MEDIA REACTION: INDIA/PAKISTAN RELATIONS, IRAQ,

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 NEW DELHI 003181

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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,
TERRORISM, GLOBAL FINANCIAL CRISIS; 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."

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INDIA/PAKISTAN RELATIONS
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1. "LETS RID OURSELVES OF THE FEAR PSYCHOSIS OVER
PAKISTAN'S NUCLEAR ARMS" op-ed article by retired air
marshal P L Purohit in the December 18, 2008, Mumbai
edition of centrist Marathi daily SAKAAL. "Pakistan is
acting under international pressure as of now. But once
the pressure recedes, the notorious neighbor is bound to
go back to its treacherous ways leaving very little scope
of action for India. To guard India against such a
situation, our rulers should start thinking of various
long-term options to deal with Pakistan. India can choose
a variety of options, the most obvious being snapping
diplomatic and trade ties with Pakistan. But this option
does not work with Pakistan. An economic blockade of
Pakistan would have worked if Pakistan had been dependent
on India.... So we are left with the option of military
action against Pakistan. Of course a superpower like the
U.S. will not support this military option because it
does not serve U.S. geo-political interests. But the
point is why should India fall prey to the fear
(systematically instilled by the U.S.) of Pakistani
nuclear arms? It is true that India will have to bear the
brunt if Pakistan uses nuclear weapons against India. But
Pakistan will also suffer a worse retaliatory attack. And
this fear of retaliation will make Pakistan think thrice
(if not more) before using nuclear arms..."


2. "PAKISTAN'S DILEMMA" editorial in December 18 Guwahati
Assamese left-of-center AJIR ASOM. "...Apparently,
Pakistan's army chief Kiyani did not like Prime Minister
Gilani's sympathetic and supportive attitude towards
India, and subsequent developments reflected this...
Pakistan's current overtures clearly show how much power
the army wields over its politics and system... Although
Pakistan, under tremendous U.S. pressure, took certain
steps against terrorist outfits, India considered it a
mere face-saving strategy... Now, the question is how long
will India keep its patience in view of Pakistan's
defiant and non-cooperative stand? On the other hand, it
is also doubtful whether the army's interference will
allow Zardari and Gilani to do their job without risking
their position..."


3. "THE MOTIVE OF THE MUMBAI ATTACK AND THE ILLUSION OF
WORLD VICTORY," commentary in the December 17 influential
Kolkata bimonthly DESH by senior editor Sumit Mitra. "It
is hard to say which act of the internal power play is
being staged at this moment in Pakistan. However, the
Pakistani Army no doubt wants to send out a strong signal
to President-elect Barack Obama through the Lashkar-e-
Toiba by organizing such an abominable massacre in

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Mumbai. The suggestion is clear: Let Washington refrain
from exerting diplomatic pressure on Pakistan to
establish a democratic regime in the country. The Army
wants to run the government from the cantonment or they
will exploit a puppet government at their will. They want
America to stop providing support to India. They caution
the U.S. Government from operationalizing the civilian
nuclear deal with India and want the Americans quit
Afghanistan along with the Karzai government. In return
they may shut al-Qaeda's anti-American operations. A
secret brotherhood of the Pakistani Generals has shown
just a snippet of probable consequences if the incoming
Obama Administration does not yield to their pressure...
Unbridled power seems to have infiltrated not only into
Pakistan's societal existence but also into every pore of
the country's army and the government."

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IRAQ
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4. "AL-ZAIDI HAS DONE WRONG BY THROWING SHOES," analysis
in the December 18 Bengali daily, SAMBAD PRATIDIN by
Associate Editor Kunal Ghosh. "Probably this is a
sensitive issue. Still it is better to call spade a
spade. The Iraqi television journalist Muntader al-Zaidi
did not do a right thing by throwing shoes at President
Bush, rather he has committed wrong. Nothing could be
said had Zaidi been an ordinary citizen and his deeds
reflected the attitude of the Iraqi sentiment. In that
case we could have encouraged interpretation of Iraqi
people's anger by analyzing what Zaidi had said while
tossing his shoes to Bush. For, what Bush has committed
in the name of combating terrorism cannot be supported.
The way countless people died or wounded and hundreds of
thousands of families have been ruined in Iraq or in
Afghanistan is unpardonable. Still in my opinion, Zaidi
was not justified. Since Zaidi is a journalist he has
committed a sin by throwing shoes. Zaidi got an entry to
the press conference by virtue of his professional
identity. Journalists gain access to different important
places and can rub their shoulders with VVIPs so they can
suitably discharge their professional duties. That does
not mean that they will personally attack someone or
dishonor somebody and will let their uncontrolled emotion
overflow by exploiting the opportunity. It is a crime if
any journalist hits someone at a press conference even
with a pen instead of with a pair of shoes. I cannot
bestow heroism on Zaidi. I would rather say that each and
every journalist across the globe should be
professionally ashamed of what Zaidi has done. They
should become more cautious. Because of such deeds the
state power gets an opportunity to wield its control over
the media more ferociously."

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TERRORISM
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5. "TWO STEPS AGAINST TERRORISM," editorial in December
17 DAINIK JAGRAN Hindi daily: "The Indian government has

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finally introduced bills to create a federal agency to
combat terror and to strengthen the existing Unlawful
Activities (Prevention) Amendment Act. But is it enough
to pass bills? Do we have the political will to fight
terrorism? Terrorism can be checked only if the NIA
works. Similarly, the anti-terror law would be effective
when it really discourages the anti-national elements. It
is more important to implement these laws correctly and
carefully. A firm political will, which the government
lacks, is required for this... These steps taken by the
government against terrorism could also be false because
its priority is to win election. Despite the Mumbai
massacre, the working ethics of our policymakers has not
yet changed as it should have. So, this has raised doubts
about their intentions."


6. "AT LEAST NOW U.S. ATTITUDE SHOULD CHANGE," op-ed
article in December 17 DAINIK BHASKAR Hindi daily by
strategic affairs specialist Brahma Chellaney: "The
recent Mumbai terrorist assaults underline the imperative
for a major change in U.S. policy on Pakistan- a shift
that holds the key to the successful outcome of both the
war in Afghanistan and the wider international fight
against transnational terror.... Without balanced civil-
military relations Pakistan will neither become a normal
state nor cease to be a "Terroristan" for international
security. Despite the continued U.S. aid Pakistan gives
shelter to the world's most wanted terrorists. Further
aid should be linked to definitive measures by Pakistan
to sever institutional support to extremism. Only when
the institutional support for terrorism is irrevocably
cut off will the sanctuaries for training, command,
control, and supply begin to wither away. Unless the US
reverses course on Pakistan, it will begin losing the war
in Afghanistan. Before the chickens come home to roost,
the U.S. pampering of the Pakistani military has to end."


7. "TERRORISM AND LEGISLATION", editorial in December 17,
2008 right-of-center Urdu daily "SIASAT", Hyderabad:
"Some organizations active in the country are making all
out efforts to dissuade the government from playing a
proactive role in waging war against terrorism. People's
recent experiences show that terrorism, ignoring the
supremacy of law, trampled human rights and massacred
guileless, innocent citizens. These terrorists are
already a challenge for international law agencies. They,
through the acts of some organizations, are trying to
pitch different peoples and nations against each other so
that dread and alarm may occur everywhere."


8. "FEEBLE LAWS" editorial in the December 18, 2008
multi-edition right-of-center Gujarati daily GUJARAT
SAMACHAR. "....the Indian political class seems to have
come out of their hibernation, as is evident from the
constitution of a National (Federal) Investigating Agency
and making amendments to the existing Unlawful Activities
Prevention Act (UAPA) to meet the challenges of
terrorism. However, what the government doesn't seem to
comprehend is the fact that such agencies will prove to
be inadequate and ill-equipped if they are not
supplemented by tougher laws to deal with terrorists who

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carry out acts of terror with hand-held grenades and AK
47 guns. A law should be such that anyone who dares to
violate it assumes that she/he will not be spared. It is
good to know that government has become vigilant after
the Mumbai terror attacks but it shouldn't forget that
the people of this nation have now become more
vigilant!... India is a 'soft' target for terrorists
because they know the laws here are feeble and
toothless. Terrorism can be crushed not by simple laws
but by stringent laws."

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GLOBAL FINANCIAL CRISIS
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9. "AN IMPENDING DANGER", editorial in December 16, 2008
right-of-center Islamist bi-weekly "DAWAT", New Delhi:
"The global financial crisis, which engulfed America, is
getting wider day by day. A large part of Europe feels
that the present economic system prevalent throughout the
length and breadth of the world is forced upon it by
America and Britain. It was envisaged to get rid of the
market recession of 1930. It was reframed in 1944. The
aforesaid feeling is not restricted to Europe only. The
emerging economics too feel that the present global
financial system is based on immoderation and injustice.
Injustice is inherent in it. In this system, the only
ones taken care of are those who envisaged the system. No
care has been taken for others. It seems that efforts are
being made to create a particular type of situation in
the world. The Iraq drama is one of its glaring examples.
The Afghanistan drama was staged for the same objectives.
Now, it seems that another drama is in the offing so that
fresh blood may be supplied to the market economy. It is
really a great danger."
MULFORD