Islamists mark anniversary of Pakistan's crackdown on radical mosque

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
Thousands of Islamists are observing the one-year anniversary of a deadly military crackdown on the radical Red Mosque in Pakistan's capital. More than 2,000 people have gathered on a tree-lined street outside the mosque known as the "Lal Masjid" for a conference Sunday. Attendees, including clerics and Islamist students, chanted "God is great!" and waved their fists. Police have manned roadblocks nearby and traffic has been diverted. Clashes between security forces and armed militants left at least 102 people dead last July. The crackdown followed a months-long anti-vice campaign by the mosque's leaders who wanted to impose Islamic law. Lingering questions about how many people died have damaged the government's image.