The religion of eternal war failed in its first attempt to assassinate Benazir Bhutto on October 18, 2007. Western elites in academia, media, and politics consistently fail to grasp that the Jihad is continuous and eternal. One failed attack does not signal the end of the holy war. The Jihadis just move on to the next battle plan.

Today, a second attempt succeeded. Benazir Bhutto, Pakistan’s opposition leader, was assassinated in a suicide attack at a campaign rally in Rawalpindi. After shooting Bhutto, the attacker blew himself up, killing more than 20 bystanders.

Musharraf blamed terrorists for Bhutto’s death and said he would redouble his efforts to fight them.

“I want to express my resolve and seek the cooperation from the entire nation and we will not rest until we eliminate these terrorists and root them out,” he said in a nationally televised speech. He announced three days of mourning for her across the country.

Musharraf also convened an emergency meeting with his senior staff, where they were expected to discuss whether to postpone the elections, an official at the Interior Ministry said, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the talks.

The attacker struck just minutes after Bhutto addressed thousands of supporters in the garrison city of Rawalpindi, 8 miles south of Islamabad. She was shot in the neck and chest by the attacker, who then blew himself up, said Rehman Malik, Bhutto’s security adviser.

Sardar Qamar Hayyat, a leader from Bhutto’s party, said he was standing about 10 yard away from Benazir Bhutto’s vehicle at the time of the attack.

“She was inside the vehicle and was coming out from the gate after addressing the rally when some of the youths started chanting slogans in her favor. Then I saw a smiling Bhutto emerging from the vehicle’s roof and responding to their slogans,” he said.

“Then I saw a thin, young man jumping toward her vehicle from the back and opening fire. Moments later, I saw her speeding vehicle going away,” he added.

Bhutto was rushed to the hospital and taken into emergency surgery. She died about an hour after the attack.

“At 6:16 p.m., she expired,” said Wasif Ali Khan, a member of Bhutto’s party who was at Rawalpindi General Hospital.

“The surgeons confirmed that she has been martyred,” Bhutto’s lawyer Babar Awan said.