The Stage is set:Benazir pulls out of talks with Mushie

[malaise]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/7090457.stm
<snip>
Pakistani opposition leader Benazir Bhutto says she will go ahead with a march from Lahore to the capital, Islamabad, despite security risks.

The march is part of her campaign against President Pervez Musharraf's imposition of emergency rule.

Ms Bhutto also says she has ruled out holding more talks with Gen Musharraf.

The United States has been pushing for Gen Musharraf to accept Ms Bhutto into a power-sharing deal to help shore up his war against Islamist extremists.
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Bubye Mushie.

[meegbear]

1. This is one situation I am trying to stay on top of ...

hell, we should all be.

[malaise]

4. We are being played

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/7090512.stm

then they'll tell us that the corrupt thug Benazir is the 'democratically' elected leader. Meanwhile some new Pakistani general who graduated from Sandhurst will be running the show. Nothing new here.

[BleedingHeartPatriot]

7. Yes we are. The spin is dizzying.

MKJ

[SoCalDem]

2. Or bye-bye Bhutto

:cry:.. The die has been cast, and it will not end well..for either of them.. The taliban & al Qaeda is just itching to take over..and India will not sit idly by while Pakistan implodes :(

[rodeodance]

3. Mushi lies too much for her.

[KharmaTrain]

5. This Gets Messier

Bhutto represents the "secular" side of Pakistan...but it's the clerics and the military that really haven't weighed in yet. Musharaf tries to walk the middle and will be consumed soon if he doesn't keep his uniform on and keep his generals and mullahs happy. Bhutto wants to be the Corozon Aquino of Pakistan...but she's walked into a country that is highly fractured along regional and religious/political lines...city vs. country and so on. Bhutto really doesn't bring much to the table here and I suspect the hatred toward her within the military/religious groups could rise up and take down both Bhutto and Musharaf...and then watch out. Who know what we'll get.

The U.S. is totally powerless in this situation and the more this regime attempts to affect change the worse the result will be. The only thing that has kept this "alliance" together has been the free-flow of Benjamins, but it looks like our "investment" has gone bust.

[SoCalDem]

6. It's NOT the same country she left in 97

She's going to get herself assassinated by some nutcase religious idiot who sees a woman as unworthy to lead "men"..

they have no qualms about killing a woman..especially an uppity woman who does not know her "place"..