Musharraf promises elections but . . .

So Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf has said there will be election in Pakistan in January. Maybe, maybe not, but is there anything to cheer about? A great number of opposition activists have been arrested, and who knows how long the "state of emergency" will last? Meanwhile the army and army courts have been given broad new powers , cince Musharraf has essentially decimated a civilian court system that was threatening to be a little too independent. Perhaps the most significant development is Musharraf saying he doesn't expect any serious repercussions from the West, including the U.S. He has so mismanaged the country that it's become something of a political tinderbox, and nobody wants to strike a spark. But somebody will, I expect, and probably somebody few had thought about.