Indian intel discounts Al Qaeda hand

NEW DELHI: The Indian intelligence and security agencies believe Benazir Bhutto’s assassination was conceived as a deep, politically motivated conspiracy and carried out by forces within Pakistan, and not by Al Qaeda.

After completing a detailed assessment based on TV footage and other material, the Indian agencies say some elements within the ISI, the Army, extremist groups and even some political rivals may have had a hand in the killing.

“This is not the usual Al Qaeda modus operandi,” an analyst said. The Indian agencies believe the strike was rehearsed and involved several people. “It was a highly planned, highly motivated, highly integrated plan. Otherwise it wouldn’t have happened the way it did,” a senior intelligence operative told DNA.

“It was a meticulous insider job, probably. People would have been bought because massive support is needed do something like this.”

Sources said if the bomber was so close to Bhutto, the vehicle would not have survived the blast, as it did. The bomb was so powerful that the assassin’s head was found some 75 feet away from the site, according to Indian assessment.

They believe the explosives were strapped above the waist of the killer. Indian analysts are not ruling out the possibility of the Army or the ISI being involved in the attack.