Yesterday's electoral setback for President Pervez Musharraf promises more instability in Pakistan and, possibly, the emergence of a creative new method for the U.S. to kill bad guys in the country. According to anonymous U.S. officials, this approach is essentially premised on the idea that instead of wading through the standard diplomatic quagmire of asking Pakistan for permission to blow somebody up on their soil, how 'bout we don't ask and just do it? This tactic has been used sparingly in the past for fear of upsetting Musharraf in his precarious perch, but it did help to wax an Al Qaeda big-wig last month. Now, the method is apparently gaining traction with U.S. officials in light of Musharraf's weakening grip on power and the likelihood that any Musharraf replacement will be even less interested in helping us kill the many Al Qaeda and Taliban types who operate in Pakistan. [Washington Post]

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