Bhutto Assassination A Reminder This Is A Real War

By Bill West

Today's assassination in Pakistan of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto should be a stark reminder that terrorists are engaged in a very real war against modern civilized society. Bhutto had her own ethically questionable background; but her current public political posture was pro-Western, democratic, peaceful and against the radical Islamic terrorists who may have been responsible for her death. While the investigation must go forward, initial speculation is pointing to those radical Islamic terrorist elements operating in Pakistan, perhaps even al-Qaeda.

What happens over the next several days will be a crucial test for the Pakistani people and government. It may also indicate if this attack is part of a larger jihadist plan of action within Pakistan. Given Pakistan's supposed critical status as an ally of the US in counter-terrorism efforts, and Pakistan's nuclear arsenal, what happens inside Pakistan over the coming days and weeks should be of grave concern to America and the West.

Apart from the obvious, it should be remembered that Pakistan has many expatriates living in the United Kingdom, many of whom possess UK passports and can travel to the United States under the liberal Visa Waiver Program. The United States itself has been generous in providing nonimmigrant visas, such as student visas, to Pakistani nationals. The vast majority of Pakistanis are not terrorists. However, hidden among the vast majority will be the dangerous radical few. Former Federal prosecutor Andrew McCarthy had an outstanding piece today in NRO covering the Bhutto assassination and is well worth reading. It provides eye-opening insight to what many within Pakistan really believe.

This, combined with a US immigration system that has a less than stellar record for anything close to control and oversight and there does exist the possibility for terrorist infiltration from Pakistan, or a third "way point" country, into the United States. We should not forget convicted terrorists Ramzi Yousef and Aimal Khan Kasi, both of whom called Pakistan home and both of whom engaged in immigration fraud to secure entry and residence within the US. Given today's events in Rawalpindi, it is likely we will see more like Yousef and Kasi on US soil in the future.

TrackBack