Bhutto's Cause of Death -- Clarified?

It was reported today that Benazir Bhutto actually did not die from a gunshot wound or shrapnel from a bomb.

Although I guess you could say they contributed to her death.

Actually, it really isn't clear today what caused the two-time Pakistani prime minister's death. CNN reports that Pakistan's Interior Ministry claims Bhutto was not hit by the gunfire; instead, it appears she died from a fractured skull when her head struck a lever inside her vehicle. The lever allegedly was connected to the sunroof. Bhutto had been standing in the open sunroof prior to the attack.

A national security analyst for CNN says Bhutto's enemies are "trying to deny her a martyr's death" by minimizing the circumstances. And the Washington Post reports that Bhutto had many enemies, that there were many people who had the means -- and the motive -- to assassinate her.

Al-Qaeda remains a likely suspect, but apparently there were also those in the Pakistani government who had their reasons for wanting to see Bhutto dead.

I'm inclined to believe that al-Qaeda was involved. It seems to me that Osama bin Laden put a multi-million-dollar bounty on Bhutto's head some 10 years ago.

This is starting to look like another one of those cases we may never resolve. But we'll probably get to hear many conspiracy theories.

In The Hill, Sam Youngman writes that Sen. Hillary Clinton is calling for an independent international investigation into Bhutto's slaying.

In keeping with Muslim practice, Bhutto was buried today, the day after her assassination. She was laid to rest in the family's mausoleum in Garhi Khuda Bakhsh, near the remains of her father and two brothers.

The Islamabad International News reports the burial was carried out "amid touching scenes." Those "scenes" presumably included her husband and three children.

With questions surrounding the cause of death, I think it will be necessary to exhume the body and conduct an autopsy to get the answers. In my life, I have seen many cases that became shrouded in uncertainty because proper autopsies were not performed. It seems ridiculous not to take advantage of the knowledge that can be gained with today's forensic methods.

Friday was another day of violence and unrest in Pakistan. And it was another busy day on the campaign trail in the United States. At Townhall.com, Michael Medved says there are "five powerful messages for American voters –- and candidates" in yesterday's assassination.

The candidates, who have spent much of the campaign debating domestic issues, should read Medved's piece and address the threat of terrorism before Iowa's voters participate in Thursday's caucuses. I don't dispute the fact that it's important for voters to know how candidates feel about health care, the economy, energy, the environment and abortion, but it's essential for them to hear about terrorism.

Medved makes some good points. I don't always agree with what he says, but it's hard to argue with some of his logic in the immediate aftermath of yesterday's attack.

Those who ignore the implications of the attack do so at the risk of us all.