Meanwhile in Pakistan

RAWALPINDI, Pakistan (Reuters) - Pakistan's president Thursday pardoned a scientist who admitted leaking nuclear arms secrets to Iran, Libya and North Korea and said he would not allow international supervision of Pakistan's atomic program.

"There is a written mercy appeal from his side and there is a written pardon from my side," Pervez Musharraf told a news briefing, referring to top scientist Abdul Qadeer Khan, who made a televised confession to nuclear proliferation Wednesday.   Reuters article

I don't suppose the fact that Khan was claiming that Musharraf's government was complicit in his selling of nuclear info, and that his daughter claimed to have taped proof in case they decided to scapegoat Khan, had anything to do with the agreement.

Musharraf warned local journalists not to speculate further on the military's role in peddling nuclear secrets, saying it would not be in the national interest.

In his confession, Khan took full responsibility for the scandal, absolving the government and his fellow scientists of any blame.

But Western diplomats doubt he could have acted alone in leaking nuclear know-how and hardware. Pakistan's nuclear program, seen at home as a vital deterrent to old enemy India, has been under military control for most of the past 28 years.

Now somebody please explain to me why Libya has to allow independent investigation into its weapons program and Pakistan doesn't.

The case is sensitive for the United States which is eager to avoid jeopardising Musharraf's position, given that Pakistan, -- along with Saudi Arabia and Indonesia -- is one of Washington's three key Muslim allies in its "war on terror".

Washington, which has urged Pakistan to stop proliferation to "rogue" states, has publicly backed Musharraf, a key ally in its battle against al Qaeda and allied Islamic militants.  Reuters article

Oh.

But in a strongly-worded editorial, the Washington Post said Pakistan had been guilty of "some of the worst crimes of nuclear proliferation ever committed" and denials of responsibility and pledges of action from Musharraf would not be enough.

"Now the (U.S.) administration must confront the reality that Pakistan's military leadership has done more to threaten U.S. and global security with weapons of mass destruction than either al Qaeda or Saddam Hussein," it said.

The WaPo said that? Getting kind of brave, aren't they?

....but hey, do what you want....you will anyway.