Red Mosque III. [Conclusion]

This is coolbert:

The siege of the Red Mosque is over. A yesterday blog topic is today’s old news.

Pakistani security forces have stormed the mosque and captured the facility without a lot of bloodshed [23 dead??]. The situation seems to be in hand.

Some surprising aspects to this entire “incident”.

The Red Mosque is [was?] a religious compound [madrassa] sponsored by the Pakistani government, established and maintained by government funds.

The “siege” has been on going for almost seven months. ONLY became heated and violent in the last several weeks.

Fundamentalist clerics had been dispensing Taliban-style morality and justice from the mosque for some time prior to the siege as well!

One high-ranking cleric attempted to escape dressed in a burqa. But was unsuccessful in the effort and apprehended!

Yet another high-ranking cleric remains hold up in the woman’s section of the mosque, cowering among women and children, hoping for martyrdom!!

The Pakistani authorities were extremely lenient and tolerant of fundamentalist clerics who had occupied the Red Mosque and who [clerics] had attempted to carry out Taliban-style extra-judicial “justice”.

Musharraf walks a tight rope. I fear he cannot maintain his balance FOREVER! Walks the proverbial fine line. On one hand have pro-democracy groups that dislike the General for his usurpation of civilian rule. On the other hand have the Islamic fundamentalist clerics who despise his alliance with the U.S.

The target of many assassination attempts now. So far has been very lucky. How long can Musharraf hold on to power? That is anyone’s guess!!

Hope for the best, but plan for the worst!!??

coolbert.