnesses were being arrested – rather than her father's killers – she says
Benazir told her: "Look, you're very young. You don't understand things." Or so
Tariq Ali's exposé would have us believe. Over all this, however, looms the
shocking power of Pakistan's ISI, the Inter Services Intelligence.

This vast institution – corrupt, venal and brutal – works for Musharraf.

But it also worked – and still works – for the Taliban. It also works for the
Americans. In fact, it works for everybody. But it is the key which Musharraf
can use to open talks with America's enemies when he feels threatened or wants
to put pressure on Afghanistan or wants to appease the " extremists" and
"terrorists" who so oppress George Bush. And let us remember, by the way, that
Daniel Pearl, the Wall Street Journal reporter beheaded by his Islamist captors
in Karachi, actually made his fatal appointment with his future murderers from
an ISI commander's office. Ahmed Rashid's book Taliban provides riveting proof
of the ISI's web of corruption and violence. Read it, and all of the above makes
more sense.

But back to the official narrative. George Bush announced on Thursday he was
"looking forward" to talking to his old friend Musharraf. Of course, they would
talk about Benazir. They certainly would not talk about the fact that Musharraf
continues to protect his old acquaintance – a certain Mr Khan – who supplied all
Pakistan's nuclear secrets to Libya and Iran. No, let's not bring that bit of
the "axis of evil" into this.

So, of course, we were asked to concentrate once more on all those "
extremists" and "terrorists", not on the logic of questioning which many
Pakistanis were feeling their way through in the aftermath of Benazir's
assassination.

It doesn't, after all, take much to comprehend that the hated elections
looming over Musharraf would probably be postponed indefinitely if his principal
political opponent happened to be liquidated before polling day.

So let's run through this logic in the way that Inspector Ian Blair might
have done in his policeman's notebook before he became the top cop in London.

Question: Who forced Benazir Bhutto to stay in London and tried to prevent
her return to Pakistan? Answer: General Musharraf.

Question: Who ordered the arrest of thousands of Benazir's supporters this
month? Answer: General Musharraf.

Question: Who placed Benazir under temporary house arrest this month? Answer:
General Musharraf.

Question: Who declared martial law this month? Answer General Musharraf.

Question: who killed Benazir Bhutto?

Er. Yes. Well quite.

You see the problem? Yesterday, our television warriors informed us the PPP
members shouting that Musharraf was a "murderer" were complaining he had not
provided sufficient security for Benazir. Wrong. They were shouting this because
they believe he killed her.