Disturbing News
The breaking news this morning is the institution of a "state of emergency" in Pakistan. President Pervez Musharraf fired the country's chief justice and essentially declared martial law. This is certainly not the kind of instability that you want to see in a nuclear power. Here's a link to coverage at the Times.

Newly returned opposition leader Benazir Bhutto is facing a likely return to exhile or jail. Stanley Kurtz has what I think is the most succinct analysis at the Corner:

Left free, Bhutto would lead a movement in the streets for Musharraf’s
overthrow. So more likely she will indeed be jailed or deported, either option
establishing her as a martyr and, she hopes, successor to Musharraf if he is
deposed. But at this point, anything could happen, from a "successful"
emergency, to a democratic revolution, to a military coup, to an Islamist
takeover, and quite possibly some combination of the above.

Comforting.
- posted by Base10 @ 3:55 PM