Posted on 06/21/2008 5:28:30 PM PDT by The_Republican
Pakistani scientist Abdul Qadeer Khan has been living in official disgrace for more than four years, confined to his estate in Islamabad after confessing that he sold nuclear technology to Libya, Iran and North Korea. But his image as a national hero remains intact for most of his countrymen, who still regard him as the father of Pakistan's nuclear arsenal and the man who brought pride to a downtrodden country.
Since the new coalition government took the reins in Pakistan this spring, momentum has been building to free Khan from house arrest and restore him to his former glory.
As an initial step, he was allowed in April to break his silence, and he has since given interviews to the Pakistani and international media. He has used the sessions to accuse President Pervez Musharraf of forcing him to confess to crimes he didn't commit and blame Musharraf for turning Pakistan into a "banana republic."
The story line fits neatly into the new government's demonizing of Musharraf. It also demonstrates Khan's canny ability to exploit Pakistan's political turmoil for personal gain. For years, he shifted allegiances smoothly to each new leader, whether civilian or military.
With most observers counting the days until the new government forces Musharraf out of office, freedom and redemption seemed within Khan's grasp -- until this week.
David Albright, a former U.N. weapons inspector, issued a report Monday that concluded Khan and his nuclear black market had distributed electronic copies of designs for a compact nuclear weapon. Khan found himself back in the headlines as troubling new questions were raised about whether the damage caused by his nuclear Wal-Mart was even greater than previously known.
International investigators had discovered Khan's fingerprints in the world's nuclear hot spots before.
(Excerpt) Read more at latimes.com ...
The secret he is probably hiding is that the nuke tests in Pakistan were not for Pakistan but for NK.
I suspect we will find out when New York or DC has been turned into a mushroom cloud.
Two words:
Water board.
Bambi will invite him for tea and a backrub.
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