Guest Author - Nicole Collins

Al Qaeda is being blamed for the death of former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto. Bhutto was shot on Thursday as a suicide bomber ran toward her and then blew himself up. She was leaving a rally in Rawalpindi.

Authorities initially believed Bhutto died from gunshot wounds, but an autopsy confirmed that she died from skull fractures caused by shrapnel. The bomber killed at least 20 other people.

The already-unsteady country was thrown further into chaos when President Pervez Musharraf’s fiercest opponent was assassinated. Furious Bhutto supporters stormed the streets just 12 days before the country’s election. Bhutto was hoping for reelection as Prime Minister.

Many questions have been raised as to whether Pakistan will still be able to successfully eliminate terrorism and if democracy is still possible without Bhutto. A U.S. nuclear ally, Pakistan must staunchly defend its arsenal in order to stave off further terrorist attacks. The ability of its military to do so has brought up concerns within the U.S. government.

President Bush issued statements soon after the attack. He strongly urged the government of Pakistan to move forward with the parliamentary elections scheduled for January 8. From his Crawford, Texas ranch, Bush said, "The United States strongly condemns this cowardly act by murderous extremists who are trying to undermine Pakistan's democracy. Those who committed this crime must be brought to justice."

Bush also offered words on the courage of Bhutto and her work to bring democracy to Pakistan. "Mrs. Bhutto served her nation twice as prime minister and she knew that her return to Pakistan earlier this year put her life at risk. Yet she refused to allow assassins to dictate the course of her country.

"We stand with the people of Pakistan and their struggle against the force of terror and extremism. We urge them to honor Benazir Bhutto's memory by continuing with the democratic process for which she so bravely gave her life."

Al Qaeda is believed to be responsible for the bombing. Pakistan’s Interior Minister Hamid Nawaz said, “We have the evidence that al Qaeda and Taliban were behind the suicide attack on Benazir Bhutto.”

Born in Karachi, Pakistan, Bhutto was the first woman to ever be elected Prime Minister of a Muslim country. She was elected in 1988 in the country’s first free elections since the militant dictatorship of Zia Ul Haq, whose government also executed Bhutto’s father. She is credited with modernizing her country in many ways including education, housing, and healthcare.