Giving Pakistan a Pass

When a top nuclear scientist suddenly takes all of the blame for trafficking nuclear materials it looks odd. When that same scientist claims to have been acting alone, contradicting previous implications that many generals (one of whom is now president) were also involved, and the current president pardons the scientist, it looks like a whitewash. Such is the current state of Pakistani affairs, says this Washington Post editorial. While we may expect such behavior from a military ruler, the paper says, what is unexpected is that the US government has publicly accepted Pakistan's interpretation of events and its refusal to allow the International Atomic Energy Agency's inspectors to investigate. If the global war on terrorism seeks to prevent weapons of mass destruction from getting into the wrong hands, then the US cannot rely solely on Pakistan's word. – YaleGlobal