Pakistani military ruler Pervez Musharraf has resigned to avoid impeachment charges.
Musharraf, despite being one of our purported "allies" in the "war on Terror," seized power in 1999 in a military coup and has suppressed democracy in Pakistan throughout his rule. He has also signed deals with tribal leaders near the Afghan border that allows them to operate with impunity and harbor all kinds of nasty characters, including, quite possibly, Osama Bin Laden himself.
Musharraf's resignation is a big deal for Pakistan and a big deal for the political dynamic in that region. We'll have to wait and see who comes to power to replace him and what, if anything, they can do to curb the power of the tribal sheiks and work to hunt down the leaders of Al Qaeda.
Let me stress that point: the leaders of Al Qaeda, including, perhaps, Bin Laden himself, are hiding on the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, protected by the government of Pakistan.
Note what country is not mentioned anywhere in that description. Starts with an I. Ends with a Q.
