MEDIA REACTION: INDIA/PAKISTAN RELATIONS, IRAQ,

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 NEW DELHI 003175 SIPDIS STATE FOR NP, AC, PM STATE FOR INR/MR STATE FOR SCA/INS, PM/CBM, PM/PRO STATE FOR SCA/PPD, PA/RRU STATE FOR AID/APRE-A USDOC FOR 4530/IEP/ANESA/OSA FOR BILL MURPHY E.O. 12958:N/A TAGS: KMDR KPAO PGOV PREL IN SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION: INDIA/PAKISTAN RELATIONS, IRAQ, WORLD ECONOMIC CRISIS, CLIMATE CHANGE AND ENVIRONMENT; NEW DELHI. 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." -------------- INDIA/PAKISTAN RELATIONS -------------- ¶1. "PAKISTAN'S STALEMATE" editorial in the December 17, 2008, Mumbai edition of centrist Marathi daily LOKMAT. "For the first time in recent history, the international community has taken strong open cognizance of the presence of terrorist outfits in Pakistan. In this context, the Mumbai terror attacks have been instrumental in stepping up pressure on Pakistani authorities to crack down on the militants allegedly responsible for the mayhem. India's foreign minister has left no stone unturned in providing evidence to the world about ISI's complicity in the Mumbai attack. Coupled with this shocking evidence is the mounting U.S. pressure on Pakistan - first in the form of Secretary of State Rice's visit and now senator Kerry's warning. British Prime Minister Gordon Brown has also held Pakistan responsible for the Mumbai attacks. In such a situation, Pakistan has lost its face, as can be seen in the conflicting and often confusing positions the country's prime minister and president are taking..." ¶2. "NEED TO PRESSURE PAKISTAN ON TRADE AND COMMERCE FRONT" editorial in the December 17, 2008 Mumbai-based right-of-center Gujarati daily MUMBAI SAMACHAR. "The way in which Pakistan has been responding and reacting to the recent acts of terrorism [in Mumbai], indicates that it is not taking this issue seriously enough. Considering this, India needs to up its ante on Pakistan on the diplomatic as well as on the trade and commerce front. There is a need to create business-trade lobby akin to weapons' lobby that can pressure nation-states that do not act against homegrown radicals.... Issuing warnings, demarches' to Pakistan is not going to serve any purposes. India should pressure nations like Germany, Australia and France that have multi trade-commerce cooperation treaties with Pakistan to impose trade sanctions on Pakistan if they intend to increase technical cooperation with India. Unless such strict commerce policies are adopted, it will be impossible to rein in the monster of terrorism emanating from Pakistan." -------------- IRAQ -------------- ¶3. "BUSH'S IRAQ POLICY," editorial in December 16 centrist DAINIK BHASKAR Hindi daily: "The incident of an Iraqi journalist throwing a shoe at U.S. President George Bush shows the resentment the Iraqi people feel toward NEW DELHI 00003175 002 OF 004 him. Innocent people are being killed every day in Iraq. And U.S. soldiers are also extremely disappointed to be unable to return home. In addition to many other failures, the Bush Administration has also failed to convince other nations to send their troops to Iraq. Bush stated that the Iraq war is not over and will continue. Just one day before his Iraq visit, U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said the Iraq mission is in its last phase. This created a hope for a change in U.S. Iraq policy, but Bush's recent statement clarified that nothing has changed. The U.S. has never been as unpopular as during Bush's rule. Since Barack Obama firmly criticized the Iraq invasion, he is expected to re-assess Bush's Iraq policy. This should help improve the U.S. image." ¶4. "EVEN SHOE-BEATING DOES NOT MATTER", editorial in December 16, 2008 right-of-center Urdu daily "INQUILAB", Mumbai: "The civilized world may condemn the act of Muntazir Zaidi, an Iraqi journalist, but in fact the people whose culture and civilization is being annihilated by America and its allies cannot retain their civilizational values for long. We have the feelings of an Arab trader, who said that Muntazir Zaidi did what our Arab leaders could not. This Arab trader did not want to say that Arab leaders should have welcomed their guest with shoes in their hands. What he wanted to say was, if America could have gather its allies against Iraq, why did Arab leaders not gather their allies? Another Iraqi said Muntazir's shoes mirror the people's sentiments. Had the leaders in contact with George W. Bush expressed the people's feelings and aspirations, this mishap would not have happened. Moreover, Muntazir's shoes also exposed George Bush's lie that everything is normal in Iraq. Had there been normalcy in Iraq, shoes would not have been hurled at him. And had there not been tight security, there would have been a rain of shoes on the American president." ¶5. "INSULT OF PRESIDENT BUSH: A WARNING?", editorial in December 16, 2008 right-of-center Urdu daily "MUNSIF" Hyderabad: "The worst sort of insult President George Bush faced in Baghdad, in his last days, is in fact the real reaction of the Iraqi people. It may also be termed a "Reward for his misdeeds." This insulting of Bush seems justified because he admitted recently that the invasion of Iraq was a mistake. Abusing Bush, the journalist hurled both of his shoes at the American President. Though the shoes missed their target, ush's repute was brought down to naught. The shoe-hurling incident is not just an expression of the Iraqi people's hatred of Bush; it is also a symbol of the hatred of millions of people throughout the length and breadth of the world. The President elect, Barack Obama, should learn a lesson from this. However, if America and its President do not change their behavior, a greater insult waits in store for any oppressive, hotheaded American President. And there is no way out." ¶6. "SHOE OF AN IRAQI JOURNALIST", editorial in December NEW DELHI 00003175 003 OF 004 16, 2008 right-of-center Urdu daily "HINDUSTAN EXPRESS", New Delhi: "Indeed Iraq is an oppressed state. A cheerful country is turned into a hell. Millions of people are massacred. Millions of children are dying for want of milk and medicine in Iraq facing the worst ever tragedy in the annals of history. And no need to explain that Bush and none other than Bush is responsible for this entire catastrophe. Recently he has admitted his sin of invading Iraq on false allegations. The hearts of Iraqi people are full of the fire of hatred against America and Bush. The indecorous deed of the Iraqi journalist is the expression of the same hatred and anger in which the whole of Iraq is burning. They found themselves helpless, otherwise they would banish each and every American from their land." ¶7. "ANGER AGAINST AMERICA," editorial in December 17 Guwahati Assamese left-of-center ASAMIYA PRATIDIN. "In fact, suicide bombers and gun-toting terrorists have killed more people in Iraq than have U.S. troops. Are all these innocent people killed... really pro-America? No matter how anti-American they are, the terrorists have committed heinous crimes against humanity, and they deserve to be condemned for this. Although the incident of an Iraqi journalist hurling his shoes at President Bush has made headlines across the world, one must not overlook the fact that the terrorists, by killing innocent people, have committed an offence no less atrocious than has the U.S." ¶8. "TOP PRIZE OF THE YEAR," editorial in the December 17 CPI (M) Organ GANASHAKTI Bengali daily, Kolkata. "The prize President Bush received during his last trip to Iraq will be considered as a lifetime achievement for him. Eeorge Bush received nothing but hatred from the peace-loving, democratic, and nationalist people of the world for setting a precedent of inhumanity, barbarism, and brutality across the globe during his eight year regime. Though the world hates Bush, there is still someone who loves him. The Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is one of those who loves this most hated person, and takes pride in publicly recognizing him as a dear friend. However, nobody has given Manmohan Singh the right to speak for his countrymen on this. Indians can never love Bush, who is a devotee of inhumanity and a symbol of cruelty. This is contrary to Indian heritage. Indians can never invite global hatred by befriending Bush. On the contrary, Indians want to become the friends of all peace-loving and democratic-minded people by condemning Bush." -------------- WORLD ECONOMIC CRISIS -------------- ¶9. "LIFE OF RECESSION," editorial in December 16 nationalist RASHTRIYA SAHARA Hindi daily: "The Wall Street Journal's latest economic-forecasting survey showed that the ongoing recession may turn out to be the longest and most painful downturn since the 1930s Great NEW DELHI 00003175 004 OF 004 Depression. The biggest concern is that the end of recession is not likely to mark the end of layoffs. So far 25 banks, including the 5 topmost American banks, have been bankrupted in the U.S. itself. One can imagine the global situation! Its impact is not just limited to the financial institutions, but it is affecting every sector of the economy. India's economic growth reaching 0.4% is a matter of serious concern. It will, certainly, have adverse effect on the economic position of the country. It is clear that the world may have yet to see the worst of the current crisis. It is very likely President-elect Barack Obama will come up with rescue packages to boost economic growth. But the long period of decline is sufficient to prove the seriousness of the present crisis." -------------- CLIMATE CHANGE AND ENVIRONMENT -------------- ¶10. "A YEAR OF FAILURES," editorial in December 17 independent Kolkata Bengali daily, ANANDABAZAR PATRIKA. "The UN Climate Change Summit at Poznan is an indicator of the failures of the year 2008 in the history of environmental awareness. The summit failed to effectively suggest which way the world should go when the Kyoto Protocol expires in 2012. The year 2008 could have been a milestone on the environmental issue, had every country at least sacrificed a little. The world is one and each and every country has equal responsibility to protect it. Unfortunately, this truth has not yet been recognized. How the year 2009 goes remains to be seen. The entire world will focus its attention on the incoming Obama Administration. Obama so far has been known to be an environmentalist. The fate of the world depends much on whether he remains committed to his resolve even after entering the White House, or steps into the shoes of his predecessors." MULFORD