STEVE INSKEEP, Host:
Freelance journalist Graham Usher did not witness the attack but was at that rally. Would you just walk us through it, Mr. Usher? What kind of an event was it?
GRAHAM USHER: Seventeen other people were killed at the site of the blast and dozens were wounded, including police officers, but that's essentially what happened. It happened at the end of the rally when most people were leaving. And I didn't witness it by sight, but I heard the blast and saw the scenes very soon thereafter.
INSKEEP: Now you mentioned that only 5 to 10,000 people, which you thought was not a huge crowd, attended this. Was that because of a lack of popularity or because people were anxious about just such an attack as this?
USHER: But there was also, I think - there is also generally in Pakistan a degree of political apathy. People are not excited of the upcoming elections. They widely suspect that they will be rigged. And although Benazir Bhutto headed a popular party in Pakistan, she did not enjoy mass support, particularly in areas such as Rawalpindi and the Punjab.
INSKEEP: Granted that no security can be perfect, are people there surprised that a motorcycle could drive up closely enough to attack Benazir Bhutto, given the amount of security she was supposed to have had?
USHER: But of course, the question is: How was it, that in leaving this heavily guarded rally and in going to her car, a motorcycle could get close enough to kill her? It's not clear how close he got, but the eyewitnesses are saying that he drove up and certainly was close enough to open fire and then detonate. So, yes, there will be questions asked. There will certainly be accusation leveled by members of her party who have always accused the government of not providing her with enough security. That...
INSKEEP: Okay, Graham Usher...
USHER: (Unintelligible).
INSKEEP: You're listening to MORNING EDITION from NPR News.
Copyright © 2007 NPR. All rights reserved. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information.
NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.