On 27 December 2007, Benazir Bhutto, the charismatic former Prime Minister of Pakistan, was assassinated in an attack which involved a gunshot to the neck and the gunman also blowing himself up in a suicide bombing.

This attack on Bhutto was successful compared to a similar attack on her barely a few months ago. That attack which also involved a suicide bomber and killed 136 people but Bhutto was saved because she was inside her armored vehicle. The recent attack, according to reports, does not have such extensive collateral damage and so it can be inferred that the attacker(s) managed to again successfully penetrate her security ring and carry out a far more precise attack. What is shocking is that an armed weapon was smuggled so close to her.

In a press conference after the first attack, Benazir Bhutto blamed Musharraf for not providing her with adequate security and indeed the first cries of revenge after the successful attack were targeted at Musharraf. The beleaguered President and former Chief of Army Staff (CAS) would find it difficult to explain away the obvious signs of the state security being involved in the assassination, especially since this was the second attempt on the life of an increasingly popular politician.

Rawalpindi, where the attack occurred has seen attacks in the past also. There have been repeated attempts made on Musharraf, when he was CAS, and even then the investigations indicted the connivance of military officials with militants. Rawalpindi is called the sister city of Islamabad, and it was in Islamabad that the Red Mosque crisis occurred, which galvanized the militants in Pakistan.

Bhutto's authoritative statements and the secret agreement she had with Musharraf had endeared her to both the West and Musharraf. However, the unraveling of the Emergency in Pakistan and the subsequent turmoil regarding the President's future as Army chief, widened the differences between them.

Bhutto was particularly hated by militant groups, because of her strong statements against the jihadi infrastructure in Pakistan. It did not help that she was a woman and had a strong western orientation. In a recent statement, she asserted that it was because of her efforts that the Pakistan-sponsored militancy in Punjab had ended (The Times of India, 22 December 2007). This was the first time that such an acknowledgement had come from a senior Pakistani leader of Islamabad's role in fomenting violence in India.

Additionally, in an interview to the Indian news channel NDTV, which was telecast just before her return to Islamabad, she acknowledged intelligence reports about the presence of Dawood Ibrahim (India's most wanted terrorist) in Pakistan and promised to extradite him to India on coming to power. (NDTV, 17 October 2007). Such a statement would have raised the hackles of the Pakistan' Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) which has extended wide patronage to Dawood. Ironically, the first attack occurred the day after the interview was aired.

Recent reports have put to rest speculations of Dawood having been sidelined by the ISI, owing to US pressure. While Dawood is under considerably greater international pressure, he continues to be a major trump card for anti-Indian operations. His alliance with al Qaeda would make him a far potent source of destruction. This is evident from Indian investigations into the Hyderabad and Ajmer blasts, wherein it has been learnt that Dawood financed these attacks. (Rediff News, 26 December 2007).

The attack has the hallmarks of an attack by al Qaeda and it has been reported that the terrorist organization has taken responsibility for the attack. (Asia Times, 28 December, 2007) Al Qaeda is known to retarget enemies after failed plots and respond with more successful attempts. This was seen in the repeated attacks on the World Trade Center in New York (1993 and 2001) and it was also reported that the US Embassy attacks in East Africa in 1996 took place after a similar attack was foiled earlier. An additional feature of an al Qaeda attack has been the use of a suicide bomber which was witnessed on both occasions when Benazir Bhutto was targeted.

The success of the attack has highlighted a glaring failure of the Pakistani security establishment which has already been reeling under intense scrutiny after the escape of suspected terrorist Rashid Rauf. His escape is alleged to have been facilitated by the Pakistani police (Hindustan Times, 17 December 2007). With the malaise of the security establishment conniving with militant groups being increasingly witnessed, it would be highly difficult for Pakistan to maintain its integrity in the Global War on Terror.

What the attack has further exposed are the major roadblocks which lie ahead in Pakistan's quest to re-establish democratic rule. Benazir's death is a major blow to this process, for it removes from the scene a highly popular leader and would likely exacerbate the domestic turmoil within the country.