Escalation. “Official cites Qaida link in Bhutto bomb,” by Ashraf Khan for Associated Press:
KARACHI, Pakistan – The suicide attack that killed up to 136 people and shattered former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto’s joyous return from exile bore the hallmarks of a warlord tied to al-Qaida and the Taliban, authorities said Friday. Forensic experts studied a severed head to determine the bomber’s identity.
Baitullah Mehsud “” a top militant leader on the unstable Afghan border “” threatened this month to meet Bhutto’s return to Pakistan with suicide attacks, according to local media reports. An associate of Mehsud, however, denied Taliban involvement.
The top security official in the province where the attack took place suggested that Bhutto’s camp had not seriously considered the need for security for her return after eight years in exile.
“They got carried away by political exigencies instead of taking our concern seriously,” said the official, Ghulam Muhammad Mohtarem.
Not wise — particularly not now, with the resurgence of jihadist sentiments all over Pakistan.