PAKISTAN MEDIA REACTION: June 03, 2009

UNCLAS ISLAMABAD 001213

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KMDR KPAO OIIP OPRC PGOV PREL PK
SUBJECT: PAKISTAN MEDIA REACTION: June 03, 2009

Summary: Reports on the release of defunct Jamaatud Daawa's chief
Hafiz Saeed on a Lahore High Court order dominated front pages on
Wednesday. All newspapers also highlighted reports that the "armed
forces rescued 71 Cadet College Razmak students" who were kidnapped
by Taliban Monday evening. Several major dailies reported that
"Secretary Clinton hailed Pakistan's resolve" for taking on Taliban
militants in Swat valley. U.S. Embassy's advice to American
citizens "not to visit Peshawar" in the wake of repeated terrorist
attacks in the provincial capital received prominent display. Also
reported on front pages was news that the "security forces faced
stiff resistance as they battled the Taliban militants for the
control of Charbagh in Swat."

Several major dailies ran critical editorials on the abduction of
dozens of students by the Taliban militants. Commenting on the
episode the centrist national daily "The News," observed that the
"most recent terrorist outrage, targeting students who were in many
cases mere children, underscores why this war must be won." The
prestigious English daily, "Dawn," opined that the incident "is
another graphic reminder that the good Taliban/bad Taliban
distinction is a failed policy, but one which the state continues to
pursue." Whereas the center-right Urdu daily "Pakistan," wrote:
"The kidnapping of the students had unified the nation against the
Taliban." End Summary.

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News Stories
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"LHC Orders Release Of Hafiz Saeed" "Dawn" (06/03)

"The Lahore High Court ordered on Tuesday the release of Jamaatud
Dawa chief Hafiz Mohammad Saeed and said there was no sufficient
ground to detain and link him to the Mumbai attacks."

"Hafiz Saeed Says He Is Against Suicide Attacks" "Dawn" (06/03)

"Chief of the banned Jamaatud Dawa, Hafiz Mohammad Saeed, and his
close aide Colonel (retd) Nazir Ahmed were released from house
arrest on Tuesday on Lahore High Court orders. Talking to newsmen
after his release, Hafiz Saeed opposed suicide attacks and said he
considered it his responsibility to persuade all elements fighting
within Pakistan that maintaining peace was necessary."

"India 'Unhappy' Over Release" "The News" (06/03)

"The Indian government voiced its unhappiness on Tuesday over a
Lahore High Court decision to release Jamaatud Dawa chief Hafiz
Mohammad Saeed who, India says, was linked to last year's Mumbai
siege. 'We are unhappy that Pakistan has not shown the degree of
seriousness and commitment it should have to bring to justice the
perpetrators of the Mumbai attacks,' Indian Home Minister P
Chidambaram told reporters."

"India Asked To Refrain From Commenting On Court Decisions" "Dawn"
(06/03)

"Pakistan urged India on Tuesday to refrain from commenting on court
decisions and questioning its sincerity about action against
terrorist outfits. 'Polemics and unfounded insinuations cannot
advance the cause of justice in civilized societies. Legal processes
cannot and must not be interfered with," said Foreign Office
Spokesman Abdul Basit while commenting on Indian External Affairs
Ministry's criticism of the release of Jamaatud Dawa chief Hafiz
Mohammad Saeed."

"Forces Rescue 71 Kidnapped Students" "The News" (06/03)

"The law-enforcement agencies on Tuesday recovered 71 out of a total
122 students of the Cadet College Razmak, who had been kidnapped by
the Taliban from Bakakhel area of Frontier Region Bannu on Monday
evening. There were conflicting reports about the students recovered
from the Taliban's captivity and those still missing. Well-placed
sources said 43 students and five teachers were still missing and
are believed to have been shifted to the distant mountains of the
Taliban's stronghold in Ladha, South Waziristan Agency."

"Clinton Hails Pakistan's Resolve" "Daily Times" (06/03)

"US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Monday said she was
impressed by the Pakistan Army's assault on the Taliban in the Swat
valley."

"U.S. Nationals Get Travel Warning For Peshawar" "The News" (06/03)

"American nationals were warned on Tuesday against traveling to
Peshawar due to security threats as police beefed up security after
intelligence reports claimed that four suicide bombers had been
tasked to hit targets in the city. 'American officials and citizens
associated with different organizations were directed by the US
Embassy in Islamabad not to travel to and from Peshawar for the next
24 hours in response to a security threat,' an official said. The
announcement came a day before the arrival of Special U.S. Envoy
Richard Holbrooke in Islamabad."

"Taliban Fight Back In Charbagh" "The News" (06/03)

"Security forces faced stiff resistance as they battled the Taliban
militants for the control of Charbagh in Swat Valley, suffering
three casualties and killing 21 militants during the last 24 hours,
the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said on Tuesday."

"U.S. Rejects Complaint About Aid Delivery" "Dawn" (06/03)

"U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has rejected President Asif
Ali Zardari's complaint that the United States has not delivered on
its promises to help Pakistan deal with the aftermath of the Swat
operation. 'I certainly understand the anxiety of anyone in
Pakistan; they have taken on this really important challenge of
trying to take on the Taliban, but we've been providing aid,' she
said. 'We already disbursed $110 million for the displaced people.
We've got that out very quickly."

"U.S. Seeks Effective Operation In Fata" "Dawn" (06/03)

"A U.S. general chosen to lead American and international forces in
Afghanistan told a congressional hearing on Tuesday that effective
military operations were key to disrupting and dismantling the safe
havens of Taliban and Al Qaeda in Pakistan's restive tribal areas.
At his confirmation hearing, Lt-Gen Stanley McChrystal told the
Senate Armed Services Committee he did not believe the prospects for
both cleaving Al Qaeda from the Taliban and for reincorporating the
Taliban into the Afghan government were very bright."

"Zawahri Says Bloody Swat Obama's Gift To Muslims" "Daily Times"
(06/03)

"Al Qaeda's second-in-command urged Egyptians to reject a visit by
U.S. President Barack Obama to Egypt during which he plans to
deliver a message to Muslims. Ayman Al-Zawahri, an Egyptian militant
leader, described Obama as a 'criminal' and said his messages to
Muslims had already been received (through) ... a bloody campaign
against Muslims in Swat."

"President Urges Philanthropists To Adopt Conflict-Hit Villages In
Swat" "Daily Times" (06/03)

"President Asif Zardari on Tuesday urged the business community,
industrialists and philanthropists to adopt and reconstruct
conflict-stricken villages of Swat."

"21 Terrorists Killed, 18 Captured: ISPR" "Dawn" (06/03)

"Security forces claimed on Tuesday to have killed another 21
terrorists and captured 18 in various areas of Swat. According to
official figures, three soldiers laid down their lives and six
others were injured."

"Two Killed, Four NATO Trucks Burnt In Chaman" "The News" (06/03)

"Dozens of unidentified armed men gunned down a police man and
security guard of NATO supply terminal before setting on fire four
trailers loaded with supplies for NATO forces in Afghanistan during
the wee hours on Tuesday morning here, police said."

"Three Schools Blown Up In Mohmand" "The News" (06/03)

"Three more government schools were blown up in the militancy-hit
Mohmand Agency late on Monday night by suspected militants, who
planted explosive devices and blew them up."

"Sikhs & Others Sccumb To Militants Jazia Demand" "The News"
(06/03)

"The non-Muslim communities including Sikhs, Hindus and Christians
living in Khyber Agency have agreed to pay tax to the Bara-based
Lashkar-e-Islam (LI) in exchange for ensuring their security in the
area. Sources said LI had asked the non-Muslim communities in Bara,
Chora, Karamna, Bazaar Zakhakhel and Tirah Valley of Khyber Agency
to pay tax or leave the agency. The sources said the warning came
from LI two days back following which the community agreed to pay
the tax instead of leaving the area, where they are living for
decades."

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Editorials/Op-eds
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"Tragedy Saved," an editorial in the centrist national English daily
"The News" (cir. 55,000) (06/03)

"A potentially explosive hostage situation has been averted through
the prompt action of security forces. Had they not acted, engaging
militants in a fierce gun-battle after talks failed 71 students and
nine staff members of the army-run Razmak Cadet College in North
Waziristan would have been whisked away to a secret location. . .
But there are also lessons to be learned in what has happened. In
Waziristan at least the militants remain largely untouched, their
networks apparently intact. If there is to be success in the final
goal of wiping out militancy - which after all is the raison d'etre
of the battle we are seeing now, the operation must be extended
fully and forcefully into the inhospitable stretches of Waziristan.
. . The most recent terrorist outrage, targeting students who were
in many cases mere children, underscores why this war must be won."

"Waziristan Simmers," an editorial in the Karachi-based center-left
independent national English daily "Dawn" (cir. 55,000) (06/03)

"The kidnapping of dozens of students (later recovered) of a cadet
college located in the North Waziristan Agency is another graphic
reminder that the good Taliban/bad Taliban distinction is a failed
policy, but one which the state continues to pursue. . . The three
phases of Operation Rah-i-Haq in Swat suggest that when the army
scrambles unprepared to deliver a blow to its opponents, the
militants are able to repel the state more easily."

"Kidnapping Of Cadet College Students," an editorial in the
center-right Urdu daily "Pakistan" (cir. 10,000) (06/03)

"An armed group kidnapped a number of a cadet college students and
teachers at Bannu.... The kidnapping of the students had unified
the nation against the Taliban. The so-called Taliban did not even
think that the young abductees were their own sons and nephews."

"Unforgivable," an editorial in the Lahore-based liberal English
language daily "Daily Times" (cir. 10,000) (06/03)

"The Taliban, despite "arrangements" with cooperative bureaucrats,
have regularly burnt schools in the region and kidnapped people for
money, and targeted the Shia community. What looks like
shortsightedness springs from the period of time spent under a
"joint rule" system. What is shocking is that the army has tolerated
it in areas strategic for its land forces and the AIR force.
Pakistan protested earlier this year when America's drone attacks
targeted Bannu, killing two Al Qaeda operatives and two Taliban
terrorists - a protest that looked like a defense of the condominium
rather than a defense of Pakistan's sovereignty. Razmak College, a
well-known institution that facilitates the entry of youth from the
tribal areas into our armed forces, has narrowly escaped disaster.
The cadets are justified in asking that the college be shifted, but
it is the national obligation of the state to "shift" the Taliban
from the area instead."

"Cadet College Students' Kidnapping: Miscreants Want To Prolong The
Military Operation," an editorial in the Lahore-based independent
Urdu daily "Din" (cir. 10,000) (06/03)

"Almost all analysts feel that the operation in Swat, Malakand and
other areas should be completed at the earliest and militants should
be crushed completely. Since the security forces are tightening the
noose around the militants, they can try to create problems for the
government by targeting educational institutions or important
commercial centers. The kidnapping of Razmak Cadet College students
shows that these militants who call themselves Taliban are not only
against girls' education but also want to instill fear in boys' mind
about education."

"Cadets' Kidnapping And Anti-Terror Force," an editorial in
Lahore-based populist Urdu daily "Waqt" (cir. 10,000) (06/03)

"There is a need for the U.S. to give all possible help to the
Pakistani leadership at this point in time, provide technical
support to the Pakistan army, and cooperate in the rehabilitation of
the Swat affectees. We hope that the Pakistan Army will increase
its security net so that incidents like the kidnapping of cadets are
not repeated, and the designs of those who want to spread unrest in
the country are foiled."

"Hafiz Saeed's Release And Indian Reaction," an editorial in the
second-largest, center-right nationalist Urdu daily "Nawa-i-Waqt"
(cir. 150,000) (06/03)

"India is in pain due to the release of Hafiz Saeed.... India is
actually perturbed over advocacy of Kashmiris rights by Hafiz Saeed.
The government of Pakistan should defend Pakistani court's verdict
and make a befitting response to Indian propaganda."

"Snowballing Chaos," an op-ed by Masood Sharif Khan Khattak in the
centrist national English daily "The News" (cir. 55,000) (06/03)

"It can easily be said that the current military operations are not
going to achieve much if the political component of these military
operations is absent.... The present high intensity military
operations now need to be replaced by effective and real time
intelligence operations backed by small groups of specially trained,
highly mobile and effective helicopter borne troops.... The
snowballing chaos must now be arrested and for that the government
will have to make some sweeping changes in the personnel at the
higher levels; it must look for people that talk less and do more on
the quiet."

"Know Thy Enemies," an op-ed by Tanvir Zahid in the center-right
national English daily "The Nation" (cir. 20,000) (06/03)

"The ongoing battle in the troubled areas is in fact against masked
enemies hostile and inimical to the very existence of a Muslim
country which has just celebrated another anniversary of its
becoming the first nuclear power of the Ummah.... Cutting the long
story short, the Talibans, the Al-Qaeda, Osama bin Laden, Mullah
Umar and their followers are nothing but the American Agents in the
garb of the Muslims and their intentions as such cannot be favorable
to Pakistan and its people and even for Islam.... Now, Pakistan is
being weakened internally and externally in the so-called War On
Terror and the rulers in Islamabad are playing into their hands in
complete disregard of the national interest."

"Bajaur Reignited," an op-ed by Nasim Zehra in the centrist national
English daily "The News" (cir. 55,000) (06/03)

"However, another military operation may only be a needed step to
undercut the power of the Taliban determined to establish their own
authority at the cost of state authority. Equally, to block the
external factor from heavily undermining Pakistan's own security the
most active routes from Afghanistan need to be closed down or at
least effectively guarded. But it requires Islamabad putting
sufficient pressure through the Trilateral Border Commission on the
Afghans."

"Have The Swat Taliban Been Routed," an op-ed by Rahimullah Yusufzai
in the centrist national English daily "The News" (cir. 55,000)
(06/03)

"However, no military action could be a complete success story. If
one recalls, the army had driven out the Taliban from most of Swat
valley in 2007 and 2008 also but the militants subsequently returned
and, in fact, gathered further strength. This time around the
military operation is bigger and sustained but at times excessive
force was used and the bombing by jet-fighters and gunship
helicopters and the shelling by long-range artillery guns not only
caused civilian deaths and losses to property but also forced an
unmanageable number of people to flee their homes and villages. . .
The fact that almost all top Taliban commanders in Swat have avoided
capture or death is also raising questions about the effectiveness
and success of the military operation."

"The Total War," an editorial in the center-right national English
daily "The Nation" (cir. 20,000) (06/03)

"Rehabilitation of the uprooted is a most crucial phase of the
campaign if the hearts and minds of the local population have to be
won, and should not remained confined to words alone. The help that
the international community and the local population are giving in
the form of funds and other types of assistance should be utilized
to the maximum benefit of the affected persons. The battle would
only have been won when the authorities had succeeded in creating
conducive living conditions."

"Is The US After Our Nukes," an op-ed by Ijaz Hussain in the
Lahore-based liberal English language daily "Daily Times" (cir.
10,000) (06/03)

". . . Before addressing these questions, a word about the American
Ambassador to Islamabad Anne W Patterson's comment on media reports
about the U.S. contingency plans. Strongly contradicting these
reports, the other day she observed: 'I have seen this in media. I
will say that it is all nonsense. It is not technically possible.'
Ambassador Patterson's denial is understandable because, as a
diplomat, she has to say certain things for the good of her country.
Otherwise, how could she explain President Obama's statement in
which he publicly confessed that all options were open in case of a
threat to Pakistan's nukes? The 'all options' formulation obviously
also includes a military option which requires the existence of a
contingency plan for its execution. . . Finally, the question arises
as to what the US should do to remove Pakistanis' apprehensions
about its intentions for Pakistan's nukes. To begin with, it should
forthwith stop the media blitz about Pakistan's nukes falling into
terrorist hands. If the Americans have any concerns on this count,
they should agree to communicate them to the Pakistani government
through diplomatic channels. Second, the U.S. should issue an
unambiguous statement renouncing any intention to have control over
Pakistan's nukes, which American leaders sometimes issue. Finally,
it should help stem the flow of weapons from Afghanistan into
Pakistan. If the U.S. undertakes these CBMs, they will go a long way
in allaying Pakistanis' apprehensions about American intentions
regarding their nukes."

"Nuclear Compromises - Connecting The Dots," an op-ed by Shireen M
Mazari in the centrist national English daily "The News" (cir.
55,000) (06/03)

"It has now become routine for the US to focus on Pakistan's nuclear
weapons whenever there is trouble within the country. Clearly, the
U.S. has not recovered from its trauma of seeing a developing Muslim
state acquire nuclear capability. Moreover, as one of the greatest
proliferators since 1945 to Israel, the U.S. has always maintained
hypocrisy over its non-proliferation stance and this has now been
fully exposed with its 123 nuclear agreement with India.
Nevertheless, the U.S. has continued to be relentless in targeting
Pakistan's nuclear assets in one way or another. What has been of
growing concern to some of us has been the seeming weakening of the
Pakistani resolve on sustaining the credibility of our nuclear
deterrence through constant improvement and increase in the nuclear
arsenal - especially post-9/11. If individual incidents are collated
together, the dismal picture unfolds more clearly."

"American Desperation," an op-ed by Ahmed Quraishi in the centrist
national English daily "The News" (cir. 55,000) (06/03)

"America is desperate in Afghanistan. U.S. officials have launched a
fresh charm offensive to pacify the alienated Pakistanis. A panicked
and bankrupt Washington is also trying to scare Asia into doling out
money to save America's failed occupation in Afghanistan. This is
the time for Islamabad to demand Washington cease all the propaganda
about Pakistan's nukes, about the fabled ten billion dollars in aid,
and stop turning the world against Pakistan. The elected government
needs to muster some guts to confront Washington on this instead of
leaving all the tough talk to Pakistani military leadership. There
is a golden opportunity out there to put a leash on CIA activities
in Pakistan which we had consented to after 9/11. The American goal
posts have shifted. Pakistan is no longer bound by the same deal."

"Indian Hue And Cry Over Pakistan's Nuclear Weapons," an editorial
in the second-largest, center-right nationalist Urdu daily
"Nawa-i-Waqt" (cir. 150,000) (06/03)

"India has expressed concern over American media reports of Pakistan
being in possession of a large stockpile of nuclear weapons and has
demanded of the international community to increase pressure on
Pakistan for stopping its nuclear activity.... Indian has
innumerable nuclear weapons while Pakistan hasn't crossed the limit
of minimum deterrence; this is the difference between the nuclear
programs of two countries.... Pakistan is the first nuclear power
of the Islamic world which is why it is an eyesore for America and
the West. America and the West don't look at Indian nuclear
program, but they tend to worry about Pakistani one.... In order to
combat Indian Propaganda, Pakistan should accelerate its diplomatic
efforts to expose Indian nuclear program."

Patterson