Yeah? Try discussing ANY world issue here without being drowned in Bush Derangement Syndrome and simple-minded boilerplate.

Pakistan is a critical choke point in the war on terror. Its western provinces were where the original Taliban developed prior to their takeover of Afghanistan, and where they survived after they were swept out of Afghanistan. Like Laos in the Vietnam War, Pakistan has been the source of most of the physical support of terror in Afghanistan, and leadership and other support of terrorists elsewhere.

Musharaff is holding on to power by the skin of his teeth, and his life by sheer luck so far.

Diplomacy, "soft power," and all the other cherished tools of the Enlightened around the world are absolutely useless here. This is not an opinion, but a fact proven in the field in the western provinces.

To make things worse, the military option is not attractive either. Musharaff's military might as well be U.N. troops for all their effectiveness. They are routinely defeated by Taliban/al Qaeda forces, and in the military campaign of 2004/2005, some intelligence sources say Pakistan lost as many as 3,000 troops.

I am hoping that behind the scenes our forces in Afghanistan are getting permission to make air attacks in these areas of Pakistan. It's about the only shot we've got in that area.

Note that all of this would still be true even if Kerry or Gore were president right now. Got it?