Bhutto Assassination: US Orchestrating Regime Change and Destabilization from Uncompliant Musharraf

The definition of covert operations differs among countries and administrations. As defined in the 1976 final report of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, such operations include any clandestine activity designed to influence foreign governments, events, organizations, or persons in support of United States foreign policy. Covert action may include political and economic actions, propaganda and paramilitary activities [and is] planned and executed . . . so as to conceal the identity of the sponsor or else to permit the sponsor's plausible denial of the operation...the new administration should also explicitly prohibit such actions as assassination plots, economic destabilization measures, and interference in election processes. Aside from questions of morality, a major reason for prohibiting assassinations is a practical one. It is something the United States does not do well.

-- Cato Policy Analysis, The Pitfalls of U.S. Covert Operations

Global Research has four good articles on the recent assassination and Pakistan crisis. Here is just one excerpt below, published on Dec. 12th, two weeks prior to Bhutto's assassination, discussing same. People are missing the fact, merely because she was a woman from a predominant populist family, that Bhutto was a favored change for President by the U.S. (neoconservative dominated) government, which was a direct threat to the former puppet President Musharraf whose installation by coupe in 1999 was assisted by covert CIA operations. Musharraf, taking his plays from the neocon propagandists, is of course blaming the assassination of Bhutto (under cover of a holiday season, and prior to elections) on Al Qaeda and "jihadists" (after all, it works in America) for what more than likely was his own conspiracy and plot, to preserve his own power, eliminating his chief opponent, whether he "let it happen" or "made it happen". This game of political tension, however, was started by the U.S. installing him, and financing him with billions (now unaccounted for), some of which might have been extorted as hush money to keep secret what Musharraf knows to be lies, namely about the Taliban and Al Qaeda, and the lies and propaganda about Usama bin Laden being there.

It is likely that Musharraf, who declared martial law earlier and fears for his own life (especially after Cheney's "unannounced" summer visit to threaten him to conform to their ruse for a "war on terrorism" inside Pakistan), will likely be the next target of either the CIA or provoked Islamic "blow-back" of what even a former CIA agent admits was U.S. meddling and covert actions in a major Islamic country that possesses WMD in the form of nuclear weapons. Musharraf will not step down willingly, which implies force will be used against him next.

Interestingly, even the neoconservative UN Ambassador Bolton agrees with this assessment in this FOX interview.

The plan to topple Pakistan's military?

by Ahmed Quraishi

The New Nation, Pakistan - 2007-12-12

...Another worrying thing is how US officials are publicly signaling to the Pakistanis that Bhutto has their backing as the next leader of the country. Such signals from Washington are not only a kiss of death for any public leader in Pakistan, but the Americans also know that their actions are inviting potential assassins to target Bhutto.

If she is killed in this way, there won't be enough time to find the real culprit, but what's certain is that unprecedented international pressure will be placed on Islamabad while everyone will use their local assets to create maximum internal chaos in the country. A dress rehearsal of this scenario has already taken place in October when no less than the UN Security Council itself intervened to ask the international community to "assist" in the investigations into the assassination attempt on Bhutto on October 18. This generous move was sponsored by the US and, interestingly, had no input from Pakistan which did not ask for help in investigations in the first place.

Some Pakistani security analysts privately say that US "chatter" about Musharraf or Bhutto getting killed is a serious matter that can't be easily dismissed. Getting Bhutto killed can generate the kind of pressure that could result in permanently putting the Pakistani military on a back foot, giving Washington enough room to push for installing a new pliant leadership in Islamabad.

Getting Musharraf killed isn't a bad option either. The unknown Islamists can always be blamed, the military will not be able to put another soldier at the top, and circumstances will be created to ensure that either Bhutto or someone like her is eased into power.

The US is very serious this time. They cannot let Pakistan get out of their hands. They were kicked out of Uzbekistan last year, where they were maintaining bases. They are in trouble in Afghanistan and Iraq. Iran continues to be a mess for them and Russia and China are not making it any easier. Pakistan must be "secured" at all costs.