Washington, Dec. 28: The assassination of Benazir Bhutto, coming only a week before the Iowa caucuses, may switch the American voters' attention away from domestic concerns, such as the economy or immigration, which had begun to dominate the debate.

According to The Times, American foreign policy has been left in tatters by the tragedy, and whoever succeeds Bush as president, will have to tread very carefully in dealing with Pakistan.

While the White House is insisting that any decisions about whether planned elections should take place on January 8 is a matter for the Pakistan Government to decide, sources suggested that Bush and his advisers would be watching closely to see if Musharraf will use the killing to justify a postponement.

There was also speculation that FBI officers could offer assistance in discovering who was behind the assassination.

Hillary Clinton said that she was "profoundly saddened and outraged" by Bhutto’s assassination.

"Her death is a terrible reminder of the work that remains to bring peace, stability and hope to regions of the globe too often paralysed by fear, hatred and violence, " she said.

Her chief rival for the Democratic nomination, Barack Obama, said: "We will be steadfast in our desire to end the types of terrorist attacks that have blighted not just Pakistan, but the rest of the world. " (ANI)