Thursday morning I was listening to NPR on my way to work, when the host mentioned that former Pakistani prime minister Benazir Bhutto was assassinated.

I was stunned. We all know that Pakistan has been leading international headlines recently due to its troubles with elections and the nation's current PM, Gen. Pervez Musharraf.

I won't lie, I haven't followed Pakistani news/politics long enough to fully appreciate Bhutto's legacy, but from what I know, Bhutto, as both a female and pro-west political leader in a country best described as "third world," this is not only a terrible tragedy but an egregious blow to relations between the Middle East and the West. Let's not forget the 22 other people killed in the bomb blast. Frankly, it's disgusting stuff like this still happens in today's world. But it's a sad truth.

Bhutto, through news reports and interviews I've seen, seemed to be a voice of reason during the political turmoil of the elections fiasco and martial law of Pakistan several months ago.

What are your reactions to this news? Will this cause irreparable damage, is there any hope for Pakistan recovering, or--not to sound flippant--do you think this even matters for Americans?

No matter where you stand on this issue, I think we can agree that this is a terrible tragedy, yet another in a year of news, both national and international, that has been overwhelmingly negative.

--Brian

Posted by
Brian McCarthy