Benazhir Bhutto got attacked because of the US presence in Afghanistan?
I was under the impression it was mostly Pakistanis killing Pakistanis. Sunni's vs. Shiites. Orthodox Muslims vs. 'moderates'. Stuff like that? After all, most terrorist attacks are actually aimed at religious events, no?
List of recent bombings in Pakistan:
I just can't see how you can blame all that violence on the US and NATO presence in Afghanistan? Most of it seems to have some religious motivation. Much is also more political, yet, even then it is still Pakistanis vs. Pakistanis. Is it the US fault that some Pakistanis side with the US?
this is only my impression, based on what friends have said and what i've read. any explanation is bound to be an over-simplification.
first of all, you can't really separate politics and religion in pakistan. it is a conservative and traditional society. i think that although traditional and religious, most pakistanis do not want to establish shariah. (but of course, this is only an impression).
there is a great deal of anger among many pakistanis at their gov't siding with the u.s. (though the alternative was, was probably the option of being bombed in to the stone age) and there is also anger at the u.s. both for its attack on afghanistan and at the u.s. violation of pakistani sovereignty
bhutto is seen as bush's pick of the crop. (personally, i think recycling corrupt leaders is pathetic.)
over the years due to the soviet occupation of afghanistan, the u.s. with its usual shortsightedness, and the pak. gov't supported the religious right to fight its proxy war against the u.s.s.r. as soon as the ussr left, the u.s. promptly lost interest. afghanistan was plunged in to a mess. the talibaan were welcomed by many, simply because they restored order and security.
even before this, various pakistani governments have also played "the religious card" for their own motivations.
there is a serious threat from the religious nut jobs (pardon the expression

), who have declared a "holy war" (al-qaeda has too) against the gov't of pakistan and who seek to impose shariah on the country by force. they have killed a number of pakistani soldiers and police forces, esp in the tribal areas, which have never really been under control from the central gov't.
so you cannot really separate the political from the religious - both are going on and division between the 2 is often blurred.
so much for my take.
what lies ahead for pakistan, i have no idea and don't know if anyone does but i hope it is better.