Seymour Hersh has a New Yorker article this week on Pakistan’s nuclear proliferation. Hersh alleges that the US accepted the bogus confession and pardon of Dr. Abdul Qadeer Khan, the nuclear scientist who admitted to handing out nuclear technology to anyone with money to spend on it, in return for allowing US forces to search for Osama bin Laden within the borders of Pakistan. If the allegation is true, then I think it’s much more likely that we’ll find Osama, but I’m not entirely sure that Osama scares me more than Pakistan’s willingness to share nuclear technology with various and sundry dictators and scumbags. I do think that if the Islamists manage to assassinate Pervez Musharraf, Pandora’s box will be opened. He’s one dictator I’m very much in favor of propping up.

Update: Last year I speculated that Libya’s sudden decision to give up its nuclear program was, in fact, a well timed move to rehabilitate its international reputation. Hersh’s article seems to confirm this.