WASHINGTON, Nov. 3 (UPI) -- The White House has few options following President Pervez Musharraf's seizure of emergency power in Pakistan, a report says.

The New York Times (NYSE:NYT) said Saturday the Bush administration was stuck in a "wait-and-see mode" with little room to maneuver -- an embarrassing situation for President George W. Bush, who has called for the spread of democracy in the region.

Pakistan under Musharraf became a central part of the U.S. war against terror following the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks in the United States, though there has been some friction over Pakistani inaction against al-Qaida leaders believed to be hiding in the mountains across the Afghan frontier -- including bin Laden' title='Osama bin Laden' class='tpstyle'>Osama bin Laden.

Washington has given Pakistan about $10 billion in mostly military aid since 2001, but Adm. William J. Fallon, senior U.S. military commander in the Middle East, told Musharraf Friday he would put continuing aid at risk if he seized emergency authority, the Times said. Musharraf ignored that warning, barely waiting until Fallon had left Islamabad to make his power grab.

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, in the Middle East for a series of meetings, called the action in Pakistan "regrettable" and her spokesman said the United States was "deeply disturbed," the Times reported.

Bhutto: 'Dictatorship fuels extremism'

KARACHI, Pakistan, Nov. 3 (UPI) -- Former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto returned to Pakistan from Dubai after President Pervez Musharraf declared an emergency Saturday.

At a news conference immediately after her arrival in Karachi, Bhutto called the state of emergency "mini-martial law," The Pakistan Times reported.

Bhutto had been in Dubai for a brief visit with her family. She returned from exile two weeks ago, a homecoming marked by the deadly bombing of her motorcade.

"Gen. Musharraf has suspended the constitution of Pakistan, so it's really a declaration of martial law," Bhutto told NBC News in an interview. "But he's calling it an emergency. An emergency sounds more palatable to international opinion."

Bhutto said she agrees with Musharraf that political extremism is on the rise in Pakistan. But she said suspending the constitution is not the solution because "dictatorship fuels extremism."

Critics say Musharraf declared the emergency out of fear that Pakistan's highest court would declare his recent re-election as president unconstitutional.

Mexico's flooding 'extraordinarily grave'

VILLAHERMOSA, Mexico, Nov. 3 (UPI) -- Nearly 80 percent of the Mexican state of Tabasco was underwater in the worst flooding in 50 years and more heavy rain was forecast during the weekend.

"The situation is extraordinarily grave," said President Felipe Calderon, noting more than 1 million people are in need of water, medical supplies, clothing and cooking items.

Authorities said the situation bears similarities to the hurricane-caused floods in New Orleans in 2005, especially in Villahermosa, the capital of Tabasco, evacuated after dams on the Grijalva River broke and flooded the city, the Voice of America reported. One death has been confirmed.

Thousands of people in the region are trapped in their homes, tens of thousands more are homeless and 100 percent of the crops are lost, Tabasco Gov. Andres Granier told the BBC.

"The scene here is terrible, it's biblical," Javier Velazco, of the Red Cross in Tabasco, told the Los Angeles Times.

Amid reports of looting, the government sent 1,000 soldiers to the region Saturday to reinforce a contingent of 5,000 protecting stores and other property, The New York Times said.

The flooding resulted from five days of heavy rain brought on by a cold front last weekend.

Four people were reported killed in heavy rain in the neighboring state of Chiapas, the Times said.

Noel, now post-tropical storm, hits Canada

HALIFAX, Nova Scotia, Nov. 3 (UPI) -- Remnants of Hurricane Noel Saturday dumped heavy rain on parts of eastern Canada, as residents prepared for the brunt of the storm Saturday night.

At 8 p.m. EDT, Noel -- now being called a post-tropical storm -- was about 250 miles south-southwest of Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, with maximum sustained winds of about 87 mph, moving north-northeast at about 35 mph.

The storm devastated portions of Latin America along its route, leaving more than 100 people dead and causing tens of millions of dollars in damage, the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. reported.

Peter Bowyer of the Canadian Hurricane Center warned Canadians in the storm's path to prepare for strong winds and inclement weather, the CBC said.

"Basically, we're looking for it to reach the coast of Nova Scotia late Saturday evening," Bowyer said. "The winds and the rain will start moving into Nova Scotia long before that in the southwestern Maritimes, with conditions deteriorating throughout the day."

Forecasters said the storm's course had shifted somewhat during the day, with the eye on a direct path toward southern New Brunswick, the CBC said.

Grocery and hardware stores did brisk business Saturday, as residents stocked up on emergency supplies.

Forecasters predicted top wind speeds of 75 mph inland late Saturday.