Benazir Bhutto is Brave

In the face of death threats and now a massive suicide bombing attack on Thursday targeting her transportation convoy, Bhutto is laying it on the line in the Washington Post:

"We are prepared to risk our lives and we are prepared to risk our liberty, but we are not prepared to surrender our great nation to the militants."


Seeking background and insight into this drama, I was surprised to see no major coverage of this today at either National Review Online or The Weekly Standard. Shouldn't we be loudly trumpeting a major figure in the region who is not only using her voice but risking her life to defy the assorted thugs aiming themselves in her general direction?

I know nothing about the alleged corruption during her two previous terms as prime minister, or what the prospects are for her reaching an accommodation with Musharraf, and how delicate all this is for America's interest and position in the region.

But because Al Qaeda always makes it so "bloody obvious" where they stand, I do know her return to Pakistan is the equivalent of a daring beachhead invasion in the larger struggle against violent Islam. Many millions are watching her courage in the face of death. If this region is to ascend to normalcy, it will be in no small part due to leaders like Bhutto who personally embody the cause of life and freedom, and rally the millions to her side, rather than to the side of the Bin Ladens, who from the shadows send others to die for a doomed cult.