
Before the Coup
Posted Friday, Oct. 15, 1999, at 12:59 AM ETIn 1997, two years before Tuesday's military coup, Pakistani parliamentarian and former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto wrote a "Diary" for Slate. "The regime does not have much of a political base," she noted. "Only 15 percent of the people, according to international observers, turned out to vote."
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The Fraymaster adds:
One reader writes:
Admittedly, this Diary entry appeared a long time ago but I am curious. What are Slate's standards for Diarists? Would Slate do Diaries by criminals, for instance? Benazir Bhutto is an articulate, Oxford-educated lady, but also one of the most criminal and corrupt politicians Pakistan has had (which, unfortunately, is saying a lot). Such exposure gives criminals like Ms. Bhutto an unfortunate credibility in the Western world.
--Michael Brus (10/18)