On Benazir

I spent this morning perusing newseum.org wonderful newspaper front covers. I expected an exhaustive review of yesterdays ending to the Muslim world's first woman leader, and there they were prominently displayed on over 200 US and world papers. Most portrayed the former PM in a positive, even glorious light - highlighting her portrayal of Pakistan's last hope for stability, democracy, and future development. Sadly as one examines the truths behind these editorial creations, its abundantly evident Benazir was in fact the antithesis of all those traits. I ask myself how truly sad it is for Pakistan to hold this person in such a magnanimous light - someone who is known to have harpooned hundreds of millions of her people's funds to promote her marquis lifestyle. After two failed tenures in the lead of Pakistan politics, she still could not stay away from the hold of power, which led to her inevitable and greatly unavoidable demise. By my count, 160 of her supporters were sacrificed for Benazir's selfishness during the two assassination attempts. So what now...who is left to take the reigns of democracy in Pakistan? Are we still faced with another PM whose resume matches Benazir's in exploitation and perfidy to the country, the resoundingly noxious Nawaz Sharif, the religiously conservative candidate. What a shoddy state of affairs we find ourselves in - not having a single person of acclaim or well-repute to vie for leadership. It seems we must pray for Musharraf to attain acceptance from the masses. If he falls, the world's papers will conclude their titles of him in adversary prose. How neat it comes together then.

The New York Post columnist notates Benazir's true legacy. THE BHUTTO ASSASSINATION: NOT WHAT SHE SEEMED TO BE