AP reports: "Opposition leader Benazir Bhutto's assassination deals a stunning blow to liberal political forces in Pakistan and gathering unrest by her supporters risks tipping the volatile country into chaos."
Comment: I received an e-mail from Joel Rosenberg's Flash Traffic listserv explaining why the Bhutto assassination is important:
Pakistan and her nuclear weapons are in danger of falling into the hands of Islamic radicals. Such radicals have attempted to assassinate Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf multiple times in the last few years, hoping to seize control of the government and impose sharia law. Today's attack is a sobering reminder that Pakistan is just one coup d'etat away from Osama bin Laden or one of his fanatical, murderous allies suddenly gaining control. It is difficult to imagine a more nightmarish scenario than al-Qaeda in possession of Pakistan's nuclear arsenal, but this is not an impossibility.I would also note that Pakistan, as one of the most powerful countries (by virtue of nuclear weapons and large standing army) to the east of Israel qualifies as one of the Kings of the East that we should be watching closely. In particular, we should monitor: the strength of Islamic radicals in Pakistan; the orientation of that country towards the West in general and Israel in particular; and finally, emerging political, commercial, and military ties to countries surrounding Israel.
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