Deadly Blasts Strike Bhutto's Homecoming

Explosions Kill At Least 120 Near Truck Carrying Former Pakistani Prime Minister; Bhutto Unhurt

(CBS/AP)  Two bombs exploded Thursday night near a truck carrying former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto on her triumphant return to Pakistan after eight years in exile, killing at least 126 and injuring more than more than 240, according to hospital officials. Party workers and police said Bhutto was unhurt.

An initial small explosion was followed by a huge blast just feet from the front of the truck carrying Bhutto during a procession through Karachi. The blast shattered windows in her vehicle and set a police escort vehicle on fire.

Those traveling atop the truck with Bhutto climbed down, with one man jumping off while others used a ladder. Bhutto's lawyer, Sen. Babar Awan, said that the former premier was safe.

CBS News correspondent Sheila MacVicar reports that at least one of the blasts is believed to have been set off by a suicide bomber. She spoke with British journalist Christina Lamb who was riding in the truck with Bhutto.

"Suddenly there was this enormous blast and a huge ball of orange flame came across the top of the bus and we were all thrown to the floor," Lamb said, "and everyone screamed 'down, down!'"

Karachi police chief Azhar Farooqi told Dawn News that Bhutto was rushed from the area under pre-laid contingency plans.

"She was evacuated very safely and is now in Bilawal House," Farooqi told Dawn News television, referring to Bhutto's residence in Karachi.

A senior official from her Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) told CBS News that Bhutto "was not in great danger at any time after the blast. Thank god she is safe."

Footage from the scene of the blasts showed bodies on the ground, lying motionless, plus a dozen or more injured who were moving. At least one vehicle was burning.

Bhutto flew home after eight years in exile to lead her Pakistan People's Party in January parliamentary elections, drawing cheers from supporters massed in a sea of the party's red, green and black flags. The police chief said 150,000 were in the streets, while other onlookers estimated twice that.

The throngs reflected Bhutto's enduring political clout, but she has made enemies of Islamic militants by taking a pro-U.S. line and negotiating a possible political alliance with Pakistan's military ruler, President Gen. Pervez Musharraf.

CBS News' Farhan Bokhari reports that Ms. Bhutto’s return to Pakistan had been preceded by intelligence reports suggesting that members of Al Qaeda were planning to target her. Upon her arrival on Thursday, she set aside the security plan to be visible only from behind a bullet proof glass and instead chose to stand on an elevated platform, raising objections from Karachi police officials who said, Ms Bhutto had compromised her security.

Authorities had urged her to travel in Karachi by helicopter to reduce the risk of attack. But Bhutto, hated by radical Islamists because she supports the U.S.-led war on terrorism, brushed off the concerns.

"I am not scared. I am thinking of my mission," she had told reporters on the plane. "This is a movement for democracy because we are under threat from extremists and militants."

A senior Pakistani security official in Islamabad said the blasts did appear to be the work of al Qaeda though no one immediately claimed responsibility. "Car bombs of this kind bear the hand prints of al Qaeda", he told CBS News on the condition that he would not be named.

The United States condemned "the violent attack in Pakistan and mourns the loss of innocent life there," said Gordon Johndroe, foreign affairs spokesman for President Bush. "Extremists will not be allowed to stop Pakistanis from selecting their representatives through an open and democratic process."

[punjaabimund]

I am a proud and peaceful muslim. Islam is a religious of peace but these 5% bad people are in every religious. They are in muslim world as well as in west. Whole world is suffering because of them. Their religion is money and power, nothing else. In case of Benazir, I think that she herself did this act just to promote herself to become corrupt Prime Minister yet another time. Good Luck to Her with foolish people.

[brianbwb-2009]

to jerryomara

Allow me to self correct, I meant to say that intolerance is a cultural manifestation, but I did not mean it to ignore the same in America, or to limit it to middle eastern countries, only to say that, for the lack of any real rational explanation for their fear, people fall back on an irrational one, religion.

But I do say that since by far the largest number of Muslims are not Arab, you will find that Islam, like all religions, is tailored to fit the cultures that ascribe to it. It is not because they are Muslim that they fear, it is because the fear is in their culture.

[brianbwb-2009]

Posted by jerryomara

I understand your point, I was saying that the largest Muslim populations in the world are in fact in Asia, not the middle east, and my point was that intolerance is a cultural trait, peculiar to Middle eastern countries. They are intolerant as a result of cultural bias.

Indonesians, Malaysians, Bruneians, Muslim Singaporeans Bangladeshi, Indian and Thai Muslims on the other hand, are much more tolerant, as I said, attitudes are closer to those in the US, and since there are far and away more Asian Muslims than Arab ones, I posit that Asian Muslims are more representative of Islamic cultures as a whole.

[brianbwb-2009]

Posted by jerryomara

Here is a bit of surprising news, in Indonesia, the country with the largest Muslim population in the world, Gay people are well represented on TV, in sports, academia, and just about all other aspects of life. Muslim attitudes regarding homosexuality are no different from Christian attitudes, the percentages of extremists and moderates, and those only claiming it to "fit in" are the same.

I fear you are also a victim of the brainwashing that has convinced Americans that all Muslims are "Arabic savages" when such is exactly opposite of the truth. There are more Muslims in South east Asia than in the Middle East, and I, a "Black" American atheist (straight, by the way) have received nothing but respect from these people. The "Bali Bomber" types are as common as the "Tim McVeigh" types, and are condemned by the masses, even Islamic Ulama call them evil.

In short, Gay people face the same trials and tribulations as they do in the US, not more, Iran''s president is no less a homophobe than American politicians, but even he does not represent the majority of Muslims.

[brianbwb-2009]

Posted by singinrick,

So, Rick is back with his version of "Thou shalt not kill, unless thou art a white, capitalist, fake Christian fascist like me, then beith it cool"...

[whites111]

Singingrick,

Killing is killing whehter by suicide bombing or by missiles and aircrafts.Either side has its own way for killing. Both sides say that they target enemies but there is toll for that which is killing of civilians.

[incog-nito]

Time for Bush to invade Pakistan. It''s obvious to everybody that''s where Al Qaeda is. What are we waiting for?

[jowand]

More power to her, I hope she surves.


Posted by AJMarine1 at 09:30 PM : Oct 18, 2007

Got to go and get some ZZZZZZs don''t burn the place to the ground, have a good one.

[proof2007]

"Tank611, your answer is clueless, naove, and hardly deep. You come off sounding like every other lying Islamic spokesman on TV who says "Oh no, this is wrong. This is against Islam. We are peaceful."
Posted by robertkjjj at 07:28 PM : Oct 18, 2007

Roberrtkjjj,

Do the following verses from bible ring a bell to you?!! Don''t you think that Bush is applying the following verses?!! Could we say that Christianity is not a religion of peace,too? Or that all religions came from the same source and have pretty much the same rhetoric.

%u201CThink not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.%u201D (Matthew 10:34)

"And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force."(Matthew 11:12)

"For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law." (Matthew 10:35)

[ajmarine1]

"That Buuhto lady is what gutsy gal, knowing what she would be going into"

Posted by jowand at 09:16 PM : Oct 18, 2007,



That''s what I was thinking.

"After flying in, Bhutto declared she returned to fight for democracy and to help Pakistan shake off its reputation as a hotbed of international terrorism."



More power to her, I hope she surves.

[jowand]

I''''m doing well, life is good; how are you doing?

Posted by AJMarine1 at 09:12 PM : Oct 18, 2007

Doing good but having trouble staying up late since I retired, used to work in a forge and was always up at 4:30 AM. Old habits sure are hard to break.

That Buuhto lady is what gutsy gal, knowing what she would be going into; and we think politics is tough in the US.

[ajmarine1]

Well said, how you doing tonight AJ?

Posted by jowand at 09:09 PM : Oct 18, 2007,

I''m doing well, life is good; how are you doing?

[jowand]

Today in Pakistan was CARNIVAL TIME Islamist style, and they (Al Quaeda) want to bring this to the USA.

[jowand]

The Romans knew the world was watching and knew that the stakes were high. If the Jews were to win their independence the whole empire would be in revolt.
Posted by AJMarine1 at 09:07 PM : Oct 18, 2007

Well said, how you doing tonight AJ?

[ajmarine1]

Why do you think the Romans killed 1,000,000 Jews around 70 AD?

Posted by jowand at 08:49 PM : Oct 18, 2007



The bull-necked emperor Nero gave two simple commands - destroy Jerusalem - level the temple. Nero picked the heavy, plodding fifty seven year old commoner, Vespasian, who would be assisted by his energetic son Titus. The conquered nations comprising the Roman Empire watched with incredulity as the Jews, single-handed, fought the Roman Goliath. Josephus was given the task to commander the Jewish forces. The Jews were so close to winning the war that Rome was forced to use her full military weight against them to insure victory. The Romans knew the world was watching and knew that the stakes were high. If the Jews were to win their independence the whole empire would be in revolt.

[ndjam]

The people are tired of being constantly oppressed by the government. That is why this has occured.

[jowand]

"And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force."(Matthew 11:12)

"For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law." (Matthew 10:35)


Posted by proof2007 at 08:27 PM : Oct 18, 2007

Why do you think the Romans killed 1,000,000 Jews around 70 AD?

[tnt1954]

bummer. political espionage gets hot. too hot
to handle. but, some like it hot. united sicilian
america? united spanish america? union of satanic
america? many would not approve of it.
but it''s their train set, they are the political
engineers, we''re just along for the ride. all
aboard!!!! dismount. foooorrrrrwwwwwaaarrdddd ho!
if this doesn''t make sense to you, don''t worry
about, just go on to the next question. who, what,
where, when and why. for some their''s is only
to reason why, not do and die.

[proof2007]

"Tank611, your answer is clueless, naove, and hardly deep. You come off sounding like every other lying Islamic spokesman on TV who says "Oh no, this is wrong. This is against Islam. We are peaceful."
Posted by robertkjjj at 07:28 PM : Oct 18, 2007

Roberrtkjjj,

Do the following verses from bible ring a bell to you?!! Don''t you think that Bush is applying the following verses?!! Could we say that Christianity is not a religion of peace,too? Or that all religions came from the same source and have pretty much the same rhetoric.

%u201CThink not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.%u201D (Matthew 10:34)

"And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force."(Matthew 11:12)

"For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law." (Matthew 10:35)

[proof2007]

"Tank611, your answer is clueless, naove, and hardly deep. You come off sounding like every other lying Islamic spokesman on TV who says "Oh no, this is wrong. This is against Islam. We are peaceful."
Posted by robertkjjj at 07:28 PM : Oct 18, 2007

Roberrtkjjj,

Do the following verses from bible ring a bell to you?!! Don''t you think that Bush is applying the following verses?!! Could we say that Christianity is not a religion of peace,too? Or that all religions came from the same source and have pretty much the same rhetoric.

%u201CThink not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.%u201D (Matthew 10:34)

"And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force."(Matthew 11:12)

"For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law." (Matthew 10:35)