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Former Pakistani Prime Minister Killed

Aired December 27, 2007 - 13:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: She was an outspoken voice for reform and a fierce critic of her country's U.S.-backed government. Today that voice has been silenced. You're looking now at live pictures of former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto's body being removed from the hospital.
BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN ANCHOR: She was killed right after a political rally, struck down by gunfire just before a suicide bomber attacked her motorcade. Bhutto's main political rival, President Pervez Musharraf, blames terrorists.

LEMON: Words of Bhutto's death brought chaos to the streets: vandalism, fires and attacks on police.

Hello, everyone. I'm Don Lemon, live at the CNN World Headquarters here in Atlanta.

KEILAR: And I'm Brianna Keilar, sitting in for Kyra Phillips. You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.

LEMON: At least 22 other people died in today's attack that killed Benazir Bhutto. Many others were hurt in that attack. They were rushed to the hospital less than two miles away.

CNN producer, Mohsin Naqvi, is there. He was the last journalist to talk with Bhutto, having spoken with her just before that rally. He will join us right here in the CNN NEWSROOM in just a moment.

But first, I want to tell you these pictures -- let's get back to those pictures of Benazir Bhutto being taken out of the hospital, Rawalpindi General Hospital. These are live pictures from ARY-TV. It is a Dubai-based Pakistani television. Let's take a listen in.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

LEMON: As I said, we have Mohsin Naqvi, who's on the phone right now. We want to bring him in.

You were the last journalist, the last person to speak with Benazir Bhutto. Is that correct?

MOHSIN NAQVI, CNN PRODUCER: Yes, that's right. She called me up when she was on her way from Islamabad to Rawalpindi to attend this rally, and she called me up at that time. And we had like 15-minute conversation.

LEMON: Tell me about that conversation. What did you talk about in that?

NAQVI: She was talking about her meeting with President Karzai, and she said, you know, "I will continue this policy of war against terror. I want to fight with these terrorists." And she was -- she was very energetic.

And you know, I have known her for a long, long time, and the way she was talking it was, you know, we can -- she was different than how she was usually talking about it. Because she was happy about her meeting with Karzai and said, especially said that I -- Benazir Bhutto said that "I like Karzai because he also wants to do the same thing which I have on my agenda."

LEMON: And Mohsin, you are a CNN producer there on the ground. You're in Rawalpindi, is that correct?

NAQVI: Yes, that's right.

LEMON: Can you talk to us about what you're seeing there on the ground? We're understanding here and looking at these pictures -- again, I want to tell our viewers, we're looking at live pictures now from Rawalpindi General Hospital of Benazir Bhutto's body being taken out of the hospital. You can see being put into an ambulance there.

From what it appears from the video and the reports that we're getting is that in some parts of Rawalpindi and throughout Pakistan, sheer chaos.

NAQVI: That's right. We have witnessed in this last three, four hours people are really, really angry, and they are burning tires (ph). They have burned two whole plazas there. There were several dozen shops in those plazas. They were burned. They have burned a bank, also, we have witnessed. We are standing -- they have burned dozens of vehicles, including motor bikes and cars.

So they are really, really angry. They are chanting slogans against President Musharraf and against the government, as Benazir Bhutto's security advisor mentioned earlier, that they wrote a letter to the interior ministry that they need jammers to counter these suicidal attacks and, according to them, government failed to provide those jammers to them.

LEMON: And Mohsin, let's talk about that. You mentioned security. Benazir Bhutto wrote a commentary for CNN.com just a short while ago right after the attack on her motorcade back in October. And in it, she says that she was told not to travel in cars with tinted windows, which protected me from identification by terrorists or travel with privately armed guards.

And then she said, "I began to feel the net was being tightened around me when police security outside my home in Karachi was reduced, even as I was told that other assassination plots were in the offing."

Here tape now we're looking at, new video of Benazir Bhutto's body. Respond to that, please. NAQVI: Yes. There were some reports about some security problem at her Karachi residence. But after that comment provided her with dozens of security men including some policemen also at her residence.

But on the other side, she was more worried about these suicide attacks. And she mentioned several times about these. And you know, they wrote a letter two weeks back also about requesting for the jammers which she was asking for, and she was more worried about her security in these public rallies other than those at her residence.

She definitely -- there was a letter which was written by her security advisor, provincial government in which they mentioned about some security problem. But we talked to her several times. Every time when we were talking with her she was mentioning about and she was worried about her security in these public rallies.

LEMON: OK. And you know, I want to talk to you about it, because the president, Pervez Musharraf, is saying that he is considering postponing the parliamentary elections that are to happen with just, I think it's just eight days out, Mohsin.

So I want to talk to you now about Nawaz Sharif. Apparently, he is saying that he is going to boycott these elections. And then we have pictures of him at the hospital there a little bit earlier.

What are you hearing, anything, about Pervez Musharraf and also about one of the candidates in this parliamentary election, apparently boycotting it.

NAQVI: We have received word the Pakistan People's Party will decide about this election. We know that the party, the whole leadership is mentally disturbed. They were not even thinking of this kind of episode that Benazir Bhutto will get killed. So we are waiting for what the People's Party will decide.

There's pressure on Musharraf now, what he will do. Although Karachi (ph) said a while back that he will be boycotting this election. But the main thing is what People's Party will decide, and I think whether Musharraf will go -- decide after that.

LEMON: CNN producer Mohsin Naqvi there on the ground. We appreciate all of your information, Mohsin. Thank you very much for that.

And again, I want to say, you're looking at pictures now of Benazir Bhutto, former prime minister, assassinated today, her body being taken out of the Rawalpindi General Hospital in Rawalpindi.

And so there you go, Brianna. According to the producer there, saying it appears a state of chaos in many parts of the country.

KEILAR: Yes. We heard that people are burning tires; they're blocking roads. Police have told people that they need to stay in their homes, concerns of course, there are going to be riots, and obviously, we're seeing that at least partially some of that may be coming to fruition. Meanwhile, Benazir Bhutto's assassination is a serious blow to U.S. efforts to bring political stability to Pakistan. President Bush is strongly condemning this attack.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The United States strongly condemns this cowardly act by murderous extremists who are trying to undermine Pakistan's democracy. Those who committed this crime must be brought to justice.

Mrs. Bhutto served her nation twice as prime minister, and she knew that her return to Pakistan earlier this year put her life at risk. Yet, she refused to allow assassins to dictate the course of her country.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KEILAR: Mr. Bush spoke from his ranch in Crawford, Texas, where he's spending the holidays. We are in a short time going to speak with our Ed Henry, who is there. That will happen in just a few minutes.

Meanwhile, less than a month after she returned home to Pakistan, Benazir Bhutto sat down with our State Department correspondent, Zain Verjee. She talked about the dangers and also her hopes for the future.

(BEGIN VIDEO CIP)

BENAZIR BHUTTO, FORMER PRIME MINISTER OF PAKISTAN: I have three small children. They are young children. And I'm a mother. I wouldn't be taking this risk to be prime minister a third time. What's the difference whether you've been there twice or thrice?

I'm taking the risk of my life, and I'm facing the risks and facing the dangers in my country because I believe that all the children of Pakistan are as dear to me as my own children. I want to see the children of Pakistan be given a better future than the children of my generation were.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KEILAR: And Zain Verjee is joining us now from the State Department in Washington.

Now Zain, you met Benazir Bhutto. Can you just tell us some of your impressions of her?

ZAIN VERJEE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I met her a number of times. She's one of the most charismatic people I had ever met: very, very charming, very spot-on with the kind of messages that she wants to deliver.

When I was in Pakistan and we met, she was very gracious. She had just returned to the city. I met her at her party headquarters. And she talked a little bit about the risks to her life, and she said, "Look, you know, I understand fully that my life is at stake." But she said it was more important for her to be there for Pakistan, to be there to put Pakistan on the track back to democracy.

She was very critical of General Musharraf, saying, "Look, under General Musharraf the only thing that's happened is a growth in extremism and instability in the country." At the time she was toying with the idea of sharing power with him. She realized that that was politically untenable, so she ditched that idea, simply because she couldn't do it. No one in the party or the country would really have backed her or supported her.

But the impression, really, was a very smart, very eloquent and extremely charismatic woman who knew the risks but seemed determined to take them.

KEILAR: And as soon as this news broke, Zain, there was concern about what kind of domino effect this might have. How will this affect U.S. interests in the region?

VERJEE: Well, this is a big blow to the United States. The U.S. had really pushed Benazir Bhutto or helped Benazir Bhutto pave the way to come back to Pakistan in the hopes of bringing free and fair elections. The United States was pushing to make a power-sharing deal with Pervez Musharraf, which as I said, didn't happen.

So this is a big blow. And it throws into question the elections that are supposed to be held only next year. It seems unlikely they would happen. And if they did happen they would really be meaningless without her.

The number one priority for the United States is the war on terror. That's why the U.S. needs Pakistan. Instability in Pakistan means they can't fight war on terror effectively. And all this current, over the past weeks and months, political mayhem in Pakistan mean that there's has been a huge distraction in Pakistan to fighting the War on Terror.

So this is a big blow to the U.S. One official told me, though, that this doesn't mean that the U.S. is going to change its approach in Pakistan.

KEILAR: All right. Zain Verjee for us from the State Department. Thanks, Zain.

LEMON: You can read more about the life of Benazir Bhutto, including a timeline and the last video taken of her. It's on CNN.com. That's your best source for information on the Internet about anything you need to know in the news.

Also this hour we're awaiting new word on the condition of two brothers, both severely mauled by a tiger. We'll also hear from the San Francisco Zoo about the tiger's mysterious escape.

KEILAR: And a tragic Christmas eve in Washington state. Details still emerging about a woman being held in the deaths of six family members.

You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Benazir Bhutto's assassination is a serious blow to U.S. hopes for political stability in Pakistan. President Bush strongly condemned the attack from his ranch in Crawford, Texas.

And CNN's White House correspondent, Ed Henry, is in Crawford with the very latest on that.

The president responding not very long ago, Ed.

ED HENRY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Don. Just in the last couple of hours President Bush making clear the U.S. stands behind the Pakistani people. But also there is grave concern within the Bush administration that this crisis in Pakistan could spread.

In fact, White House spokesman Scott Stanzel just a few moments ago gave an on-camera briefing. He's here in Crawford. And he basically was saying that there is a concern that this could grow worse. And he also said that President Bush is planning today to call President Musharraf, try to get a handle on the situation, also express condolences.

The U.S. officials have reached out. They haven't quite connected yet. But also Stanzel saying that Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has called the husband of Benazir Bhutto to express U.S. condolences. At this point, Stanzel had no word on whether or not President Bush himself would attend a funeral for Bhutto.

As for the question of postponing elections, whether or not that would happen, the U.S. trying to stay out of that, saying all they care about is free and fair elections moving forward either on January 8 or another day. They just want to make sure those elections go forward at some point. And also saying they do not want this violence to spiral out of control.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SCOTT STANZEL, WHITE HOUSE SPOKESMAN: The risk of people turning to violence to express their anger. And we would urge calm and hope that all the Pakistanis would mourn her death, celebrate her life, and unite together in opposition to the types of extremists that are trying to stop the march of democracy.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HENRY: Now, critics have raised questions about whether President Musharraf is really committed to the U.S. war on terror, specifically because billions of dollars in U.S. aid to Pakistan has not necessarily gone to the goal of reducing violence and embattling extremists there in Pakistan. But Stanzel reiterated the U.S. is behind Musharraf and believes he's an ally in the war on terror -- Don. LEMON: All right. Ed Henry, we'll check in with you throughout the day here on CNN. Thank you very much for that report.

KEILAR: CNN senior international correspondent Nic Robertson has spent a lot of time in Pakistan and covered that region for years. He's now standing by for us in Lucerne, Switzerland.

So Nic, tell us what does this assassination mean for Pakistan's immediate future?

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, it means a period of turmoil, and it certainly means a lot of uncertainty for the people of Pakistan. They've seen a state of emergency declared. They've seen that removed. They saw the assassination attempt a few months ago on Benazir Bhutto. Now this.

The elections were due to be held in just over a week. Most people now would be wondering what is the future of the country? Can these elections still be held? That seems very, very unlikely.

The big question now: will the military declare another state of emergency? That seems to be the most likely option.

To try and figure out who it was behind Benazir Bhutto's assassination, perhaps best to see who would -- look to see who would best benefit from her death.

But at this time it creates a huge problem for the United States with their foreign policy in Pakistan, because Benazir Bhutto was such a central part of that, the encouragement by the State Department for her to build a working relationship with President Musharraf, to try and -- to encourage her to go back to Pakistan and for her to help build and bring (AUDIO GAP) Pakistan, all that has been dashed. And certainly the people of Pakistan will be very aware of that right now.

KEILAR: Nic Robertson for us there in Lucerne, Switzerland, thank you.

LEMON: Eighteen past the hour. Coming up on 19 past the hour, as we continue to follow this developing story. We're also working on some other news here in the CNN NEWSROOM.

Authorities investigating the Christmas-day tiger attack at a San Francisco Zoo suspect the animal may have been provoked. The "San Francisco Chronicle" reports police found a shoe and blood inside the tiger's habitat, raising the possibility that someone was taunting it.

And two arrests in connection with the slaying of six people outside Seattle. One of the suspects was reportedly the 29-year-old daughter of two of the victims. The other suspect is identified as the daughter's boyfriend.

And the 13-year-old girl who survived this week's plane crash in Panama is reunited with her parents. Francesca Lewis is being treated for a fractured arm and some cuts, and doctors are doing tests to make sure nothing else is wrong. More NEWSROOM in a moment. You're watching CNN, the most trusted name in news.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KEILAR: Cholesterol, allergies, depression, drug companies work night and day to come up with treatments. But what about rare diseases, many affecting children? Their treatments, their cures are few and far between.

CNN medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen shows us how parents are no longer waiting for someone else to help.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Every week on Empowered Patient we talk about ways that you can take charge of your health care.

Well, for this holiday week meet some parents who are taking charge like nobody else. That's because their children have rare and deadly diseases, and they are not just sitting by. They formed their own charities and have raised millions of dollars to come up with a cure for their children.

To find out how they've done it and to read their inspiring story, go to cnn.com/health.

For Empowered Patient, I'm Elizabeth Cohen.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KEILAR: And as we go to break here, we want to remind you of the assassination of former Pakistani -- Benazir Bhutto. She has -- was assassinated this morning. And we have worldwide resources working on this story.

And we want to tell you that this is our desk, our Pakistani desk that we've been working on, the international desk here, as well. We also have new video in of her body being taken from the hospital. It happened just moments ago.

So we're on top of it. We're going to continue to bring you this developing story. According to our sources and our producers there on the ground, it is chaos in some parts of the country. There is that new video there of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto's body being carried out of the hospital and being taken into an ambulance.

We're on top of this story. You're watching CNN, the most trusted name in news.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: We want to check now to see if Benazir Bhutto's death, if it's having an impact on financial markets.

Our Susan Lisovicz is on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange with the very latest on that.

Hi, Susan. Is it having an impact there?

SUSAN LISOVICZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes. And we could see it before the market opened, Don, because the first reports of Benazir Bhutto's death came about an hour before the market opened. And so we saw stock futures weaken, but at the same time we saw investors start buying tangible assets like oil and gold.

And that is a very typical response in -- at times when investors are afraid. And that is very much something that traders have been mentioning to me today. It's a reminder that the world is a scary place.

You know, Pakistan is not an oil-producing nation, but it borders a big one in Iran, in addition to the fact that Pakistan is a major ally in the U.S. war against terror, the fact that it's a nuclear power really heightens those fears.

And we saw oil prices shoot up, and they remain very high right now, only, gee, about 50 cents away from the all-time high, trading about $97.50 a barrel.

I should mention, this is not happening in a vacuum. We also got a sixth straight weekly decline in crude inventories, and that's something that would prop up and support oil prices, as well.

In addition to that, we got more distressing news about the U.S. economy. In big-ticket orders, factory orders last month, we were expecting an increase of more than 2 percent, and it came in at 0.1 percent, way off the mark.

So, the fact that the stock market had been rallying for the last few days, Santa Claus rally, it was ripe for a sell-off. And that is what we're seeing with just a few hours of trading left in the day. We're seeing triple-digit declines, the market actually accelerating the sell-off we're seeing this afternoon.

The Dow's off 149 points, at 13,402. The NASDAQ, meanwhile, is down 28 points. But I should also mention this is a very light day. A lot of folks are just simply not here, because a lot of folks are taking the week off, being two days after Christmas, Don.

LEMON: Susan, just real quickly, events -- world events like this -- coups, assassination attempts, wars -- they often affect the markets and trading.

LISOVICZ: Yes. And you know, Benazir Bhutto, it's interesting, because she was obviously not a government official. She's a former prime minister. But obviously had just hundreds of thousands of supporters in Pakistan. It's a very volatile country, and it's an important country at a critical time for the U.S.

She's a very well-known figure, being a former prime minister. And it's the kind of thing that yes, when you see something like that, there's also a knee-jerk reaction. We did see oil shoot up and then come back as people started to learn more details.

But as -- as one trader after another mentioned, it's sort of a psychological reaction. It's not surprising. These things have happened before, and they've happened in our own family. But it's a terrible thing that's happened, and it's a reminder that it's a very volatile place. And those are the kind of things that affect financial markets.

LEMON: Susan, thank you for putting that into perspective for us. We'll check back with you. Thank you.

KEILAR: U.S. presidential candidates are offering their condolences. Rudy Giuliani spoke with Wolf Blitzer, and we're going to hear that interview here in a moment.

You're watching CNN, the most trusted name in news.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KEILAR: We are following the assassination of former Pakistani Prime Minister, Benazir Bhutto. We have some new pictures to show you. These are pictures of her coffin being moved from Rawalpindi General Hospital. Rawalpindi, Pakistan, the place where she was killed earlier today. We now understand that her body is being moved to Karachi, Pakistan, the site of her birth, the place where she has her base of support.

And Benazir Bhutto was assassinated following a political rally earlier today. She's really -- was a voice of modernity and democracy in Pakistan. She returned to her country in October after self- imposed exile. She was going to try her hand in the upcoming Parliamentary elections and her assassination leaving the nation in a period of uncertainty, and certainly some immediate unrest following her assassination.

Politics may have come naturally to Benazir Bhutto, but almost nothing in her public life came easily. Now, her dream of returning to power is ended by this assassin.

More now on Bhutto's life and career from CNN's Hugh Riminton.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

HUGH RIMINTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Benazir Bhutto lived a life defined by politics, allegations, blood and murder. Born in 1953 to one of Pakistan's leading political families, Bhutto attended Oxford and Harvard Universities. Her father was a charismatic prime minister in the 1970s, but he was seized in a military coup and later executed. She herself was imprisoned at that time for five years, some of it in solitary confinement before finding sanctuary in London.

Benazir Bhutto at first resisted the political life, but returned to her homeland in 1986 to adoring crowds. In 1988, she became the Muslim world's first Democratically elected female prime minister. She was just 35. Less than two years later, though, she was ousted, her rule opposed by Islamic traditionalists and much of the military.

In 1993, she won election again, but accusations of poor governance and increasing corruption scandals, most notoriously involving the alleged transfer of money to Swiss bank accounts saw her sacked again. And again, she went into exile.

Her return in October 2007 to take part in a reported power- sharing deal with the strong man President Pervez Musharraf was emblematic of Bhutto's life. Weeping openly as she touched again Pakistan's soil, the woman who was the flag bearer for democracy and modernity in Pakistan began a slow procession through hundreds of thousands of supporters in her power base of Karachi.

But there had been numerous threats against her life and before the day was out, a suicide bomber blew himself up near her vehicle, killing well over 100 people. Benazir Bhutto escaped that time uninjured. But her enemies remained many, her days numbered.

Hugh Riminton, CNN, Hong Kong.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: We're getting new information into the CNN NEWSROOM by the Menat News (ph) from Pakistan and reaction from around the world. This -- look at that. These are all incoming feeds from our worldwide resources, CNN's best quality, that is our quality control room there where all of those feeds are coming in, as well as our international desk, where they're getting information from around the world.

And we want to check in now in the NEWSROOM with CNN's Isha Sesay.

Isha, tell us what's going on and what information you have discovered.

ISHA SESAY, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well Don, yes, we're monitoring various networks in Pakistan and in the region because we really want to bring our viewers as much information as we can following this tragic turn of events in Pakistan.

And we're monitoring three networks in particular that you see on your screens there. We've GEO TV, which is an independent network, we've got Pakistan TV, which is a government-run station, and ARY TV, which is an opposition-run network and it's actually broadcast out of Dubai.

And you know Don, as you'd expect on a day like this, these networks are focused on just one story, and it is the news of the assassination of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto. Lots of old images of her being replayed, lots of scenes of the aftermath on the streets of Pakistan. We've heard of violence in various parts of the country, lots of strong reaction to the news that Benazir Bhutto lost her life earlier on Thursday.

We're also having a look at how newspapers in the region are covering this story. And we turn to the "Hindustan Times," it's a leading newspaper in neighboring India, which is of course a nuclear rival and is always keenly focus -- following the situation in Pakistan.

Now, we want to share with you some of an editorial that was posted. And it goes on to say, "Her death not only signifies how deeply mired in violence Pakistani politics is, but it also points to the total change in the political atmosphere that has undergone in that country under the leadership of Pervez Musharraf."

And Don, you know, just to bring it back to me here on the International Desk, we've got a bank of people here working the phones, on computers, making call, sending e-mails. And I know our viewers at home are thinking what exactly is going on.

Well, let me give you a little bit of a behind-the-scenes sense of what we are doing here on the International Desk. We are working on trying to book studio space out in Pakistan, so that we have a space to do our live transmission, our live reports from -- as soon as we can get that studio space up and booked.

We're also trying to track down people who knew Benazir Bhutto, so we can get their reaction to the news and get a sense of what this all means and how she felt about the threat that existed on her life. We've heard some quotes of that earlier on in the day.

We're also working on getting video from other networks and also, one of the key things, Don, that we're doing right now is trying to organize the logistics of getting our reporters on the ground in Pakistan. Anderson Cooper will be part of the team of reporters that is on their way to Pakistan. There is certainly logistical complications in terms of getting people Visas and getting there, so you know, a lot of work is going into those arrangements.

But just to give our viewers a little bit of a sense of what we're all doing here and let you know that's just to show you how hard CNN is working to bring the viewers every angle of the story.

Back to you, Don.

LEMON: Isha Sesay on top of it. Isha, thank you very much.

And as you remember when Benazir Bhutto came back to Pakistan after that self-imposed exile, we were working the story there at the International Desk with Isha and also with a journalist, Majid Siddiqui, who just happened to be in town. He's from Pakistani-based GEO TV. I understand that you have some information concerning this. If we can show the video now of her body being taken -- carried out of the hospital.

Understanding that you, Majid, have information about Benazir Bhutto's burial?

VOICE OF MAJID SIDDIQUI, JOURNALIST, GEO TV: Yes, I have information about Benazir Bhutto's (INAUDIBLE). I've just called a few minutes ago to the local leader of Pakistan People's Party in Karachi. He told me that the leaders of Pakistan People's Party in Rawalpindi and Islamabad waiting for the Benazir Bhutto's husband who will arrive here at 5:00 a.m. of local time.

And then they will decide where to go, whether they will come to Karachi, they will directly go to the ancestral village of Benazir Bhutto in (INAUDIBLE). So there is no decision, but the local leadership is waiting for the husband of Benazir Bhutto, in fact.

LEMON: Yes, and just -- I want to tell you, Majid, just on the right side of the screen -- just let me interrupt you here, this is actually GEO TV, the network where you work, also showing the body of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto and also on the left, this is a CNN picture coming in.

We talked about Karachi. You mentioned Karachi, which is her political stronghold, also her birthplace there. More than likely, and I don't want to speculate here, there will definitely be some sort of ceremony there, if not the entire ceremony for her burial.

SIDDIQUI: Actually, Karachi -- right, Karachi is the stronghold of Benazir Bhutto, but (INAUDIBLE), basically, which is a native village of Benazir Bhutto, so -- where Benazir Bhutto's brother -- two brothers and father are buried. So, there will be final ceremony will be there in Larkana, not in Karachi.

So, leadership is in confusion. And they may decide in next few -- whether they will go directly to the native village of Benazir Bhutto or they will come to Karachi first. And there is any -- no decision, in fact.

LEMON: Yes, Majid, also, if we can, I don't know if we have any pictures of some of the chaos that's going on there. Again, on the right side of the screen, GEO TV that we're monitoring and then we have a journalist from GEO TV on the line with us now. He joined us back in October during the chaos when Benazir Bhutto had an attempted assassination on her life then. He joined us earlier in the year when she returned to Pakistan.

As we look at the body being carried out of Rawalpindi General Hospital, I'm going to continue to talk to you and ask you about the violence that we're hearing that is erupting throughout the country.

SIDDIQUI: Yes, after the demise of Benazir Bhutto, the violence is in the whole country, in fact, in the Karachi, the stronghold of Benazir Bhutto, five people have been -- have died in the violence in the last three, four hours. A lot of banks that were bombed, some vehicles have been burned.

And the nearby city of Karachi, Agrabad (ph), I have been called by a few -- about 30 minutes ago, one of the GEO police told me that a lot of (INAUDIBLE) in Larkana which is the native village, a native city of Benazir Bhutto, I called there, I got information there that people are angry there, they are burning the government hospitals, government buildings and burning the vehicles so a lot of chaos in the whole country, in fact. LEMON: Yes, and obviously she's a very popular figure and had a real stronghold in the country here. But here is a question if we're looking at these pictures, I don't know how widespread it is, not on the ground, what is your sense of police and authorities getting this under control so that it is not complete anarchy.

SIDDIQUI: Well, police and the rangers and the army are not in the streets. In fact, they are not going to come in the streets to control the situation. So the angry protesters have burned the government properties and the vehicles. Still there is no police. I have been roaming around in the crowd and I didn't see any police and any rangers in the city, in fact.

LEMON: I want to ask you if we can get back to -- and I'm not sure, I hope this is not out of your (INAUDIBLE) -- I think what everyone wants to know here, the series of events that led up to her death. Apparently, she was leaving this rally, getting into an armored car. Some of the reports are saying that it was close up that this suicide bomber shot and killed her, and then blew himself up. Do you have details, Mujid, about the time that led up to her death?

SIDDIQUI: Yes, again I'll repeat the GEO information which I have. GEO reports that when she was leaving the rally and when she sat in her car, all of a sudden a few unknown people came and they started firing on the vehicle and after few moments, in fact, there was a blast, and there was a shot (ph), 16, 17 people died on the spot. So, this is the whole information I have, which GEO TV reported.

LEMON: You don't know how someone would get that close. There are reports, and again these are just reports, that maybe she was sort of waving to folks, her supporters, and that she was in the roof of this SUV, the white SUV that we see the video, that she had gotten up and stood up in the sun roof. Again, not confirmed but these are all reports that we're getting in. Apparently for someone to get that close to her, for someone to have the injuries that she has, I should say, someone would have had to have gotten pretty close to her.

SIDDIQUI: A lot of confusion is there. There's no proper reporting. I tried to call to the (INAUDIBLE) who is the local leader of Pakistan People's Party, who basically announced her death. But there is no confirmed report, so I cannot speculate anything, in fact.

LEMON: OK, all right, great. Thank you Mujid Siddiqui, from GEO TV. We appreciate that. And again, this is a vehicle that it is believed that Former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto was killed. She was riding in this vehicle after leaving that rally. Again our thanks to Mujid. And Brianna is going to continue.

KEILAR: More reports from the scene of Bhutto's assassination including a photographer who was in the crowd. You're watching CNN NEWSROOM.

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LEMON: We're following developing news here in the CNN NEWSROOM. Former Pakistani Prime Minister, Benazir Bhutto, died this morning. Was assassinated, actually, this morning after leaving a rally. This image taken just moments before her death, it was taken by Getty Image's John Moore, and we're working on getting word from the man behind this picture. I spoke to a journalist from GEO TV just moments ago and asked him about reports that Benazir Bhutto was standing in the sun roof or the moon roof of that white SUV and was killed in that manner because she was standing up. Possibly made it easier to get to her.

Well, this photo, we're being told here in the CNN newsroom, was taken just moments before she was killed. And it seems to show, indeed, that she did stand up in that sun roof as she was leaving this rally, this political rally, earlier today. This image, again, courtesy of Getty Images, we're going to speak with the photographer behind that, John Moore. We're working to get him to find out more details about exactly how this happened.

KEILAR: It's 1:48 Eastern time. Here are three of the other stories we're working on in the CNN NEWSROOM.

Authorities investigating the Christmas day tiger attack at the San Francisco Zoo suspect the animal may have been provoked. The "San Francisco Chronicle" reports, police found a shoe as well as blood inside the tiger's habitat, raising the possibility that someone was taunting it.

Amd two arrests in connection with the slaying of six people outside of Seattle. One of the suspects is reportedly the 29-year-old daughter of two of the victims. The other suspect has been identified as the daughter's boyfriend.

And the 13-year-old girl who survived this week's plane crash in Panama is reunited with her parents. Francesca Lewis is being treated for a fractured arm and some cuts. And doctors are doing tests to make sure that nothing else is wrong.

Well, U.S. presidential candidates offering condolences to the people of Pakistan. Rudy Giuliani spoke with our Wolf Blitzer and we're going to hear that interview here in a moment. You're watching CNN, the most trusted name in news.

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KEILAR: We are following the assassination of former Pakistani prime minister Benazir Bhutto. We've just gotten word here into the CNN NEWSROOM from our White House unit that President Bush has spoken to President Pervez Musharraf. President Musharraf of Pakistan.

We're going to be getting you a report from our correspondent at the White House, Kathleen Koch, shortly. But we did know ahead of time that President Bush was going to tell Musharraf that the U.S. is standing with the Pakistani people. And earlier he did condemn this attack.

Meanwhile, the assassination of Benazir Bhutto is a hot topic on the campaign trail. Earlier today, our Wolf Blitzer spoke by phone with Republican presidential candidate, Rudy Giuliani.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: What's your immediate reaction to what has happened, the assassination of the former prime minister Benazir Bhutto?

RUDY GIULIANI (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Well, my reaction is, first of all, just shock and dismay that this happened, and my condolences to Mrs. Bhutto, her family and all of the people of Pakistan. They are in our prayers. The reality is that this is -- this appears to be an attempt to destabilize Pakistan.

And it appears to be coming from the Islamic terrorists. In many ways we're in this effort together. We've been victimized by Islamic terrorists, other parts of the world have, other countries. So America should be there to help Pakistan achieve the following objectives.

First of all, immediate stability as best as can happen and finding the people who did this. And doing everything we can to make sure that this doesn't derail Pakistan for moving more toward democracy. That's which is what Benazir Bhutto was attempting to do. Let's see if we can stop them in their efforts to destabilize and in their efforts to derail democracy.

BLITZER: Do you have confidence that President Pervez Musharraf will do this, that he's the man, the leader who can get this done?

GIULIANI: Well he said the right words today, but I think we have to carefully look at all this, right? Our objective here is no one person. Our objective here is a stable Pakistan, that will move toward democracy.

And the big objective here would seem to me, and I'm speaking from the outside now, not from the inside. So people on the inside might have a somewhat different view of this, you have to re-establish trust between the civilian leadership and the military. Because they hopefully will stand against the efforts of the terrorists who destabilize Pakistan.

I think at this point it would not be a good time to make any rash statements. I think work from the inside to make sure the stability is restored in Pakistan and it moves back toward democracy.

BLITZER: As you know, since 9/11 the U.S. has provided the Pakistani military about $10 billion in assistance. But only the other day there were reports suggesting that maybe half of that, $5 billion, that they didn't have the proper accounting, that the money was not necessarily going to the elements that were supposed to be using it in the hunt for Osama bin Laden, the number two Ayman al- Zawahiri, the hunt for al Qaeda and the Taliban.

Is that money well spent? Should the U.S. continue to be providing billions to the Pakistani military?

GIULIANI: I have thought for some time, and this is not necessarily the reaction to this terrible assassination, that they should increase its commitment in Afghanistan. And that we should redouble our efforts to make sure that al Qaeda, the Taliban don't re- emerge there in any strong force.

And also re-energize our efforts to catch bin Laden, which to me is more than a symbolic act, it's something that would be a real strategic advantage for us. Bringing him to justice. And I don't want to just have a reaction just to this incident because, and this terrible assassination, because I think we need to know more about it.

But if you're asking me long term I have felt that we should have more of a commitment to Afghanistan, direct commitment by the United States in terms of military, that we shouldn't take out -- take any focus away from that in achieving stability there on the border, and in making sure that the Taliban and al Qaeda don't re-emerge in a big way, and also to catch bin Laden. That should be a major objective of our country.

If we need to put more people in Afghanistan to do that we should.

BLITZER: So basically for now, keep the money flowing, make sure that the Pakistani military is getting these funds from the United States to try to do what you're recommending, finding Osama bin Laden and crushing al Qaeda and the Taliban.

GIULIANI: And increasing our commitment to Afghanistan, to the forces in Afghanistan. Because that is something, even independent of this incident, you should be doing. And as far as dealing with this, this has to be done in a delicate way within the administration. There are very difficult choices here and I wouldn't want to be the one to second-guess them. But the objective has to be stability in Pakistan first, and then right back on track toward democracy as quickly as possible.

BLITZER: Mayor, thanks very much for spending a few moments with us. Appreciate it.

GIULIANI: Thank you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KEILAR: Rudy Giuliani speaking with CNN's Wolf Blitzer there. And Giuliani certainly not the only candidate responding to the assassination of Benazir Bhutto. There has been a flood of responses from these candidates who are busy on the campaign trail one week ahead of the Iowa caucuses.

And coming up, we're going to have a report for you from Suzanne Malveaux, who is in Iowa covering the Hillary Clinton campaign just one week ahead of the Iowa caucuses.

You are watching CNN, the most trusted name in news.

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