Posted on 07/03/2007 7:59:26 AM PDT by Ernest_at_the_Beach
A soldier, two policemen and two students are among the dead. After several hours of shooting outside the controversial Lal Masjid (Red Mosque) a ceasefire was negotiated. Armed students at the mosque and religious schools linked to it have defied the authorities for months in a campaign for Islamic Sharia law. The mosque and the two madrassas (religious schools) attached to it have been at the centre of a number of high-profile incidents. These include the kidnapping of police and people the mosque says are involved in immoral activities such as prostitution.
Injured The BBC's Syed Shoaib Hasan who is outside the mosque says the ceasefire was negotiated by a politician from the MMA, a coalition of Islamic parties. Police and doctors say two policemen, one soldier, two students and a passer-by were killed. A cameraman filming the violence also died. Other reports put the death toll at more than 10.
At the height of the violence, regular police and paramilitary units ringing the mosque compound were replaced by what appeared to be special forces, our correspondent says. Ambulances and journalists were told to move further away from the scene.
Large groups of students - mostly armed with sticks and petrol bombs, but some with guns and wearing masks - have been patrolling around the mosque. The first confirmed death on Tuesday - of a paramilitary soldier - was the first fatality in the prolonged stand-off between the authorities and the students. A senior paramilitary official, Masha Allah, told reporters outside the Lal Masjid that the soldier had been "killed in the firing from inside the mosque". Doctors at a nearby hospital later said two students had also succumbed to their gunshot injuries. The students say scores of people from the mosque have been affected by the tear gas. Doctors confirmed they were treating about 60 people suffering the effects of tear gas, the Associated Press news agency reported. Several students had bullet wounds, doctors said. Kidnappings There are two religious schools (madrassas) attached to the mosque, one for men, one for women.
Tuesday's trouble started when a group of female students came out in large numbers and the paramilitary police used tear gas against them. Extra police had been deployed around the mosque earlier in the day. An official said the move was to prevent the seminary students from taking the law into their own hands. Mosque leaders say the security forces started the trouble by erecting barricades near the mosque. Critics have attacked the government for failing to enforce its authority in the capital. Correspondents say the authorities have seemed unwilling or unable to act. President Musharraf has said security forces cannot raid the mosque for fear of reprisal suicide attacks.
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Where is Rage Boy?
bump for publicity
Isn’t he in Lebanon?
Masked mosque students exchanged fire with soldiers
It seems to me that if Pakistan goes radical muslim, government wise, then India will need to respond. I wonder if a pre-emptive strike on the basis of “use them or lose them” might occur?
Oh, they're doing it to each other?
Never mind! ;^)
a stick at a gunfight,,,,,,?
We can hope.
We can only hope the same for Gaza.
armymarinemom, never mind Ernest comes through again..or should I say still.
A Civil War No One Wants (Pakistan)
Strategypage ^ | 7/3/07
http://freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1860193/posts
Posted on 07/03/2007 9:35:12 AM CDT by Valin
Pakistan is facing a civil war between the military (representing about ten percent of the population), the Islamic militants (about 30 percent) and the secular political parties (60 percent). The military groups are the most disciplined, and are well funded by a military business empire (an outgrowth of military foundations established to provide pensions and such for veterans). The Islamic militants are the most poor and ill educated, with most of their supporters in the tribal areas. The political parties are crippled by partisanship and corruption, but are currently more united and focused by a desire to avoid a religious dictatorship, or a military one. The Islamic militants are trying to use terror to take over. The political parties use large demonstrations and strikes. The military has police and troops. No one wants a civil war, but everyone wants to run the country.
(snip)
Thanks for that link....man,...talk about 4th of July Fireworks,,,
See link at post #13,...
My same thought when I saw it.
As I’ve said before...you look at a map of Pakistan and think wow, there’s the capital, there’s the major cities, why it’s a real country. Nothing could be further from the truth. It’s a collection of tribes/clans that don’t like each other and the only thing that binds them togeather is they don’t really like India.
Have you seen this?
US to hunt the Taliban inside Pakistan ...... (Musharraf to address to the nation)
http://freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1859648/posts
Oh, goody,...I’m not sure this will work out...maybe we are gonna go and get the keys to the Nuke vaults....
“Armed students at the mosque”. The religion of peace strikes again. I can’t think of another religion that arms its students with AK47’s.
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