This is an extremely bad situation, not only for the Bush administration, but for US interests in the region.  Now we are the position of supporting not just the dictator, but I dictator who has resorted to fascistic tactics in order to maintain himself in power.  Of course this was always the case with Musharraf, but our government has chosen to overlook what was obvious to the people of Pakistan.  This man is only interested in a farce of democracy, where actual military power and political control remains in his hands.

He is our new Saddam Hussein, and with his military in control of nuclear weapons, we can't afford to undercut him or do anything to further destabilize his regime, otherwise we risk anarchy, revolution and a Civil War that could quite possibly put control of nuclear weapons in the hands of an Islamic fundamentalists led government.  In that scenario Pakistan could go from being an ally to an enemy overnight.  We could find ourselves putting nuclear weapons in Afghanistan and creating a small scale Cold War in the region.  Not a very appealing scenario.

In supporting a dictator and helping to suppress democracy, the United States of America under the Bush administration may very well create exactly what we had tried to avoid.  A rogue nation that could give Al Qaeda access to nuclear weapons.

If Musharraf requests military assistance from the United States to prevent his overthrow, will the Bush administration help him?  I have little doubt that they will, since most any US administration would eventually decide that the political cost of assistance are outweighed by the imminent military threat of an out-of-control Pakistan.

The collapse of Pakistan could lead to a series of events in the Middle East that will prevent any kind of US pullout, any time in the near future.  Instead of getting out of Iraq, we may wind up sending many more troops to Iraq and Afghanistan, as a direct result of this development.

What's happening in Pakistan has been part of Al Qaeda's plan all along, a plan that was meant to pull us into the Middle East and trap us there.

Say thank you to the Bush administration for helping to move Osama bin Laden's plans one step further towards fruition.

By the time George leaves office, the problems of the Middle East may no longer be manageable.  This is why, in a nuclear age, we can't afford to have imbeciles in the White House.

At this point I suppose we'll have to count ourselves thankful if George W. Bush doesn't follow in the footsteps of Musharraf, a likelihood that may actually enter the realm of possibility, should the US suffer a major attack over the next year.

Musharraf Consolidates His Control With Arrests

The threat of terrorism is a fig leaf behind which Musharraf hides his naked power grab.  The question of whether Musharraf could be elected as president while continuing to hold his position in the Pakistani Army was pending before the Supreme Court, and a ruling was expected shortly.  It is instructive that the "Proclamation of Emergency" imposing martial law was signed not by President Musharraf, but by "General Pervez Musharraf, Chief of Army Staff."

The Proclamation begins by invoking the threat of "terrorism," but quickly gets to the point, complaining that "some members of the judiciary are working at cross purposes with the executive and legislature in the fight against terrorism and extremism."  The Proclamation further complains that "the humiliating treatment meted out to government officials by some members of the judiciary on a routine basis during court proceedings has demoralized the civil bureaucracy."  General Musharraf then disbanded the courts, and replaced the judiciary with handpicked lackeys who would swear allegiance to him rather than the Pakistani constitution.  Of course, at the conclusion of the Proclamation, General Musharraf puts the constitution "in abeyance."

After arresting members of the judiciary and the lawyers who defend the judicial branch of government, Musharraf next enacts, without benefit of legislative action, "Press, Newspapers, News Agencies and Books Registration (Amendment) Ordinance, 2007."  This makes it unlawful to publish anything that "defames, brings into ridicule or disrepute the Head of State."

The trifecta!  Musharraf has disbanded the judiciary, enacted legislation without the bother of a legislature and put the press on notice that it will be arrested if it criticizes him.

BAGHDAD (AP) - In a dramatic turnaround, more than 3,000 Iraqi families driven out of their Baghdad neighborhoods have returned to their homes in the past three months as sectarian violence has dropped, the government said Saturday.

It reminds me of the story about Robert Risken, the great screenwriter of many of Frank Capra's best films. After yet another published interview on the great 'Capra Touch', Risken is supposed to have handed him a blank script and said 'Here, work your 'Capra Touch' on that!'