Pakistan Mosque Tensions Rise

Musharraf Warns Militants of Death

See Manan Ahmed’s excellent analysis of the crisis in Pakistan at our group blog. He points out that the militant Red Mosque was an ally of the United States and the Pakistani government in the 1980s, when they were fighting the Soviets in Afghanistan.

On Saturday and early Sunday, Pakistan’s military kept blasting away at key points in the seminary-mosque complex, apparently with the intent ultimately of making a frontal assault through the breaches and rescuing any hostages the militants may take. A high-ranking Pakistani officer was killed by a militant sniper during such a blast operation. Gen. Pervez Musharraf has demanded that the radicals surrender, and threatened them with death if they do not.