Al-Qaeda and the Taliban threatened to kill her -- and indicated once again proved that they are more than willing to slaughter innocents in an attempt to carry out their malign agenda.

Two powerful bombs detonated next to a truck carrying former prime minister Benazir Bhutto late Thursday, just hours after she returned from exile to a triumphal homecoming. More than 120 people were killed and hundreds were wounded in one of Pakistan's worst episodes of political violence.

Bhutto, who arrived in this coastal city Thursday afternoon after eight years away, appeared shaken but unhurt following the blasts. Security officials said the explosions had been set off within several yards of her vehicle as it inched through the streets, with Bhutto being cheered by thousands of supporters. Only minutes before, she had descended from the roof of the vehicle and into an internal compartment.

Later reports indicate that the death toll continues to creep higher (I saw the number 200 mentioned in one report), and over 400 are wounded. I'm curious -- will this persuade some folks of the continued need to fight al-Qaeda, no matter where they are found?

I'll agree with the New York Times' surprisingly sane editorial on this one.

Ms. BhuttoÂ’s greatest challenge will be to redeem this tawdry trade-off by using her popularity and skills to leverage this modest political opening into something resembling genuine democracy. Her first step should be to insist that those parliamentary elections are open to all, including her longtime political rival, Nawaz Sharif, another former prime minister. His previous tenure, like hers, was badly flawed. But they are PakistanÂ’s two most popular politicians, and without the participation of both of them there can be no Pakistani democracy.

WashingtonÂ’s help will be crucial in this effort. For too long it has coddled General Musharraf for his supposedly stalwart policies against the Taliban and Al Qaeda. But recently, those policies have seemed scarcely more credible than his hollow promises to accept the constraints of law and democracy or his commitment to free elections.

After belatedly recognizing that the generalÂ’s misrule was dangerously strengthening, not weakening, extremist forces in Pakistan, Washington helped engineer the deal that permitted Ms. BhuttoÂ’s return. Now, it must help her and Pakistan truly move toward democracy.

Bhutto is a flawed figure, as are Sharif and Musharraf. In an ideal world, none would be considered as acceptable leaders to head a government. However, if their presence on the political stage in Pakistan can lead to a resurgence of democracy, it is better than the status quo that has existed for the last eight years and the descent into Islamism that would follow the success of the murderous thugs that left scores of dead and dying in the streets in their attempt to murder the popular and charismatic opposition leader.

Posted by: Greg at 11:52 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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