Al-Qaeda Claims Credit Bhutto's Assassination

The Al-Qaeda terrorist network has claimed responsibility for the assassination of Benazir Bhutto:

A spokesperson for the al-Qaeda terrorist network has claimed responsibility for the death on Thursday of former Pakistani prime minister Benazir Bhutto.

“We terminated the most precious American asset which vowed to defeat [the] mujahadeen,” Al-Qaeda’s commander and main spokesperson Mustafa Abu Al-Yazid told Adnkronos International (AKI) in a phone call from an unknown location, speaking in faltering English. Al-Yazid is the main al-Qaeda commander in Afghanistan.

It is believed that the decision to kill Bhutto, who is the leader of the opposition Pakistan People's Party (PPP), was made by al-Qaeda No. 2, the Egyptian doctor, Ayman al-Zawahiri in October.

Mustafa Abu al Yazid is the leader of al Qaeda in Afghanistan.

U.S. intelligence officials say they cannot confirm the al Qaeda claim of responsibility for the attack:

Bush administration officials said it was too early to identify a clear suspect in Thursday's assassination.

But one U.S. official said: "There are a number of extremist groups within Pakistan that could have carried out the attack ... Al Qaeda has got to be one of the groups at the top of this list."

Bhutto's assassination, and al qaeda's claim of responsibility for the cowardly act of murder, ought to serve as a wakeup call for those that believe we can just walk away from the war.