This was fairly predictable, and I believe that even Ms. Bhutto understood that. She will be sorely missed in the region, but hopefully the right folks will respond in the right way, and bring needed change. Martyrdom is a powerful tool for change, sometime good and sometimes bad.

As to the comment, There's no force on the face of the planet more destructive than religion., it is shortsighted and biased. There are many things that folks with an agenda will use to further their point, in this case an anti-religion stance. I have found that at the root of most of these arguments, be they religious, racial, feminism, etc. lies money, power, and greed. I don't begrudge anyone their atheism, agnosticism, theism, paganism, or any other -ism they choose to practice or not practice. An example of conflict in which religion is seen as the root, when actually it is economic at its genesis, is "The Troubles". The "Orange Card" as it is called has been used for centuries to keep folks divided in order that landed or monied interests could justify their greedy actions. The latest version had a great deal to do with the workers in the North, Protestant and Catholic, starting to realize they had more in common with each other than with the monied interests among the transplanted. The card was played, and a century or so later we are still dealing with it. One can find the same thing in the USA with regard to Native Peoples, and around the world with regard to historical and contemporary slavery.

My opinion is that some folks will miss no opportunity to take shots, even if some research would show the real story. Ms. Bhutto was a change agent. In the real world these are always targets for those with the most to lose from change. Take it from one who lives it.

Mick