Obama Reaction to Bhutto Assassination

By: Dean Reynolds
Topics: Barack Obama

(CBS)

From CBS News National Correspondent Dean Reynolds, who spoke to Barack Obama this morning:

DES MOINES, IOWA -- Barack Obama reacted to the assassination of former Pakistani Prime Minister Benizir Bhutto this morning.

"It's a tragic situation. My heart goes out to the families. But it's an indication that we are in a dangerous world right now that we have to apply good judgment in our foreign policy," said Obama.

"We've been distracted by Iraq. We have not been paying attention to Pakistan for several years and as a consequence we have had a subversion of democracy at the same time we have ignored or at least not dealt with the growing threat of Islamic militants in Pakistan. If anything, Iraq has helped to spur some of the militancy in Pakistan. Now moving forward we have to send a message that we stand strong with the Pakistani people in moving the democratic process forward but we have to continue to press, to deal with this on going chaotic situation with the militants in Pakistan."

When asked how he would react to this situation if he were president today, Obama said, "I think it's too early for us to know exactly what the situation is. Obviously we have to figure out who will take responsibility for the assassination."

"I think one of the things that I would immediately do is to contact not only Musharraf but those in the military to determine how the security and the safety of nuclear weapons are being dealt with. That is something that obviously has to be the number one priority during a period where there may be instability and we have to make sure that that is being dealt with."

Dean Reynolds
Dean Reynolds is a CBS News National Correspondent based in Chicago.

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by croft777 December 29, 2007 10:47 PM EST: Obama will never win. Give it up. Oprah, go home.; Reply to this comment


by irish4obama December 28, 2007 4:03 PM EST: WHAT ELSE DO WE NEED?

From the casualties of the war in Iraq to the heightened terrorism and re-energized Al Qaida in Pakistan, to the death of the brave Benazir Bhutto, somehow, events seem to always vindicate Barack Obama''s wisdom and judgment.

It was Obama''s wisdom and judgment that opposed the war in Iraq before it began; it was Obama''s wisdom and judgment that said we should focus on the terrorists in Pakistan and Afghanistan (a strategy endorsed by Bhutto) instead of the wrong battlefield of Iraq; it was Obama''s wisdom and judgment that said we should also talk with leaders we don''t like. it was the wrong kind of experience that got us into the wrong battlefield; it was the wrong kind of experience that called judgment ''naive''; it was the wrong kind of experience that got it all wrong, over and over, and over again.

WHAT ELSE DO WE NEED?
Clinton to be nominated and screw it up for Democrats in November? Rudy Giuliani to be president and lead us to another war with Iran? what else do we need? I feel like crying!

What else do we need before we recognize a young Senator from Illinois whose judgment has been vindicated time and time again, and put him where he belongs - in the oval office?

Now, I really feel like crying!; Reply to this comment


by drbob10001 December 28, 2007 12:30 AM EST: Obama''s foresight on foreign policy again proves accurate and brilliant. The leader we need to rally around is Barack Obama! In fact Bhutto agreed with his assessment of the problems in Pakistan just a short while ago, and stated such. Obama was right on Iraq, he was right on Pakistan, he is right for America; Reply to this comment


by jkojs December 27, 2007 11:32 PM EST: Barack Obama once quoted " if the United States had not gone to war in Iraq, the US Army would have had more resources to deal with the greater threat in Afghanistan and Pakistan"

This show BARACK OBAMA has GOOD JUDGEMENT.

NO MORE CLINTON POLITICAL DYNASTY.
WE NEED CHANGE NOW.

!!! VOTE FOR BARACK OBAMA !!!; Reply to this comment


by waterprise2 December 27, 2007 7:30 PM EST: This is EXACTLY why we need Senator Barack Obama to be the 44th President! While others were touting their "experience"---the same ones who voted for the Iraq debacle---Senator Obama was telling everyone that ignoring Pakistan was a mistake. He was told he was "naive".

Last summer, Senator Obama said that he would send in troops to Pakistan to route out the terrorists if President Musharraf (sp) wouldn''t. "They" called him "inexperienced".

Both his judgment and vision have been proven to be true; and those with "experience" have been proven sadly wrong--again.; Reply to this comment


by mystylplx December 27, 2007 6:08 PM EST: This is an example of why Obama should be the next President. Unlike Hillary Clinton or John Edwards he has consistently shown good judgement on matters of foriegn policy.

Hillary touts her "experience," but the whole point of "experience" is it should lead to better judgement. Experience without judgement is like education without learning--pointless. Hillary Clintons experience is pointless because it didn''t help her have the judgement to vote against the Iraq war, Kyl-Lieberman, etc.; Reply to this comment