Afghanistan a regional solution is needed

The untimely murder of Benezir Bhutto leaves the smug Bush foreign policy hanging in the wind. Bush says, elections in Pakistan must go on. Let's talk sense, not out of ignorance and utter indifference which are the trademarks of Bush's foreign policy. Sherif's Islamic Party are not participating in the 8 January 2008 Pakistani elections; Bhutto's Pakistan People's Party is leaderless without any strong personality to take command. And besides what will the elections do to fight terrorism? Everyone knows the army is the key to any stability without widespread reform. Bush thinks, money will solve the problem, but look how the Mushareff regime has squandered the us$5bn in aid to fight terrorism. The monies went to buy sophisticated weaponry aimed at Islamabad's tradition rival and enemy, India, and not on fighting the metatasising terrorism which is spreading throughout Pakistan.
A quick look at Washington's policy towards Pakistan clearly shows, it prefers cultivating generals and supple politicians who will back the army.
Bush & co. know barely a whit about Pakistan and what the country really needs; it ignores the big stake Islamabad has in keeping Afghanistan under its cosy wing.
The easy war Bush won in Afghanistan has turned into one of his nightmares.
What's more his minions make no bones about talking in sotto voce with the Taliban. So to pull this rotten plum of a problem out of Bush stale pie, a regional solution is called for. One which will allow normalcy to gain hold. A conference of four at least: India, Pakistan, Iran, and the US. But saying this, raises a problem: Pakistan doesn't want India in what it considers its rightful preserve; the US would reject Iran's participation out of hand.
So terrorism will continue, Bush will dole out more money and soon troops to fight in Pakistan's northwest and east rebellious provinces. This will give more grist to religious and nationalist sentiments, and leave Bush's lordly stupidity with a legacy for anyone who succeeds him in the White House, and to put the cherry on the cake, further weaken America's power.