Posted on 07/08/2007 10:32:47 PM PDT by gandalftb
ISLAMABAD: Eight “high value terrorists” wanted by Pakistan and other countries are holed up inside Lal Masjid, while another was killed by security forces in the ongoing operation, Religious Affairs Minister Ejazul Haq said on Sunday.
“Nine suspected terrorists said to be far more dangerous and harmful than Al Qaeda and Taliban operatives were hiding inside the mosque compound,” Haq told a press conference here.
Haq said that the militants and not Abdul Rashid Ghazi, Lal Masjid’s deputy chief cleric, were controlling the mosque. “The militants are holding children and Ghazi hostage,” he said. He said that about 500 male and female students were still stranded inside the mosque.
AFP adds: The hardcore militants inside include two commanders from the banned Harkatul-Jihad-e-Islami, which was involved in the [Daniel] Pearl murder. “They have taken control and they are putting up fierce resistance.” A source inside the mosque said there was a “lot of tension among the various groups inside the compound on how to conduct the fight”. He identified one of the Harkatul-Jihad-e-Islami militants as Abu Zar, said to be a one-time accomplice of the group’s late leader Amjad Farooqi, who was killed by security forces in 2004.
He also named a Pakistani Taliban militant from Waziristan, Mohammad Fida, as the “security chief” of the compound. There was no official confirmation of the names.
(Excerpt) Read more at dailytimes.com.pk ...
According to the latest reports, the surveillance pilotless aircraft flew over Lal Masjid around 2:40 am. The plane stayed in air over Lal Masjid for more than two hours.
From a blogger in Islamabad: UPDATE: Today, 03:37 PM -- Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) has been deployed over LM. It's circling overhead, they're doing recce mission, apparently.
What is UAV’s?
Aziz, a member of Parliament, is known as the "voice of the mujahideen" as he fought in Afghanistan.
There are definately high value al Qaeda and Taliban assets inside including Uzbeks, known to be favored by bin Laden for inner circle al Qaeda security.
Militants also shot at the legs of three girls who escaped. Militants have written wills saying that they would die rather than surrender, and that "martyrdom" would spark an Islamic revolution in extremism-hit Pakistan.
As if the Pakistani army & airforce do not have UAVs of their own.
Lal Masjid stand-off enters seventh day
**********************EXCERPT**********************
SLAMABAD: Uncertainty prevailed early Monday in Pakistan as hardline militants remained holed up for a seventh consecutive day in a besieged mosque.
Efforts to seek a negotiated solution continued, even as reports overnight of security forces shouting a "last warning" for the militants to surrender conflicted with official explanations that no time limit had been set for a final assault.
Pakistani security forces gave a last warning for surrender on megaphones late on Sunday, raising fears that the Red Mosque in Islamabad was about to be stormed.
An hour later, military spokesman Major General Waheed Arshad said, "I came to know about the possibility for an operation tonight only through media."
Intelligence officials scuffled with media people, who were forced to vacate their coverage at the local press club, 500 metres from the scene, in a move that further reinforced the impression that the final round of the conflict was approaching.
Parallel to these developments, meetings continued late Sunday between mediators, mainly religious scholars, and members of the government, concluding with a vow for more talks on Monday to find a solution that could avoid more bloodshed.
A delegation of Wafaq-ul-Madaras - an organization overseeing thousands of Islamic seminaries in the country - urged the president of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League party, Chaudhry Shujaat Hussein, to encourage flexibility by the government.
Shujaat conveyed the message to President Pervez Musharraf, who, Geo news channel said, summoned a high-level meeting Monday to further deliberate the issue.
The body of religious scholars, who had already condemned the activities of the Red Mosque militants, warned the government that the siege could lead to civil war.
"The overnight bombardment by the security forces was sheer brutality," a spokesman for the organization, Mufti Rafi Usmani, told Geo after the meeting.
The War Between Pakistan and its Ex-Proxies
July 09, 2007 02 29 GMT
********************EXCERPT*************************
After days of avoiding an all-out assault on the mosque/madrassa complex, Pakistani President Gen. Pervez Musharraf reportedly has issued orders to storm the Pakistani capital of Islamabad's Red Mosque. The government also has claimed that the Islamist militants holed up in the mosque include both wanted hard-core Pakistani jihadists as well as foreign fighters -- mostly Arabs -- affiliated with al Qaeda. The six-day security operation to dislodge Islamist militants from the Red Mosque thus appears to have entered a decisive stage.
Keep in mind....this is Pakistan..
The situation will probably end in one of 3 ways:
1. The Government will hold back until the enemy tunnels out and away. (Possible but not likely)
2. The Government will back off and offer a sweet deal if the enemy simply comes out and promises to play “nice nice”... (Most likely)
3. The Government will kill them all. (Least likely)
I hadn't heard of any UAVs being used from my sources - that would be stupid.
and one last thing... it has been a few days now - and now we are hearing all of a sudden that there are '8 top terrorists inside the mosque'
Sounds like misguided Pakistani Psyops to me - the cleric in a burka story is already busted - that is why Maulana Shah Abdul Aziz got thrown in jail.
If this whole thing wasn't so serious - it would almost be comical
I have two differant eyewitness reports of the UAV's, two differant times, one from a reporter and one from a blogger I have known for some time.
The intel on foreigners is very recent from electronic intercepts of cell phones, 75 SIM card phones were evesdropped before they were cut off. Now there is a report of Saudi's, Uzbeks, and a Chechen woman.
Other reports of nerve gas being readied to allow capture of militants.
Mushy flying in, UAV's, reporters banned, Paki Rangers onsite, I think an important op is underway.
This is so simple. Bomb and shell the place with some sort of “sleeping gas”. That wont kill anyone but will put everyone to sleep for several hours. Then they go in without a fight and separate the bad guys from the good guys, if there are any. Don’t tell me they don’t have bombs like that. If they don’t, why the hell don’t they.
Im aware of the interview - that evening he was taken into custody - not sure if he has been released yet - and yes he is with MMA (MNA) -
A few people got pissed at him for blowing the psyops on the cleric in the burka story
Maulana Abdul Aziz not Maulana Shah Abdul Aziz is Ghazi’s brother and the one arrested in a burqa. Two differant people with similar names.
Reports are that you are correct. The militants are holed up in the basement, an ideal place for gas.
Agreed -
it has been a few days now - and now we are hearing all of a sudden that there are '8 top terrorists inside the mosque'
If such is a Pak Gov orchestrated psyops.....you're correct it is terribly misguided - Now if this bit of information is true (and has leaked) it tied Mush hands even more - He can't allow them all to go free - (next question is, who leaked it then? One of our guys working on the inside (best option, thus means there is some type of HVT we want) or someone within the ISI (thus wanting to create the fire for a coup attempt with the sacrifice of those inside).
Update July 9 2007:
http://www.voanews.com/english/2007-07-09-voa6.cfm Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf has reportedly authorized a final assault on armed militants barricaded inside Islamabad’s Red Mosque
A quick thumbnail sketch of Pakistan
A Civil War No One Wants (Pakistan)
Strategypage ^ | 7/3/07
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1860193/posts
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)
Yup this sounds much better than "students"
I'll make the necessary changes right away. LOL
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