PAKISTAN MEDIA REACTION: JULY 29, 2009

UNCLAS ISLAMABAD 001732 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KMDR KPAO OIIP OPRC PGOV PREL PK SUBJECT: PAKISTAN MEDIA REACTION: JULY 29, 2009 Summary: U.S. Special Envoy Holbrooke's remarks, made in Brussels, that "Taliban were receiving more funding from their sympathizers abroad than from Afghanistan's illegal drug trade" dominated headlines in all major newspapers on Wednesday. His appeal to the international community to "help Pakistan deal with refugees uprooted by the fighting in its Swat valley" also received prominent coverage. Some major dailies highlighted the report that Pakistani investigators found "substantial evidence directly connecting Lashkar-e-Taiba" to last year's Mumbai terrorist attacks. Reports of the arrest of seven men in North Carolina by FBI agents on terror charges also received extensive coverage. Newspapers also reported that two security personnel were killed in a suicide attack in North Waziristan. Most major dailies ran editorials on the new trade policy announced by the government the other day. However, several dailies editorialized the recovery of some children from a militant camp, who were brainwashed to carry out suicide attacks. Commenting on the subject, the center-right national English daily "The Nation," noted that "this episode should also serve to give a moment of reflection to the religious parties of all stripes. The state of affairs calls for an immediate response from them to denounce these designs of militants." Likewise, the center-right Urdu daily "Pakistan," also urged the "religious scholars to take a bold stand on this concept of 'jihad' and guide the nation." The Lahore-base liberal English newspaper, "Daily Times," observed that these "children should be kept in quarantine and reintegrated into a society that they should view as benign." End Summary. -------------- News Stories -------------- "Funds For Taliban Largely Come From Abroad: Holbrooke" "Dawn" (07/29) "Taliban militants were receiving more funding from their sympathizers abroad than from Afghanistan's illegal drug trade, the U.S. Special Envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan said on Tuesday. Richard Holbrooke also urged the international community to help Pakistan deal with refugees uprooted by the fighting in the Swat Valley because the region is a vital staging area for militant operations in neighboring Afghanistan, while talking to journalists at the NATO headquarters in Brussels." "70% Taliban Not With Qaeda: Holbrooke" "Daily Times" (07/29) "U.S. Special Envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan Richard Holbrooke has said at least seventy percent of Taliban do not share the philosophy of Taliban and Al Qaeda, 'Dunya News' reported on Tuesday. Holbrooke said less violent Taliban, those who had renounced extremism, should be included in the political mainstream." "Investigations Link Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) Men To Mumbai Attack" "Dawn" (07/29) "Pakistani investigators have found substantial evidence directly connecting Lashkar-e-Taiba to last year's Mumbai terrorist attacks which killed 166 people. The findings provided the basis for the trial which started last week of five arrested LeT operatives by an anti-terrorism court inside Rawalpindi's Adiala jail. It is the first time that Pakistanis are being tried inside the country for carrying out terrorist attacks on foreign soil." "Seven U.S. Men Charged As International 'Jihad' Group" "The News" (07/29) "A father who led an unobtrusive rural life as a drywall contractor had militant roots dating back to 1980s Pakistan and Afghanistan and secretly led a U.S. group plotting international terrorism, federal prosecutors said. Daniel Patrick Boyd, 39, was arrested on Monday with his two sons and four other North Carolina men. Prosecutors accused them of military-style training at home and plotting 'violent Jihad' through a series of terror attacks abroad." "Suicide Attack Kills 2 In NWA" "The News" (07/29) "A suicide car bomber rammed his vehicle into a checkpoint in North Waziristan on Tuesday, causing an explosion that killed two personnel of security forces and wounded five others, officials said." "U.S. Seeks Peace With 'Good Taliban' Before Congress Election" "Dawn" (07/29) "Washington is abuzz with speculations that U.S. President Barack Obama would like to make some arrangements with saner elements in the Taliban movement before next year's congressional elections. Diplomatic observers in Washington say that Pakistan and Afghanistan have already submitted a proposal to the Americans, defining what they believe would be a sensible way for approaching the Taliban." "Pakistan In Covert Talks With Baitullah" "Daily Times" (07/29) "The military has delayed a full-scale ground operation in South Waziristan Agency against Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan Chief Baitullah Mehsud as the two sides have covertly reached an understanding, the Telegraph claimed on Tuesday. A report in the U.K. daily said details are still not known, but the military had deliberately delayed launching the attacks against Baitullah after "having corralled his stronghold in South Waziristan." "Mehsud Allies Warned Of Large-Scale Operation" "The Nation" (07/29) "Pakistan's security forces will launch a large-scale military operation against all the Taliban commanders in Waziristan along with the ongoing air offensive against Baitullah Mehsud if they failed to accept the government's demand for their detachment from the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) Chief, said a well placed source asking for anonymity." "High-Profile Terrorists To Be Nabbed Soon, Says Malik" "The News" (07/29) "Interior Minister Rehman Malik on Tuesday said that hideouts of high-profile terrorists were being pursued by armed forces and they would be nabbed soon. In a telephonic interview with a private TV channel from Dushambe, he said the terrorists would be arrested or eliminated in the ongoing operation." "Nine Houses Demolished In Mohmand Agency" "The News" (07/29) "In a joint action, the political administration and security forces demolished nine houses and arrested an many tribal elders for their failure to hand over wanted persons to the authorities in Gandhab, Halimzai subdivision in the troubled Mohmand Agency on Tuesday." "Three Decapitated Bodies Of Security Men Found" "Dawn" (07/29) "Decapitated bodies of two personnel of Frontier Crops were found buried in a graveyard in the Ambar tehsil of Mohmand tribal region on Tuesday. The two FC men had been kidnapped in May, according to sources." "Beheaded Body Of Police Constable Found In Swat" "Dawn" (07/29) "Police say the decapitated body of a Pakistani police constable has been discovered in a town in Swat Valley on Tuesday. The find was a sign that Taliban militants have not given up the fight for the northwestern region, despite a nearly three-month-old army offensive." "Forces Kill Youth In Batkhela" "The News" (07/29) "A youth was killed and two others critically wounded when the security forces fired at a passenger vehicle at Batkhela, Malakand Agency, on Tuesday. Local people condemned the incident, adding that such incidents would increase public hatred for the security forces." "Suicide Vests, IEDs Seized In Lakki Marwat, Several Held" "Dawn" (07/29) "Law enforcement agencies continued a joint search operation against militants in parts of Lakki Marwat and recovered a huge cache of arms and ammunition, including suicide vests, on Tuesday. Sources said that the law enforcers also arrested several suspects and shifted them to an undisclosed location for interrogation." "4 Teenage Would-Be Bombers Held" "The News" (07/29) "Thirteen suspected terrorists, including four teenage suicide bombers, were rounded up while suicide jackets and explosives were recovered during a raid on a coal godown in Civil Quarters in Peshawar on Tuesday." "Boy Killed In Blast, 3 Cops Hurt In Attack" "The News" (07/29) "A young boy was killed and two other minors wounded in a hand-grenade explosion at Zangli while three cops were wounded in an attack on police patrolling car in Regi area (Peshawar) in the wee hours of Tuesday." "Top Taliban Operative Arrested In Islamabad" "Dawn" (07/29) "A top Taliban operative was arrested on Tuesday when he was about to leave the city's suburbs of Tarnol after delivering explosives and weapons to a terrorist cell for carrying out attacks in Islamabad. The 32-year-old suspect is from Swat's Matta area and is said to be working for Ibn-i-Amin, an important commander of Taliban who carries a Rupees 10 million head money announced recently by the government." -------------- Editorials/Op-eds -------------- "Mind-Controlling Monsters," an editorial in the center-right national English daily "The Nation" (cir. 20,000) (07/29) "The recovery of 200 children, aged six to 13, from a militant camp in Swat, who were brainwashed for the purpose of carrying carry out suicide attacks, underlines the terrorists' sinister designs. There is urgent need to rehabilitate these boys of impressionable age as mentally healthy citizens. These boys must be given proper schooling so that they never stand a chance of reverting to the militant mindset.... This episode should also serve to give a moment of reflection to the religious parties of all stripes. The state of affairs calls for an immediate response from them to denounce these designs of militants." "Innocent Boys Prepared For Suicide Bombings," an editorial in the center-right Urdu daily "Pakistan" (cir. 10,000) (07/29) "Security forces have revealed that they have recovered 200 boys who were being trained for suicide attacks. According to Geo TV, the ages of those recovered range from 6 to 13 years.... Those responsible for bloodshed and terrorism must stop, and ponder the image of Islam they are portraying to the world. We also urge the Ulema to take a bold stand on this concept of 'Jihad' and guide the nation." "National 'Mind Damage' By Taliban," an editorial in the Lahore-based liberal English language daily "Daily Times" (cir. 10,000) (07/29) "Generally speaking, Pakistani children are ripe for the plucking. Poor and deprived, they are primed with religious instruction, as embodied in our syllabi, and succumb to Taliban trainers willingly because of the orthodox views inculcated in them by our school system.... The 'mind damage' at the national level is being gradually healed as 'intimidation' under the control of Taliban is less and less possible. But those who have been roped into becoming suicide-bombers are a special case. And if they are children they should be kept in quarantine and reintegrated into a society that they should view as benign." "Suicide Alert," an editorial in the populist, often sensational national English daily "The News" (cir. 55,000) (07/29) "The discovery of around a dozen young suicide bombers in Mingora, who have now been taken into custody, exposes just how widespread such recruitment and training is. There are, no doubt, other such would-be-bombers in Waziristan, southern Punjab and possibly in other places as well.... This all must be stopped - but to do so effectively we will need to go beyond the recovery of young bombers from the hands of the militants. We must ask why and how they landed up there. The answers lie in issues of economic deprivation, social injustice, unemployment and desperation." "What About Academy Of Suicide Bombers?," an editorial in the Islamabad-based rightist English daily "Pakistan Observer" (cir. 5,000) (07/29) "One shudders to think in which direction we were heading with militants training children and young people in camps like academies, digging up tunnels, setting up ammunition depots, possessing huge quantities of arms including sophisticated ones and latest communication gadgets and getting lavish funding from local and foreign sources. It is quite evident that with the passage of time the militants had organized themselves on scientific lines and if timely action was not taken they would have posed serious threat to the integrity and solidarity of the country besides lives and properties of the citizens." "Maulana Sufi Muhammad's Arrest: An Important Development," an editorial in liberal Urdu daily "Express" (cir. 25,000) (07/29) "The question that still remains unanswered is: where is the central leadership of the terrorists? Since the public does not know the answer to this, it is looking towards the government. While the IDPs are slowly returning to Swat, Buner and other areas, it needs to be ensured that no ONE can take the law into their hands." "Talks In Afghanistan, Operation In Pakistan -- Dual Policy Of The U.S. And U.K.," editorial in the second-largest, center-right nationalist Urdu daily "Nawa-i-Waqt" (cir. 150,000) (07/29) "British Foreign Secretary David Miliband has warned that in future Pakistan should not enter into any treaty with the extremists. However, he stressed upon the Afghan Government to hold dialogue with the Taliban.... America and Britain hold dialogue with militants in Afghanistan and Iraq in order to save the lives of their delicate soldiers while they are totally against Pakistan government holding dialogue and having agreements with militants.... Miliband's statement strengthened the impression like America Britain too is following a dual and discriminatory policy. Britain does not like Pakistan to follow what it considers right in pursuance of its interest.... The government of Pakistan should try to understand the real conspiracy and without caring about the anger of America and Britain it should start dialogue process in Pakistani tribal areas." "British Order For Pakistan," an editorial in the Karachi-based right-wing pro-Jamaat-e-Islami Urdu daily "Jasarat" (cir. 3,000) (07/29) "British Foreign Secretary David Miliband has ordered Pakistan not to seek alliance with Taliban, and on the other hand, he advised the Afghan government to hold negotiations with Taliban. Such conflicting statements expose the predicament of the British policymakers. We are concerned that the scared Pakistani rulers will implement this new 'order' of the Jewish David Miliband, as the Swat peace deal was broken by the government under the U.S. pressure." "Negotiation Process Should Not Be Abandoned," an editorial in the Peshawar-based Urdu-language daily "Mashriq" (cir. 55,000) (07/29) "British Foreign Secretary David Miliband while speaking in Brussels, has said that Pakistan should not strike a deal with militants, however, Afghan administration should initiate dialogue with militants. For the last six decades Britain had always followed the U.S. policies blindly. It is an ally of the U.S. in the war on terror, and here too it supported the U.S. strategies stanchly. Now both the Americans and British officials admit that they cannot win this war. The reason is clear that both the big powers aren't able to decide whether they want to wipe out the terrorism, or the terrorists. This is the time that they should resort to negotiation, as this is the only strategy through which terrorists as well as terrorism can be controlled." "Nuclear Submarines," an editorial in the Karachi-based center-left independent national English daily "Dawn" (cir. 55,000) (07/29) "The real danger India's nuclear submarines pose to Pakistan, then, could well be their capacity to lure us into an arms race we simply cannot afford. Launching the INS Arihant was clearly aimed at sending Pakistan a message. But we must not react to provocations, only genuine threats. And it's not clear yet if the INS Arihant and its siblings will in fact pose a dangerous new threat." "A New Arms Race?," an editorial in the Lahore-based liberal English daily "The Post" (cir. 5,000) (07/29) "The latest increase in the budget and the launch of the nuclear submarine questions India's sincerity in having peaceful relations with Pakistan.... Moreover the U.S.-India nuclear deal further tilts the balance in favor of India, raising concern among the neighboring states, especially Pakistan and China.... Unless India mends its ways and put a stop to the insane weapon development, there is a high probability that the entire region will be drawn into an arms race, the result of which can be unimaginable." "India's Arihant - Upping The Psychological Ante," an op-ed by Shireen M. Mazari in the populist, often sensational national English daily "The News" (cir. 55,000) (07/29) "India has put its prototype nuclear powered submarine, INS Arihant, into the waters.... So at the moment Arihant is more of a symbolic reflection of where India is headed in terms of its nuclear arsenal. Nevertheless, the development has signaled the nuclearization of the Indian Ocean by a littoral state.... Now that India has also moved towards nuclear militarization of the Indian Ocean, it will be difficult to see any revival of the zone of peace proposal for this region in the future. With the launching of the Arihant, India has moved still further away from being a proponent of nuclear disarmament to being a projector of nuclear force. Strategic rationality makes it incumbent on Pakistan to seek to restore the nuclear balance for the future...." "Hillary's India Visit," an op-ed by Rizwan Ghani in the Islamabad-based rightist English daily "Pakistan Observer" (cir. 5,000) (07/29) "America's denial of advance technology to Islamabad to secure country's borders is a ploy to sustain its so-called war against terrorism to protect its vested stakes in the region.... the world must condemn Indo-U.S. deal, which is a continuation of Bush imperialistic policies. The deal is Obama's failure to bring change in America. Hillary should serve Obama administration instead of following establishment's agenda to serve individual goals.... Islamabad instead of relying on America should forthwith buy surveillance technology from rest of the world to end foreign interference in the country and protect its national interests." "Cooperation On Security," an op-ed by Nasim Zehra in the populist, often sensational national English daily "The News" (cir. 55,000) (07/29) "There is now a realization that without substantive steps to resolve the Kashmir issue, terrorism and militancy will survive, if not thrive, in the region.... Even if Obama, the president, was forced because of political expediency and diplomatic correctness to not publicly reiterate the terrorism-Kashmir link there is realization within the Obama administration that the unresolved Kashmir issue will sustain autonomous and perhaps even state-patronized militancy within Pakistan.... The Obama administration has been instrumental in getting the Indians back to the negotiating table.... Significantly, the regional and global environment and players now appear more ready than before to substantively address the twin problem of Kashmir-terrorism. Given the havoc terrorism has wreaked in sheer death and destruction within Pakistan, and increasingly in the shape of communal violence within India, the interest of the two neighbors to jointly fight terrorism now conflate." "The Caux Dream," an op-ed by Zubeida Mustafa in the Karachi-based center-left independent national English daily "Dawn" (cir. 55,000) (07/29) "It clearly emerged from the exercise at Caux that there are quite a number of people who are genuinely convinced that the survival of India and Pakistan depends on their mending fences. The resistance comes from the establishment. Even public opinion can be easily mobilized to recognize the need to change swords into ploughshares." (All circulation figures are based on estimation) Feierstein