This brutal act of supprerssion was earler seen in Chechnya and Iraq. Now Pak Government acted the same way.
General Mush should have learned from long term failures of Operation Blustar incident in India. After the same kind of act in 1984 India suffered long insurgency in Punjab.

Mr. Mentor, Calcutta, India

It is sad that so many died.But this should be a lesson to Pakistani dictators,that cultivating Islamic radicals,as Zia and Musharraf have done,cuts both ways.These are crazy people and will not respond rationally.But for short term gain,of trying to stay in power,these dictators have created a monster and dont know how to deal with them.They cannot live without them or live with them.Unfortunately all Pakistani dictators,including Musharraf have played this game they and Pakistan lost.But we in Pakistan not at learning lessons from history and we shall continue to repeat these mistakes.

zaman, hamden, CT USA

This whole episode is horrifying. I am a Muslim, a believer, and I find it unthinkable that Muslims can behave this way. Is this how mullahs desicrate our mosques, by storing weapons to fire on innocents who decide to have an alternate thinking to them?? Is this what these madrassas are for, to fight, not to impart love of God? To hell with these mullahs and their perverted thinking. Destroy the lot of them. No one will cry for those that have wllingly sought the death of women and children for their own vanity.

Anjum Hameed, Dubai, UAE

The Red Mosque was a hotbed of fanatical, fundamentalist clerics who were successfully inciting and organising terrorism. The Pakistani government had to make the choice between allowing matters to get even worse, or taking military action.

The situation in various Mosques in Britain is very similar to that in the Red Mosque. Extremist Islamic Clerics in Britain are also inciting terrorism. Surely there is a lesson here?

Is anything effective going to be done or are politicians just going to let matters drift to the point where the people elect a government that recognises the threat and is willing to use the army?

Herbert Thornton, Victoria, Canada

Just a simple question,how come the Govt was not aware of the amount of amunition in the lal mosque, and why it was allowed to use as a terrorist heaven.

Pakistan Govt did what they needed to do long time ago. I fully support Gen.Musharraf and steps he has taken in the last eight days, but still there are lot of unanswered questions.

Pakistanis are a nation without vocal cords, and they need to be upfront and vocal in denouncing terror in every shape form and shape

shahid syed, Milton Keynes, UK

All I've heard throughout this "horror show" is a barrage of condemnation of President Musharraf's tactics, and fears that the militants will become martyrs. Where is the Islamic voice of outrage against the radicals who held women and children as human shields?!!! Why is it that the only AUDIBLE voices heard from the Islamic communities are from those who sympathize with radical lunatics and mass murderers?!! If these men are viewed as martyrs by a percentage large enough to be worrisome, it is a sad and telling statement of a culture that has seemingly gone mad.

James Sullivan, Attleboro, Massachusetts/USA

The big picture here is that Pakistan never went after extremists like this when the US asked them. But when China said enough (because their citizens were attacked) Pakistan reacted almost immediately. This is a very sombre thought. Either US needs to aggresively push Pakistan (like China did) or use China to do it (by pushing China economically).
Also it should be noted that China themselves are much more repressive to Muslim minorities than any western country and the entire Muslim world is terrified of them. Maybe we could learn something from China.

Mick Pinto, Ottawa, Canada

I offer my condolences to those who lost loved ones, regardless of who they were. They are no longer answerable to us but to the Almightly for their actions. May they rest in peace.

Khurshid Zaman, St. Petersburg, Florida

Well done, lads, but please do not stop there. Every 'madrassa' must go. 'Students' armed with assault rifles? Come now.

Indra, Mumbai, India