Pakistan: What it all Means<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />
By Jan Markell
www.olivetreeviews.org
 
 
Time Magazine states, "The U.S. has few options in <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" />Pakistan. One thing is clear, says Peter Galbraith, senior fellow at the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation: It is not a good idea to have 70 nuclear weapons in the hands of a country that is falling apart."
 
I echo the sentiment of John Terry from Revelation Files, "Pakistan's government intercepts an al-Qaeda message congratulating its members for assassinating Bhutto, and claims to have evidence of both al-Qaeda and the Taliban's involvement in her death.  This is a pivotal time for Pakistan, as there is no real leadership in the country, outside the leadership of the gun.  Many are calling for Musharraf to bring in NATO troops to help stabilize the area, as his own army and police force has been infiltrated by Muslim extremists.  Pakistan is a nuclear power, and a hotbed for Islamic radicals, and the Musharraf government is either unwilling or unable to quell the growing number of terrorists within their border on its own.  It is a dangerous time, and violence from Bhutto's death is now spreading into Afghanistan.
"If radicals assassinate Musharraf and/or are able to capitalize on their gains and wrest control of the country (and its nuclear arms), the dangers to Israel and the Western world are ratcheted to a new level.  An international NATO force could help restore order and move the nation toward democracy, one of the goals of Bhutto and her many supporters.  Pakistan could also call for US special forces to help sweep through known terror sanctuary cities, striking a major blow to al- Qaeda and Taliban elements in the region."Decisive action is needed to prevent civil war in Pakistan, and a destabilized region only serves to fuel the interests of radical Islam."
Joel Rosenberg asks, "Why does Bhutto's death matter? To be blunt: Pakistan and her nuclear weapons are in danger of falling into the hands of Islamic radicals. Such radicals have attempted to assassinate Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf multiple times in the last few years, hoping to seize control of the government and impose sharia law. The attack is a sobering reminder that Pakistan is just one coup d'etat away from Osama bin Laden or one of his fanatical, murderous allies suddenly gaining control. It is difficult to imagine a more nightmarish scenario than al-Qaeda in possession of Pakistan's nuclear arsenal, but this is not an impossibility.
Gary Bauer reminds us, "Bhutto survived a previous assassination attempt in October involving coordinated bombings that killed more than 150 people and wounded hundreds more. She did not falter from her cause; she pressed on.  According to press reports, a baby was turned into a human bomb in that failed attempt. The child was strapped with explosives and passed person-to-person through the crowd in the hopes that Bhutto would hug the baby, which is what any decent person would do. But Bhutto's enemies, our enemies, freedom's enemies exploit our sensitivities and turn babies into bombs. This is the evil Bhutto was confronting. Her voice has been silenced. The rest of the civilized world must take up her cause. We cannot ignore it. We cannot compromise with it. We must defeat it or it will defeat us."
 
We are in perilous times (II Timothy 3) so stay tuned.