Afghan_Soldier
04-16-2010, 05:59 AM
Karzai offered Benazir security hours before her murder
Friday, April 16, 2010
By By Rauf Klasra
ISLAMABAD: Hours before her assassination, Afghan President Hamid Karzai had offered Benazir Bhutto that Afghan intelligence agency could provide her security unofficially within Pakistan, as he had information she might be killed soon.
Sources said Karzai wanted Benazir Bhutto to use the expertise of the Afghan intelligence and guards who, despite several attacks on him by the Taliban, had saved his life. This secret has been shared with The News hours before the release of the UN inquiry report about the assassination of Benazir Bhutto.
The sources said President Zardari had given Karzai’s name to the UN Commission so that it could ask him as to how he knew about Benazir’s assassination to the extent that he had even told his intelligence chief to provide security cover to Benazir Bhutto.
Sources privy to the discussions revealed about a meeting in Islamabad on Dec 27, 2007, taking place on an urgent request of Hamid Karzai, as he wanted to convey to Benazir that she was heading for a possible deadly attack and he, as the president of Afghanistan, wanted his intelligence chief to make arrangements to provide her a security cover.
The sources said the Afghan intelligence chief was accompanying Hamid Karzai when Benazir was warned about looming threats to her life. Sources said Benazir was, however, not shaken by the warning, as she told him she had already been warned by some other reliable sources about threats to her life.
Sources said much to the surprise of the participants of the meeting, Karzai was very disturbed and he, again and again, advised Benazir Bhutto to be very careful. He said his intelligence agency had intercepted some calls and got information from their sources that Benazir Bhutto was facing serious threats to her life.
The sources said Karzai was so disturbed by poor security arrangements for Benazir in Pakistan that without seeking her permission, he asked his intelligence chief to make a plan to protect her within Pakistan. Sources said this offer to provide security cover by a foreign head of state to Benazir was something very big and an unusual offer.
Sources said it was not known how the Afghan intelligence chief could have provided security cover and what might have been the reaction of the Pakistani intelligence agencies to the presence of Afghan intelligence personnel protecting Benazir Bhutto inside Pakistan. Sources said actually these arrangements were to be put in place without the knowledge of the then military government of General Musharraf.
Friday, April 16, 2010
By By Rauf Klasra
ISLAMABAD: Hours before her assassination, Afghan President Hamid Karzai had offered Benazir Bhutto that Afghan intelligence agency could provide her security unofficially within Pakistan, as he had information she might be killed soon.
Sources said Karzai wanted Benazir Bhutto to use the expertise of the Afghan intelligence and guards who, despite several attacks on him by the Taliban, had saved his life. This secret has been shared with The News hours before the release of the UN inquiry report about the assassination of Benazir Bhutto.
The sources said President Zardari had given Karzai’s name to the UN Commission so that it could ask him as to how he knew about Benazir’s assassination to the extent that he had even told his intelligence chief to provide security cover to Benazir Bhutto.
Sources privy to the discussions revealed about a meeting in Islamabad on Dec 27, 2007, taking place on an urgent request of Hamid Karzai, as he wanted to convey to Benazir that she was heading for a possible deadly attack and he, as the president of Afghanistan, wanted his intelligence chief to make arrangements to provide her a security cover.
The sources said the Afghan intelligence chief was accompanying Hamid Karzai when Benazir was warned about looming threats to her life. Sources said Benazir was, however, not shaken by the warning, as she told him she had already been warned by some other reliable sources about threats to her life.
Sources said much to the surprise of the participants of the meeting, Karzai was very disturbed and he, again and again, advised Benazir Bhutto to be very careful. He said his intelligence agency had intercepted some calls and got information from their sources that Benazir Bhutto was facing serious threats to her life.
The sources said Karzai was so disturbed by poor security arrangements for Benazir in Pakistan that without seeking her permission, he asked his intelligence chief to make a plan to protect her within Pakistan. Sources said this offer to provide security cover by a foreign head of state to Benazir was something very big and an unusual offer.
Sources said it was not known how the Afghan intelligence chief could have provided security cover and what might have been the reaction of the Pakistani intelligence agencies to the presence of Afghan intelligence personnel protecting Benazir Bhutto inside Pakistan. Sources said actually these arrangements were to be put in place without the knowledge of the then military government of General Musharraf.