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I'd like to point something out here. Remember how the dems after 9/11 began to act as if it were totally obvious the attack was about to take place and the administration was negligent for not acting to prevent it? (well, I say that in past tense- actually, they are still trying to go with this line) But in hindsight, it is always easy to know what was not apparent at the time.

Now, here, we have a potentially disastrous situation brewing. Is it the number one story? Is it even top ten? Are the dem candidates banging on their drums about the potential catastrophe in Pakistan? No. It's all about Iraq- a current issue. You don't hear them saying what they'd do to sort out Pakistan. Instead you hear them talking about what they would not have done 9 months ago. This is the problem with any populist party. Because of the dynamics of appealing to voters instead of having any real platform and issues, they can't and won't talk about serious problems that the public isn't interested in. The past is gone. Nobody can go back and unmake Operation Iraqi Freedom. It happened and that's the reality now. It is useless, as such, to continually carp on it now as if getting elected will make the war un-happen.

This situation in Pakistan could easily dwarf all our other problems combined if the fundies were to get their hands on those nukes. After it happens (if it were to happen), you'll find a lot of 20/20 hindsight among all the dems currently running for the office of president but you don't hear anything out of them now.

That's an excellent point.

However, I tend to believe that the Pakistani army will not permit the Islamic fundamentalists to take control of the government and the nukes under any circumstances. That may be wishful thinking on my part, but I think it's correct.

Much like the Turkish army command has kept that country on the path of secular democracy by stepping in with periodic coups (but relinquishing power to civilian authorities in a fairly short time), the Pakistani army has been the guarantor of constitutional authority in that troubled nation.

I don't think that fantasies of an American/Indian operation to "de-nuke" Pakistan are realistic. The costs of failure would be too high, and the costs of success would be very high, also.

It would be the last resort if the extremists defied my expectations and did gain control of the government, but it's in the interest of the US, India, and Pakistan, for all three to cooperate in eliminating the extremist threat within Pakistan to prevent that from happening.

There is no Democrat out there with the global vision to direct such an effort, nor would there be any political among them to do so.