MEDIA REACTION: INDIA/PAKISTAN RELATIONS IN WAKE

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E.O. 12958:N/A
TAGS: KMDR KPAO PGOV PREL IN
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION: INDIA/PAKISTAN RELATIONS IN WAKE
OF MUMBAI TERROR ATTACKS; NEW DELHI-DECEMBER 10, 2008.

This cable reports on relevant media reaction from
India's large non-English press. Embassy New Delhi
reports on English-language media via email in the daily
"Early Edition." USG customers please write to Geeta
Krishali (KrishaliG@state.gov) to subscribe to the "Early
Edition."

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INDIA/PAKISTAN RELATIONS IN WAKE
OF MUMBAI TERROR ATTACKS
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1. "THE ACTION AGAINST LASHKAR-E-TOIBA," editorial in the
December 9, 2008, Mumbai edition of left-of-center
Marathi daily MAHARASHTRA TIMES. "Pakistani President
Asif Ali Zardari who until recently maintained that
Pakistan had no connection with the Mumbai terror
attacks, has suddenly woken up to the need to take
express action against terrorists who could have
masterminded the Mumbai attacks. The arrest of Zaki-ur-
Rehman-Lakhvi and eight other suspects in Pakistan-
occupied Kashmir therefore denotes the mounting U.S.
pressure on Pakistan to take action against terrorist
operatives over there. In a way, Zardari has now admitted
to Pakistani complicity in the attack. Of course this
time mere arrests will not serve the purpose. He has to
destroy the entire terrorist network... The silver lining
to the entire episode is only the fact that international
pressure is building up on Pakistan and other countries
also perceive the Mumbai terror attacks as part of the
global war against terrorism. U.S. Secretary of State
Condoleezza Rice did not just visit Pakistan after the
attack but she went to the extent of providing a list of
Pakistani suspects (including the former ISI Chief) who
should be detained. The U.S. knows that although there is
strong evidence of Pakistani complicity in many terror
attacks in India, it will not be advisable to take on the
Pakistani army and intelligence machinery at this
juncture. So it has wisely decided to pit the Pakistani
establishment against the terrorists..."


2. "INDIA VALIDATED," editorial in the December 10, 2008,
Mumbai edition of centrist Marathi daily LOKMAT.
"Pakistan's action against LeT commander and the house
arrest of the Jaish-e-Mohammed chief are a result of the
mounting international pressure on Pakistan. Not just the
U.S. and India, but even European countries are now
pressuring Pakistan to do what it needs to do, and to do
what India has been asking it to do for many years. The
Jaish head, who has now been captured, has always been a
notorious figure. His nexus with Osama bin Laden is known
to the world, but Pakistan government did not ever feel
that need to take action against him in the past.... Going
by the ongoing interrogation of the arrested terrorists
in Mumbai, the role played by Pakistan-based terrorists
in the Mumbai attacks is more than clear. India and the
U.S. is also well aware of the connections between these
Jehadi groups and the Pakistani intelligence ag%ncies.
The need is therefore to retain the pressure on
Pakistan..."


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3. "IMPORTANCE OF U.S. STAND," editorial in the December
10 Guwahati Assamese left-of-center ASAMIYA PRATIDIN: "...
It is important that India examines America's current
stand carefully... particularly, at this critical juncture
when George Bush is about to leave, and Obama to take the
office. Bush's last minute efforts to transform failures
into success and Obama's commitment to salvage the
country from war and economic recession will determine
U.S. position ... AMERICA wants to end the wars and
eliminate Bin Laden's Al-Qaeda for all time. So, it
wants Pakistan's elected government to stop supporting
the Taliban and the Al-Qaeda and join hands with the
other U.S. ally, India to defeat them ... As a last weapon
the U.S. may even issue a threat to declare Pakistan a
'terrorist country' to achieve its goal ... Should the U.S.
designate Pakistan as a terrorist country India must take
the lesson to prepare its own strategies and policies,
and take necessary action to implement them."


4. "BOWING DOWN TO PRESSURE," editorial in the December
10 left-of-center Kolkata Bengali daily, SAMBAD PRATIDIN:
"The way Pakistan acted even before the end of the
American deadline makes it clear that Pakistan is not in
a position now to ignore international opinion. It now
needs to be watched what action Pakistan takes against
Lakvi and Masood Azhar. Gone are days of protecting
Pakistan under the wings of the White House. Indian
diplomacy deserves commendation for cornering Pakistan to
such an extent. Let us wait for some more time to see
whether Pakistan ultimately yields to Indian pressure.
For, Pakistan has to survive!"


5. "TERRORIST AND PAKISTAN," editorial-page article in
the December 9 independent Kolkata Bengali daily,
ANANDABAZAR PATRIKA by ultra Leftist columnist Asim
Chattopadhyay: "Now, Condoleezza Rice is arguing for us!
The FBI has embarked on wielding its stick on our
security mechanism. The political leaders who have
brought our country to such a stage should note that the
more their American courtship deepens, the more terrorist
attacks will become inevitable in our country. The Mumbai
massacre bears that distant thunder for us. No doubt, the
terror attacks in Mumbai cannot be supported by any
logic. However, the onus of it does not lie merely with
terrorists or with Pakistan. The political power led by
Sonia Gandhi and Manmohan Singh that has turned our
country today into a replica of an American satellite
will certainly have to answer to the masses. It is a
matter of concern that other political parties are
keeping mum on this. Especially, the Leftists' silence is
quite surprising."


6. "PRESSURE INCREASING ON PAKISTAN," editorial in the
December 8 DAINIK BHASKAR Hindi daily: "The news that
Pakistan has agreed to act against the Lashkar-e-Toiba
within 48 hours is important. It is noteworthy that U.S.
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has clearly said that
the U.S. has irrefutable evidences against Pakistan-based
LeT's involvement in the Mumbai terror attacks and if
Pakistan does not crackdown on it, the U.S. could do it.
The Indian and U.S. investigators found out that the

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Lashkar-e-Toiba leader Yusuf Mujammal played a main role
in the Mumbai attacks. The Bush administration's attitude
has been different towards the attacks on the U.S. and on
other countries. This created suspicion against U.S. and
its ally nations' commitment to the war against
terrorism. The U.S. should not only force Pakistan to
take immediate action against the perpetrators of the
Mumbai-terror strikes shedding double standards against
terrorism, but it should also understand India's pain and
fully cooperate with it."

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INDIA-RUSSIA RELATIONS
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7. "WITH RUSSIA," editorial in the December 8 RASHTRIYA
SAHARA Hindi daily: "Under the new India-Russia agreement
four new nuclear energy reactors will be built in
Kudankulam in South India. Russia also assured the life-
time fuel-supply to them. This has started a new phase in
the nuclear cooperation. After France and U.S., Russia is
the third country to sign a nuclear pact with India, but
it has become the first country to implement it. Let us
see how far the nuclear cooperation with Russia goes in
the new scenario because now India is not bound to stick
to just one country. Russia will have to compete with
other countries like the U.S. But, given the background
the chances are bright. It is also strengthened by the
ten more agreements in the defense, space exploration,
tourism and the excavation sectors... Falling petroleum
price has affected Russia's financial status. It has
realized that technology and energy will be the basis of
its economic strength and in the new world scenario and
Asia's main power, India, will be its major buyer."
MULFORD