Now the rumors are that the Pakistan Muslim League (Q) (which is loyal to General Pervez Musharraf) along with several smaller parties, may make a coalition with the fundamentalist United Action Council to form a government. Earlier attempts to work something out with the Pakistan People's Party fell through, perhaps because Musharraf is unwilling to amnesty Benazir Bhutto and cohabit with her as prime minister.

The alternative, of bringing the Islamists into the government, seems to me far worse, and if true this development cannot be good for the U.S.

In the meantime, a tape of Bin Laden has surfaced that may indicate he is still alive and plotting further destruction against the US. It is entirely possible that he is hiding out in the Northwest Frontier Province, controlled by the United Action Council, which in the past has denied that al-Qaida is responsible for 9/11 and tried to defend the Taliban and Bin Laden.

Then, the Iraqi parliament really did reject the UN Security Council resolution requiring further weapons inspections.

Not a day full of good news.