The Plank

Can the Saudi King Spare Pervez Musharraf from the Death Penalty?

It wasn't until I reported my print piece on how much Barack Obama's foreign policy--from closing Gitmo to Iran to the global economy-- depends on the Saudis that I appreciated the influence Riyadh has over its Sunni ally Pakistan. One illustration of that: Pervez Musharraf, the former Pakistani military dictator pushed from office last year, flew on a Saudi jet to Riyadh this week to meet with Saudi King Abdullah, in what regional news outlets are suggesting could be part of a Saudi-brokered deal to spare Musharraf, now residing in London, from treason charges back home. (Musharraf is accused of illegally detaining judges during the country's 2007 constitutional crisis.) Those charges can apparently bring the death penalty.

COMMENTS (4)

09/02/2009 - 4:57pm EDT | iambiguous

If Eric Holder has any balls we might be asking that one day of Dick Cheney.

Oddly enough, however, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan have both offered him asylum.
Well, if he brings Halliburton along with him.

But why have Venezuela and North Korea also hinted broadly at finding a hole for him? Could Cheney be the Manchurian candidate from Hell?

I smell an Olbermann Special Comment here.

gw

09/02/2009 - 6:47pm EDT | ndmackenzie

I suspect Britain would have balked at extradition had the death penalty been on the table.

09/02/2009 - 9:23pm EDT | scrubby

Nice to see Pervez Musharraf squirm. I wish such fate would befall every two-bit dictator around the globe.

09/03/2009 - 10:18am EDT | Robert Powell

Puts the CIA investigation in a whole new light. Kidnapping aggravated by torture can get you the chair in many US states...

Subscribe Today

First Name

Last Name

Address 1

City

State

Zip

E-Mail