Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf announced his resignation today in order to avoid charges of impeachment that were to be leveled against him later this week. General Musharraf has ruled Pakistan since he seized power in a 1999 coup. He has been a close ally to the United States for the past decade. Al Jazeera reports Musharraf’s resignation was brokered by Saudi Arabia, the United States and Britain. In a televised address, Musharraf insisted on his innocence but said he did not want to subject Pakistan to a draining political battle. According to the Pakistani constitution, a new president must be chosen within thirty days. We’ll have more on Pakistan after headlines.