The Bush administration has upheld the findings of the Scotland Yard, which concluded that Pakistan Peoples Party leader Benazir Bhutto died from the impact of a suicide bombing, not from gunshot wounds, moments after she left a political rally in Rawalpindi on December 27.

''In terms of the investigation itself by Scotland Yard, we view this as a credible investigation by independent, outside experts,'' State Department spokesman Tom Casey said. ''We don't have any reason why we would question the validity of their assessment,'' he added.

However, he said that this was an emotional issue, both for members of her family and for the people in Pakistan, who supported Bhutto.

The British team of forensics and other experts submitted its report after spending two and a half weeks in Pakistan last month at the invitation of President Pervez Musharraf [Images], following the assassination of the former prime minister.

The Scotland Yard reports said that a lone assassin shot at Bhutto as she waved to supporters at the rally, but he missed. The man then detonated explosives and Bhutto fatally smashed her skull against her car due to the impact of the blast.

The report supports the Pakistani government's assassination theory. However, the PPP immediately rejected the findings and reiterated its demand for a United Nations inquiry into Bhutto's murder.