Dean's World

It seems somewhat unlikely to me that Musharraf would be terribly interested in the international audit you propose, given that he refused FBI and Scotland yard help after the last Bhutto assassination attempt.

I don't think that their is any leverage we can apply that would 'force' such a thing, and attempting to could very well backfire on us.

It seems to me that Pakistan is losing its war with the extremists, and with the loss of Bhutto it is unlikely that new leadership and a new direction will arrise internally in time to alter that course internally.

That leaves us with the undesirable option of supporting the devil we know, while playing for time in the hope that new options arrise. At the same time, it seems wise to me to prepare a response should an Islamist regime gain power in that nation. At that point, given Pakistans nuclear status, a military solution, no matter how difficult, seems the better of bad options.

What we should do immediately, both in prepartion for this and other possible threats, is take steps to increase the size of the military.

Yes, indeed. Very well done, Ali. Thank you.