Seven months ago, before recent events involving former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, David’s prescient writing on Pakistan explained how an unstable political environment and unfolding events might lead to the pro-American government’s collapse.

Should President Pervez Musharraf be deposed, he pointed out, an arsenal of operational nuclear weapons might fall into the hands of a militant Islamic government aligned with the Taliban and al Qaeda.

Today, the dominoes continue to fall. Bhutto, in particular, presents a serious challenge to our current policy. While a champion of democracy, Bhutto is a fierce rival of Musharraf. Meanwhile, Musharraf is the linchpin of American policy in the region, and he is a critical but unsteady partner in the fight against the Taliban and al Qaeda.

The Pakistani Supreme Court, which has tangled with Musharraf in the past, is now considering the constitutionality of his recent election. A verdict against Musharraf might lead him to impose emergency measures in order to retain power. This action would inevitably deepen a power struggle between Musharraf, Bhutto and the nation’s powerful military. Recent events also suggest that domestic extremists would challenge Bhutto just as aggressively as Musharraf. About 140 Pakistanis were killed two weeks ago in a terrorist bombing of Bhutto’s homecoming parade.

So, the bottom line is Pakistan is a mess and its future is becoming more uncertain each day. Thankfully, the media and public are starting to take notice. In David’s poll last week, 60 percent of readers said it was highly likely that a radical government could come to power in Pakistan. Now that more Americans are attuned to the emerging dangers in Pakistan, will the Bush Administration finally modify its aimless policy? Below are last week’s poll results.

What do you think are the chances of a militant Islamic government coming to power in Pakistan?

High: 60%
Moderate: 37.1%
Low: 2.9%