Military dictator "President" Musharraf showed his true colors by suspending the country's constitution and declaring martial law.
His pretense for this move is the threat from Islamic militants, but his military-style crackdown is primarily targeting the judiciary and lawyers, independent television stations and opposition activists.
Since 9/11, Musharraf has been playing both sides of the "War on Terror", cozying up to the USA for favors and billions in foreign aid, while basically ignoring the Taliban and Islamic militants who are growing in number near the Afghanistan border, where Osama bin Laden is rumored to be in hiding.
The Bush administration has made a deal with the devil in this arrangement, accepting Musharraf with all his short-comings hoping that this would prevent Islamic insurgents in his country from possibly getting control of the government and it's nuclear weapons.
The return of Benazir Bhutto to Pakistan has put more pressure on an already unstable situation. To think that the Islamic radicals acted without help from the Musharraf government in trying to kill her in a spectacular suicide attack is for the naive.
Don't be surprised if Musharraf is out by the end of November and Bhutto is back in power. Bhutto will have her hands full with the trying to restore Pakistan's tattered democracy and simultaneously fending off an aggressive Taliban element.
The Bush administration should do what it can to reduce the potency and ascendancy of the Taliban and other Islamic militants in Pakistan but let Musharraf fall from power. Pakistan's military should remain intact as the Bhutto government takes control.
The people of Pakistan who are demonstrating against Musharraf over the constitution will have to stand together in support of the new Bhutto government for the sake of their country and for the safety of the world.
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