Uh oh! This is terrible ... both for the Pakistani people and for the world ...

Benazir Bhutto

This is no simple tragedy. This is likely to inflame Muslims in areas well beyond Pakistan (yes, that's the nuclear power wherein Osama hangs his hat) and inflame the desire for Democracy well beyond that which Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf is able to deliver in two weeks or so ... or ever.

Clearly the assassination of Benazir Bhutto draws a clear line between Bush's references to the War on Terror (remember 9-11?) and the entirely unrelated War in Iraq.

The fact that the January 8 Pakistani election could be delayed--and a major candidate has been killed makes it awfully hard to go ahead with even giving the vague impression that Pakistan has at last returned to a democratic process.

What next?

God only knows.