PAKISTAN MEDIA REACTION: AUGUST 26, 2009

UNCLAS ISLAMABAD 002036 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KMDR KPAO OIIP OPRC PGOV PREL PK SUBJECT: PAKISTAN MEDIA REACTION: AUGUST 26, 2009 SUMMARY: Reports that the banned "Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has finally confirmed the killing of its chief Baitullah Mehsud in the August 5 drone attack" dominated headlines in all major newspapers on Wednesday. Newspapers highlighted reports that "Pakistan failed to secure swift aid from the Friends of Democratic Pakistan (FoDP)." The English newspaper "The News," and its sister Urdu daily, "Jang" reported Deputy Assistant Defense Secretary Sedney's remarks that "no nation has suffered at the hands of Al Qaeda the way Pakistanis have suffered after 9/11 attacks" and that the "U.S. not only acknowledges but appreciates the courage and bravery of the Pakistani people and Pak security forces." Reports of a massive bomb blast in Afghan city of Kandhar killing at least 41 including several Pakistanis also figured prominently. Commenting on the "prolonged U.S. presence in Afghanistan," the center-right national English daily "The Nation," noted that "it will plunge the region further into chaos." In its editorial on the "CIA's transgressions," the liberal English daily "The Post," observed that the "decision to trim the powers of the CIA is a sign of positive change in the U.S. administration." The popular rightist Urdu-language daily "Ausaf," while disparaging the reported presence of an American security firm, Blackwater, in Peshawar advised the government to "take timely and immediate steps to counter its activities before all hell breaks loose in the country." End Summary. -------------- News Stories -------------- "Taliban Confirm What We Already Know" "The News" (08/26) "The defunct Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has finally confirmed the killing of their top commander Baitullah Mehsud in the August 5 drone attack on the house of his father-in-law in South Waziristan." "TTP Confirms Baitullah Dead" "Daily Times" (08/26) "Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) chief Baitullah Mehsud died this month after a US missile strike, his 'successor', Hakeemullah Mehsud, confirmed on Tuesday, vowing revenge on the US for the attack." "TTP Leaders' Claims 'All Speculation': Rehman Malik" "Daily Times" (08/26) "Interior Minister Rehman Malik on Tuesday dismissed, as 'all speculation,' reports that a new TTP chief had been appointed and said the group was in disarray." "Taliban In Transition Or Disarray" "Dawn" (08/26) "The naming of a new leader has failed to dispel strong suspicions that Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan is riven with factional rivalry following the death of Baitullah Mehsud in a US missile strike three weeks ago. The Taliban have announced that Hakeemullah Mehsud has been appointed as the TTP's new top gun. But there are good reasons to suspend belief over who's in charge until more clarity emerges from various Taliban strongholds." "Friends' Delay Action On Plea For Swift Cash Flow" "Dawn" (08/26) "Pakistan failed on Tuesday to secure swift aid from donors at a forum here to help the cash-strapped country improve security and rebuild the northwest where an army operation against the Taliban displaced millions of people." "Int'l Aid Can Help Pakistan Be Anchor Of Stability: FODP" "Daily Times" (08/26) "International partnership can help Pakistan develop a win-win scenario to become an anchor of stability in the region and the world, the ministerial meeting of the Friends of Democratic Pakistan (FoDP) declared on Tuesday." "Pakistanis Suffered Most At The Hands Of Al-Qaeda: US" "The News" (08/26) "US Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defence for Pakistan and Afghanistan David Sedney has said the United States and Pakistan share the common goal of destroying al-Qaeda, which was out there at the Pak-Afghan border trying to create another 9/11-like catastrophe. Speaking exclusively to The News and Geo News at the Pentagon in Washington, David Sedney said no nation had suffered at the hands of al-Qaeda the way Pakistanis had suffered after the 9/11 attacks and the United States not only acknowledged but appreciated the courage and bravery of the Pakistani people and Pak security forces with which they had put up a fight against al-Qaeda." "US Immigration Form Terms Balochistan A Separate Country;Joke, Mistake Or Deliberate Act" "The Post" (08/26) "America's official web site U.S. Citizen Immigration Services has issued an immigration form that shows Balochistan as a separate country. Various circles have taken strong exceptions to this and have questioned whether it was a mistake on the part of US immigration Department or was done deliberately." "Pakistanis Among 41 Killed In Kandahar Blast" "Dawn" (08/26) "Five car bombs were detonated simultaneously on Tuesday in Afghanistan's largest southern city, flattening buildings and killing at least 41 people, officials said." "Interpol Issues Red Notice Against Hafiz Saeed" "Dawn" (08/26) "Interpol has issued a Red Corner Notice (RCN) against Jamaatud Dawa chief Hafiz Saeed; Times of India reported on Tuesday. Hafiz Saeed has been charge-sheeted by India for masterminding the attacks in Mumbai on Nov 26 last year. The notice, according to the newspaper, will make it difficult for Pakistan to let the JuD chief roam freely." "Troops Kill Three Taliban, Arrest 7" "Daily Times" (08/26) "Security forces said on Tuesday they had killed three Taliban and arrested seven others, while 11 locals who were forced to get terrorist training, surrendered in Swat and Malakand on Tuesday." "Three More Bodies Found In Swat" "The News" (08/26) "Security forces on Tuesday arrested eight suspected militants, while three more bodies of the Taliban militants were found in Swat, raising the number of bodies found in the valley during the last 24 hours to 22." "Lashkar Man Held In Delhi, Claim Police" "Dawn" (08/26) "Indian police claimed they had arrested a militant in New Delhi on Tuesday who was reportedly a member of the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) group. The suspect was allegedly carrying explosives." "No Political Wings At ISI, IB: Malik" "The Nation" (08/26) "Federal Interior Minister Rehman Malik Tuesday said that Pakistan Intelligence Bureau (IB) and Inter-Services Intelligence Agency (ISI) have no political wings. Talking to a private TV channel, he said no political eavesdropping is being carried out at any secret agencies, adding no phones of any political leaders are being taped in the country." "Karzai, Abdullah Neck And Neck In Afghan Vote" "Daily Times" (08/26) "Incumbent Hamid Karzai is running neck and neck with his main rival in the fraud-tainted race for the Afghan presidency, according to the first partial results unveiled on Tuesday." -------------- Editorials/Op-eds -------------- "Time To Leave," an editorial in the center-right national English daily "The Nation" (cir. 20,000) (08/26) "Notwithstanding the obama's administration's intention to fight militancy, the fact remains that prolonged U.S. presence in Afghanistan will plunge the region further into chaos. . . True, there is no quick fix solution to the problems ailing Afghanistan, yet the Americans rather than prolonging their stay and finding a military solution should now be working hard to devise a sound exit strategy based on a negotiated solution of the conflict. Among other things, focus must be placed on strengthening the Afghan national army. Secondly, the democratic process should be allowed to take root. The U.S. must not forget that in the main it is a struggle in which hearts and minds would have to be won." "U.S. Plan For A Long Stay In Afghanistan; A Threat For Pakistan's Sensitive Assets And National Interests," an editorial in the second-largest, center-right nationalist Urdu daily "Nawa-i-Waqt" (cir. 150,000) (08/26) "American agents have already created a commotion in Pakistan. Only God can help Pakistan if a new foreign agency is allowed to recruit local agents, the activities of CIA, FBI and Blackwater notwithstanding. According to reports, the Pakistan Army leadership has already conveyed its reservations to American officials.... We do not know as to how many of Americans entering Pakistan on the pretext of training are Jews and how many of them are Mossad operatives. The government of Pakistan should adopt a courageous stance and make it clear to America that in such an eventuality [interference in Pakistan], the U.S. interests in Pakistan will become unsafe and Pakistan too will be destabilized." "CIA's Transgressions," an editorial in the Lahore-based liberal English daily "The Post" (cir. 5,000) (08/26) ". . . The decision to trim the powers of the CIA is a sign of positive change in the US administration. During the election campaign, Obama vehemently opposed Bush's interrogation policies and now it appears that he is bent on fulfilling those promises." "Dangerous activities of Blackwater and Pakistan," an editorial in the popular rightist Urdu-language daily "Ausaf" (cir. 10,000) (08/26) "It is said that the agents of the infamous U.S. security firm, Blackwater, had arrived in Pakistan after a secret deal between the then U.S. President Bush and his Pakistani counterpart Musharraf. These operatives may also target high profile personalities with an aim to create anarchy in the country. The presence of Blackwater operatives in Pakistan may be a precursor of some bigger disaster. Therefore the government must take timely and immediate steps to counter their activities before all hell breaks loose in the country." "Americans' Mysterious Activities In Pakistan," an editorial in the Lahore-based independent Urdu daily "Din" (cir. 10,000) (08/26) "For the last several days, the Pakistani media is abuzz with stories about American activities in Pakistan... Sources have revealed that in addition to training American security officials in Pakistan, U.S. authorities had offered counter-terrorism training by U.S. experts to Pakistani police officials. Moreover, an offer was also made to the effect that the U.S. would construct a training center at its own expense if the Punjab government provided land for it within the Sihala Police Training College... The attempt to acquire land in the Sihala College was actually aimed at securing space for training requirements of the U.S. officials. One reason given for the [terrorist] attacks on the FIA Training Center and Manawan Police School in Lahore was the reported presence of U.S. security officials there. There could be a similar terrorist threat to the Sihala College if space is given to American officials. Instead of giving in to U.S. pressure every time, Pakistan should hold the country's sovereignty, security and dignity paramount, lest the Americans coming here as our friends turn our country into another Afghanistan." "Our Leaders' Voluntary Submission To Colonisation," an op-ed by Shireen M Mazari in the populist, often sensational national English daily "The News" (cir. 55,000) (08/26) "We are seeing houses being barricaded for U.S. personnel all across the capital and we know of the 300 plus 'military trainers' already ensconced in Tarbela. In addition we have the notorious Blackwater (now hiding under a new label, Xe Worldwide) and the rather obvious CIA front-company, Creative Associates International Inc (CAII), operating not only in Peshawar but now in Islamabad also it transpires - and a recent reflection of this was the sealing off of the road in Super Market last week right in front of a school! Whatever the U.S. embassy gives out or the terrified Pakistani leadership echoes, the reality is that there is a questionable and increasingly threatening U.S. armed presence in Pakistan and this may be augmented soon with an ISAF/NATO presence. . . With the U.S. increasingly occupying Pakistan with their covert and overt armed presence and the Gulf States taking over our rich agricultural lands our rulers are voluntarily making us a colony again - as we were under the British who used our men to fight their wars and our cheap labour to ship the finished produce back to Britain! Have we come full circle after 62 years of our creation?" "Deadly Tehreek-e-Taliban Punjab," an editorial in the Lahore-based liberal English language daily "Daily Times" (cir. 10,000) (08/26) ". . . Lashkar-e-Jhangvi has become a blanket term just as Sipah-e-Sahaba had in the 1990s. It is today the organisation whose handiwork has been owned by the late Taliban leader Baitullah Mehsud. The Lashkar remains based in South Punjab and some of its big jobs are planned in Jhang, as in the case of the attack on the Marriott Hotel in Islamabad. In Multan, its big leaders like Akram Lahori are under trial in a court which is said to be ready to let them go because the eye-witnesses keep on dying mysteriously, a fate that might visit the judges too if they are not careful. These are the Taliban of Punjab, in some ways more lethal than the Taliban of South Waziristan and other tribal regions. They have been trained by Al Qaeda and they have enjoyed, for decades, the patronage of the Pakistani state as its non-state actors for jihad in Kashmir. They also predate the Taliban in the art and craft of terrorism, having done it across two borders in what was called low-intensity or proxy war. Anyone who fools himself by saying that Punjab is free of the Taliban must surely be unaware of the damage he is doing to the state of Pakistan by holding and articulating such views..." "Extrajudicial Killings of Taliban," an op-ed by S.M. Hali in the center-right national English daily "The Nation" (cir. 20,000) (08/26) "It is remarkable that Human Rights activists have jumped into the fray when the Taliban have been defeated and the hapless residents of Swat and Malakand have been enabled to leave the squalor of IDP camps behind and return to their homes in a record time of two months. The law enforcing agencies, with the army in the forefront, bore the brunt of the incessant attacks by the suicide bombers. That they showed restraint and waited for the government to call them into action indicates discipline, a sense of honor and respect for the law. . . Maybe the HRCP (Human Rights Commission of Pakistan) should probe deeper before levying allegations against a group which has sacrificed tremendously to rid us of the scourge of terrorism" Patterson