In one of those little ironies of history, Taliban types replicated the strategy of Mumbai, attacking Pakistan's military headquarters and seizing hostages to prolong the television coverage instead of just the one big car bomb tactic:
Militants held several security officers hostage inside an intelligence wing of the army headquarters Saturday after they and others attacked the complex in an audacious assault on Pakistan's most powerful institution.
The attack, which left at least 10 people dead, was the third major militant strike in Pakistan in a week and came as the government was planning an imminent offensive against Islamist militants in their strongholds in the rugged mountains along the border with Afghanistan.
It showed that the militants retain the ability to strike at the very heart of Pakistan's security apparatus despite recent military operations against their forces and the killing of Taliban leader Baitullah Mehsud in a CIA drone attack in August.
Supporting jihadis who kill Americans and Indians is creating blowback that could collapse the Pakistani government. When will Pakistan truly join the war on terror?