Militants contacted by The Associated Press in Pakistan's North West Frontier Province Friday called Thursday's suicide attack revenge for the Pakistani military operations in the area and the support Bhutto and Musharraf have offered the United States in its fight against terrorism.Mahmoud Al Hasan, a leader of Hezb-ul-Mujahedeen, a militant group aligned to Pakistan's religious Jamaat-e-Islami party, condemned the bombing because of the civilians who were killed, but attacked both Bhutto and Musharraf as "slaves" of the United States.
He castigated Bhutto for her comments against extremism and her recent statement that she would accept U.S. assistance in targeting Osama bin Laden if he is found on Pakistani territory. "Benazir Bhutto was totally talking like an infidel. What should be the reaction of jihadis? They should definitely kill her. She is an enemy of Islam. She is an enemy of jihadis. She is an enemy of the country. This is the reaction," said Al Hasan. "If it had killed only Benazir Bhutto then it would have been OK."
A businessman in the northwestern city of Peshawar who finances militant groups said the attack against Bhutto was well-coordinated and planned. The man, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of being arrested by authorities, said there are hundreds of would-be bombers in Pakistan who are ready to blow themselves up in such attacks. He said they find sanctuary in the tribal regions along the Afghan border where like-minded tribesmen under the Taliban banner hold sway.
One of the warlords in this region, Baitullah Mehsud, threatened earlier this month to meet Bhutto's return to Pakistan with suicide attacks, according to local media reports. Mehsud, who has denied responsibility in Thursday's attack, has bragged of having 3,000 would-be suicide bombers. His suicide squads have taken credit for attacks against the military and police in northwestern Pakistan, as well as bombings at a hotel in the capital of Islamabad that killed a security guard and at the Islamabad international airport.
Mehsud, whose tribe of the same name is the most violent in South Waziristan province, signed a peace pact with the army in February 2005 promising to deny shelter to foreign al-Qaida fighters in exchange for an end to military operations in the region and compensation for tribesmen killed by the military. Then Mehsud's men kidnapped 250 Pakistani soldiers in August, who they are still holding. Three of the soldiers have been beheaded.
Similar deals in other parts of Pakistan's tribal region have been signed and broken. Although Musharraf's government has stepped up military operations against insurgents in the tribal regions in recent months, some militants claim to have support within government structures, including the army and intelligence agencies. Bhutto alluded to as much Friday, saying it was suspicious that streetlights failed after sunset Thursday when her convoy was inching its way through the streets of Karachi. She said the phones were down, making it difficult to have the lights restored.