Re: Lal Masjid Siege Thread (merged)
The reason we need to resolve it quickly is this…
Finland Closes Embassy In Islamabad
Published 09.07.2007, 17.20 (updated 09.07.2007, 18.21)
Finland has temporarily closed its embassy in Pakistan. According to the Finnish Foreign Ministry, the embassy has been closed because of the deteriorating security situation in the Pakistani capital.
The Finnish Embassy is located in the Pakistani capital Islamabad close to the compound of the Red Mosque which is being held by Islamist militants in defiance of government orders to surrender.
According to Finland’s Ambasador, Irmeli Mustonen, there are very few Finnish nationals in Pakistan and the Embassy does not beleive that those who are there are in any danger.
Holes have been blown in outer walls of the compound housing Islamabad’s Red Mosque, where the government says 200 to 500 followers of a rebel cleric’s Taliban-style movement are resisting the military. Pakistani government and military officials say there are 50 to 60 hard-core militants, some from groups linked to al Qaeda, leading the fighting, but most of the others are women and children.
There are fears that the siege could end in a bloodbath.
If we don’t. We will continue to get bad press from around the world.