Benazir Bhutto Assassinated In Pakistan

My Pakistani friends aren't too enamored by Benazir Bhutto at the moment. They found her press conference after the bombings to really show her true colors. She did it first in English which alienated her immediately from moderates who are hoping for some sort of progressive change in their country. Had she done it in Urdu, her story might be a little different today.

Even if Bhutto does manage to sway public opinion in her favor and force an election, which I find extremely unlikely, as she's considered an American puppet, she will spend her time in office trying to deflect attention from her past administrations, which were incredibly corrupt, to put it mildly. The net effect is that Pakistanis will be worse off with her than under Musharraf.

The elite, and ironically the radical element, are the only ones who don't think so. They are hoping for Bhutto to come into power so they can begin to fill their coffers without restraint, and the radicals want to strengthen their support. Her coming into power will be a gift to the radicals, as the division between them and moderates will be drawn definitively.

The Talibanisation of Pakistan is a frightening prospect. It is happening along the Northwest frontier from Waziristan to Peshawar that borders Afghanistan, and if they can join forces with the 'freedom fighters' that Musharraf has turned a blind eye to in the east, then Pakistan will become a powder keg.