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| India-Pakistan |
| Pakistan pardons Khan |
| 2004-02-05 |
| Pakistani leader Pervez Musharraf has given a presidential pardon to the architect of the nuclear programme. Tap, tap, nope. Abdul Qadeer Khan stunned the nation when he confessed on television to leaking nuclear weapons secrets. He cleared the government of any involvement, but critics query how his activities could have gone undetected. The head of the UN’s atomic agency, Mohamed ElBaradei, described Mr Khan’s revelations as just the "tip of the iceberg" of illegal trafficking. The nuclear scientist, a national hero, made his public confession on Wednesday after meeting General Musharraf. When the deal was made. Mr Khan told the nation he had acted without authorisation and begged forgiveness. "I was a baaaaad boy. Forgive me." General Musharraf announced his final decision following his cabinet’s recommendation to grant clemency to the scientist. "Ok. Don’t do it again" Speaking to the BBC, a spokesman for Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry, Masood Khan, denied the decision was lenient, saying Mr Khan had "made a contribution to Pakistan’s nuclear programme". "And Iran’s, Libya’s, North Korea’s........" Correspondents say there was huge public opposition to putting him on trial. They say pardoning him avoids the potential embarrassment that could result from a public prosecution - even though it could spark allegations of a cover-up. The BBC’s Jim Fish says experts are deeply sceptical that Mr Khan’s alleged proliferation network could have spread so far without the complicity of some in the government. Ya think? Raza Rabbani, a former government minister and acting secretary-general of Benazir Bhutto’s opposition Pakistan People’s Party, demanded more information about Mr Khan’s activities. The secret network may not have been government-sponsored, he said, but "one could say maybe the ambit is slightly larger than a single individual. "That is why the opposition in Pakistan and particularly the People’s Party has been demanding that there be a parliamentary inquiry into this whole episode," he told the BBC. "There must be something here we can use against Perv." |
| Posted by:Steve |
| #11 *tap tap* My surprise meter's not doing anything either. |
| Posted by: Korora 2004-2-5 4:12:37 PM |
| #10 Oh gracious.... has it come to this... What comes out of Chinaman Ass? Ricin!Ricin!Ricin! |
| Posted by: Aggie Man 2004-2-5 4:01:07 PM |
| #9 Ok fine they pardon him,so Pakistan want to play the big boy game.So the U.S should say then if any of are cities get nuked by his releasing them secrets then Pakistan becomes a glowing hole. |
| Posted by: djohn66 2004-2-5 2:29:08 PM |
| #8 Should have given him at least a short prison term in a boutique prison but maybe they don't have boutique prisons in Pakland. |
| Posted by: mhw 2004-2-5 2:14:41 PM |
| #7 I agree with you B that we did very well. The network is exposed and probably down to 10-25% effectiveness. As someone here or elsewhere pointed out, Perv will probably have to give up some Taliban and Al Qaeda types in the NWFP to get US forgiveness. Not final victory, but definitely a battle won. |
| Posted by: 11A5S 2004-2-5 1:13:08 PM |
| #6 Nice take B. I'm waiting for more facts to come out. All the who, what, where, how. |
| Posted by: Lucky 2004-2-5 11:54:09 AM |
| #5 So long as Khan tells us everything he knows Perv will let him live. If he does this again though, he's a dead man. |
| Posted by: Charles 2004-2-5 11:16:07 AM |
| #4 heh..heh..I guess Kahn's idea of videotaping his confession and sending it out before he could have an "accident" paid off. Personally - I think that, in terms of "plea bargains", the US did very well on this one. Very well indeed! Am I wrong or right?? Anyone?? |
| Posted by: B 2004-2-5 10:53:01 AM |
| #3 I'd be all for a letter of reprisal with Khan's name on it. |
| Posted by: 11A5S 2004-2-5 10:15:49 AM |
| #2 Sickening. The man should have hanged. "KHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA-*urk*!" |
| Posted by: Dar 2004-2-5 9:54:23 AM |
| #1 Ok. Don’t do it again Unless we order you to do it again. |
| Posted by: Spot 2004-2-5 8:56:40 AM |