PAKISTAN MEDIA REACTION: JULY 21, 2009

UNCLAS ISLAMABAD 001660 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KMDR KPAO OIIP OPRC PGOV PREL PK SUBJECT: PAKISTAN MEDIA REACTION: JULY 21, 2009 Summary: Reports on the U.S.-India defense deal figured prominently in Pakistani newspapers on Tuesday. All dailies reported that "India, U.S. agreed on nuke plant sites and sale of sophisticated U.S. arms to the South Asian nation." Also highlighted were reports that "two major camps for IDPs in Mardan (NWFP) were closed after over 60,000 displaced families returned to Swat and Buner." Pegged to it were reports that "17 militants were killed in fierce clashes with security forces in Swat." Reports on the killing of "dozens of militants and three soldiers" in Lower Dir also received wide coverage. The English daily, "Dawn," reported that Pakistan neuroscientist Aafia Siddiqui who is currently standing trial in the U.S. "rejected Government of Pakistan's offer to hire a defense lawyer." Most major dailies ran critical editorials on the reported statement of Secretary Clinton that "Al Qaeda leaders who planned and carried out the terrorist attacks of 9/11 are hiding in Pakistan." The English daily, "The Nation," noted that "Ms. Clinton must keep in mind that her government's hideous policy of appeasing India and blaming Pakistan would create difficulties for it in making a realistic assessment of the situation." The second largest Urdu daily, "Nawa-i-Waqt" observed that "the Clinton stratagem that those responsible for 9/11 are present in Pakistan is an attempt to divert attention from U.S. failures in Afghanistan; it could also be part of a new U.S. strategy against Pakistan...." Another Urdu daily, "Pakistan," wrote: "It needs to be observed whether Secretary Clinton made this statement to please the Indian government and authorities or whether this signals a future U.S. policy towards Pakistan?" End Summary. -------------- News Stories -------------- "India, U.S. Agree On Nuke Plant Sites, Defence Pact" "The News" (07/21) "The United States and India said on Monday they had agreed on a defence pact that would be a major step towards allowing the sale of sophisticated U.S. arms to the South Asian nation. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Delhi had also approved two sites for U.S. companies to build nuclear power plants, offering American companies the first fruits of last year's landmark U.S.-India civil nuclear cooperation pact." "9/11 Ringleaders In Pakistan, Claims Clinton" "The News" (07/21) "U.S. officials 'firmly believe' that Al Qaeda leaders who planned and carried out the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, are hiding in Pakistan near its border with Afghanistan, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said on Monday." "Pakistan Has Will To Fight Terror: Clinton" "The News" (07/21) "The U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said on Monday Pakistan has 'real will' to fight terrorism, and the U.S. will enlist help of everyone including India to fight this menace, said Hillary while addressing the professors and students of Delhi University in New Delhi on Monday." "Dialogue Only Way Forward For India, Pakistan: Hillary" "The Nation" (07/21) "U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton asked both India and Pakistan to hold talks, saying dialogue was the only way forward for both the countries, said Hillary while addressing the professors and students of Delhi University in New Delhi on Monday." "Two Camps For IDPs In Mardan Closed" "Dawn" (07/21) "The NWFP government announced on Monday that Sheikh Shehzad and Sheikh Yaseen, two major relief camps in Mardan were closed after over 60,000 displaced families had voluntarily returned to Swat and Buner, Information Minister Mian Iftikhar Hussain said at a press conference after a meeting of the Provincial Cabinet." "Seventeen Militants Killed In Swat" "Dawn" (07/21) "At least 17 militants were killed in fierce clashes with security forces in Swat on Monday. A soldier lost his life and two others suffered injuries, according to military sources. Army Major Zahid lost his life during an exchange of fire." "'Dozens Of Militants' Killed In Lower Dir" "Dawn" (07/21) "Dozens of militants and three soldiers were killed in a clash in the Maidan area in Lower Dir on Monday. Security forces fired artillery and used tanks in the attack on militants' positions in Shadaz, Safaray and Khanai areas, official sources said." "Aafia Rejects Government's Offer For Lawyer" "Dawn" (07/21) "The government of Pakistan on Monday renewed its offer to Aafia Siddiqui, the Pakistani neuroscientist who is U.S. prison in Brooklyn, to hire a defence lawyer for her, Pakistan Embassy officials in Washington said. The offer was conveyed by Ambassador Husain Haqqani who telephoned her on Monday and urged her to 'cooperate with the government's effort to seek her release.'" "Security Man, Volunteers Killed In Bannu, Mohmand Attacks" "Dawn" (07/21) "A security man was killed and three others, including the commanding officer of Frontier Constabulary, were injured when a remote controlled bomb hit their vehicle in Bannu while two volunteers of a tribal lashkar were shot dead by militants in Mohmand tribal region on Monday, sources said." "17 'Militants' Held In Darra Operation" "Dawn" (07/21) "Security forces claimed to have arrested 17 militants involved in attacking convoys from various parts of Darra Adamkhel on Monday. In another operation in Sheraki, situated close to Kohat tunnel, 14 suspected militants were held and shifted to combined investigation cell in Kohat for interrogation." "Five Militants Held In Bajaur" "The News" (07/21) "The security forces pounded suspected hideouts of militants with artillery in Charmang area of Nawagai tehsil, besides arresting five insurgents during search operation in Khar subdivision in Bajaur Agency on Monday." "Four Police Personnel Killed In Peshawar" "Dawn" (07/21) "Armed men suspected to be militants of the Mangal Bagh group ambushed on the out-skirts of the city on Monday. Four police personnel were killed in the attack." "Government Edges Towards Waziristan Offensive" "The Nation" (07/21) "More than a month has elapsed since Pakistan announced plans for an offensive on the Taliban stronghold in Waziristan, but security analysts doubt whether an all-out assault is as imminent as many people think. Code-named Rah-e-Nejat, or 'Path to Salvation,' optimists hope the operation will demonstrate Pakistan's determination to push back the spread of militancy across the northwest and beyond by eliminating Pakistan's Public Enemy Number One: Baitullah Mehsud. The head of the Pakistani Taliban and Al-Qaeda ally is holed up in his tribal lands in South Waziristan with an estimated 20,000 to 30,000 fighters." "Holbrooke Due Today" "The Post" (07/21) "U.S. Special Envoy for Pakistan and Afghanistan Richard Holbrooke is leaving Washington for Pakistan today, reports a private news channel. According to the channel, the U.S. State Department told journalists that Richard Holbrooke is leaving from Adrew Airbase for Pakistan." "Drones Kill 10 Civilians For One Militant: U.S. Report" "Dawn" (07/21) "For every militant killed in drone attacks, at least 10 civilians also die, says a report released on Monday by the Brookings Institution. The Washington-based U.S. think-tank acknowledges that it is difficult to confirm sourcing on civilian deaths in drone attacks, 'but more than 600 civilians are likely to have died from the attacks. That number suggests that for every militant killed, 10 or so civilians also died." "No Let-Up In U.S. Drone Attacks On Pakistan" "The Nation" (07/21) "The expanding U.S. drone war against Al-Qaeda may be disrupting the terror network's operations but the lethal bombing raids carry risks for Washington and its ally Pakistan. The head of the CIA has defended the attacks in Pakistan by unmanned aircraft as 'the only game in town' when it comes to targeting Al-Qaeda and its allies. U.S. officials credit the bombing raids with knocking off key figures in the terror network. Yet an unknown number of civilians in have died in the bombing war, possibly as many as 700, according to the Pakistani Press. The strikes are deeply unpopular in Pakistan, with skeptics warning the tactic could backfire by sowing public anger while failing to defeat resilient extremist networks. 'The more there are unilateral targeted strikes in Pakistan, the higher political costs for the U.S., and for Pakistan for allowing them to happen,' Seth Jones, an analyst at the RAND Corporation, told AFP." "Pakistan Calls For EU Arms, Troop Training" "Dawn" (07/21) "Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani has called upon the European Union to render immediate assistance to Pakistan in capacity building for its law-enforcement agencies through imparting training and supply of much needed sophisticated weapon systems to enable Pakistan to eliminate militancy and terrorism from its soil, said a statement issued by the Prime Minister's office after his meeting with EU Foreign Policy Chief Javier Solana." "Pakistan, France Plan Anti-Terror Task Force" "Dawn" (07/21) "Pakistan and France will set up a joint task force for sharing information about terrorists across the world. An accord to this effect was signed by Interior Minister Rehman Malik and his French counterpart Brice Hortefeux in Paris, said a message on Monday. Praising Pakistan's efforts against terrorism, Mr. Hortefeux said France would provide technical assistance in countering terrorism." "Pakistan Navy Assumes Command Of CTF-150" "The News" (07/21) "Pakistan Navy on Monday took over the command of Combined Task Force (CTF) 150 from French Navy in Bahrain. It is for the third time that Pakistan Navy has taken over the command." -------------- Editorials/Op-eds -------------- "The Same Old Blame Game," an editorial in the center-right national English daily "The Nation" (cir. 20,000) (07/21) "Though she (U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton) argued that Islamabad was genuinely committed to the effort, her comment that the fight against terrorism was not only the responsibility of India, the United States or Europe, indicates that despite its active involvement in the War on Terror, doubts persist about Pakistan's sincerity.... Ms. Clinton must keep in mind that her government's hideous policy of appeasing India and blaming Pakistan would create difficulties for it in making a realistic assessment of the situation." "Hillary Clinton's New Tactic: Merely Pleasing India, Or An Anti-Pakistan Strategy?," an editorial in the second-largest, center-right nationalist Urdu daily "Nawa-i-Waqt" (cir. 150,000) (07/21) "U.S. Secretary of state Hillary Clinton claimed in India that those responsible for 9/11 are in Pakistan. The Clinton stratagem that those responsible for 9/11 are present in Pakistan is an attempt to divert attention from U.S. failure in Afghanistan; it could also be part of a new U.S. strategy against Pakistan.... Hillary Clinton also talked about likes of Jaish-i-Muhammad, Jamaatud Dawa and Hafiz Saeed, who have nothing to do with 9/11 or Taliban. Both the parties have been associated with jihad in Kashmir.... There is need for a befitting response to Clinton's unfounded accusation and it should come from the President, the Prime Minister or at least from the Foreign Minister. A formal protest should be lodged with America by declaring Clinton's statement antagonistic." "American Secretary Of State's Careless Statement," an editorial in the center-right Urdu daily "Pakistan" (cir. 10,000) (07/21) "U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said that those responsible for 9/11 are in FATA, Pakistan.... She also said that this is in Pakistan's interest to take action against Hafiz Saeed.... Hillary Clinton has expressed the American point of view in a way which could appease India. Our foreign office has contradicted the accusation in a realistic manner. Clinton statement could best be described as a stratagem to buy time." "Accusations Leveled By U.S. Secretary Of State - A Matter Of Concern," an editorial in the leading mass circulation populist, often sensational Urdu daily "Jang" (cir. 300,000) (07/21) "U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has once again reiterated that the perpetrators of 9/11 incident are present in Pakistan. The statement issued by the U.S. Secretary of State on the Indian soil is reflective of the established American hostility against Pakistan. Secretary Clinton's statement also negates diplomatic norms. Pakistan declared the war against terrorism as its topmost priority by putting aside all other issues confronting its public but responsible American segments are laying accusations at the doorsteps of its biggest ally which is a policy to destabilize the region. Such type of allegations against Pakistan from the U.S. are not only unacceptable to the people of Pakistan but also to the international community as well. If the perpetrators of 9/11 are present in Pakistan then adequate evidence should be provided so that there could be justification for action against these elements. Such statements emanating from the Indian soil cannot be appreciated." "Highly Irresponsible Statement By U.S. Secretary Of State," an editorial in the popular rightist Urdu-language daily "Ausaf" (cir. 10,000) (07/21) "There is no denying the fact that Pakistan has apprehended several people who were considered by the Americans to be somehow involved in the 9/11 incident. However, despite best efforts no intelligence agency of the world has been able to locate Usama Bin Laden and Aiman Al-Zawahiri. Despite this the assertion by the most responsible American official that they are hiding in Pakistan points towards the fact that the U.S. is considering to launch its forces in Pakistan on the pretext of searching for these people. Is the U.S. administration still not satisfied with the operation by Pakistan military or just wanted to keep it moving in FATA by exerting continuous pressure." "Baseless American Allegations - what's The Intention," an editorial in the Karachi-based, pro-Taliban Jihadi Urdu daily "Islam" (cir. 15,000) (07/21) "It seems that once again the United States wants to get some of its clandestine demands met by the Government of Pakistan which is why it has leveled allegations against Pakistan. For the last many weeks, senior U.S. officials have been admitting time and time again that the Government of Pakistan is taking very effective action against the extremists for the last six months but this serious accusation from Secretary Clinton shows that the United States is once again about to repeat its 'do more' demand." Pakistan's Reaction To U.S. Secretary Of State's Remarks," an editorial in liberal Urdu daily "Express" (cir. 25,000) (07/21) "The allegation by the U.S. Secretary of State [on the presence of 9/11 perpetrators in Pakistan] is nothing new, nor has this happened for the first time. Even in the past, some countries, especially the U.S., have tried to blame Pakistan for their failures in Afghanistan. However, it needs to be asked what the purpose and justification of this statement is, keeping in view Pakistan's wholehearted operation against terrorism and its visible successes in that operation.... It needs to be observed whether Secretary Clinton made this statement to please the Indian government and authorities or whether this signals a future U.S. policy towards Pakistan?" "U.S. Secretary Of State's Remark Is Meaningful," an editorial in the Lahore-based populist center-right Urdu daily "Khabrain" (cir. 50,000) (07/21) "Before giving this statement, Madam Clinton should have remembered that all facts are still clear in the public mind. The whole world knows that the U.S. is the creator of terrorism as it is the U.S. that trained the Afghans in terrorism during the Soviet-Afghan war. Now that those same terrorists are haunting the U.S., it [the U.S.] has started blaming Pakistan... Blaming Pakistan is very meaningful. We must enhance the security of our nuclear assets so as to protect them from the enemies. At the same time, Secretary Clinton should ask India to stop sending miscreants to FATA and Balochistan. If Madam Clinton cannot stop India from its activities [in Balochistan], nothing positive can be expected of her in the case of Taliban terrorists." "Give A Befitting Response To Hillary Clinton's Statement," an editorial in Lahore-based populist Urdu daily "Waqt" (cir. 10,000) (07/21) "The need is for the Pakistan Foreign Ministry to give a befitting response to the U.S. Secretary of State's baseless remark so that no country in the future can ever make such a statement again." "Hillary Clinton's Remarks In India," an editorial in the Lahore-based independent Urdu daily "Din" (cir. 10,000) (07/21) "The veracity of reports alleging the presence of Al Qaeda leaders in Pakistan becomes dubious when we keep in mind that the U.S. justification for attack on Iraq turned out to be false later on; also, despite spending billions of dollars in Afghanistan and using the latest weapons, the U.S. and its allies have failed. Given this background, what is the guarantee that the U.S. statement on the presence of Al Qaeda leaders in Pakistan is true?" "Preposterous Allegations Of Clinton," an editorial in the Islamabad-based rightist English daily "Pakistan Observer" (cir. 5,000) (07/21) "Americans are known for churning out statements and leaking out so-called information with a view to pressing Pakistan further into their service.... In an apparent bid to please her Indian hosts, she (Hillary Clinton) claimed that those involved in terrorist incidents of 9/11 in the United States and 26/11 in India were in Pakistan.... Pakistan is going out of the way in a bid to secure not only its own future but for peace in the region and the world but in return it is receiving this kind of treatment from the United States. Clinton's statement is all the more reprehensible as it was made on the Indian soil which amounts to rubbing salt into wound." "More Talks About Talks?," an op-ed by Dr. Maleeha Lodhi in the populist, often sensational national English daily "The News" (cir. 55,000) (07/21) "The Sharm el-Sheikh meeting between the Prime Ministers of Pakistan and India marked a new thaw in relations and promised an improvement in the political climate between the estranged neighbors.... Prime Ministers Yusuf Raza Gilani and Manmohan Singh concurred that dialogue was the only way forward.... The timing of the announcement at Sharm el-Sheikh, hours before the arrival in India of U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, also raised a set of other questions. Is Delhi's renewal of the dialogue more an effort to respond to international urgings, in the light of Washington's sustained encouragement of talks, while continuing a strategy of what Indian commentators call 'flexible containment' of Pakistan? Is Delhi's stance on the dialogue tactical or strategic? Can the dialogue transition into the composite process? Will the diplomatic space that has opened up be used to enlarge the peace process? Or will the talks regress under the pressure of domestic Indian politics and the terrorism issue?... Looking forward, what will determine stable relations is whether a habit of dialogue to solve problems can be fostered. If the diplomatic efforts ahead are to be a new beginning and not a false start, this habit has to be able to trump and transcend the mutual hostility and suspicion that are immediately revived by the eruption of any incident or problem." "The Three Communiqus," an op-ed by Mir Jamilur Rahman in the populist, often sensational national English daily "The News" (cir. 55,000) (07/21) "The Prime Ministers of India and Pakistan have agreed to resume the composite dialogue process and it should not be bracketed with action on terrorism. Pakistan was jubilant at the prospects of resumption of the composite dialogue! Diplomatic analysts opined that it has been a major policy gain for Pakistan. It is a knee-jerk reaction. India has conceded nothing; not even the timeframe for the composite dialogue. It could start tomorrow, next week, next month or next year. It has been always India's ploy to break the talks on one pretext or the other and resume them with grand fanfare when it needed them." "Pakistan's India Policy Revisited," an op-ed by Javid Husain in the center-right national English daily "The Nation" (cir. 20,000) (07/21) "The need of the hour for our policy makers is to clarify the assumptions on which our India policy is based, the goals that it aims at and the strategy through which it strives to realize them. In the absence of the required clarity, our India policy will remain mired in confusion and short-term maneuvers in response to day-to-day events, lacking sense of long-term direction and steadiness of purpose as is the case at present." "American Defense Secretary's Admission," an editorial in the second-largest, center-right nationalist Urdu daily "Nawa-i-Waqt" (cir. 150,000) (07/21) "U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said that American military and the nation are tired of Iraq war and that we cannot afford to fight a long war in Afghanistan.... When America understands the ground realities, also admitted by the Defense Secretary, then is not it better for America to withdraw its troops from Afghanistan and return the peace to the region. America should also stop drone attacks inside Pakistan, which are causing loss of innocent lives." "After U.S. Exit From Afghanistan," an editorial in the Lahore-based liberal English language daily "Daily Times" (cir. 10,000) (07/21) "Somewhere in Washington someone is planning how to get the U.S. forces out of Afghanistan in short order. The NATO countries would want to get out now if given a choice. Wars have hurt the U.S. in these past years because Washington fought them all wrong. The Iraq war was not on at all. And the internationally favored war in Afghanistan was badly and belatedly fought and allowed to go in favor of the Taliban.... Under no circumstances should Pakistan revert to the policy of 'strategic depth' dependent on the Taliban. In fact, it should overpower the Taliban on its soil to be secure against the next crisis caused by the Afghan meltdown after the American exit." "'Maulana Radio' On Air," an editorial in the center-right national English daily "The Nation" (cir. 20,000) (07/21) "There have been rumors that Maulana Fazlullah has been heard delivering sermons spewing venom against the Army on FM radio in Swat.... A week ago, the military spokesman had informed the media that Maulana Fazlullah was critically hurt during a search operation.... Thus it appears as if the government is randomly disseminating information without bothering to check whether it is true or not. This would have a very demoralizing effect on those who are helping the government in its fight against militancy." "Intercepting The Taliban," an op-ed by Rahimullah Yusufzai in the populist, often sensational national English daily "The News" (cir. 55,000) (07/21) "Now that the militants are making selective and clever use of the modern means of communication, it will become increasingly difficult for the armies and their intelligence agencies in Pakistan, Afghanistan and other theaters of war to track them down. Intercepts too could become few and far between or there would be greater recourse to deception to mislead the enemy.... Modern technology and its clever use combined with human intelligence could achieve far better results than those presently being obtained through one source alone. Then one will not have to wait for Baitullah Mehsud or the likes to come back on the line and start using satellite phone again to become traceable." (All circulation figures are based on estimation) Patterson