Al-Qaeda leads suspect list in Bhutto killing

AL-QAEDA is the chief suspect in the murder of Pakistani opposition leader Benazir Bhutto, standing to gain by preserving its remote stronghold, undermining President Pervez Musharraf and destabilising the country, United States government and private analysts said.

The militant group, which has rebuilt its command structure on the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, was blamed for a previous attempt on Ms Bhutto and it has denounced her as an instrument of US policy in Pakistan.

Bush administration officials said it was too early to identify a clear suspect in Thursday's assassination.

But one US official said: 'There are a number of extremist groups within Pakistan that could have carried out the attack. … Al-Qaeda has got to be one of the groups at the top of this list.'

Al-Qaeda's Taleban ally, which has publicly threatened Ms Bhutto, was another potential suspect, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

One private analyst said Al-Qaeda supporters in Pakistan's security services may have also played a role, but it was unlikely Mr Musharraf himself was involved.

Killing Ms Bhutto undermines Mr Musharraf, viewed by the United States as an essential ally against terrorism, by eliminating the prospect of a power-sharing agreement between the two that could shore up his deteriorating political standing and stabilise the country, the analysts said.

That in turn reduces chances Mr Musharraf can revive efforts to drive Al-Qaeda and the Taleban out of the remote Waziristan tribal areas. It also fans popular suspicions against Mr Musharraf and sows general confusion.

'Their (Al-Qaeda's) motivation for doing this is entirely clear,' said Mr David Gartenstein-Ross of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. 'They have the most to gain.'

Shortly before Mr Bhutto's return in October, Taleban commander Haji Omar pledged to attack her.

Pakistan's investigation of the killing will be a major test of Mr Musharraf's credibility, said Mr PJ Crowley, a former National Security Council official.

In particular, he said, the probe must make a thorough effort to identify any elements in the government who may be complicit in the attack.

The United States offered FBI assistance in investigating Ms Bhutto's assassination, but Pakistan has not yet made a request, FBI spokesman Stephen Kodak said.

Ms Bhutto, in an October letter to an acquaintance read on CNN on Thursday, said she would hold Mr Musharraf responsible if she were killed, for a failure to authorise adequate security.

Rawalpindi, where Ms Bhutto was killed, is a garrison town where Pakistan's army has its strongest grip, said RAND Corp analyst Christine Fair. 'There will be those who hold him accountable even if he and his services are innocent.'

US State Department spokesman Tom Casey said: 'It is clear that whoever is responsible is someone who opposes peaceful, democratic development and change in Pakistan.' — REUTERS