Monday, December 31, 2007

Bhutto - Accused Taliban Leader Backs Independent Enquiry

By Cernig

The militant Taliban leader who has been accused by Pakistan's government of ordering Bhutto's assassination has backed calls for an independent investigation of her death.
The pro-democracy icon, 54, was killed last Thursday in a gun-and- suicide bomb attack that government officials claim was carried out by the followers of Baitullah Mehsud, leader of the newly formed Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) (Taliban Movement Pakistan).

'The government is carrying out a propaganda campaign against Baitullah Mehsud and the Taliban is unfairly being alleged for the attack,' the militant group's spokesman Maulvi Omar told the BBC's Urdu service by telephone from undisclosed location.

Bhutto's murder was a great national tragedy and therefore an independent inquiry should be held, he added.

...The Taliban spokesman said any independent inquiry that was free from US and Britain influence would be acceptable for them.
Quite remarkable, if true. Either Mehsud is playing an astute game of destabilisation or he really didn't order the killing. Which, do you think?

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