The lesson of Benazir Bhutto

[unixronin]

Benazir Bhutto, twice former Prime Minister of Pakistan and considered likely to win a third term, has been assassinated in Rawalpindi by a suicide bomber during a campaign rally.  That, by now, is probably hardly news any more.

But her death leaves an important example, because she leaves a lesson behind her.  She knew that if she came back to Pakistan, she would be a target for terror attacks.  But she came anyway.  She vowed to defy the threats, refused to be cowed.  She refused to live in fear and allow terrorists to dictate how she should live, what she should and should not do.

In short, she refused to be terrorized.  And in so doing, she set an example that many more of us would do well to emulate.

Comments

[tommx.livejournal.com]

Very well said.

[elegantelbow.livejournal.com]

Her example would be more compelling if she hadn't been blown to pieces.

[unixronin.livejournal.com]

There is that. But they can only kill you once, while if you let them make you live in fear, they can terrorize every day of your life.

[micheinnz.livejournal.com]

Shot, not blown up.

[ithildae.livejournal.com]

Pakistan now claims that she wasn't even shot. She fractured her skull on the sun roof handle in the car as she was trying to duck inside and the car was pulling out.

[unixronin.livejournal.com]

That sounds like an attempted cover-up, and a piss-poor one at that.

[ithildae.livejournal.com]

Yeah, no kidding.

[radarrider.livejournal.com]

Her death is a tragedy.

She refused to be terrorized, true. But she is also now dead. I think the lesson to be learned is don't let the threat of terror prevent you from doing what you believe is right, but take precautions. Now I don't know what kind of security she had around her at the time but it was obviously insufficient.

I can only hope that her death will open the eyes of some who have refused to see the threat presented by terrorists and those who support them. Remember, it's not just the US and Israel that are the targets.

[unixronin.livejournal.com]

She refused to be terrorized, true. But she is also now dead. I think the lesson to be learned is don't let the threat of terror prevent you from doing what you believe is right, but take precautions. Now I don't know what kind of security she had around her at the time but it was obviously insufficient.

There are already accusations being raised that Musharraf's government intentionally failed to make adequate provisions for her security.

However, one must also remember one fact that the Secret Service and others don't speak of much, but which gives them sleepless nights: No practical security can ever stop a patient and sufficiently determined lone assassin who doesn't mind dying to kill his target.

[radarrider.livejournal.com]

There are already accusations being raised that Musharraf's government intentionally failed to make adequate provisions for her security.

This does not surprise me one bit.

No practical security can ever stop a patient and sufficiently determined lone assassin who doesn't mind dying to kill his target.

Entirely correct.

[unixronin.livejournal.com]

Footnote from The Guardian's coverage (http://www.guardian.co.uk/pakistan/Story/0,,2232459,00.html):

Today's Rawalpindi rally only went ahead after hundreds of riot police had set up security checkpoints. Rawalpindi is a so-called garrison city and popularly regarded as one of the most secure cities in Pakistan.

[ithildae.livejournal.com]

That is a tragedy. It will be hard to assign blame for the murder. The present government of Pakistan was hardly happy with her either.

There are things you are born to do. Governing was it for her. Life did not seem to matter as much as doing what she felt she needed to do. Here is hoping that her cause sparks a flame against terrorism. Things will probably get worse before they get better. But with that kind of example, I expect them to get better.

[unixronin.livejournal.com]

They're already calling her a martyr for Pakistan.

[johnkzin.livejournal.com]

Unfortunately, the sheep-herders of society will say "see, stand up to terrorism, and you die". And, the sheep will say "baaah, they're right, baaah, we must hide and cower".


There's a saying in the navy "Better to have a lion lead an army of sheep, than a sheep lead an army of lions". They forgot the clause that it's worse yet to have a shepherd lead an army of sheep... manipulating the sheep to their own ends.

[unixronin.livejournal.com]

There's a saying in the navy "Better to have a lion lead an army of sheep, than a sheep lead an army of lions".

I hadn't heard that before. It's good.

[house-pundit.livejournal.com]

I don't know what I think about her death. Still absorbing it. At least part of me--a large part--says she can't do anything for anyone now that she's dead.

I feel bad second-guessing her with her so freshly dead, but generals can't lead in the front line of the infantry charge every battle. I have to wonder if she was too much in the front.

Or not.

She had stones, I'll give her that.

[ithildae.livejournal.com]

She was ignoring security precautions in order to campaign and be close to the people.

[unixronin.livejournal.com]

I don't think she was ignoring them. Various articles have reported the security was "flawless" (well, it clearly wasn't that, there's no such thing), and Rawalpindi was considered to be one of the most secure cities in Pakistan. She was probably pretty much as safe there as anywhere except maybe a bunker. But none of that is worth much against the Lone Assassin factor. A sufficiently determined lone assassin who doesn't mind dying can almost always get to any target.

[ithildae.livejournal.com]

I understand and agree with your assessment of a lone assassin. I read that early on she was ignoring advice by security officials to stay in cars and behind secure shields. Instead, she went out in the open, unprotected, in order to be closer to the people. A flawless political decision, but against the advice of her security, and the Pakistan ISS security experts.

[wyrdling.livejournal.com]

i remember seeing news footage of her first election as a child. we hardly watched tv and i didn't care about most of it, but a woman getting elected... well, i cared about that. didn't know a thing about pakistan back then, either.

i was worried this would happen, when she returned to pakistan. but perhaps she felt it was necessary. that the moment was right. or waiting was worse.

i almost feel like she was daring them to kill her.

[unixronin.livejournal.com]

I don't think she was daring them to kill her. I think she was showing them she wasn't afraid of them. And by trying so hard to kill her, they showed that they were afraid of her and of what she might accomplish. I hope that fact isn't lost on Pakistanis.

[wyrdling.livejournal.com]

it seems a sort of continuum. leaders (real leaders) will act that way to try to inspire others to be less afraid but often enough get killed in the process. and they do inspire people. usually. i guess the word "dare" is inaccurate. but i can't think of a better one, all the same.

i hope the fact that some things are more important than personal safety isn't lost on... well, lots of people.

[unixronin.livejournal.com]

i guess the word "dare" is inaccurate. but i can't think of a better one, all the same.

In that context, "defy", perhaps?

[wyrdling.livejournal.com]

yes, quite.

[ithildae.livejournal.com]

She was in exile. Her exile had just been lifted by the government. That is why she went back when she did. I am certain that she would have been back sooner, if she could have. (There was also a legal cloud about whether the charges against her could be dismissed, so she risked going to jail when she landed by going back when she did.)