Benazir's murder is linked to illegal immigration in US?

WASHINGTON: As the US Presidential candidates with experience in foreign policy are trying to gain political mileage in the aftermath of Benazir Bhutto's assassination, other candidates with less or no knowledge of foreign affairs do not want to lag behind.

One Republican candidate Mike Huckabee, whose resume lacks foreign policy credentials, today linked Benazir's death to the immigration issue in the US during his campaign in Iowa - the first state to decide the fate of the candidates on both sides of the political divide in less than a week. According to different polls, immigration remains an important issue for the voters in Iowa.

Mike Hcakabee stressed that since 660 Pakistanis crossed illegally into the US border last year, there was a need to erect the fence along the US border. When a reporter asked how he came up with this figure of 660 illegal Pakistanis, he replied that he received a briefing earlier in the morning and this figure either came from the CIA or immigration department. However, he promised the reporter to check back and get the exact source later.

Yesterday, in his attempt to compete with other candidates in their reaction to Benazir Bhutto's murder, Mike Huckabee was unaware that emergency had already been lifted in Pakistan two weeks ago.
(Rana Fawad)