Radical Pakistani Mosque Kidnaps Policemen

In the middle of Pakistan's capital city, Islamabad, the Lal Masjid (Red Mosque) has been in the news in recent months for its "morality drive," in which they threatened owners of video shops and barbers who offered beard trims, amongst other targets. Now the radicalized coed students at the Red Mosque have kidnapped a number of Pakistani policemen and are holding them inside the holy structure, demanding the release of several students in government custody.

The Red Mosque is now surrounded by thousands of other policemen, but general (now "president") Musharraf has ruled out the use of force. In reality, he has little choice-- the Red Mosque represents the strength of radical Islam in his country and openly attacking that institution will only increase the number of extremist attempts on his life.

Pakistan's northwest border with Afghanistan is largely out of the central government's control as well, and elements of groups similar to the Taleban have set up harsh forms of Islam in those regions, in some cases bombing music cassette stores.

Musharraf has also faced extreme criticism from Pakistan's secular world, after dismissing a Supreme Court high judge who was critical of his administration's policies and storming and shutting down several TV stations airing programs about police and citizen clashes. The general needs legal sanction to continue as both commander-in-chief of the armed forces and the country's president, a position he took by military coup in 1999.

With the twin forces of Islamism and secularism scissoring Musharraf, is this the death knell for the general?