PAKISTAN MEDIA REACTION: SEPTEMBER 28, 2009

UNCLAS ISLAMABAD 002340

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KMDR KPAO OIIP OPRC PGOV PREL PK
SUBJECT: PAKISTAN MEDIA REACTION: SEPTEMBER 28, 2009

Summary: Almost all major Pakistani newspapers re-ran British daily
'The Sunday Times' report that the "U.S. is threatening to launch
airstrikes on Mullah Omar and the Taliban leadership in Quetta."
Pegged to this news piece was Interior Minister Malik's statement
that the "Americans have never told us any location and we need
real-time intelligence to take action." Reports and photographs of
the much-awaited meeting between Pakistani and Indian foreign
ministers on the sidelines of the UNGA summit in New York that
"concluded without a major breakthrough on composite dialogue"
received extensive media coverage. All newspapers also highlighted
reports that "people started leaving South Waziristan Agency fearing
military operation." The English language daily, "Dawn," reported
that U.S. Defense Secretary Gates "denied" any rift between the U.S.
military and the White House over the Afghanistan war. Some
newspapers in their Sunday editions reported that the "U.S.
condemned the terrorist suicide attacks in Bannu and Peshawar," and
reiterated its "support to the Government of Pakistan in its
struggle against those who commit heinous acts of violence against
the civilian population of the country."

Several newspapers continued to run critical editorials on the pros
and cons of the Kerry-Lugar bill and the strings attached to the
U.S. aid for Pakistan. Commenting on a "new kind of relationship
with Washington" the populist, often sensational national English
daily "The News," maintained that the "money they pour in must not
allow them to assume the role of masters. The equation must be a
more equitable one." The Second largest, nationalist Urdu daily
"Nawa-i-Waqt" termed the Kerry-Luger bill's conditions as "shameful
and contrary to Pakistan's independence, sovereignty and security."
Likewise, the Lahore-based populist center-right Urdu daily
"Khabrain," also urged the government to "reject the conditions
linked to the proposed U.S. aid." End Summary.

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

"U.S. Has Good Mind To Bomb Quetta: U.K. Paper" "The News" (09/28)

"The United States is threatening to launch air strikes on Mullah
Omar and the Taliban leadership in Quetta as frustration mounts
about the ease with which they (allegedly) find sanctuary across the
border from Afghanistan, reports 'The Sunday Times.'... The
Pakistani government is reluctant to take its own action, however.
'We need real-time intelligence,' said Interior MiniQer Rehman
Malik. 'TQericans have never told us any location.'"

"India Declines To Fix Date For Resumption Of Dialogue" "Dawn"
(09/28)

"After extensive, two-hour talks at New York's Palace Hotel, Foreign
Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi and his Indian counterpart S.M.
Krishna admitted that the two sides failed to fix a date for the
resumption of dialogue suspended after the Mumbai attacks."

"Resume Dialogue, Qureshi Tells India" "The News" (09/28)

"Emphasizing that 'dialogue is the most sensible and the only way
forward' for improvement in Pakistan-India relations, Foreign
Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Sunday asked India to resume the
dialogue process. He described talks with his Indian counterpart
S.M. Krishna as 'frank, positive and honest.'"

"People Start Leaving SWA Fearing Military Action" "The News"
(09/28)

"Following an announcement by the Fata Radio Razmak on Saturday
night in which the political administration of South Waziristan
asked the tribal people to vacate four towns, including Makeen, Push
Ziarat, Spin Kamar and Tabay, the population started migrating to
safer places."

"Gates Says No Rift Among Leaders Over Afghan war" "Dawn" (09/28)

"Defence Secretary Robert Gates denied on Sunday any rift between
the U.S. military and the White House over the war in Afghanistan
and suggested a possible radical shift in strategy was unlikely, Mr.
Gates told ABC television."

"U.S. Condemns Terrorist Attacks In Bannu And Peshawar" "Daily
times," "The Post" (09/27)

"Today's terrorist attacks in Peshawar and Bannu serve as a reminder
that extremism still poses a threat to the people of Pakistan. We
will continue to support the Government of Pakistan in its strQle
against those who commit heinous acts of violence against the
civilian population of Pakistan and the officials whose job it is to
protect them, the U.S. Embassy statement said."

"Desperate Taliban Deliver Death 18 Killed In Peshawar, Bannu Car
Blasts" "The News" (09/27)

"Barbaric terrorists struck twice within hours in separate car
bombings which claimed at least 18 lives and hurt over 160 in
Peshawar and Bannu on Saturday."

"NWFP Blasts Show Taliban's Ability To Strike" "Daily Times"
(09/28)

"The suicide blasts that rocked NWFP and FATA over the weekend
signal the Taliban remain a threat despite intensified military
operations and unmanned drone attacks targeting the group's leaders,
said analysts on Sunday."

"Death Toll Rises To 27 In Peshawar, Bannu Attacks" "Dawn" (09/28)

"The death from two suicide bomb attacks in Pakistan rose to 27 on
Sunday. A suicide bomber rammed his explosives-laden truck into a
police station in the town of Bannu, the gateway to the North
Waziristan militant region on the Afghan border, early on Saturday.
Pakistani Taliban militants claimed responsibility for both blasts
and vowed more."

"16 Terrorists Arrested, Four Surrender" "Dawn" (09/28)

"Security forces have detained 16 terrorists, including two
'commanders' in various areas of Swat and Malakand. Four other
terrorists had surrendered voluntarily, an ISPR press release said
on Sunday."

"Houses Of Four Militants Blown Up In Malakand" "Dawn" (09/28)

"Security forces dynamited four houses of suspected militants in
Alladhand village during a search operation in different areas of
Malakand on Sunday."

"Orders Issued To Stop Demolition Of Militants' Houses" "The News"
(09/28)

"The military authorities have issued orders to the Pakistan Army
commanders operating in Swat and the rest of Malakand Division to
stop demolishing houses of people suspected of having links with the
Taliban militants. Requesting anonymity, a senior Army officer told
'The News' that the decision was taken due to complaints that the
houses in many cases were jointly owned and the whole families
suffered instead of only the suspected militants being targeted."

"11 Arrested In Fresh Buner Offensive" "Dawn" (09/28)

"Security forces arrested 11 suspects on Sunday during a fresh
offensive against militants in the mountainous areas of district
Buner, bordering Swat, sources said."

"All Mehsuds Are Not Militants, Says Jirga" "Dawn" (09/28)

"A Jirga of the Mehsud tribe of South Waziristan has urged the
government to avoid taking indiscriminate action against the tribe,
saying that all the Mehsuds are not militants."

"Militants, Some Posing As FC Soldiers, Held In Darra" "Dawn"
(09/28)

"Security forces arrested 24 suspected militants, three of them
wearing uniforms of Frontier Corps, during a search operation in
Darra Adamkhel on Sunday."

"Terror War Inflicts $400m Loss On Tourism" "Dawn" (09/28)

"Tourism industry of Frontier province suffered a loss worth $400
million since the launch of war on terror, said NWFP Tourism
Minister Syed Aqil Shah in Peshawar on Sunday."

"Merge FATA Into NWFP Or Make It province: HRCP" "The News" (09/28)

"A recent publication of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan
(HRCP) has suggested that after consultation with the residents of
Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA),the Parliament should
merge FATA into the NWFP or give it an independent status as
province."

"Pakistan's Concerns Addressed In Aid Bill, Says Farhat" "Dawn"
(09/28)

"Pakistan's concerns that attaching conditions to U.S. aid will be
counter-productive have been accommodated in the Kerry-Lugar bill,
presidential spokesman Farhatullah Babar said on Saturday. 'Our
reservations have not been ignored,' said Mr. Babar while briefing
journalists in New York."

"Feel-Good Factor In U.S. Aid" "Dawn" (09/28)

"Much of the corporate Pakistan is thrilled by the passage of
Biden-Lugar Bill in the U.S. Senate and the move to create a trust
fund to finance the country's needs. The capital inflow, many
believe, would help the economy to recover."

"Resolution On Nuclear Disarmament Welcomed" "Dawn" (09/28)

"Pakistan has described as a significant step the UN Security
Council resolution that seeks to rid the planet of nuclear weapons.
Talking to Voice of America, Foreign Office spokesman Abdul Basit
said Pakistan always supported efforts meant for global peace and
stability and had adopted a balanced and principled approach on
disarmament."

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

"A New Beginning," an editorial in the populist, often sensational
national English daily "The News" (cir. 55,000) (09/28)

"It is now quite clear the U.S. will remain engaged in Pakistan for
some time to come. The significant aid packages that have been
announced mean that there is no possibility of a swift pull out from
the region.... Islamabad meanwhile must also find ways to lay down
the blueprint for a new kind of relationship with Washington. The
money they pour in must not allow them to assume the role of
masters. The equation must be a more equitable one. The challenge
for Pakistan is to find a way to make this possible and set the
necessary wheels in motion to drive towards this goal."

"Shameful Conditions For Pakistan In The Kerry-Lugar," an editorial
in the second-largest, center-right nationalist Urdu daily
"Nawa-i-Waqt" (cir. 150,000) (09/08)

"According to newspaper reports, Pakistan will have to meet such
conditions under the Kerry-Lugar Bill that are contrary to our
independence, sovereignty and security.... There is an
infrastructure being erected under Robin Raphel's leadership for the
implementation of these conditions and the nation has already
reacted to it. The nation would never accept if the government of
Pakistan agreed to half-yearly shameful certification by U.S.
Secretary of State for the acquisition of the aid.... The
government should reject the bill while all the politicians,
including Mian Nawaz Sharif and religious parties, should raise
their voices against it."

"Kerry-Lugar Bill," an editorial in the Lahore-based populist
center-right Urdu daily "Khabrain" (cir. 50,000) (09/28)

"If Pakistan fails to meet even one condition out of the many
included in the Kerry-Lugar bill, the U.S. would have the right to
stop the tranche and deprive Pakistan of this aid. Pakistan should
reject these shameful conditions which go against our national
dignity. By accepting these conditions, Pakistan would almost turn
into a U.S. colony whose policies would be determined and monitored
by the U.S, and the Pakistani government would be left hanging like
a lifeless limb."
"Kerry-Lugar Bill: Unpleasant Conditions," an editorial in the
Lahore-based independent Urdu daily "Din" (cir. 10,000) (09/28)

"The condition demanding non-interference by the three armed forces
in political and judicial matters is beyond the average Pakistani's
comprehension. This obviously means that by giving peanuts to
Pakistan every year, the U.S. wants to subjugate all state
institutions.... To make matters worse, the U.S. is threatening to
stop aid if all these conditions are not met."

"Conditions Tied To U.S. Assistance" an editorial in the
center-right Urdu daily "Pakistan" (cir. 10,000) (09/28)

"Anxiety over the conditions in the Kerry-Lugar Bill is a natural
reaction, but some of the conditions cannot, in principle, be
described as wrong; for example, the assistance will stop in the
event of army or intelligence agencies interference in the political
and judicial process.... However, dialogue is a better option then
coming up with conditions when it's a matter of relations between
two nations."

"FoDP," an editorial in the center-right national English daily "The
Nation" (cir. 20,000) (09/28)

"The Friends of Democratic Pakistan have not helped Pakistan so much
as done the American bidding, by creating a Multi Donor Trust Fund,
or MDTF.... In this way, the central government will not be able to
determine how the money is spent there, and thus will have that
funding determined by the MDTF. The MDTF will be administered by
the World Bank based in Pakistan, not the Pakistani Finance
Ministry.... This is very clearly an example of those who are
contributing to the MDTF having bought into the rhetoric, which
portrays Pakistan as one of those irresponsible countries, which
cannot be trusted with money.... However, the Pakistan government
should realize that by accepting the money on these terms, it has
more or less admitted the charge.... The FoDP are not true friends,
and should be made to respect Pakistan's national sovereignty by
putting the money they promised in the hands of Pakistani
institutions, or not making the money available at all."

"Taliban Hit Back In NWFP," an editorial in the Lahore-based liberal
English language daily "Daily Times" (cir. 10,000) (09/28)

"The latest incursion into the NWFP territory is supposed to be a
message to the ANP government in Peshawar that the TTP is still
strong and controls the cities of the province.... What, however,
cannot be missed is the TTP's realization that they could be
confronted with an army advancing into their strongholds in the
Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA). The ANP leaders have
spread the word that this attack is imminent. Clearly, the
terrorists are on the run in the most populated two areas, Malakand
and Bajaur.... The cards have to be played very carefully from now
on. The army cannot afford to weaken its presence in Malakand if
that is what will happen when it moves troops into South
Waziristan."

"Is Aid The Answer?," an op-ed by Dr. Sania Nishtar in the populist,
often sensational national English daily "The News" (cir. 55,000)
(09/28)

"There are other things that both sides can do to improve aid
effectiveness. The Pakistani government should strengthen fiduciary
systems and prioritize, transparency-building measures, a call for
which has been renewed in the tabling of Transparency
International's recent reports. The Friends, on the other hand,
must be sensitive to connotations of conditionality, refrain from
using regional unified approaches to policy such as Af-Pak.... "

"A New Document of Slavery," an op-ed by Hamid Mir in the leading
mass circulation populist, often sensational Urdu daily "Jang" (cir.
300,000) (09/28)

"In fact, three U.S. private security agencies including the
infamous Blackwater, which has changed its name, are operating in
Pakistan. It appears that the Americans working in Islamabad are
equating Pakistan with the war-ravaged Afghanistan and consider
themselves above all laws of this country. They consider that, as
in Kabul, they can also roam this city while brandishing and touting
their sophisticated weapons. But they are committing a blunder of
far-reaching dimensions in this regard. Here, in Pakistan, there
does not exist any 'Northern Alliance' to welcome the U.S. forces,
nor has the UN passed any resolution for a military intervention in
this country. The suspicious activities of the Americans in
Islamabad are creating unrest among the local residents which may
prove detrimental to the U.S. interests as well as to the democratic
dispensation in Pakistan, which has just been snared with the
Kerry-Lugar bill. An ordinary Pakistani considers that the U.S.
policies are becoming a potential threat to the security of his or
her country. They are not against friendly ties with Washington but
they cannot accept the U.S. slavery at any cost. The Kerry-Lugar
bill is a document of slavery, not of friendship, hence Pakistan's
Parliament should reject it."

"Interesting Times," an op-ed by Syed Manzoor Hussain in the
Lahore-based liberal English language daily "Daily Times" (cir.
10,000) (09/28)

"Whether the U.S. decides to finish the campaign against the Taliban
or make some sort of deal, declare victory and leave, it will, for
the foreseeable future, need the Pakistan Army to prevent the
Taliban from using Pakistani territory to mount attacks against U.S.
and allied troops in Afghanistan. It will also require some form of
commitment from the Pakistani government that it will not actively
try to destabilize the Karzai government after the U.S. leaves. So,
it might seem that considering U.S. needs in Afghanistan, Pakistan
is in a 'win-win' situation. But it should also be remembered that
even though the Taliban are now unpopular, the U.S. is at this time
also about equally unpopular in Pakistan. That puts the Pakistani
government as well as the army in a delicate situation.... It is
therefore important for the government, the army as well as members
of the responsible media to present to the people the point that by
helping the U.S. at this time, Pakistan will accomplish three
important goals. First, improve its economic situation, second have
a better chance at successfully fighting against the extremist
threats to the country, and third, most importantly, facilitate an
early departure of the U.S. from the area."

"Obama's Afghan Dilemma," an op-ed by Shahzad Chaudhry in the
Lahore-based liberal English language daily "Daily Times" (cir.
10,000) (09/28)

"President Obama is right - eliminate Al Qaeda as your main military
mission. Additionally, use available resources to facilitate an
environment of stability by neutralizing the real bad elements, not
by alienating the largest segment of the Afghan population;
mainstream the majority Afghan Taliban into a participatory process
of nation-building.... One thing though should be expressly clear:
there is no military victory in Afghanistan. Success will be in
leaving behind a stable Afghanistan minus Al Qaeda, but not minus
what time has begun to define as the Taliban. These so called
'Afghan Taliban' are but a creation of an environment, who found
impetus when clubbed into the same corner as Al Qaeda. Minus Al
Qaeda, they would settle down into their alternative options. That
shall certainly have a salutary effect on stabilizing Pakistan's
troubled regions."

"India's Militarism," an editorial in the center-right national
English daily "The Nation" (cir. 20,000) (09/28)

"With India upping its military ante against Pakistan in terms of
conventional weapons, the intent is clearly to keep Pakistan's
military focused on the eastern front. After all, unless the
Pakistan military is suicidal, it cannot move the bulk of its
fighting force to the western front or into FATA as the U.S. would
like. Which makes one wonder why the U.S. would indulge India's
resurgent militarism by giving in to its weapons wish list? Or does
the U.S. deliberately want to make us vulnerable on the eastern
front? The Pakistan military should explore these questions in depth
before continuing its cooperation with the U.S. in its 'war on
terror.'"

"India's Orchestrated Pak Bashing," an editorial in the
Islamabad-based rightist English daily "Pakistan Observer" (cir.
5,000) (09/28)

"The statement by the Indian Prime Minister on the side lines of the
G-20 summit in Pittsburgh is in line with New Delhi's decades old
policy of blaming Pakistan at international forums.... From the
statement of the Indian leader it should be clear to those powers
that wanted to see resumption of dialogue between the two countries
that New Delhi has its own agenda of Pakistan bashing rather than
addressing key issues that confront the two South Asian neighbors."


"Iran's Intentions," an editorial in the Karachi-based center-left
independent national English daily "Dawn" (cir. 55,000) (09/28)

"Iran's disclosure about its upcoming uranium enrichment facility
has expectedly upset the U.S. and its western allies.... Iran
believes it has done nothing wrong and insists that its uranium
enrichment will not be of weapons grade. Resorting to a lot of
hair-splitting arguments, the West has been strongly critical of
Iran and called for stronger sanctions.... A lot will now depend on
the degree to which Iran is prepared to cooperate with the IAEA
inspectors who alone can reassure the U.S. and the others about
Iranian motives."

"Nuclear Double Standards," an editorial in the Lahore-based liberal
English daily "The Post" (cir. 5,000) (09/28)

"The West's concerns over Iran's nuclear program are understandable.
However, the double standards employed by the international
community on the issue needs to be taken up. The United States'
uneven approach in dealing with the issue of nuclear proliferation
in the region is amply reflected in its turning a blind eye to
Israel's nuclear program and its belligerent posture vis-`-vis
Iran.... There is weight in the argument that if Iran is pushed
against the wall, it may go nuclear, resulting in nuclear
proliferation in the entire region and beyond. Aggressive posture,
be it from the U.S. or Iran, is bound to push the region into chaos
and disaster."

(All circulation figures are based on estimation)
Patterson