NPR: Bhutto's Assassination, and Kenya's Big Election

Bhutto's Assassination, and Kenya's Big Election

Just as we were about to go on the air came word that opposition leader and former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto was killed in Pakistan.

Our first obligation: find out the truth.

Our rule: our own sources have to confirm. We do NOT just go with the wires or CNN, however much we respect them. When we got the word that our editors felt comfortable confirming the death, then the question became: What do we know? Who can add value?

We were fortunate to get NPR's National Security Correspondent Jackie Northam into the studio, and to reach Shuja Nawaz, author of a Crossed Swords, a history of Pakistan's powerful army. Jackie is just back from a reporting trip to Pakistan, and Shuja Nawaz had just spoken to Benazir Bhutto. Needless to say, we'll have more as information becomes available and as we see opportunities to fill in any gaps and bring you voices you aren't hearing anywhere else.

Needless to say, this is a very important story. Pakistan is considered a crucial ally of the U.S. and the Bush administration in fighting the war on terror. And Bhutto, a controversial and polarizing figure, is -- was -- one of Pakistan's most popular political figures and one of the world's most prominent women leaders. Elections have been set for Jan. 8, and we'll certainly be following this story's the impact on the elections.

And we do not want to ignore another important political story. Kenya's elections are being held today for both president and seats in Parliament. It's a watershed election in many respects -- many women running for seats for the first time, the most closely contested in the country's history. Our Anchor Buddy in Nairobi, Mike Pflanz of The Daily Telegraph, tells us what we know so far. We don't expect results until tomorrow, but it will be a very important milestone in Kenya's history and the continent's. Kenya is one of the continent's largest economies, the scene of a horrific suicide bombing of the U.S. Embassy in 1998, a major tourist destination, and is waging a tough fight against corruption. We'll bring you the latest results as we get them.

And, don't let me leave you with doom and gloom. A reprise of our conversation with two-time Oscar winner Denzel Washington, the director and star of The Great Debaters. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did...

Michel Martin

10:44 AM ET | 12-27-2007 | permalink

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