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Bhutto: A not so flattering retrospective

Whilst the world mourns the loss of Benazir Bhutto [her death is tragic for sure] an op-ed piece in the IHT today suggests that the slain politician was far from being flawed:

"Bhutto and her father and political mentor, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, were democratic, but imperfect political leaders - imperious, indifferent to human rights and, in her case, tainted by serious charges of corruption. The father was deposed by a military coup and then hanged. The daughter was twice elected and twice deposed. But both had one undeniable asset: electoral legitimacy - legitimacy that the generals and the Islamic extremists could only seek to destroy or, in Musharraf's case, hope to borrow."

Where this all leaves Pakistan is altogether another question and issue, as the IHT says - as also the consequences:

"The Bush administration has to rethink more than just its unhealthy and destructive enabling of Musharraf. It also must take a hard look at the billions it is funneling to Pakistan's military. That money is supposed to finance the fight against Al Qaeda and the Taliban. But Washington hasn't kept a close watch, and much of it has gone to projects that interested Musharraf and the Pakistani Army more, like building weapons systems aimed at America's ally, India. Meanwhile, Al Qaeda and the Taliban continued, and continue, to make alarming gains.

The United States cannot afford to have Pakistan unravel any further. The lesson of the last six years is that authoritarian leaders - even ones backed with billions in American aid - don't make reliable allies, and they can't guarantee security."

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