SPECIAL REPORT: MEDIA COVERAGE OF SECRETARY

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 NEW DELHI 003068

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E.O. 12958:N/A
TAGS: KMDR KPAO PGOV PREL IN
SUBJECT: SPECIAL REPORT: MEDIA COVERAGE OF SECRETARY
RICEQS VISIT TO INDIA, PAKISTAN (CONTINUED)


1. SUMMARY: For the second day today, the focus of the
Indian media stayed on Secretary RiceQs South Asia visit.
Her visit to Islamabad and her meetings with the
Pakistani leadership received extensive play in the print
and electronic media. The mediaQs interpretation of the
outcome of her India-Pakistan visits was predictable, at
places in tune with their political affiliations. With
notable exceptions, the majority opinion is that
Secretary RiceQs visit was helpful, timely and
substantive. End summary.

-- QRICE ASKS PAK TO BAN LET FRONT JAMAAT-UL-DWA


2. THE TIMES OF INDIA reported that the U.S. leadership
has asked Pakistan to immediately ban Jamaat-ud-Dawa, the
renamed political wing of Lashkar-e-Taiba, and take
action against Hafiz Mohammed Saeed, the head of the
organization. This would count as an immediate
QdeliverableQ by Pakistan following the Mumbai attack,
the paper said.


3. THE TIMES OF INDIA reported that Secretary made this
demand during her meeting with President Zardari in light
of the Qincontrovertible evidence of ISIQs complicity
shown to her by India. The message was also conveyed by
the chairman joint chief of staff, Admiral Mike Mullen
when he met Pakistan army chief Ashfaq Kayani on
Wednesday, the paper said.

-- QRICE PUTS PAKISTAN ON NOTICE


4. Most media outlets published the Press Trust of India
(PTI) wire agencyQs account of the SecretaryQs Islamabad
visit. The report said in a blunt message to Pakistan,
the U.S. on Thursday asked it to investigate the
QcircumstancesQ under which Mumbai terror attacks were
carried out and take the responsibility of dealing with
non-state actors operating from its territory.


5. Secretary Rice, who held talks with President Zardari
and PM Yousuf Gilani, said Pakistan must provide Qrobust
and QeffectiveQ cooperation to India in bringing the
perpetrators of the Mumbai terror strikes to justice.

QWe talked at length about the importance of Pakistan
taking its responsibility to deal with those who may use
Pakistan territory even if they are non-state actors,
PTI quoted the Secretary as saying at a press conference
in Islamabad after her meetings with the Pakistani
leadership.


6. A few newspapers displayed their skepticism about the
SecretaryQs Islamabad visit by running the same PTI
report with a different introductory paragraph and
headline. In its version of the report headlined QRice
changes Tune in Islamabad,Q the pro-BJP PIONEER daily
said appearing to change her tune after tough talk on the
Mumbai attacks, the Secretary said Pakistan Qunderstands
its responsibilitiesQ to respond to terrorism wherever it
exists. The normally pro-U.S. INDIAN EXPRESS daily also
agreed with THE PIONEER, saying in their headline that
the Secretary had Qlowered her pitchQ in Islamabad.

NEW DELHI 00003068 002 OF 004



-- QZARDARI PROMISES ACTION


7. THE HINDUQs Islamabad correspondent Nirupama
Subramanian reported that President Zardari promised
QstrongQ action against any Pakistani elements found
involved in the Mumbai attacks after meeting with
Secretary Rice who asked the government here to act with
QurgencyQ to bring the perpetrators to book.

-- QAFTER RICE VISIT, MULLEN CALLS ON TOP OFFICIALS


8. THE INDIAN EXPRESS reported that Qafter a high-profile
visit by US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice,Q the
Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Mike
Mullen, came to New Delhi and met top military leaders in
the country and reiterated America's commitment to combat
terrorism in the region. EXPRESS and several other media
outlets reported that Admiral Mullen met senior Indian
civilian and military leaders, including Defense Minister
A K Antony, National Security Advisor M K Narayanan and
Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Sureesh Mehta.

-- QRICE AVOIDS MAURYA, STAYS IN EMBASSY


9. THE INDIAN EXPRESS reported that during her New Delhi
visit, Secretary Rice stayed at the AmbassadorQs
residence Roosevelt House and not at the luxurious Maurya
Sheraton hotel where she would normally stay during her
visits. In view of the heightened security threat
perception, Rice was asked to stay in the Roosevelt
House, which is inside the secure environs of the US
Embassy, the paper noted.

-- QINDIA HAS PROOF ISI TRAINED MUMBAI ATTACKERS


10. Sources have told the leading NDTV news channel that
India has proof that the Pakistan intelligence agency ISI
masterminded the Mumbai attack. Sources said India has
specific evidence on the ISI's role -- the names of the
ISI trainers and the names of the places where the
terrorists were trained. Similar stories appeared in
several leading newspapers too.


11. Officials told THE HINDU that while India has proof
of the involvement of ISI, it will not level a public
accusation because the ensuing tension in bilateral
relations would play into the hands of those responsible
for the incidents. The sources said India did not believe
the civilian government in Pakistan was involved in the
incidents. Asked about the Pakistani Army chiefQs
potential role, they told THE HINDU it would be
surprising if the ISI were able to operate without the
military leadershipQs knowledge.

-- MIXED EDITORIAL COMMENTARY


12. Editorial commentary on the SecretaryQs visit was
mixed. THE TIMES OF INDIA said the Secretary Qsent out a
strong message to PakistanQ during her visit. THE INDIAN
EXPRESS welcomed the SecretaryQs call for restraint, but
wondered for how long India can hold on. THE MAIL TODAY,

NEW DELHI 00003068 003 OF 004


for the second day, took a cynical view of the visit,
saying Secretary Rice Qseemed to have done or said
precious little.Q The pro-BJP PIONEER said the US advises
restraint, which it does not practice when American
interests are at stake. Following are some block quotes
from latest editorial commentary (see Media Reaction
Report for the complete range of commentary in the
English and language press today):


13. QFIGHT IT DIFFERENTLY,Q editorial in THE TIMES OF
INDIA English daily: QU.S. secretary of state Condoleezza
Rice sent a strong message to Pakistan during her visit
to New Delhi and Islamabad. Despite a chorus of voices
demanding Indian military action against Pakistan, such a
course of action, at this point, is not advisable. It is
likely that the Pakistani civilian government had little
to do with the Mumbai attacks. But there is strong
evidence to suspect that elements within the Pakistani
army and the ISI were involved in planning the attack.
The best way forward would be to build an international
coalition, led by the US, to help Pakistan tackle
terrorist groups within its border.


14. QALLYQS ALLY?Q editorial in THE INDIAN EXPRESS
English daily: QUS Secretary of State Condoleezza RiceQs
objectives in New Delhi were to express solidarity with
the Indian people after the Mumbai aggression and buy
time to prevent an escalation of the gathering tension
with Pakistan into a military conflict. India is
obviously thankful for the first and rightly circumspect
on the second. Rice is urging New Delhi to maintain its
current restraint to avoid unintended consequences from a
potential retaliation. Rice wants India to allow some
space for international diplomacy before it exercises its
uncontested right to retaliate If Washington has found
it so difficult to get the Pakistan army to crack down on
the Taliban and Al-Qaeda on its western borders, there is
little reason for India to believe that Rice and Mullen
can get the ISI to change its colors on India.
Nevertheless, it is in IndiaQs own interest to give some
time and space for US diplomatic efforts in Pakistan.


15. QA RE-ENACTMENT OF THE SAME DRAMA,Q editorial in MAIL
TODAY English daily: QIf past experience is anything to
go by, a cynical view can be taken of the diplomatic
exchanges involving India, Pakistan and the United States
in the aftermath of the horrific Mumbai attacks. Steps
like India issuing a demarche to Pakistan demanding that
Pakistan act against the perpetrators of the mayhem and
the US sending across high- level officials to assure
India of its cooperation in pressuring Pakistan to take
action against such elements are all measures we have had
a taste of in the past. These, unfortunately, have
delivered little in terms of a lasting change in the
situation on the ground. US Secretary of State
Condoleezza RiceQs visit to New Delhi on Wednesday seemed
a re- enactment of this old script. Besides mouthing
platitudes and conveying to India that the US will talk
tough with Pakistan, she seemed to have done or said
precious little.


16. QTELL THE WORLD THE TRUTH; PUNISH PAKISTANQ editorial

NEW DELHI 00003068 004 OF 004


in pro-BJP THE PIONEER: QThereQs something nauseating
about the manner in which the UPA Government has been
petitioning the Government of Pakistan in the hope that
Islamabad will do for New Delhi what the latter should do
for India. Zardari, after all, has to maintain
tradition; much as he may wish to, he cannot entirely
disassociate himself from the political legacy he has
inherited. It is no secret that when push comes to
shove, the US will advise QrestraintQ, which, of course,
it does not practice when American interests are at
stake. Then why plod along a path that leads to nowhere?
MULFORD