PAKISTAN MEDIA REACTION: AUGUST 31, 2009

UNCLAS ISLAMABAD 002075

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KMDR KPAO OIIP OPRC PGOV PREL PK
SUBJECT: PAKISTAN MEDIA REACTION: AUGUST 31, 2009

Media Reaction Summary: August 31, 2009


Summary: Reports and photographs of "killing of 16 police cadets in
a suicide attack in Mingora a month after the Pakistan Army claimed
the area had been cleared of Taliban" dominated headlines in all
newspapers on Monday. Newspapers also highlighted reports that
Pakistan "categorically rejected" a New York Times story accusing
that "Pakistan illegally modified the U.S.-made missiles."
Pakistani Ambassador to Washington Haqqani's remarks terming the
report as "baseless and incorrect" received prominent front-page
display. Several major dailies also published a Washington Post
article that the "U.S. has set metrics to gauge progress in
Afghanistan and Pakistan." The weekend editions of the newspapers
gave extensive coverage to Ambassador Robin Raphel's talk to a
select group of journalists quoting her as saying that "U.S. aid's
administrative cost would be minimized." Reports of the "U.S.
donation of Protective Gear to Pakistan to help cope with outbreaks
of bird flu" were also highlighted.

Most major newspapers ran editorials on the government's
announcement of the internal autonomy to the Northern Areas and its
possible fallouts. However some dailies opted to editorialize other
issues including the uneasy peace in the Swat valley, U.S. Admiral
Mullen's remarks and the Karzai-Holbrooke meeting. The
Karachi-based center-left independent national English daily "Dawn,"
observed that the Admiral Mullen's observations should be noted by
the American media, especially some of the leading dailies which
have played a major role in distorting reality and portraying the
Taliban as the true representatives of Muslims worldwide." In its
editorial on the "Karzai-Holbrooke meeting" the center-right
national English daily "The Nation," noted that the "USA looks to
working with Mr. Karzai in a second term, but also wishes to use the
election issue, along with corruption and his links with various
warlords, to keep up the pressure on him." Commenting on the
proposed "expansion plan of the U.S. Embassy," the Karachi-based,
pro-Taliban Jihadi Urdu daily "Islam," opined that the "killing of
several innocent Pakistanis including women and children in the
recent U.S. drone attack will provide an opportunity to Ambassador
Patterson to know that why majority of the Pakistanis see the U.S.
presence in their country with suspicion, whether it is in the form
of U.S. Marines, or the infamous Blackwater." End Summary.


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News Stories
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"Suicide Bomber Kills 16 Police Cadets In Swat" "Dawn" and "The
Nation" (08/31)

"A terrorist blew himself up inside a police training centre in
Mingora on Sunday, killing 16 recruits of the newly-formed Community
Police Force and injuring four others, a month after the Pakistan
army claimed the area had been cleared of Taliban."

"Pakistan Illegally Modified U.S. Missile: NYT" "The News" (08/31)

"Pakistan on Sunday rejected US government claims that it illegally
modified American-made missiles and said the accusation were part of
a campaign to 'malign it and its armed forces.' Modification to
anti-ship missile made them capable of hitting land based targets
and thus threatening India, The New York Times said on Saturday."

"Pakistan Denies It Modified American Anti-Ship Missile" "Dawn"
(08/31)

"Pakistan rejected accusations its army illegally modified American
made missiles to increase its land-strike capability, denying that
it reconfigured anti-ship weapons in a way that could target India.
A statement from Pakistan's Foreign Ministry said on Sunday that it
'categorically rejected' the article in The New York Times saying
that Harpoon anti-ship missiles had been modified and that they
could pose a potential threat to India. Pakistan's Ambassador
Hussain Haqqani termed the NYT report baseless and incorrect."

"CIA should keep an eye on Dr Khan, says Cheney" "Dawn" (08/31)

"Former US vice-president Dick Cheney said on Sunday that instead of
probing CIA's interrogation techniques, the Obama administration
should use the agency to find what A. Q. Khan was up to."
"US Aid Administrative Costs To Be Minimized" "Daily Times" (08/29)
"Efforts will be made to minimise the administrative costs Pakistan
is supposed to bear in utilising the proposed US assistance but it
will need foreign technical expertise in certain areas, US envoy
Robin Raphel said on Friday."
"US Donation Of Protective Gear To Pakistan To Help Cope With
Outbreak Of Bird Flu" "The News" (08/29)

"Jenet Paz-Castillo, Health Office Chief, United States Agency for
International Development (USAID) Pakistan, Friday officially handed
over $18,704 worth of personal protective equipment (PPE) kits along
with Infectious Substance Insulated Shipper to help Pakistan cope
with outbreaks of bird flu."

"Nato Supply Tankers On Fire After Explosion" "Dawn" (08/31)

"At least 15 oil tankers, trailers and containers caught fire in
Chaman on Sunday night after a blast in a vehicle carrying supplies
for Nato forces in Afghanistan. Hundreds of vehicles have been stuck
in the border town over the past two days because of suspension of
traffic between Pakistan and Afghanistan."

"Official Of Anti-Terror Squad Killed In Karak" "Dawn" (08/31)

"A DSP of anti-terrorism squad and a constable were killed when
terrorists opened fire on a police party near Latambar in Karak
early on Sunday morning. Two attackers were also killed when police
returned fire."

"Troops Brace For Decisive Offensive" "Dawn" (08/31)

"With Baitullah Mehsud dead, troops may be bracing for a new round
of offensive against the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan in the days and
weeks ahead to prepare the ground for a decisive assault on South
Waziristan, knowledgeable sources say."

"35 Taliban Killed In Afghan Operation" "Dawn" (08/31)

"As Afghans await the results of a fraud-tainted election, a heavy
death toll from clashes and bombs, including 35 Taliban and a child,
served as a reminder of the challenges the next president faces. In
operations mostly concentrated in the south and the east of the
country, Afghan security forces, backed by international troops, on
Sunday claimed success against an increasingly virulent enemy."
"Al Qaeda Fails To Unite Pakistani Taliban" "Daily Times" (08/31)
"Negotiations between the Taliban of Mullah Nazir group and the
supporters of Baitullah Mehsud group have failed despite the
reconciliatory efforts of Al Qaeda and the Afghan Taliban, Dunya TV
reported on Sunday."

"18 Militants Killed In Swat Operation" "The News" (08/31)

"Eighteen militants were killed and several others were apprehended
during the ongoing operation in Tehsil Charbagh in Swat Valley on
Sunday."

"Pakistan, Iran Hold Talks On Gas Pipeline Project Today" "The News"
(08/31)

"Amid stiff opposition to the IP project from the most influential
world capitals one in the West and other in the Middle East,
Pakistan and Iran will today (Monday) embark upon the most crucial
technical level talks on conditions precedent (CPs),which are
prerequisites before making the gas sales purchase agreement
effective as the accord has already been signed by both Islamabad
and Istanbul."

"Refusal To Limit The Nuclear Program; U.S. Decides To Stop
Development Projects In Pakistan Worth $ 1 Billion," "Pakistan"
(cir. 10,000) (08/31)

"Tension is rising between the U.S. and Pakistan over American
insistence that Pakistan limit its nuclear program and the Pakistani
military leadership's resistance to the idea. Taking the first step
in this regard, the U.S. has decided in principle to stop USAID's
development projects worth one billion dollars in Pakistan. A formal
announcement is expected shortly."

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Editorials/Op-eds
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"U.S. Admiral's Advice," an editorial in the Karachi-based
center-left independent national English daily "Dawn" (cir. 55,000)
(08/31)

"It is not just the Obama administration but the American media too
that must take note of the observations made by Adm Mike Mullen on
US policies towards the Muslim world. In an article he wrote for a
military journal, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said
America must "worry a lot less about how to communicate [its]
actions and much more about what [its] actions communicate".
Declaring that American behaviour was often perceived as arrogant,
uncaring and insulting. . . In the case of Pakistan, drone attacks,
first launched during the Bush presidency, have continued. Although
these have targeted militants, there has been considerable
collateral damage. . . The Obama administration must try to find a
negotiated solution to the Afghan war. . . Adm Mullen's observations
should be noted by the American media, especially some of the
leading dailies which have played a major role in distorting reality
and portraying the Taliban as the true representatives of Muslims
worldwide"

"Home Truths," an editorial note in the populist, often sensational
national English daily "The News" (cir. 55,000) (08/31)

"America seems to be going through a process of awakening, and
gaining a more realistic sense of itself and how others perceive it
in the process. The Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman, Admiral Mike
Mullen, writes that no amount of public relations exercises will
repair the credibility of the US if American behaviour overseas
continues to be perceived as 'arrogant, uncaring or insulting' -
which it not infrequently is, whether it be by design or accident.
As AMERICA is currently engaged in warfare with states and peoples
where a man's word and honour is paramount it is not difficult to
see where the trust deficit comes from. Translating this level of
insight and self-awareness into hard policy is not going to be easy,
but the good news is that AMERICA has the rest of the Obama
presidency to turn the ship around though hate is one of those
emotions that take millennia to abate."

"Karzai-Holbrooke Meeting," an editorial in the center-right
national English daily "The Nation" (cir. 20,000) (08/31)

". . . USA looks to working with Mr Karzai in a second term, but
also wishes to use the election issue, along with corruption and his
links with various warlords, to keep up the pressure on him. This
can only mean that the USA wishes to use Afghanistan to prop up the
position of India, which it has chosen as China's rival in the
region, and which is destined to contain it. . ."

"Expansion Of U.S. Embassy In Islamabad - Some Questions" an
editorial in the Karachi-based, pro-Taliban Jihadi Urdu daily
"Islam" (cir. 15,000) (08/31)

"The admittance of the U.S. Ambassador Patterson, regarding the
expansion of U.S. Embassy in Islamabad, has given rise to multiple
questions in the minds of the Pakistani masses. They are also
expressing their reservations on the reports of the rentals around
200 houses by the U.S. Embassy in posh sectors of the federal
capital and installation of highly sensitive surveillance gadgets on
those buildings. As far as the 'friendly motives and the assistance
plans,' being repeatedly pointed out by the U.S. Embassy, are
concerned, the record of the Pak-U.S. bilateral relations during the
last three decades shows that Washington leaves no stone unturned to
woo Islamabad when it needs the latter's services to secure its
interests but abandons it after achieving its goals. In fact,
killing of several innocent Pakistanis including women and children
in the recent U.S. drone attack will provide an opportunity to
Ambassador Patterson to know why the majority of Pakistanis see the
U.S. presence in their country with suspicion, whether it is in the
form of U.S. Marines, or the infamous Blackwater."

"Precarious Peace," an editorial note in the center-right national
English daily "The Nation" (cir. 20,000) (08/31)

"The uneasy peace that had returned to Swat after the military
operation was finally shattered yesterday with the suicide attack on
a police training station.... Provincial information czar Mian
Iftikhar Hussein has said that the way this particular incident was
carried out was difficult to avoid. That is a chilling revelation;
how would things have played out if it weren't for the high alert?
Both the military and civil administration needs to get their acts
together."

"Cautious Optimism," an editorial in the populist, often sensational
national English daily "The News" (cir. 55,000) (08/31)

"More than 80 per cent of the 2.3 million IDPs who fled in the face
of a determined onslaught on the Taliban have now returned home and
the operation to repatriate the IDPs has gone reasonably well. . .
an interesting development that bodes well for the future, it seems
that the worm has turned for the Taliban. Lt-Gen Ahmed, chairman of
the Special Support Group for the displaced, has told Reuters that
the people who had returned were now helping to identify and
track-down those who had previously terrorised them. . . If nothing
else this points to a return of confidence in the army by those they
are there to protect."

"What Lies in Waziristan," an op-ed by Zafar Hilaly in the populist,
often sensational national English daily "The News" (cir. 55,000)
(08/31)

"Compared to what awaits the Pakistan Army in Waziristan, the Swat
operation was a skirmish. There 30,000 Taliban wait to give battle.
As fighters, they are matchless and have few equals in the art of
mobile warfare. . . It is a small wonder that the Pakistan Army is
apprehensive about taking on the Taliban in Waziristan until all
preparations have been made. It is equally wondrous that the
Americans, having had the bitter experience of charging into
situations, ill-prepared to deal with them, would have the Pakistan
Army rush in where, what to speak of fools, even angels fear to
tread. The Army should take its time. . . The American idea that
the current divisions within the Taliban should be exploited by a
quick push is just wishful thinking. Nothing will unite the Taliban
more than danger from an outside force. . ."

"Why Obama May Fail In Afghanistan," an op-ed by Shahzad Chaudery in
the Lahore-based liberal English language daily "Daily Times" (cir.
10,000) (08/31)

". . . Karzai's house of cards will collapse the day AMERICA leaves.
Permit him to begin talking to his real brethren so that he can find
a stable order. Afghanistan must find its own solution; it simply is
not programmed to accept one. That has been re-inscribed in history
over and over again. No, this piece is not a demoralising statement
about the world's greatest military; it simply is a statement of the
fact as it gets seen up close. The world at large has great
expectations of Obama 'resetting' AMERICA to a more rational role;
one that leaves enough space for others to pursue what seems noble
to them, particularly in Afghanistan. One hopes he will answer the
call of history for his own good and that of America."

"Manmohan's Duplicity," an editorial in liberal Urdu daily "Express"
(cir. 25,000) (08/31)

"Analysts feel that Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's refusal
to hold talks with Pakistan demonstrates dissatisfaction with
Pakistani authorities' attitude as he wanted strong action against
the Mumbai attack perpetrators... The Indian leadership should end
the suspension of talks with Pakistan so that the people of this
region can breathe a sigh of relief."

Patterson