PAKISTAN MEDIA REACTION: JUNE 22, 2009

UNCLAS ISLAMABAD 001371

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KMDR KPAO OIIP OPRC PGOV PREL PK
SUBJECT: PAKISTAN MEDIA REACTION: JUNE 22, 2009

Summary: Reports and photographs of Pakistan's "historic win in the
World Twenty-Twenty Cricket Cup" in London and Pakistani nation's
"jubilation across the country" dominated headlines in all
newspapers on Monday. At the same time, several weekend dailies
highlighted President Obama's exclusive interview to the Dawn Media
Group (broadcast in Pakistan on Sunday evening) that "Pakistani
state is strong enough to win the military offensive against the
extremists." Security forces' claim that "46 Taliban were killed in
the military operation in the tribal areas and Swat" received
prominent display. Secretary of State Clinton's statement urging
"generous help for Swat IDPs" received extensive coverage.
President Zardari's remarks vowing to "give every sacrifice to
defeat terrorists and anti-state elements" were also highlighted.
Newspapers also reported that "U.S. provided six water trucks to
Pakistan Army" to assist the distribution of water to various IDPs
camps.

Drawing from President Obama's exclusive Dawn TV interview, most
major Urdu language newspapers ran in-depth, editorials. They
praised the President's acknowledging Pakistan's efforts to secure
its nuclear arsenal but criticized what they termed his "sharp turn"
from his "clearly articulated" stand on Kashmir. Populist Urdu
daily "Ausaf," noted that "U.S. President Obama has expressed
satisfaction over the safety measures of Pakistan's nukes, however
the U.S. government should take notice of the international media's
propaganda regarding the vulnerability of Pakistani nukes to
extremists." The liberal Urdu daily "Express," noted that "Mr. Obama
should be asked: how is it that the U.S. considers it fair to
interfere [in Indo-Pak matters] in the case of Mumbai attacks, yet
when it comes to an issue [Kashmir] that threatens regional peace,
the U.S. insists that the two countries work it out on their own?"
The second-largest, Urdu daily "Nawa-i-Waqt," observed that
"President Obama is duty-bound to play his role for the
implementation of the UN resolutions on Kashmir instead of stressing
dialogue while refusing to mediate on Kashmir." Whereas its sister
newspaper, the English daily "The Nation," wrote: "If he (President
Obama) gives up on persuading the Indians to give the promised deal
to Kashmiris, how would he accost the Israelis, with their strong
lobby and entrenched promoters in his administration, to come

forward and recognize the rights of the Palestinian people?" End
Summary.

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News Stories
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"Feel-Good Gift For Nation" "Dawn" (06/22)

"Pakistan won their first major cricket title in 17 years when they
stunned Sri Lanka by eight wickets in the World Twenty-Twenty final
at a sell-out Lord's in London on Sunday. Captain Younis Khan
dedicated the win to the nation. The win gave Pakistanis back home
reason to cheer as the cricket-mad nation has been deprived of
international tours because of security concerns.

"Beat Extremists You Can, Says Obama" "Dawn," "Daily Times," "The
Nation," "Pakistan Observer," (06/21)

"U.S. President Barack Obama, in an exclusive interview to 'Dawn,'
has said that he believes the Pakistan state is strong enough to win
the military offensive against the extremists. In this first-ever
one-on-one interview by any U.s. President to the Pakistani media,
Mr. Obama assured the Pakistani nation that he has no desire to
seize Pakistan's nuclear weapons or send U.S. troops inside the
country. The U.S. President also emphasized the need for resuming
the dialogue process between India and Pakistan, which was stalled
after the Mumbai terrorist attacks in November last year. The
interview covered a wide-range of subjects - from the controversy
involving the Iranian presidential election to Mr. Obama's speech in
Cairo earlier this month in which he called for a new beginning
between the Muslim and the Western worlds."

"U.S. Neither Has Any Intention To Capture Pak Nukes, Nor Will Send
Troops To Pakistan: President Obama" "Islam," "Aaj Kal," "Din"
(06/22)

"U.S. President Barack Obama has said that the U.S. has no intention
to capture Pakistan's nuclear arms, nor U.S. forces will be sent to
Pakistan. In an interview with a private TV channel, he said that
Pakistani security forces and Pakistan Army are conducting the
military operation against terrorism very effectively. Pakistan has
been overcoming difficulties courageously since Jinnah's era,
therefore, we are convinced that Pakistani nation can successfully
sort out its differences, and deal with the menace of militancy and
extremism through democratic process, he added."

"46 Taliban Killed In Military Operation" "Daily Times" (06/22)

"At least 46 Taliban were killed in various strikes during the
military operation against the Taliban in the Tribal Areas and Swat
on Sunday. Military jets and artillery pounded suspected Taliban
hideouts in Bajaur Agency, officials said."

"Baitullah's Men Hit By Troops" "Dawn" (06/22)

"Troops are reported to have set on fire shops and other commercial
property in the town of Mauli Khan Serai in the campaign against
supporters of Baitullah Mehsud, chief of the banned Tehrik-i-Taliban
Pakistan. Local people said that three restaurants, a petrol pump
and several shops had been torched in the town on the WanaJandola
road on Saturday night. The administration has also taken action
against Mehsud tribesmen under the Frontier Crimes Regulation,
arresting several elders and sealing their property."

"Hillary Urges Generous Support For Pak IDPs" "The News" (06/22)

"With Pakistan looking to rehabilitate millions of displaced people
from Swat after expelling Taliban from 95 per cent of the valley,
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has called for generous
support to help make a difference in the lives of millions of
displaced people from Swat. 'Supporting refugees is not only the
purview of governments and NGOs. It's a job for all of us.'"

"Terrorists, Anti-State Elements Will Be Defeated: Zardari" "Dawn"
(06/22)

"Terming terrorism and militancy a big challenge for the country,
President Asif Ali Zardari on Sunday vowed to render every sacrifice
to defeat terrorists and anti-state elements. 'This is not a small
challenge ... this is not a small war, this is a war of ideologies.
Those people are involved in it, who are against the very existence
of Pakistan,' the President said while addressing party workers and
leaders at an event marking the 56th birth anniversary of Benazir
Bhutto."

"Gilani Asks Terrorists To Surrender Or Face The Music" "The News"
(06/22)

"Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani on Sunday warned the
terrorists and extremists to lay down arms or they would be wiped
out. 'It is my message to the terrorists and the militants that
they should lay down their weapons otherwise they should get
prepared for a dreadful end,' he said while addressing a function in
connection with the birthday celebrations of late Benazir Bhutto and
the stone-laying ceremony of her memorial at the Convention Centre
in Islamabad on Monday."

"Blood Donation For Security Personnel - Benazir's Birth
Anniversary" "Dawn" (06/22)

"The Pakistan People's Party marked the 56th birth anniversary of
former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto on Sunday with a countrywide
blood donation campaign for security personnel fighting militants in
Malakand and the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA).
President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani and
other party leaders and workers donated blood at camps set up at
different places."

"United States Provides Water Trucks to Pakistan Military" "Daily
Times," "Dawn," "Jang," "Express" (06/21)

"In response to a request from the government of Pakistan, the
United States provided six water trucks to the Pakistani Army, a
U.S. Embassy press release said on Saturday. The trucks, each with
a 4500-liter capacity and pumping unit, are intended to assist the
distribution of water to various displaced persons camps operated by
the government. The total value of the trucks, which were purchased
in Pakistan, is over $179,000."

"CIA Chief Due In Few Days With Heavy Agenda" "The Nation" (06/22)

"Chief of the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Leon E. Panetta
will visit Pakistan in the next few days with plans seeking an
important role for India in the U.S. counter-terrorism efforts for
the region. Though there has been no word from the U.S. Embassy,
credible diplomatic sources told 'The Nation' on Sunday that Panetta
in line with U.S. Af-Pak policy for Afghanistan and Pakistan would
discuss these proposals with Pakistani authorities during his
upcoming visit."

"Aid To Pakistan Vital To U.S. National Security: Haqqani" "Daily
Times" (06/22)

"Pakistan's ambassador to the U.S., Husain Haqqani, on Sunday urged
continued U.S. support and understanding to help Pakistan become a
bulwark against extremism, arguing that assistance for the people of
Pakistan would be an investment in U.S. security. 'Pakistan is
going through a transformation by mobilizing the public opinion
against the Taliban who had dominated Pakistan's discourse since the
war against the Soviets in 1979,' he said in a U.S. public affairs
program."

"War On Terror Causing Balance Of Payment Problem" "Dawn" (06/22)

"Pakistan will face a serious balance of payment problem next year,
partly because the United States has not reimbursed over $1.2
billion the country spent on the war on terror. A source in the
Finance Ministry told 'Dawn' on Sunday that the government had
received $447 million since September 2008, leaving a balance of
over $1 billion (Rs80 billion). Under the Coalition Support Fund,
the U.S. reimburses Pakistan for terrorism-related operations,
particularly those undertaken by the army and AIR force."

"7 Held Militants Killed In Dir Upper" "The News" (06/22)

"In an alleged clash the armed villagers striving to flush out
Taliban militants from Doog Darra area of Dir Upper district, killed
seven militants arrested on Friday from Chitral district and injured
another in Patrak town."

"Iran Points The Finger At U.K., U.S. As 10 More Die In Unrest" "The
News" (06/22)

"Iran accused Britain and the United States on Sunday of meddling in
its affairs, amid an international outcry over its crackdown on
protests over the result of last week's presidential election. It
hammered home its message by ordering the expulsion of BBC
correspondent Jon Leyne just two days after supreme leader Ayatollah
Ali Khamenai accused Britain of adopting an 'evil' position in the
face of a week of deadly protests. At least 10 more people were
killed in the latest unrest to shake Tehran, state television said
on Sunday, as the opposition stepped up its defiance of Iran's
Islamic rulers over the disputed election."

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Editorials/Op-eds
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"U.S. New Stand On Nuclear Weapons And Kashmir Dispute," an
editorial in the popular rightist Urdu-language daily "Ausaf" (cir.
10,000) (06/22)

"U.S. President Obama has expressed satisfaction over the safety
measures of Pakistan's nukes, however the U.S. government should
take notice of the international media's propaganda regarding the
vulnerability of Pakistani nukes to extremists. The rumors and
fictitious reports about any threats to Pakistani nuclear arsenal
must be stopped without delay."

"Mr. Obama, Do Not Avoid Kashmir Resolution!," an editorial in
liberal Urdu daily "Express" (cir. 25,000) (06/22)

"In a letter to PM Gillani, President Obama has said that the U.S.
cannot mediate on Kashmir and that India and Pakistan should resolve
the issue themselves.... He has also written in his letter that the
U.S., however is ready to assist in helping India and Pakistan
resolve their differences. Mr. Obama should be asked: how is it
that the U.S. considers it fair to interfere [in Indo-Pak matters]
in the case of Mumbai attacks, yet when it comes to an issue
[Kashmir] that threatens regional peace, the U.S. insists that the
two countries work it out on their own? Mr. Obama, if this is not
injustice, what is? The U.S. needs to understand that it is not
possible to eliminate terrorism in the region until the Kashmir
issue is resolved. Sooner or later, the U.S. will have to play the
mediator."

"Kashmir Dispute And America: Implementation Of UN Resolutions
Required, Not Mediation," an editorial in the second-largest,
center-right nationalist Urdu daily "Nawa-i-Waqt" (cir. 150,000)
(06/22)

"President Barack Obama said that America will not be an arbitrator
for resolving Kashmir dispute.... Pakistan or the people of Kashmir
never asked America or any other country to mediate the Kashmir
dispute. Pakistan did not even lay claim on Kashmir like India and
never said that Kashmir was its integral part. Pakistan, like
Kashmiri leaders and people, had always asked for holding of
plebiscite in Jammu and Kashmir in keeping with UN resolutions on
Kashmir that were passed on Indian request.... American President
Barack Obama is duty-bound to play his role for the implementation
of the UN resolutions on Kashmir instead of stressing on dialogue
while refusing to mediate on Kashmir."

"Sidetracking Kashmir," an editorial in the center-right national
English daily "The Nation" (cir. 20,000) (06/22)

"The shift in policy puts Washington's own interests in jeopardy,
Mr. Obama loses the high moral ground he had attained by giving
expression to his true feelings that struck the right chord with
Kashmiris' aspirations, and the peace-loving people in the region
who had at last seen some hope of better times ahead find themselves
betrayed at the hands of someone who sounded so genuinely committed
to a new and just world order.... If he (President Obama) gives up
on persuading the Indians to give the promised deal to Kashmiris,
how would he accost the Israelis, with their strong lobby and
entrenched promoters in his administration, to come forward and
recognize the rights of the Palestinian people? The U.S. President
needs to do serious introspection about the reasons for this shift
if he were to revive the hope that his much-applauded words had
raised. Unless he recaptures the courage Candidate Barack Obama had
displayed his wonderful speeches would be dumped into the unenviable
category of mere rhetoric."

"President Obama's Statement On Kashmir Dispute," an editorial in
the Lahore-based populist center-right Urdu daily "Khabrain" (cir.
50,000) (06/22)

"Since the Presidential election and even after being elected,
President Obama has stated that he will help resolve the Kashmir
issue. But these statements have never materialized. A few days
ago, in his address at the Cairo University, he did not even mention
the Kashmir issue, which surprised many informed circles.... It is
this U.S. duplicity due to which there is so much unrest in the
world.... It is in the U.S. interests to resolve the Kashmir issue.
We hope that President Obama will put his words [on Kashmir made
earlier] into action."

"President Obama On Kashmir," an editorial in the Karachi-based
center-right sensationalist Urdu daily "Ummat" (cir. 33,000)
(06/22)

"In an interview to a Pakistani English TV channel, the U.S.
President Obama has said that his country would not mediate between
India and Pakistan for the resolution of the Kashmir issue.
President Obama's stand on Kashmir is not new, it just reinforces
opinion that U.S. is no more interested in Kashmir issue. How can
one consider President Obama as a friend of Pakistan, when he called
for resuming dialogue with Indian without address the Kashmir issue.
President Obama, by remaining indifferent to this core issue has
actually supported the Indian position."

"President Barack Obama's Interview," an editorial in the
center-right Urdu daily "Pakistan" (cir. 10,000) (06/22)

"President Obama's statement that the U.S. does not harbor
aggressive designs regarding Pakistan's nuclear assets is a source
of satisfaction for Pakistanis.... About Kashmir, President Obama
has said that we want to cooperate with India and Pakistan in the
dialogue process but cannot mediate. It is obvious that mediation
is possible only when both parties agree to it. However we expect
that the U.S., being a superpower, should not hesitate to play the
kind of role it can."

"U.S. Pressure," an editorial in the country's premier business
newspaper, "Business Recorder" (cir. 25,000) (06/22)

"What seems to be the immediate trigger for the stepped-up U.S.
moves to nudge India into a co-operative mode with Pakistan as
Pakistan Army's decisive action against the Taliban? Secretary of
State Clinton acknowledged this in her speech saying 'as Pakistan
now works to take on the challenge of terrorists in its own country
I am confident that India as well as the United States will support
those efforts.'... But it should not be forgotten that roots of
terrorism go very deep as it grows out of the issues that remain
unresolved. The American pressure that is said to be nudging India
to coming to the negotiating table should not end with a battle
victory over the Taliban; it should persist till genuine peace is
obtained in South Asia by resolving all principal disputes for which
the Composite Dialogue is the appropriate forum."

"The Way Forward," an op-ed by Talat Masood in the populist, often
sensational national English daily "The News" (cir. 55,000) (06/22)

"Islamabad wants U.S. to push India to move on the resolution of the
Kashmir conflict and resume dialogue. United States clearly wants
India to seek rapprochement with Pakistan so that it could focus on
the western front. Whereas U.S. is giving India a major role in
South and the Central Asia but the real agenda is being articulated
and managed by it in a classic role of a super power. This
heightens insecurities in Pakistan.... It is indeed unfortunate
that India and Pakistan both view each other as enemy to reinforce
the sense of national cohesion."

"Battling On," an editorial in the populist, often sensational
national English daily "The News" (cir. 55,000) (06/22)

"The multi-faceted war against the Taliban develops new faces - and
fronts - almost daily.... We battle on fighting a complex war with
guns and bombs in the one hand, humanitarian aid in the other and a
vision for the future somewhere in the dust at our feet. There is
still no unified strategy for winning all the battles we currently
fight and the various actors only occasionally all read from the
same page of the script together. We are closer to getting the
unity, we have got the faith but a little more discipline would not
go amiss."

"IDPs: No Solution In Sight," an editorial in the Karachi-based
center-left independent national English daily "Dawn" (cir. 55,000)
(06/22)

"The government claims that some areas have been cleared of the
militants and is sending out appeals for the IDPs to return.... But
the government must offer more than mere assurances of safety. It
must demonstrate the administrative resolve to reconstruct the
battle-ravaged areas, which includes setting up education and health
facilities and creating employment opportunities.... Most
importantly, the government must show the political will to change
policies that allowed the creation of the militant-Taliban nexus in
the first place. Otherwise, Pakistan risks adding the IDPs issue to
the Afghan refugee crisis which remains unresolved despite the
passage of three decades, and of continuing to create circumstances
that stoke extremism."

"Military's Significant Success In Swat," an editorial in the
Islamabad-based rightist English daily "Pakistan Observer" (cir.
5,000) (06/22)

"While security operation is still going on in a few pockets of Swat
and Malakand, army has announced that 95% of the scenic valley has
been secured from the militants.... This is a very encouraging
development and people across the country in general and those of
Malakand and Swat in particular would be pleased with the success of
Pakistan Army in rooting out the terrorists who had made the lives
of the locals miserable.... The morale of the IDPs has been lifted
with the success of the army and what they need now is to stand-up
against anyone who tries to disturb peace in the area."

"Empty Pockets," an editorial in the populist, often sensational
national English daily "The News" (cir. 55,000) (06/22)
"The scale of the international response to this calamity in no way
matches its size. The need is obvious, there is no dispute, yet
there seems to be an unwillingness to fill the pockets of the
agencies that can and do deliver the aid which is so desperately
needed.... Civic amenities are not yet restored in Mingora; and
nobody is going to want to go home unless there is power, water,
petrol and diesel and the other wherewithal's of daily necessity.
We are staring a catastrophe full in the face and unless money to
support work with the IDPs is quickly forthcoming we are perhaps
going to see a lot of people dying very soon. Dig deep, dig fast
and dig big."

"Why U.S. Interference?," an op-ed by Huma Yousuf in the
Karachi-based center-left independent national English daily "Dawn"
(cir. 55,000) (06/22)

"The winds of American military rhetoric have shifted again. Last
week, Gen. David Petraeus repeatedly hammered home the idea that the
U.S. army had little do with the Pakistan military's war against
militants in the Frontier province and the Federally Administered
Tribal Areas (FATA).... On a trip to Mardan earlier this month to
visit people displaced by the military operation, U.S. Special Envoy
Richard Holbrooke toed a similar line. When asked about the U.S.
role in Pakistan's humanitarian crisis, Holbrooke insisted that the
U.S. was merely donating money to the UN and other international aid
agencies to boost their capability to address the plight of refugees
in Pakistan. The U.S., he claimed, had no direct role in Pakistan's
problems. This new line of rhetoric indicates that the U.S. has
finally realized that their explicit involvement in the affairs of
other countries is counterproductive.... These debates indicate
that although the U.S. is cognizant of the pitfalls of backseat
driving, it doesn't know how to stay silent and let Pakistan - or
Iran or Afghanistan - take the wheel. The only way we can dictate
the extent to which U.S. interference is appropriate is by charting
our own course."

"Defanging Extremism," an op-ed by Khalid Iqbal in the center-right
national English daily "The Nation" (cir. 20,000) (06/22)

"Eradication of extremism is a tall order; it requires a mammoth
effort encompassing a multi-discipline and multi-dimensional
approach.... The whole process needs careful execution by taking
into consideration the local socio-cultural sensitivities; lest the
extremist breeding restarts!"

"The Media, The Military And The Swat Operation," an op-ed Aasim
Sajjad Akhtar in the populist, often sensational national English
daily "The News" (cir. 55,000) (06/22)

"Notwithstanding the claims being made by a variety of experts and
government functionaries about the broad public consensus on the
military operation, it is impossible to expect that there will be
definitive agreement across the political and intellectual spectrum
on this most emotive of issues. However, what can and must be
asserted without any hesitation at all is the establishment's
responsibility for bringing us to where we are today. The media's
role in cleaning up the military's image by invoking war propaganda
must be subject to criticism in this regard. Those who argue that
it does not matter how we got here but where we go from here are
going down a very dangerous path which will culminate in more
'unavoidable' military operations."

"Iran's Political Crisis," an editorial in the Karachi-based
right-wing pro-Jamaat-e-Islami Urdu daily "Jasarat" (cir. 3,000)
(06/22)

"A week after the presidential elections in Iran, it seems that the
political crisis is not going to be over in near future. The defeat
of the reformist leader has caused uproar and street agitation
across the country. The crisis is deepening with the passage of
each day, and it would be very bad for this region. Now Iran will
have to face on the one hand growing external pressure, and it will
have to deal with domestic crisis on the other hand. It is yet to
be seen that how Iran will come out of this crisis."

"Iran's Post-Election Problems," an editorial in the Lahore-based
liberal English language daily "Daily Times" (cir. 10,000) (06/22)

"Change in Iran will not affect its stance on its nuclear program.
Iran will also not change its policy, even under any new leadership,
on the Middle East in general and Lebanon, Iraq and Syria, in
particular. What the protesting leaders demand is moderation in the
style of President Ahmadinejad. They think his dramatic statements
threatening Israel and challenging the United States and the
European Union are not really needed. They don't think Iran as a
regional power should constantly vituperate and provoke."

(All circulation figures are based on estimation)
Patterson