Should She Stay or Should She Go?

Benazir Bhutto former Prime Minister of Pakistan has now returned to her home country after a decade of exile. Looking to reinstate herself in her old position she is again running for the office of PM. The question this raises is should the US intervene in the elections and push Bhutto as their candidate? I say no.

Bhutto was originally exiled from Pakistan on accounts of bank fraud and money laundering. These accusations were later substantiated and show that Bhutto and her husband together laundered 100's of millions of dollars in overseas bank accounts.
"Bhutto and Zardari were alleged to have amassed a fortune from kickbacks on government contracts during her two terms as prime minister. Their assets allegedly included a 10-bedroom, mock-Tudor Surrey mansion and, according to anticorruption investigators, £740m in Swiss bank accounts." CSM Oct. 16, 2007
So obviously the Pakistani people are most likely not going to be to ecstatic about Bhutto's return seeing that most probably remember former deeds done and wil be leary of installing her as PM in the upcoming elections. Many know her to be corrupt and that she has had wishy washy views on important matters.
During Bhutto's former term she suported the actions of the Taliban in Afghanistan. This led largely inpart to the taliban gainging such a foothold in the Afghani mountains.
The second thing is that the Pakistani people do not like the US or want them interfering in their countires elections.
"Many people feel democracy here is nothing but a sham," said Ejaz Akram, an assistant professor of religion and politics at the Lahore University of Management Sciences. "They say there's no democracy in Pakistan. And they see the U.S. as the single biggest hindrance in recognizing democracy in this country.
A poll released in September by Terror Free Tomorrow, a Washington-based non-profit, found that only 19 percent of Pakistanis polled had a favorable opinion of the U.S. -- making the U.S. the most unpopular country here, even more unpopular than historic enemy India." Chicago Tribune Oct. 30, 2007
As this is the case it would be wise for the US to stay out of any type of relationship that might mean bad relations between these two countries as this would be a huge blow to military stations we have already been granted in Pakistan. Without these bases it would be harder to carry out our war on terror.
"Musharaff is, despite his intermittent commitment, currently NATO's best weapon against the Taliban, who are using his country as a safe haven to launch attacks into Afghanistan." Prince George Citizen Nov. 6, 2007
Also as the only country in the middle east who has nuclear weapons that we know of at this point, I think it would be advisable to stay on their good side.
Should the US support Bhutto? No. Is Musharaff the best option. No.
But right now he is all the hope we have.