PAKISTAN MEDIA REACTION: SEPTEMBER 25, 2009

UNCLAS ISLAMABAD 002320

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KMDR KPAO OIIP OPRC PGOV PREL PK
SUBJECT: PAKISTAN MEDIA REACTION: SEPTEMBER 25, 2009

Summary: The U.S. Senate's approval of a legislation to "triple
non-military aid to Pakistan" received extensive coverage in all
major newspapers on Friday. Almost all the Urdu and English
language dailies highlighted the story of the "establishment of a
multi-donor fund to rebuild Pakistan's conflict-hit areas" during a
meeting of the Friends of Democratic Pakistan (FoDP). The
prestigious English language daily, "Dawn" gave front-page coverage
to SAUDI Arabia's pledge to "provide $100 million to Pakistan for
rehabilitation of the IDPs". All major newspapers ran story of the
"killing of seven pro-government elders in Bannu by the militants"
and the "death 8 people in a fresh drone attack in Miranshah". The
daily "Dawn" reported as a back-page news that the "Army to support
the formation of 12,000-strong Lashkar in Swat." The populist,
often sensational national English daily "The News" gave front-page
to President Asif Zardari's statement in which he had "urged the
FoDP to ensure the early provision of assistance to Pakistan." It
also published former President Pervez Musharraf's claim that "Nawaz
[Sharif] a 'closet Taliban'" as a back-page story. As an exclusive
story, the Lahore-based liberal English language daily "Daily Times"
wrote that "Quetta Shura [will be]top issue in U.S. talks with
Pakistan."

Several Urdu and English language dailies highlighted, in their lead
editorials, the potential for large-scale corruption associated with
foreign aid for Pakistan and the concerns of the donor countries in
this regard. The leading mass circulation populist, often
sensational Urdu daily "Jang" wrote that "it is almost impossible to
discard all of the contents of the recent report of Transparency
International regarding the corruption of Pakistani politicians and
bureaucrats is report" and urged the government to take effective
steps to restore the confidence of the donor states. In its
editorial, the English daily "The News" analyzed General Stanley
McChrystal's report on growing Indian influence in Afghanistan and
the ISI's support for Taliban. The center-right national English
daily "The Nation" termed President Barack Obama's address to the
UNGA as "Doublespeak" in its leading editorial. The newspapers
writes that "President Obama is clearly a confused man. On the one
hand, he has the Bush policies which he cannot seem to reverse; and,
on the other hand, he has his pre-election positions and promises,
many of which seem to be receding into the background." End
Summary.

--------------
News Stories
--------------

"Senate Triples U.S. Aid To $1.5 Billion" "Dawn" (09/25)

"The U.S. Senate on Thursday approved compromise legislation to
triple non-military aid to Pakistan, President Barack Obama told an
international summit in New York. How nice that the U.S. President
could announce it personally,' U.S. special envoy Richard Holbrooke
later told a briefing while emphasizing the importance of the
announcement made at the Friends of Democratic Pakistan summit.
President Asif Ali Zardari also stressed the significance of Mr.
Obama's gesture, telling the reporters that it reflected the
confidence the international community had in the new democratic
set-up in Pakistan.... He added: 'A stable, prosperous Pakistan is
the world's greatest hope against the spread of extremism and
terrorism.'"

"Fund To Rebuild Pak Conflict Areas Set Up" "The Nation" (09/25)

"In an unprecedented show of support for Pakistan, major economic
powers on Thursday agreed on the formation of a multi-donor trust
fund to help the country build its tribal areas, which have suffered
greatly due to the ongoing fight against militant. President Barack
Obama, President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Gordon Brown
co-chaired a meeting of Friends Democratic of Pakistan (FoDP).
Richard Holbrooke, top U.S. official dealing with Pakistan and
Afghanistan, said Kerry Lugar Bill will become a law next week but
disbursement of aid under the measure is a complicated process.
Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi called the summit a
'diplomatic success', saying it represented a vote of confident in
the Pakistani nation."

"S. ARABIA Pledges $100 Million For IDPs" "Dawn" (09/25)

"Saudi ARABIA has made a $100 million pledge to help the
humanitarian efforts of the United Nations and its partners in
Pakistan, where more than one million people uprooted by violence
between troops and militants are yet to return to their homes. An
announcement to this effect was made by the United Nations on
Thursday."

"Militants Kill Seven Pro-Government Elders In Bannu" "Dawn"
(09/25)

"Seven members of a local peace committee were killed and seven
others injured when militants ambushed their vehicle in the Frontier
Region Bannu on Thursday, local people said."

"Drone Strike Kills Eight In North Waziristan" "Dawn" (09/25)

"Eight people were killed and two others injured when two missiles
fired by a drone hit the Markaz of Afghan commander Ahmad Haqqani,
son of Jalaluddin Haqqani, in Dandi Derpakhel area of North
Waziristan on Thursday night. The area is a stronghold of the
Taliban and Jalaluddin Haqqani is believed to be living here."

"Army To Support Initiative: 12,000-Strong Lashkar To Be Formed In
Swat" "Dawn" (09/25)

"About 10,000 people of Kabal tehsil assembled at Saidu Sharif
airport on Thursday and decided to raise a Lashkar to help security
forces clear the area of militants. Kabal Operation Commander Brig
Salman Akbar and other military officers, Swat Qaumi Jirga's Chief
Syed Inamur Rehman attended the event. Brig Akbar said that the
army would fully support the Lashkar."

"Security Forces Kill Eight Militants In Malakand" "Dawn" (09/25)

"Security forces said they killed eight Taliban after an abortive
attempt to ambush a military convoy in Malakand. Troops retaliated
and killed all the eight militants,' the military spokesman in Swat,
Colonel Akhtar Abbas, told AFP."

"Delay Won't Serve, Hurry Up, Asif Tells FoDP" "The News" (09/25)

"President Asif Ali Zardari on Thursday said that democracy in
Pakistan during last one year had opened a window of opportunity to
finish militancy once and for all and urged the Friends of
Democratic Pakistan (FoDP) to intervene with timely assistance to
his country."

Nawaz A 'Closet Taliban,' Claims Musharraf" (09/25)

"Former President Gen. (R) Pervez Musharraf said that he 'will
return to Pakistan' despite the possibility of facing trial while
terming Nawaz Sharif a 'closet Taliban,' Musharraf said in an
exclusive interview with ABC News."

"Quetta Shura Top Issue In U.S. Talks With Pakistan" "Daily Times"
(09/25)

"The so-called Quetta Shura issue is now at the top of the United
States' agenda in its meetings with Pakistani officials, the New
York Times reported on Thursday. Citing senior American officials,
the paper said Taliban leaders were using sanctuaries in Pakistan to
stoke a widening campaign in Afghanistan. American military and
intelligence officials told the paper the Quetta Shura was directly
responsible for the recent wave of violence in northern and western
Afghanistan."

"Historic UN Move For N-Free World" "Dawn" (09/25)

"World powers adopted on Thursday a landmark resolution seeking to
rid the planet of nuclear arms at an unprecedented Security Council
summit hosted by U.S. President Barack Obama. The resolution,
adopted unanimously, commits member nations to work towards a world
without nuclear weapons and endorses a broad framework of actions to
reduce global nuclear dangers. It urges all states to comply with
the obligations of the NPT, to refrain from conducting nuclear test
explosions and ratify the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT)."

"U.S. Not Sending Troops To Pakistan: Holbrooke" "The News" (09/25)


"U.S. Special Representative for Pakistan and Afghanistan, Richard
Holbrooke has dispelled news reports regarding sending U.S. troops
to Pakistan. Talking to a private Pakistani TV channel in New York,
Holbrooke said that U.S. is friend of Pakistan and there is no truth
in such media reports."

"Hillary Meets Zardari" "The Nation" (09/25)

"U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called on President Asif
Ali Zardari on Thursday and discussed wide-ranging issues including
economic development of Pakistan and common security concerns."

"Kerry-Lugar Bill's Passage Jacks Up KSE, Gains 277 Points" "The
Nation" (09/25)

"Positive developments after Eid vacations favored the local bourse
on Thursday as the KSE-100 index added notable 277 points. The
approval of US$2.37 billion, (market sentiment suggested that the
approved amount will be invested in the local equity market) by the
U.S. Congress, kept the momentum alive."

"U.S. Embassy Mini Pentagon In Pakistan: JI" "The Nation" (09/25)

"Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Pakistan Chief Syed Munawar Hassan on Thursday
said that U.S. Embassy in Pakistan had become mini-pentagon in the
country and U.S. interference in Pakistan has created hatred against
U.S. in the country. He alleged that U.S. and NATO forces had fully
involved in the destabilization of the region and demanded of the
government to clarify in the meeting of Friends of Pakistan that the
peace in the region would not be possible in the presence of U.S.
and NATO forces."

"U.S. Still Wants More Against Taliban: NYT" "Pakistan Observer"
(09/25)

"Senior Taliban leaders, showing a surprising level of
sophistication and organization, are using their sanctuary in
Pakistan to stoke a widening campaign of violence in northern and
western Afghanistan, senior American military and intelligence
officials say."

"Pakistan Can Ask Others To Do More: Rehman" "Pakistan Observer"
(09/25)

"Federal Minister for Interior Rehman Malik on Thursday said that
owing to better policy of the government now Pakistan was in a
position to ask other countries to do more. Talking to a private TV
channel he said in recent past, U.S. and other countries used to say
do more 'but now we are in a position to ask others to do more' and
the credit for this giant change went to the incumbent government
whose finer policies altered the thinking of others."

"Danger For Pakistan, India If U.S. Quits Afghanistan: Musharraf"
"Daily Times" (09/25)

"Pakistan and India will face great danger from Al Qaeda if the
United States pulls out of Afghanistan, former president Pervez
Musharraf said in an exclusive interview with ABC News on Thursday."


"No Action Against Saeed Sans Solid Evidence: Malik" "The News"
(09/25)

"Federal Minister for Interior Rehman Malik said that during his
meeting with CIA Chief he had made it clear that no action would be
taken against Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) Chief Hafiz Saeed without
concrete evidence regarding his involvement in Mumbai attacks. He
was talking to media persons after meeting with CIA Chief in New
York."

"Call To Ensure Transparency In Armed Forces Expenditures" "Dawn"
(09/25)

"The Transparency International (Pakistan) and the Public
Procurement Regulatory Authority have asked the Chiefs of the Army
and Navy and the Defence Ministry to implement the Public
Procurement rules to ensure transparency, it has been learned
reliably."

--------------
Editorials/Op-eds
--------------

"Doubts On The Use Of Foreign Assistance," an editorial in the
leading mass circulation populist, often sensational Urdu daily
"Jang" (cir. 300,000) (09/25)

"The Transparency International's recent report regarding
irregularities in the utilization of foreign assistance has been
issued at a time when the Pakistan government is making all-out
efforts to garner maximum possible aid from the international
community. All prejudices aside, it is almost impossible to discard
all of the contents of this report. The huge assets of our
politicians and bureaucrats and their clandestine bank accounts in
foreign countries speak volumes about the level of all-pervasive
corruption and discrepancies in the use of financial assistance
provided to Pakistan in the past. That is why, some countries
having friendly relations with Pakistan are feeling the need for
more transparency in the use of their funds, while the FoDP, despite
holding several meetings, is still reluctant to fulfill its pledges
of assistance. When an ordinary Pakistani is attributing the bad
economic conditions and political and social chaos to the
large-scale corruption in the utilization of foreign aid, then the
reservations of the donor countries, in this regard, cannot, and
should not, be ignored."

"General Alert," an editorial in the populist, often sensational
national English daily "The News" (cir. 55,000) (09/25)

"The general (McChrystal) notes that the Afghan insurgency is
supported from the Pakistan side and repeats the oft-made allegation
that elements of our security services (ISI) support the Taliban for
their own reasons. Conversely, the ISI have worked closely with the
Americans in the capture of key Al Qaeda figures and we may also
assume that there is an exchange of intelligence prior to drone
strikes. The general has every right to be concerned, and for our
part we need to have a tight rein on our own intelligence services
as well as staying alert to machinations to the east."

"Obama's Doublespeak," an editorial in the center-right national
English daily "The Nation" (cir. 20,000) (09/25)

"President Obama is clearly a confused man. On the one hand, he has
the Bush policies which he cannot seem to reverse; and, on the other
hand, he has his pre-election positions and promises, many of which
seem to be receding into the background. His address to the UN
General Assembly conveyed the same dialectical message. For
instance, he stressed the need for a multilateral approach to global
problem solving and pledged to work with other countries, but made
it clear that U.S. interests would reign supreme. The problem is
that U.S. interests often tend to undermine other countries'
interests. So unless the U.S. learns to respect the interests of
other countries, there can be no 'new era of engagement based on
mutual interest and mutual respect.'"

"U.S. Will Have To Do It Alone," an editorial in the Islamabad-based
rightist English daily "Pakistan Observer" (cir. 5,000) (09/25)

"U.S. President Barack Obama used his first UN address making a
clarion call for world unity to tackle stark challenges saying the
U.S. cannot face them alone. He referred to global problems
including nuclear proliferation, war, climate change and economic
crisis and said in this scenario all nations bore responsibility for
addressing them. Though on the face of it, the address by President
Obama sent a message of conciliation and cooperation yet we would
like to point out that most of the burning issues facing the world
today including Palestinian problem, Iraq and Afghanistan, human
degradation and environmental pollution are the creation of U.S.
alone as hardly any other country had contributed much that worsened
the situation that we are in today.... Unless and until it changes
policies of dictating its viewpoint on international issues and
gives due consideration to the thinking of other countries, U.S.
would continue to come under criticism and not receive total global
cooperation. We would therefore emphasize that the United States
alone will have to first address the issues."

"President Obama And The Afghan Conundrum," an editorial in the
country's premier business newspaper, "Business Recorder" (cir.
25,000) (09/25)

"In his address to the UN General Assembly, President Obama once
again repeated the pledge to disrupt, dismantle and defeat al Qaeda
and its extremist allies. He denounced the terrorists and vowed to
stand by the US friends on the frontline.... Meanwhile, parts of a
report sent to the President by top U.S. and NATO Commander General
Stanley McChrystal were leaked out to the press. Among other
things, the report supports claims by American officials that al
Qaeda maintains safe havens in Pakistan and that the ISI is aiding
the Taliban. Islamabad has its own complaints regarding U.S.
policies. These include the failure to fulfill commitments....
Unless Pakistan's concerns are addressed, the situation is likely to
remain unchanged."

"Obama's Assurance," an editorial in the Lahore-based liberal
English daily "The Post" (cir. 5,000) (09/25)

"Though the U.S. seems to have realized that the social and
political structures of Pakistan have suffered heavily as a result
of militancy against the state and society, ironically, the huge
outlay of the American assistance in the war against terrorism has
yet to produce uplift in the economic fortunes of the common
Pakistanis.... The U.S. financial assistance in the war needed to
be a workable and equitable combination of military expenditure and
public welfare initiatives. But that was not the case. Successive
U.S. governments have been investing more heavily in individuals
rather than in government institutions. Now, with President Obama
becoming the U.S. President and raising the slogan of change, one
may hope that his commitment and expression of hope to rid Pakistan,
and the world at large, of terrorism and unilateralism will be
translated into reality."

"U.S. Should Make Amends," an editorial in Lahore-based populist
Urdu daily "Waqt" (cir. 10,000) (09/25)

"President Obama and Ambassador Holbrooke should implement what they
have said: that they will not abandon Pakistan. The U.S. must work
to make the Friends of Pakistan meeting a success. We hope that the
U.S. will not repeat past mistakes and would remove any
misunderstandings that are creating a rift between the two
countries."

"U.S. Vice President's Dangerous Suggestion Of Operation In
Pakistan," an editorial in the second-largest, nationalist Urdu
daily "Nawa-i-Waqt" (cir. 150,000) (09/25)

"U.S. Vice President Joe Biden's advice to American commandoes to
focus on Pakistan is a moment of reflection for Pakistan....
Pakistan is being turned into a battle field on the pretext of
financial assistance. Efforts are afoot to accelerate al-Qaeda
presence propaganda against Pakistan in order to ultimately pave the
way for guerrilla action and wider drone and missile attacks inside
Pakistan. In the final analysis, this all could result in the U.S.
control over Pakistan's nuclear program and danger for the country's
security."

"International Community's Role In The War On Terror," an editorial
in liberal Urdu daily "Express" (cir. 25,000) (09/25)

"According to a news item, President Obama is reviewing different
possibilities, including one suggested by Vice President Biden to
reduce troops in Afghanistan and take action against Al Qaeda in
Pakistan. Allow us to warn that any such adventure by the U.S.
would worsen the situation and would lay waste gains made by
Pakistan in its campaign against terrorism. The better thing to do
would be to arm Pakistan so that the on-going operation against
terrorism can yield better results."

"President Obama's Address To The General Assembly," an editorial in
the center-right Urdu daily "Pakistan" (cir. 10,000) (09/25)

"President Obama has rightly praised Pakistan's effort in the war
against terrorism, but the need of the hour is the disbursement of
the promised aid.... The government of Pakistan wants to receive
the aid directly, but the reality is that there a complaints about
the usage of the aid money. The government of Pakistan should pay
attention to the fact and should try to secure the confidence of
important circles of the American administration.... On the other
hand, U.S. General McChrystal has written a report in which he has
talked about the threat to U.S. effort in the war against terror
going down the drain due to increasing Indian influence in
Afghanistan.... President Zardari and Foreign Minister Qureshi are
in New York and they should speak with the American President and
other dignitaries about the content of the U.S. General's report and
to discuss ways to stop Indian interference in Balochistan.... As
far as U.S. Vice President Joe Biden's proposal for U.S. military
action inside Pakistan is concerned, the U.S. President and his team
should know that Pakistan would not tolerate U.S. military action
inside its territory and Pakistan army reserves the right to
retaliate."

"Implications Of Indian Presence In Afghanistan," an editorial in
the Islamabad-based rightist English daily "Pakistan Observer" (cir.
5,000) (09/25)

"The latest assessment by the U.S. Commander strengthens the belief
that Americans generally plan and execute strategies in haste
without doing necessary homework. There are no two opinions that
New Delhi was encouraged and supported by the United States to gain
a foothold in Afghanistan and increase its political, economic and
strategic influence there. This was in line with the U.S. policy of
giving India greater say in regional affairs without realizing its
grave consequences.... There is another dimension of the situation
- if Taliban or ordinary Afghans are not ready to accept presence of
American or NATO troops on their soil then how can they tolerate
questionable existence of Indians in their homeland. While urging
Pakistani authorities to exercise greater vigilance in thwarting
Indian designs, we would urge Obama administration to pay heed to
the assessment of its own general and dissuade India from meddling
into the internal affairs of Afghanistan and Pakistan."

"General Stanley McChrystal's Report To Pentagon," an editorial in
the popular rightist Urdu-language daily "Ausaf" (cir. 10,000)
(09/25)

"U.S. General Stanley McChrystal, in his report to the Pentagon, has
warned that Indian activities in Afghanistan will stoke tensions in
the region. Although General Stanley is right in his assessment
but, surprisingly, he ignored the important issue of a dozen of
Indian consulates in Afghanistan which actually operates as the
outposts of India's intelligence agency 'RAW.' Established in an
area which falls under the U.S. suzerainty, these consulates not
only impart training to the Baloch rebels but also foment terror
activities in Pakistan. The U.S. should be held answerable for
allowing the establishment of these outposts of the RAW."

"Indian Red Rag In Afghanistan," an editorial in the Lahore-based
liberal English language daily "Daily Times" (cir. 10,000) (09/25)

"General McChrystal thinks that the growing Indian political and
economic influence in Afghanistan 'is likely to exacerbate regional
tensions.' This is clearly a reference to Pakistan whose Afghan
policy is greatly influenced by the growing Indian presence in
Afghanistan. The burden of his message to President Obama, in
addition to the increase in troops he has demanded, is that India
must downsize if Pakistan's cooperation is to continue in
Afghanistan.... It looks that instead of normalizing their
relations, India and Pakistan may escalate their conflict. The
Afghanistan imbroglio will not be sorted out if this conflict heats
up.... The Indo-Pak normalization of relations is also important
because getting India to 'rationalize' its presence in Afghanistan
is going to be difficult for President Obama. As long as there are
tensions between the two countries, the problem in Afghanistan is
going to become more compounded."

"U.S. Should Rectify Past Mistakes," an editorial in the
Lahore-based populist center-right Urdu daily "Khabrain" (cir.
50,000) (09/25)

"America, which does not tire of calling Pakistan an ally, has made
numerous announcements, but not acted on them. It is due to
Pakistan's participation in the war on terror that Indian activities
near the borders have increased and it has adopted a harsh tone
against Pakistan. Suffice it to say that the U.S. is responsible
for the majority of problems Pakistan faces. It is encouraging that
the U.S. President feels that it is time for a new beginning. We
feel that if this new beginning means a journey towards peace, the
U.S. should rectify past mistakes in addition to acknowledging
them."

"Displacement From Mohmand Agency Begins Again," an editorial in
the Peshawar-based Urdu-language daily "Mashriq" (cir. 55,000)
(09/25)

"The displaced people had returned to their homes after the
government cleared 80 percent area of Mohmand Agency. But now
hundreds of the families have once again left their homes form three
tehsils, including Safi, Baizai and Pandiali, during the last four
to five days. If this has been cleared then why people are leaving
their abodes? The government should take immediate steps to
alleviate the concerns of these people."

"No Cakewalk In Waziristan," an editorial in the country's premier
business newspaper, "Business Recorder" (cir. 25,000) (09/25)

"Despite U.S. officials continuing to press for military operations
in Waziristan, the army has delayed moving troops into the area.
Instead it has concentrated on aerial bombardment of suspected
militant hideouts. Air attacks and artillery fire however tend to
increase civilian casualties many fold. While the government needs
to eliminate terrorism, it must thoroughly review all aspects of the
military operation. Unless civilian casualties are minimal and the
operation is short and decisive, it might start losing public
support, which is indispensable for its success."

"Preparing To Beat A Retreat?," an op-ed by Najmuddin A. Shaikh in
the Lahore-based liberal English language daily "Daily Times" (cir.
10,000) (09/25)

"We should note that the International Institute of Strategic
Studies (IISS),the influential think tank at which President
Zardari spoke last Friday, has said in its annual review that
'Pakistan remained the biggest source of instability for
Afghanistan.' We should note also that in a recent interview to
Free Internet Press, Ambassador Patterson talked of the differences
between Pakistan and the U.S. on the treatment accorded to various
groups of Afghan Taliban stating that 'Where we differ, of course,
is the treatment of the groups who are attacking our troops in
Afghanistan. And that comes down to Haqqani and Gul Bahadur and
Nasir, to a lesser extent Hikmatyar.... While she said that
Pakistan has taken more actions against these groups than was
generally known, the end picture that emerged from the interview was
that Americans believe that Pakistan is still playing footsie with
the Afghan Taliban."

"Reversing 800 Years Of History," an op-ed by Ayaz Amir in the
populist, often sensational national English daily "The News" (cir.
55,000) (09/25)

"The fight against the Taliban may yet prove our salvation. It is
putting us through a formative experience. We were not willing to
take on this fight, using all the mental resources at our disposal
to avoid it. But this struggle has been forced on us by
circumstances. The Taliban had become a domestic headache. To this
was added external pressure from the American presence in
Afghanistan, forcing the Pakistan army to shed indecision and adopt
a decisive course of action. What does the idea of Talibanism tell
us? That it is a foreign importation and as such alien to our soil
and condition."

(All circulation figures are based on estimation)
Patterson