Well it only makes sense. Now that Pakistan's back to ramping up their nuke production and building brand new nuclear facilities, they probably need the advice of a guy like Khan.

Of course it's an symbolic and potentially tactical disaster from our point of view. But since Obama's smart power has given us leverage over states like Pakistan - cf. Jim Jones's hosannas from yesterday about how The One's "radically different" approach to foreign policy has increased global cooperation and decreased terrorism - this will probably get cleared up in no time:

Disgraced Pakistani nuclear scientist Abdul Qadeer Khan, who has admitted leaking nuclear secrets to Iran, North Korea and Libya, said Tuesday restrictions on his movements had been lifted. Asked if local newspaper reports that the government restrictions had been removed were correct, Khan told AFP: "By the grace of Allah, yes." In February, a Pakistani court declared Khan a free man, five years after the reputed father of Pakistan's nuclear bomb was effectively put under house arrest for operating a proliferation network... The United States in February had expressed concern that Khan's release could lead to renewed nuclear proliferation.

Then again we also criticized Pakistan over Khan's initial release back in February, and that didn't help. Though in fairness our pushback fell somewhat short of strident:

At today's press briefing, this was Robert Gibbs' response to a question about whether Barack Obama is concerned about the release of nuclear black marketeer A.Q. Khan: "Uh, obviously we've seen the reports of the release, but have not received, uh, have yet to receive official word, uh, from the government. Uh. Obviously this President has made clear, uh, many times, the great concern he has for nuclear proliferation, uh, and, uh, as we hear from the government about, uh, these reports, uh, obviously, uh, the President, uh, and this government want assurances that, uh, that Dr. Khan is not involved or engaged in, uh, any of the activity, uh, uh, that resulted in, uh, in, in his house arrest earlier."

I'm sure this time it'll be different.

References and previously after the jump...