The assassination of Benazir Bhutto leaves Pakistan and its embattled president in a complicated situation. Gone with Bhutto is the likelihood of coalition between her PPP party and President Pervez Musharraf. Philip Oldenburg lays out the dynamics at play ahead of the scheduled elections there February 18, which he says are likely to be tampered with. “Virtually every Pakistani election except 1970 has been rigged,” Oldenburg says.

 

He also presents an interesting explanation for why Pakistan has done so little to control their border with Afghanistan. “They would very much like to see the Taliban come back to power,” he says.

 

So why is America so reliant on Pakistan? Oldenburg says its logistic as much as political. “Pakistan has leverage over the U.S,” Oldenburg says. “It’s a crucial logistical piece of the Afghanistan struggle. Almost all the big equipment goes through Pakistan.”