ISLAMABAD: An al-Qaeda leader based in Afghanistan has claimed responsibility for the assassination of former Pakistan Premier Benazir Bhutto, whom he described as "the most precious American asset." "We terminated the most precious American asset which vowed to defeat (the) 'mujahadeen'," al-Qaeda Commander and spokesman Mustafa Abu Al-Yazid told the Italian news agency Adnkronos International (AKI) in a phone call from an unknown location. Al-Yazid was described by AKI as the "main al-Qaeda commander in Afghanistan". It reported that the decision to kill Bhutto was made by al-Qaeda No.
Two, Ayman al-Zawahiri in October. The report said death squads were allegedly constituted for the mission and one cell comprising a "Punjabi volunteer" of the Lashkar-i-Jhangvi killed Bhutto. Bhutto died after being shot by a suicide attacker, who later blew himself up near her armored vehicles just after she had addressed an election rally at Rawalpindi near here.
The blast killed nearly 30 people. During her campaign to drum up support for her Pakistan People's Party, Bhutto had repeatedly attacked elements who were fomenting extremism and militancy in northwestern region of the country and vowed to crack down on militant groups. Bhutto, who returned to Pakistan from exile two months ago, had earlier survived a suicide attack on her homecoming procession in Karachi on October 18 that killed 140 people and injured hundreds more. Baitullah Mehsud, a militant leader who was recently made head of Tekrik Taliban-e-Pakistan - a coalition of Pakistani Taliban groups, had reportedly issued threats that he would send suicide bombers to target Bhutto. Ministry unaware Pakistan's Interior Ministry said it was "unaware" of al-Qaeda claiming a link to Benazir Bhutto's killing but said "extremist elements" behind a wave of attacks this year could be responsible.
Asked about a report on Pakistan's ARY TV network that the militant group founded by Osama bin Laden was to blame for the assassination, Interior Ministry spokesman Javed Cheema said the government did not know about that claim.
But he said the likely culprits were "the same extremist elements who have been perpetrating acts of terrorism in the country in the past." Pakistan has repeatedly said Taliban and al-Qaeda linked groups are behind the unprecedented wave of attacks this year that has left more than 800 people dead.
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