DAR AL ISLAM - PAKISTAN: MUSHARRAF'S HOLD IN PAKISTAN IS SLOWING DISAPPEARING, PAKISTANS NEW MOTTO?!? HAVE NUKES, TERRORISTS WILL HAVE THEM SOON !

Banned group in mosque standoff
Bruce Loudon, South Asia correspondent

PAKISTANI commandos preparing an assault on a Taliban stronghold mosque were dealt a major setback yesterday with claims that an al-Qa'ida-linked commander was inside, backed by heavily armed supporters.

Pakistan newspaper reports said Abdul Rauf, head of the lethal Jaish-e-Mohammad group closely allied to al-Qa'ida and responsible for the recent spate of suicide bombings seen across the country, had joined thousands of fundamentalist students in the Red Mosque and surrounding area in central Islamabad.

The students have laid siege to the country's capital and the beleaguered military Government led by President Pervez Musharraf.

They are demanding the rebuilding of mosques knocked down by the Government because they were illegally constructed, and the implementation of Taliban-style sharia law across Pakistan.
Analysts said the arrival of Rauf and his supporters added a new dimension to the crisis confronting General Musharraf as Jaish-e-Mohammad, one of South Asia's most ruthless Islamic groups, is known for suicide bombing campaigns.

Earlier this month, the head of the Red Mosque, Maulana Abdul Aziz, threatened suicide attacks if the Government tried to storm the area to end the uprising.

Jaish-e-Mohammad is banned in Pakistan and, according to The News newspaper, police in Rawalpindi intercepted a jeep last month in which Rauf was a passenger. Quoting "a highly credible official", The News claimed Rauf was subsequently released and was now in the Red Mosque.

If true, there seems little doubt his presence will add to General Musharraf's problems in dealing with the rebellion in the heart of his capital.

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1) Banned group in mosque standoff