Benazir Bhutto: The Woman Who the Terrorists Feared Most

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If you receive the Sunday paper, chances are that you also receive a complimentary copy of Parade Magazine, which is a mini-entertainment magazine. A beautiful picture of Benazir Bhutto graced the cover of the publication this week as a teaser for an article written by Gail Sheehy. The text next to Bhutto’s head shot asks the questions, “Is Benazir Bhutto America’s best hope against al-Qaeda?” Since Bhutto was assassinated on December 27, the question takes a twist of irony (read article).

While I don’t consider Parade Magazine to be a top notch publication, Sheehy’s article was well-written, unbiased, and an excellent caricature of Benazir Bhutto, and was published as though Bhutto had not died a couple of weeks ago, as if the elections were going to be held this Tuesday in Pakistan as normal. Since the article has already went to press when Benazir Bhutto was murdered, the magazine went on with the article unable to update or edit the piece further. However, there is an editor’s note on the Parade website preceding the article for online readers. I like the fact the article was published posthumoulsy, it gave Americans a chance to see who she was and what she stood for and what we all lost when she was murdered.

Other articles by American writers published in American magazines unapologetically flattered Bhutto, while Sheehy’s article addressed questions about Bhutto’s alleged embezzlement of $1.5 billion from Pakistan as well as accusations of siphoning funds from the U.N.’s Oil for Food program. Naturally, Bhutto denied the charges, but Sheehy didn’t shy away from the hard issues. I respect that in a journalist.

Perhaps the most burning question on the minds of Americans is this–why should we care if Benazir Bhutto was murdered? (Those of us who are more jaded would probably add, “Aren’t those people always blowing each other up over there?”) According to Bhutto, “I am want the terrorists fear most, a female political leader fighting to bring modernity to Pakistan. Now they’re trying to killed me.” Bhutto first learned of Osama Bin Laden in 1989 when he aided Pakistan’s intelligence service for the overthrow of her government. Since then, Bhutto’s been on al Qaeda’s hit list. Basing her campaign on ridding Pakistan of terrorists, including along the fragile border that the country shares with Afghanistan, Bhutto had plenty of American support. Although at the time of publication, President Bush was still attempting to work with current Pakistani president, Perez Musharraf, who only last week denied the U.S. a chance to fight al Qaeda on Pakistani soil.

Of course, some have doubts that Bhutto would have been America’s hope against al Qaeda in Pakistan. Bhutto believed that Musharraf was responsible for a bombing at one of her early campaign appearances (a bombing which still has not been investigated by Musharraf’) and some accuse Musharraf of her murder. Naturally, he denies the accusations.

Unfortunately, the world will never know what Benazir Bhutto would have done if she had been elected to a third time in office as leader of Pakistan. Perhaps she really was what the terrorists feared most.