Democracy Under Arrest

Pervez Musharraf, the dictatorial leader of Pakistan, had agreed to work with former leader Benazir Bhutto, who returned to Pakistan from her self-imposed exile recently, to make Pakistan's political system more democratic. Musharraf, in his effort to maintain his powers, declared a state of emergency, suspended the constitution, and put Bhutto under house arrest with barbed wire and guards. Meanwhile she is trying to work with other opposition leaders to try to replace Musharraf.
Meanwhile, the U.S., which considers Musharraf an ally against al-Qaeda and other terrorist groups, must contend with the fact that he has not been very effective at fighting terror and is suppressing his own people.