More on the Pakistan crisis

In a recent editorial (and post on this blog) I suggested that the violence we are seeing in Pakistan today as well as the escalating tension between rival political parties is directly attributed to a broad coalition of terrorists aligned with the Taliban and Al-Qaeda. What evidence is there to back up these claims? Well, just look at the attacks on Benazir Bhutto, the attacks on Musharraf, the attacks on Sherpao, and the scores of other terrorists acts that have gone without a claim of responsibility. It's more than likely that the extremists are trying to get the rival parties in Pakistan to fight one another, just as they did in Iraq.

Then there's this, another disturbing example of how brutal these terrorists can be. It also offers further proof of what there intentions can be. Trust me though, I really hope I am wrong when I suggest these things.

This is off the AP:

A suicide bomber blew himself up among police deployed outside a court in eastern Pakistan ahead of a planned anti-government protest Thursday, killing at least 22 people and wounding dozens more, officials and witnesses said.

The blast in front of Lahore High Court was the latest in a wave of attacks targeting politicians and security forces ahead of the February 18 parliamentary elections. There was no immediate claim of responsibility, but suspicion will likely fall on militants linked to Taliban and al-Qaida.