Benazir Bhutto: She's Back, and This Time It's Personal

Allegations of corruption have always dogged Benazir Bhutto; given the corruption of those making them, if I were her I'd consider them to be compliments, rather than allegations.

Well, she's at it again, this time looking to topple Pervez Musharraf, whose grasp on power is weakening. Elections are planned for November 2007, and Musharraf may have to step down as head of the military if he wants to remain President.

Recent allegations made by Bhutto that elements in the Pakistani secret police or ISI are propping up Al-Qaeda and the Taliban will not play well in the West, even though Bhutto herself assisted the Taliban's rise to power in Afghanistan, because she thought they might stabilise the region. They might have, but their misogyny (much of it directed squarely at her) did not sit well with most of the rest of the world. We all know what happened next in Afghanistan.

One thing the mullahs of Pakistan fail to grasp is that Bhutto's word will go farther in Washington and London than theirs will. After all, she was legitimately elected - twice!; something Musharraf has never even done once. Not to mention that, as a Muslim woman - and a telegenic one at that - Bhutto could do more to repair the reputation of Islam in the West than a dozen men in uniforms.
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