Richardson Urges Independent Investigation into Bhutto Assassination

Says Musharraf has lost all credibility

PERRY, IA-- New Mexico Governor and Democratic Presidential candidate Bill Richardson today reacted to revelations that a Pakistani police chief apparently blocked an autopsy on Benazir Bhutto and to a new video raising doubts about the official Pakistani explanation of her death. Governor Richardson has served as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations and has extensive diplomatic experience around the world, including in Pakistan and Southern Asia. Below is his statement:

"These reports raise even more questions about Musharraf's credibility. The way forward in Pakistan will require two steps: conducting an independent international investigation into the events surrounding Bhutto's assassination and having Musharraf step down and allow for free and fair elections. I stand with the Pakistan Peoples Party in its call for such an investigation.

"I am extremely disappointed both in President Bush and my fellow Presidential candidates who continue to back the failed dictator Musharraf. The Washington insiders have it tragically wrong. The longer that we back Musharraf, the more likely it is that the world will pay a horrible price. Every day that America is associated with his anti-democratic policies, the greater the likelihood that Pakistan will go the way of Iran.

"The choice between security and democracy is a false one.

"Stability in Pakistan will be achieved only via free and fair elections, and those cannot occur while Musharraf runs the nation. Those who cannot see that reality, those who choose a false and hollow security over human rights, and those who prefer short-term ease at the cost of long-term disaster plainly have not learned the lessons of history.

"Where is the leadership?"

Clinton Outlines Five Steps Needed To Address Pakistan in Wake of Bhutto Assassination

In an interview today with CNN’s Wolf Blitzer, Hillary Clinton outlined five steps she believes must be taken to address Pakistan in the wake of the assassination of Benazir Bhutto. Clinton called for an independent, international investigation, reiterated the need for free and fair elections, proposed the appointment of a special envoy, discussed revamping U.S. foreign aid, and a renewed commitment to a stabilized India-Pakistan relationship.

The following is a full transcript of Hillary Clinton’s interview:

Wolf Blitzer: There are conflicting reports coming in from the Pakistani government right now about the cause of death, who may have been responsible; perhaps al Qaeda, maybe not. The bottom line: do you trust the Pakistani government right now to conduct a fair and full investigation so that all of us around the world will know who killed this woman and how she was killed?

Hillary Clinton: I don't think the Pakistani government at this time under President Musharraf has any credibility at all. They have disbanded an independent judiciary, they have oppressed a free press. Therefore, I’m calling for a full, independent, international investigation, perhaps along the lines of what the United Nations has been doing with respect to the assassination of Prime Minister Hariri in Lebanon. I think it is critically important that we get answers and really those are due first and foremost to the people of Pakistan, not only those who were supportive of Benazir Bhutto and her party, but every Pakistani because we cannot expect to move toward stability without some reckoning as to who was responsible for this assassination.
Therefore, I call on President Musharraf and the Pakistani government to realize that this is in the interests of Pakistan to understand whether or not it was al Qaeda or some other offshoot extremist group that is attempting to further destabilize and even overthrow the Pakistani government, or whether it came from within, either explicitly or implicitly, the security forces or the military in Pakistan. The thing I’ve not been able to understand, Wolf - I have met with President Musharraf, I obviously knew Benazir Bhutto and admired her leadership – is that President Musharraf, in every meeting I have had with him, the elites in Pakistan who still wield tremendous power plus the leadership of the military act as though they can destabilize Pakistan and retain their positions; their positions of privilege, their positions of authority. That is not the way it will work. I am really calling on them to recognize that the world deserves the answer; the Bhutto family deserves the answer, but this is in the best interest of the Pakistani people and the state of Pakistan.

Blitzer: Senator, just to be precise; you want a United Nations international tribunal, or commission of inquiry, whatever you want to call it, along the lines of the investigation into the assassination of Rafik Hariri?

HRC: There are other institutions that are international that have credibility, like INTERPOL and others. It doesn’t have to be the exact model of the Hariri investigation but it needs to be international, it needs to be independent, it needs to have credibility and nothing that would happen inside of Pakistan would. I’m reluctant to say it should be an American investigation where we send our law enforcement personnel, because I’m not sure that would have credibility for a different reason. So that’s why I’m calling for an independent international investigation.
Blitzer: This is a damning indictment of President Pervez Musharraf. Some are calling on him to step down, do you believe he should step down?

Clinton: What I believe is that he should meet certain conditions and quickly. We should immediately move to free and fair elections. Obviously, it’s going to take some time for Benazir Bhutto’s party to choose a successor. Nawaz Sharif has said that he won’t participate at this time. I believe again some kind of international support for free and fair elections in a timely manner would be incredibly important. If President Musharraf wishes to stand for election, then he should abide by the same rules that every other candidate will have to follow. We also want to see a resumption of the move toward an independent judiciary. I think that was a terrible mistake. This is an odd situation, Wolf. The people in the streets are wearing suits and ties, they are lawyers, they are professionals, they are the middle class of Pakistan, which really offers the very best hope for a stable, democratic country and that is in America’s interest, but more importantly, it is in the interest of the Pakistani people.

Blitzer: I think I understood what you were implying when you said a U.S. investigation probably wouldn’t have credibility for different reasons but explain to our viewers out there why you’re suggesting a U.S. investigation into the death of Benazir Bhutto probably wouldn’t have credibility either.

Clinton: I think it would politicize it at a time when what we want to do is, as much as possible, support the continuing move toward democracy. We need, frankly, an international tribunal to look into this where there can be a broad base of experts who are not aligned with any one country. Obviously I would certainly offer our expertise through the FBI and others to assist that tribunal. But I think it would be much better for it to be independent and impartial and be seen as that. Part of what our challenge here is, is to convince the Pakistani people themselves and particularly the business elite, the feudal elite, the military elite that they are going down a very dangerous path. That this path leads to their losing their positions, their authority, their obvious leadership now. Therefore we need to help them understand what is in their interest and that of course includes President Musharraf.

Blitzer: Over the years, since 9/11, the United States has provided the Pakistani military with some $10 billion. Will you as a United States Senator continue to vote for funding of these billions of dollars going to the Pakistani military?

Clinton: No, and I’m very pleased that finally the Congress began to put some conditions on the aid. I do not think that we should be giving the Musharraf government a blank check and that’s exactly what the Bush Administration has done. Even after Musharraf cracked down on the judiciary and the press and the pro-democracy movement in Pakistan, President Bush was saying he was a reliable ally. Well, I don’t think he’s a reliable ally when he undermines democracy and when he has failed to reign in the Al Qaeda Islamist elements in his own country.
So I think we do need to condition aid. I would do it differently. I would say, look, we want to know very specifically what accountability you’re going to offer to us for the military aid that we believe should be going in the fight against Al Qaeda and the Taliban. The Department of Defense is equally unaccountable with the money that passes through them.

I’d like to see more of our aid shifted toward building civil society. I’ve been calling for this. I have legislation that is bi-partisan, Education for All that is particularly aimed -- I’ve talked to President Musharraf about the necessity for us to raise the literacy rate, to reach out with health care and education that would help the Pakistani people to really concentrate on civil society.

We should be working with these rather heroic lawyers and others who are in the streets demanding democracy instead of giving the Bush blank check to President Musharraf and the military.

Blitzer: But aren’t you afraid, Senator, that as imperfect and as flawed as President Musharraf is, there’s a possibility whoever comes to replace him in this large Muslim country with a nuclear arsenal already, heavy al Qaeda presence, a resurgent Taliban - that the alternative could be even worse from the U.S. perspective?

Clinton: Of course. We all fear that and that’s why we need to take remedial action immediately. When I came back from my last meeting with President Musharraf in January of this year, I called the White House, I asked that they appoint an American envoy, a presidential envoy. I suggested that a retired military leader who could relate to President Musharraf on a one-to-one basis and could shuttle back and forth between President Musharraf and President Karzai because there were a lot of tensions.

And also perhaps serve as a kind of support to President Musharraf, military man to military man, about what it takes to really move toward democracy that President Musharraf in every conversation I’ve ever had with him has given lip-service to. But I don’t think the Bush Administration has frankly asked enough of President Musharraf, has provided the right kind of assistance, has given the support needed.

We have this difficult problem in the military. We have a lot of the senior leadership that we have relationships with, we don’t have those relationships for a lot of reasons with the junior leadership. I just think we have given a blank check under President Bush to President Musharraf and the results are frankly not in the interests of the United States, they are not in the interest of Pakistan and they are certainly not in the interest of the region. We should begin to try to have an ongoing process that includes India and Afghanistan. A lot of what you see happening in Pakistan is driven by the very strong concern coming out of the Pakistani government toward Afghanistan, toward India.

We have really had a hands-off approach. We have said, okay, fine, you be our partner in going after Al Qaeda, we’ll turn a blind eye to everything else. That has undermined our position. I believe Pakistan is in a weaker position to combat terrorism today then they were after 9/11, in large measure because of the failed policies of George Bush.

Blitzer: I interviewed your rival, Barack Obama, for Democratic presidential nomination last night and he had some implied criticism of you saying some of your past decisions do not necessarily warrant your stepping up and becoming the next president of the United States.

Listen to this:

Obama: I think it’s important for the American people to look at the judgments they’ve made in the past. The experienced hands in Washington have not made particularly good judgments when it comes to dealing with these problems. That’s part of the reason we are now in this circumstance.

Blitzer: Now I think he was referring to your vote giving the President authority to go to war against Saddam Hussein’s Iraq and your more recent vote to declare the Iranian Revolutionary Guard a terrorist organization. In effect, he says that gave a blank check to the President to go to war against Iran. You want to respond to Senator Obama?

Clinton: First, Wolf, I really regret that anybody would try to politicize this tragedy. I personally knew Benazir Bhutto. She was Prime Minister when I visited Pakistan on behalf of our government. I stayed in touch with her over the years. I don’t think politics should be playing a role in how our country responds, both on the personal level to the tragedy of this assassination.
But furthermore, Pakistan has been unstable for a long time. Benazir Bhutto’s father was deposed and killed. Obviously, we know that President Musharraf came to power in a military coup. So the instability in Pakistan has long pre-dated any of the recent events. Therefore, I think you need to have an historic understanding. You need to look at Pakistan as a country that still today - the best information that we have - wants to have a better standard of living, wants to have a democracy and the United States should be doing more to promote that. I regret that President Bush’s policies have failed to create that kind of environment. I hope it’s not too late. I really do. And that’s why I’m calling on the President now to begin to make some of the changes. If he has a good relationship with President Musharraf, which he claims to have, then let’s have an envoy. Let’s have this international investigation. Let’s do what we know will work to try to stabilize Pakistan at this time.

Blitzer: What about the specific criticism of your foreign policy judgment that we heard from Senator Obama, we heard earlier in the day from his chief strategist, David Axelrod. What about that, that implied criticism that some of your decisions on these national security, foreign policy issues raise questions about whether or not you should be president?

Clinton: I just regret that both of them would be politicizing this tragedy and especially at a time when do we need to figure out a way forward. That’s what I’m focused on. I’m focused on extending my sympathy to Benazir Bhutto’s family. I’m focused on doing everything I can as a Senator, as someone with a platform running for president, to try to be both positive and effective in helping to set a course. We have a year to go with President Bush as our president. A year is a long time. We know the threats that could be posed with a nuclear armed country like Pakistan becoming more and more unstable.

I have found that President Musharraf is someone that needs, in my opinion, to have a very consistent message and then frankly the help that would come with helping him and those who are in leadership positions understanding that this is not just about the United States - obviously, we have a very important national security interest. This is about what happens to Pakistan. President Musharraf could become as important to the future of Pakistan if he changed course and began to act in a way that would create more confidence to have these free and fair elections, to restore an independent judiciary, to take the shackles off the press, to say that he trusted the Pakistani people. That’s what I’m hoping will happen over the next weeks.
Blitzer: We’ve got to leave it there. We’re out of time, Senator. Thanks very much for spending a few moments with us.

Clinton: Good to talk to you, Wolf.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: GOVERNOR ROMNEY DISCUSSES THE SITUATION IN PAKISTAN

Governor Romney On Fox News' "Hannity & Colmes" (12/27/07):

Rich Lowry: "This isn't news to you, obviously, but I have to let our viewers know in the interest of full disclosure that my magazine, National Review, endorsed you two weeks ago. But let me ask you about Pakistan. Governor, just how worrisome is the situation to you? What do you think the Bush administration’s next move should be because obviously this was a big blow to its policy, which was premised recently on getting Benazir Bhutto back there and hoping that she became prime minister?"

Governor Romney: "We certainly want to see the progress toward democratization in Pakistan continue. It's very much the hope of the people of this country that we'll see stability return to Pakistan and that they will be able to proceed with elections and have a democratically elected leadership. That's what we hope we'll see. Obviously, things could unravel in some way. We could have some period of tension and disruption, but that's something which we don't want to see.

"This really underscores the fact, of course, that what's occurring in Iraq and Afghanistan is not unique to those areas alone, that there is a radical, violent Jihadist effort throughout the world that's trying to topple not just Western governments but moderate governments in the world of Islam. We as a nation are going to have to work together with other nations to help moderate voices within the world of Islam with a wide array of support. But this is something we're going to have to do not just in Pakistan and Afghanistan and Iraq, but everywhere from Indonesia to Nigeria. There’s a big amount of work ahead to help Muslims become strong enough to reject the extreme within them."

To watch Governor Romney, please see: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cYch2qUiReE

Governor Romney On NBC's "Today" Show (12/28/07):
NBC's Ann Curry: "Most analysts would say, Governor, that the events of yesterday will help your chief opponents, Rudy Giuliani and John McCain. Are you concerned, are you worried that your campaign will be impacted negatively?"

Governor Mitt Romney: "I think we have to put the events of the world at a higher level than thinking about local politics, but I do believe as well that people recognize that what we want in a leader is a person who can actually guide America in a very challenging time. You look back to the – one of the great foreign policy leaders of our nation was Ronald Reagan. He was a governor, not a so-called foreign policy expert. He was a person who knew how to make difficult decisions and how to lead in times of crisis. I think if you look at my life's experience you'll recognize that's what I bring to the table."

Curry: "Ronald Reagan was not elected at a time of war. Why should voters embrace you without having – not seeing you having had a lot of foreign policy credentials? Why should they embrace you as leading this nation in this very challenging time in our world's history?"

Governor Romney: "Well, certainly Ronald Reagan was elected at a time of the Cold War and the Cold War was the greatest challenge that was faced by this nation in the last half of the last century, so it was a very critical time. Ronald Reagan took on the spread of Soviet-style communism throughout the world and he was successful, not because he was a general himself and thought he could mastermind our military strategy, but instead because he had the skills of leadership that allowed him to bring together brilliant people, to chart a course that would overcome Soviet expansionism and it worked. My life's experience is likewise, being a strategist in the private sector, in the Olympics and also in running a state. That kind of leadership skill I think is exactly what America needs right now."

To watch Governor Romney, please see: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vdfaZqg9LcQ

Richardson Says Pakistan's Future Depends on Renewed Commitment to Democracy

Discusses Pakistani crisis and other global threats, calls for new direction in American foreign policy

DES MOINES, IA-- Following the assassination of Pakistani Peoples Party leader and former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto yesterday, New Mexico Governor and Democratic Presidential candidate Bill Richardson called for the United States to cut off all military aid to Pakistan not directly related to fighting terrorism until Pervez Musharraf resigns in a major policy speech today in Des Moines, Iowa.

"President Bush should immediately suspend non-terrorism related military aid to Pakistan until President Musharraf resigns," Richardson said. "Today, as a nation, I am calling on the Bush administration to stand firm for our ideals in the face of terrorism and in respect for the ideals that Benazir Bhutto stood for. Anything less would send a dangerous signal to the world that terrorism alters our resolve.

"When Musharraf declared martial law, we could have stood up. But we did not. When he suspended the Constitution, we could have stood up. But we did not. Now after yesterday's terrible murder, the United States must stand up."

To read Governor Richardson's speech, click here.

Richardson honored the memory of Bhutto and called for a return to principle in American foreign policy.

"Benazir Bhutto could have chosen to live a life of comfort in exile," Richardson said. "Instead, she risked her life for the things that she believed in. The principles of democracy. The dignity of human beings. These were her ideals. These are our ideals.

"We have subsidized oppression for too long and the costs have not only been paid in dollars. We have paid with our security. We have paid with the safety of American lives. Our principles are the backbone of our security. They give us direction. They bring us allies. They make us strong."

Richardson contrasted his extensive foreign policy experience with that of his opponents in the race.

"I have represented America around the world: in refugee camps, in prisons run by dictators, and in the midst of civil wars," Richardson said. "And I have learned that people often are sustained and moved by little more than an unshakeable belief in the principles of democracy and the dignity of human beings.

"Some of my Democratic opponents have misplaced faith in Musharraf. Like the Bush administration, they cling to a misguided notion that Musharraf can be trusted as an ally to fight terrorism or to change his despotic ways. Despite their faith, Musharraf has thumbed his nose at America again and again. How many times does the Washington conventional wisdom need to be proven tragically wrong before Washington insiders give up on it?

"Musharraf must step aside now and allow a multiparty caretaker coalition to lead the country until free and fair elections are held."

Richardson Says Pakistan's Future Depends on Renewed Commitment to Democracy

Discusses Pakistani crisis and other global threats, calls for new direction in American foreign policy

DES MOINES, IA-- Following the assassination of Pakistani Peoples Party leader and former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto yesterday, New Mexico Governor and Democratic Presidential candidate Bill Richardson called for the United States to cut off all military aid to Pakistan not directly related to fighting terrorism until Pervez Musharraf resigns in a major policy speech today in Des Moines, Iowa.

"President Bush should immediately suspend non-terrorism related military aid to Pakistan until President Musharraf resigns," Richardson said. "Today, as a nation, I am calling on the Bush administration to stand firm for our ideals in the face of terrorism and in respect for the ideals that Benazir Bhutto stood for. Anything less would send a dangerous signal to the world that terrorism alters our resolve.

"When Musharraf declared martial law, we could have stood up. But we did not. When he suspended the Constitution, we could have stood up. But we did not. Now after yesterday's terrible murder, the United States must stand up."

To read Governor Richardson's speech, click here.

Richardson honored the memory of Bhutto and called for a return to principle in American foreign policy.

"Benazir Bhutto could have chosen to live a life of comfort in exile," Richardson said. "Instead, she risked her life for the things that she believed in. The principles of democracy. The dignity of human beings. These were her ideals. These are our ideals.

"We have subsidized oppression for too long and the costs have not only been paid in dollars. We have paid with our security. We have paid with the safety of American lives. Our principles are the backbone of our security. They give us direction. They bring us allies. They make us strong."

Richardson contrasted his extensive foreign policy experience with that of his opponents in the race.

"I have represented America around the world: in refugee camps, in prisons run by dictators, and in the midst of civil wars," Richardson said. "And I have learned that people often are sustained and moved by little more than an unshakeable belief in the principles of democracy and the dignity of human beings.

"Some of my Democratic opponents have misplaced faith in Musharraf. Like the Bush administration, they cling to a misguided notion that Musharraf can be trusted as an ally to fight terrorism or to change his despotic ways. Despite their faith, Musharraf has thumbed his nose at America again and again. How many times does the Washington conventional wisdom need to be proven tragically wrong before Washington insiders give up on it?

"Musharraf must step aside now and allow a multiparty caretaker coalition to lead the country until free and fair elections are held."

BIDEN: NEXT PRESIDENT MUST BE ABLE TO PROVIDE A NEW COURSE ON PAKISTAN

Today during a campaign stop in Adel, IA, Sen. Joe Biden spoke about the continued importance of America’s strategic relationship with Pakistan. The importance of this relationship became even clearer yesterday, after the tragic assassination of former Pakastani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto left the country in state of crisis.

“Yesterday’s tragic events further highlight the need for foreign policy leadership, including a swift and decisive shift away from the failed policies of the Bush Administration,” said Sen. Biden. “I have been saying for some time now that Pakistan is the most dangerous nation on the planet. The next President will need to deal with Pakistan in a thoughtful and constructive manner.

“Whoever becomes our next commander in chief must also recognize that Pakistan has a large, moderate, secular majority. However, that moderate majority needs to have a voice in the system and an outlet with elections. If not, extremists could take power, just as they did in Iran after the Shah. But unlike Iran, Pakistan already has nuclear weapons. It is hard to imagine a greater nightmare than the world’s second-largest Muslim nation becoming a failed state in fundamentalist hands, with nuclear weapons and a population larger than those of Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan and North Korea combined.

“That’s why I proposed two months ago a comprehensive new approach to Pakistan that included these three points: First, we must deal pro-actively with the current crisis by putting pressure on Musharraf and the generals whose support he needs to hold fair elections as soon as possible. Second, in the long term, America needs to move from a Musharraf policy to a Pakistan policy that gives the moderate majority a chance to succeed. This change includes tripling non-military aid. That aid would be guaranteed for the next 10 years without conditions. I would also provide an additional $1 billion “democracy dividend” to help civilian government deliver progress and condition military assistance on results against extremists.

Finally, we must help create conditions in the region that maximize the chances of success to demonstrate we’re serious about finishing the job in Afghanistan and to encourage Pakistan to take a harder line on extremists, not cut a deal with them.

“In the end, we must deepen our non-military commitment to a stable Pakistan. We need for the Pakistani people to see that we are committed to them, and not just the Pakistan military. Pakistan is a nuclear state – and we cannot allow it to fail.”

Richardson Mourns Bhutto, Calls for Musharraf to Step Down

New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson issued the following statement this morning after the assassination of Pakistani opposition leader and former prime minister Benazir Bhutto.

"Benazir Bhutto was a courageous woman. Her death, and the deaths of so many of her supporters, is more than just a tragedy. It is a testament to the will of the Pakistani people to see democracy restored. My thoughts and prayers are with the families of those who died today.

"Ms. Bhutto knew the dangers to her safety. But she would not be intimidated. We also must not be intimidated.

A leader has died, but democracy must live. The United States government cannot stand by and allow Pakistan's return to democracy to be derailed or delayed by violence.

We must use our diplomatic leverage and force the enemies of democracy to yield: President Bush should press Musharraf to step aside, and a broad-based coalition government, consisting of all the democratic parties, should be formed immediately. Until this happens, we should suspend military aid to the Pakistani government. Free and fair elections must also be held as soon as possible.

It is in the interests of the US that there be a democratic Pakistan that relentlessly hunts down terrorists. Musharraf has failed, and his attempts to cling to power are destabilizing his country. He must go."

Richardson is a former United States Ambassador to the United Nations.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: GOVERNOR ROMNEY ADDRESSES THE TRAGIC EVENTS IN PAKISTAN

Fox News' "Big Story"
December 27, 2007

Governor Romney On Today's Events In Pakistan:

Fox News' John Gibson: "Governor, if you were president, what would President Romney do today?"

Governor Mitt Romney: "Well, first of all, of course, you call together your national security advisers, make sure that you have information coming directly from Pakistan from firsthand sources. You want to get up-to-date information. You probably also make a direct call to Mr. Musharraf, General Musharraf, to understand his perspective. You gather information from our CIA bureau chief in Islamabad and other places in the world to make sure that we understand what's happening, and then you consider all the options that we have, all of the resources that might be applied to encourage greater stability to return to Pakistan in a time of great sorrow. There was progress being made towards a democratization, and that progress is now very much in question given the assassination of Madam Bhutto."
…

Gibson: "Governor, obviously Benazir Bhutto murdered. If it is Al-Qaeda, and Al-Qaeda has made a claim of responsibility, but if it turns out it is Al-Qaeda, what should the U.S. do?"

Governor Romney: "Well, I think what's happened in Pakistan has made more clear in the mind of the American public and perhaps some of our Democratic colleagues as well that what we're dealing with in the global war on terror, this war against violent Jihadism, is not just an effort in Iraq or even extended to Afghanistan, but this is a worldwide effort on the part of violent Jihadists who have as the their intent the collapse of all nations, Islamic as well as Western. The attacks are not just on Americans and American leaders or even Western leaders, it does include leaders within the world of Islam. There have been death threats and death attacks against General Musharraf. There have been attacks and threats of attack against Madam Bhutto before, so we're facing a world which sees a dramatic growth in violent Jihad, and we're going to have to gather together the civilized nations of the world to help strengthen the ability of moderate, modern Islamic people and leaders for them to reject the extreme, because ultimately, only Muslims are going to be able to reject violent radical Jihadism."
…

Gibson: "Governor, if I can just return to Ms. Bhutto for a moment, did this event today in Pakistan change the primary races that you're involved in, in a dramatic way?"

Governor Romney: "I don't believe that events of this nature change the nature of a primary, but of course, far more important than what impact this might have on a primary race is what impact this has on the world. And so the consequences in our election here pale in comparison to the to the consequences in terms of the loss of human life, and the instability in Pakistan, which may lead to a loss of even greater life there, and the threats to global peace. In the overall context of things, the politics here are going to have to take a backseat to the most important developments there."

To watch Governor Romney, please see: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=myyvS3nQvJo

BIDEN ON PAKISTAN

Sen. Joe Biden held a press conference today in Des Moines, IA to discuss former Prime Minister Bhutto’s assassination and the continued importance of America’s relationship with Pakistan. You can listen to the audio here:

To download: http://www.box.net/shared/bpge6tzfo8
To listen: http://www.box.net/shared/static/bpge6tzfo8.wav

Sen. Biden has long warned that Pakistan is one of the most complex countries we deal with and that its stability and America’s security are linked. He has repeatedly acted on that conviction. Sen. Biden delivered a speech at St. Anselm College in Manchester, NH on November 8th, where he detailed “A New Approach to Pakistan.” The transcript of his remarks can be found here: http://www.joebiden.com/getinformed/speeches?id=0090

Below are some other key examples of Sen. Biden’s leadership with respect to Pakistan: (1) In September and then again in October, Sen. Biden wrote to Pakistan President Musharraf on the need for him the government of Pakistan to provide effective security for Benazir Bhutto and other political leaders; (2) during the October 30th Democratic debate Sen. Biden raised the importance of Pakistan because of its nuclear capability; (3) when President Musharraf declared a state of emergency, Sen. Biden spoke to both President Musharraf and former Prime Minister and opposition leader Bhutto before President Bush; (4) on November 8th, Sen. Biden delivered a major address outlining a new policy toward Pakistan.

SNEN Note: There was an attachment with the info. However, it is 13 pages long and thus we opted not to include.

GOVERNOR MITT ROMNEY ON TODAY'S EVENTS IN PAKISTAN

Today, Governor Mitt Romney issued the following statement on today's tragic events in Pakistan:

"We are still learning the details of today's tragic events in Pakistan, but this is a stark reminder that America must not only stay on high alert, but remain actively engaged across the globe. Pakistan has long been a key part in the war against extremism and radical jihadists. For those who think Iraq is the sole front in the War on Terror, one must look no further than what has happened today. America must show its commitment to stand with all moderate forces across the Islamic world and together face the defining challenge of our generation – the struggle against violent, radical jihadists.

"At this difficult time, our thoughts and prayers go to the family of Benazir Bhutto, and to all the people of Pakistan who are fighting against extremist forces that would commit such heinous acts as the whole world has witnessed today."