Let’s not forget, Benazir Bhutto was removed as president twice because of corruption.
We need have no sympathy with her Islamist assassin and the extremists behind him to recognize that Bhutto was corrupt, divisive, dishonest and utterly devoid of genuine concern for her country.
And that’s from the opening paragraphs – the author is just warming up.
But the assassination may backfire on Islamists (which would be a good thing indeed.)
In killing Bhutto, the Islamists over-reached (possibly aided by rogue elements in Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence, one of the murkiest outfits on this earth). Just as al Qaeda in Iraq overplayed its hand and alienated that country’s Sunni Arabs, this assassination may disillusion Pakistanis who lent half an ear to Islamist rhetoric.
Extremists often think that violent actions on their part will provoke an overthrow on whatever government it is that they loathe. This rarely happens. Instead the populace, sickened by violence, often turns against them. The best possible move for the US would be to stay out of internal Pakistani politics. Any of the usual arrogant, blundering moves by the US will simply help the extremists. In fact, that’s precisely what they want the US to do.
A creature of insatiable ambition, Bhutto will now become a martyr. In death, she may pay back some of the enormous debt she owes her country.
No she won’t. She’s dead.
Extremists often think that violent actions on their part will provoke an overthrow on whatever government it is that they loathe.
Isn’t this what Bush and the NeoCons claimed would happen in Iran if we bombed the country mercilessly? (As least until rogue elements of the US intelligence system threw ice cold water on Bush’s evil plans by publishing that recent NIE.)
I would never argue that Bhutto was the ideal leader… but she was courageous: to continue campaigning despite death threats and surviving a first suicide attack is more than mere ambition.
I am so, so glad that someone actually mentioned that she got kicked out of office twice for being crooked. It’s a horrible thing that happened to her, and no one deserves to die like that, but come on. She wasn’t a martyr.
Well said, me old china.