Pakistan's "Pentagon" attacked

It's frightening that a group of Taliban gunmen could attack Pakistan's military headquarters and hold out against government forces for nearly a day. It makes you wonder about the safety of Pakistan's nuclear weapons facilities.

American military officials, some of whom were glued to Pakistani television as the events unfolded, said they were astonished that the militants could penetrate the high-security installation to the extent that they did. Even if the military brings the situation under control, said one official, speaking on condition of anonymity, the siege represents “a major security lapse....”

The daring attack on the headquarters, the most sensitive area in Pakistan which serves as the Pakistani equivalent of the Pentagon, came after the new leader of the Pakistani Taliban, Hakimullah Mehsud, warned that the army had become the militants’ main target.