South Bend, IN – Congressman Joe Donnelly, who met with a number of Pakistani government officials when he traveled to Islamabad and Rawalpindi this past July, issued the following statement on the assassination of Pakistani leader Benazir Bhutto:

“It is with a great sense of loss that we mourn the killing of Benazir Bhutto.  She was a voice of reason against Islamic extremism and a bulwark of strength for democracy and freedom. Bhutto was the twice-elected Prime Minister of Pakistan and was a leading voice of stability and moderation.”

 “The greatest way we can honor Bhutto is to make sure America is a strong supporter of Pakistan in her struggle for democracy and freedom.  America will continue to pursue and hunt down the Taliban and Al Qaeda, and we stand ready to assist Pakistan’s government in eliminating these terrorist groups from their country.”