Oops! He Did It Again!
I just read an excellent piece by William Arkin over at the Post about the U.S. government and American media's summary dismissal of "even the possibility that President Pervez Musharraf, Pakistani government forces, or other domestic elements could be involved" in Bhutto's assassination. "A conclusion," Arkin says, "that flies in the face of the country's history and ignores the obvious beneficiaries."
Arkin says we're too fixated on al-Qaeda and bin Laden to see what's really going on in Pakistan.
As for turning any terrorist attack into a glass-half-full situation, with national elections coming up, bin Laden should soon be popping out of his box to endorse Hillary. She's already got the nod from Castro. Kim Jong Il is leaning toward Kucinich, but I have a feeling he could be swayed.
On the news yesterday they announced Osama would soon be coming out with a new release:
He's dropped the "bin Laden" as you can see. Like Cher and Madonna, he doesn't need it anymore. But more than that, his stripped-down moniker symbolizes his new, simplified sound.
Those who've heard it say "it's a more chill bin Laden than we've heard before" (Rolling Stone). Melody Maker calls it "Smooth sounds from a master." NPR says it's "a work of formidable and pristine beauty."
It's just Osama and his baby grand this time. No bass-heavy beats or screaming guitars.
SPIN says: "it's like someone poured milk and honey right in your ear." Billboard agrees: "The melodies burrow into your cerebrum."
"His haunting cover of 'Oops! I did it Again' will be stuck in your head longer than 'It's Britney, Bitch!'"
This morning the major news stations reported that al-Qaeda has claimed responsibility for the assassination. Of course, it depends on whether one feels such claims are credible, but in this case it certainly seems a distinct possibility.
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What I heard, Will, was that the claim that al-Qaeda had taken responsibility for the assassination originated, again, with the government of Pervez Musharraf. As The Times of London reported, "The Interior Ministry released what it described as a transcript of an intercepted call in which Baitullah Mehsud, an Islamic militant with ties to al-Qaeda and the Taleban, congratulated a colleague on the assassination." Seems like a no-brainer to me.
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More, from the New York Times this morning:
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The AP reports: Though Bhutto "was buried without an autopsy...on Saturday, the government rejected suggestions it should enlist foreign help in investigating Bhutto's assassination."
"Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton said Friday that an international probe into Bhutto's death was vital because there was 'no reason to trust the Pakistani government.' Others called for a U.N. investigation."
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