Benazir Bhutto and the Convoy Bombing

Oracle

I was thinking about the recent bombing involving Benazir Bhutto It seems strange to me that an, as yet unknown and unidentified bomber(s) could be so accurate and sophisticated with their attack and yet apparently "miss" their target. From day one I believed this bombing to be staged and that there's a lot more to it than meets the eye. All the signs of a politically motivated operation, probably involving US agencies, are there.

First comes motive, the US wants Musharraf out. Making Bhutto seem like a victim and under attack is an easy way to galvanize support for her, especially among Pakistan's poor. Second, questions about who carried out the attack further demonises Musharraf's government, making his position less stable and secure. Effectively helping to create a government under siege. Third, the spotlight for the attack also centres on Islamist groups, currently strongly out of favour with the US administration. A quote from the BBC article on the attack: "Several Islamist groups, including pro-Taleban militants, had said they would attack Ms Bhutto on her return,...." Fourth, of course is capability. Military agencies have the skills and firepower to organise and carry out such an attack. The attack achieves many political objectives in one move, the hallmark of a clandestine military operation.

Interestingly on a recent Pat Kenny radio show one of those people on the tour with Bhutto at the time, was interviewed. She said, after the first bomb had exploded, someone shouted out "There's another bomb , stay down!" How could anyone in the Bhutto entourage possibly have known this?

jessop1

all part of the script. no doubt.

oscarBravo

Oracle wrote: »

It seems strange to me that an, as yet unknown and unidentified bomber(s) could be so accurate and sophisticated with their attack and yet apparently "miss" their target.

How can you describe someone who misses their target as "accurate"? And what do you mean by "sophisticated"?

Oracle

That's the point, I'm suggesting the bomber(s) didn't miss their target at all, that's why I put the word miss in quotes. The bombs were placed deliberately to kill, wound and create mayhem but without injuring or killing Benazir Bhutto and her associates. That's exactly what happened. The attack was sophisticated in it's execution. This was a moving motorcade with "....a heavy security presence following threats from militant groups." according to the BBC News article. Yet someone managed to explode two bombs in sequence, either remotely or locally, at exactly the time the convoy was approaching. This would have taken co-ordination and advance knowledge of the convoy's route. It was probably planned by a group of people acting together. The secondary explosion tactic is an effective means of creating more carnage and injury and has been used many times in numerous bombings in public places.

oscarBravo

Oracle wrote: »

That's the point, I'm suggesting the bomber(s) didn't miss their target at all, that's why I put the word miss in quotes.

That's arguing from your conclusion. You're describing the placement of the bombs as "accurate", and then wondering how they could have missed the target. If they were, as you suggest, designed to miss, then they may well have been accurately placed, but the only real evidence you're offering that that was the aim is that they missed. It's also possible that the aim was to kill or injure Bhutto, and that they actually did miss (without the danger quotes).

Mahatma coat

You may be onto something there Oracle

looks suspect alright, especialy the second bomb

togster

Its more likely that Musharraff's people planted the bombs tbh or wait for it... a terrorist actually did it. Shocking i know. I doubt the Americans organised a bomb to invoke sympathy for Bhutto. Musharraff was and still is an ally of the US iin the "fight against terrorism"

jessop1

you have to ask yourself who benefits. musharraf? I dont think so.

humanji

Well there are many possibilities. Maybe it was a failed assassination attempt by Musharraf. Or it was organised by Bhutto to make it look like Musharraf. Or maybe if was Musharraf who did it to make it look like Bhutto did it to make it look like he did it. Or Bhutto did it to make it look like it was Musharraf who did it to make it look like Bhutto did it to make it look like he did it.... I'm dizzy now.

Mahatma coat

Pakistan is a strategic location for the americans, they dont really care who the puppet is as long as they have the airspace etc.

at the moment it would do the Bush administration a lot of good to reinstate Bhutto, seing as their 'main reason' for kickin off in the middle east was to spread democracy.

no one mention WMD's in this case tho cause Pakistan actualy has em :eek:

Musharaf will still serve as president and when the elections are called he will become the 'Democraticly' elected President, with Bhutto as PM.

Unless Pakistan can turn the Cricket round a bit and provide a bit of a distraction for the waring masses they will have no real option but to proceed along this route.

lostexpectation

wasn't one bomb on a person and another one on a car?

Mahatma coat

yeah, thats one of the more suspect aspects of the situation.

Blast 1 was a stationary vehicle type carbomb, positioned neatly on the bus route to cause damage

blast 2 was the more traditional suicide bomber, used in situations like this to track the target should they flee and if so complete the mission.

given this combination of explosions its quite surprising that they missed what was for all intent and purposes a sittin Duck target