General Pervez Musharraf has done far too little to drive Al Qaeda and the Taliban from its Pakistani sanctuaries over the last six years. But President Bush still insists on linking America’s interests to the general’s erratic and authoritarian whims. Even with Pakistan under martial law, Bush claimed preposterously last week that the general “truly is somebody who believes in democracy.” Some US military planners, meanwhile, are proposing digging in even deeper.

Instead of urging Benazir Bhutto to expend her credibility on implausible power-sharing deals, Washington should be encouraging her to work with her long-time political rival, former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, and build a broad civilian democratic front. The administration also needs to play a much tougher diplomatic game.Washington should make clear that it will provide all the military support Pakistan needs to fight terrorism. But it will not underwrite Pakistan’s efforts to acquire the advanced weapons it seeks unless the army shows more effectiveness against terrorism and more enthusiasm for democracy.

Before plunging the USforces more deeply into Pakistan’s remote borderlands, Washington needs to deal with the critical political crisis threatening that county’s very core and America’s strategic in0terests.