PAKISTAN MEDIA REACTION: KERRY-LUGAR BILL, PAK-CHINA,

UNCLAS ISLAMABAD 002483 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KMDR KPAO OIIP OPRC PGOV PREL PK SUBJECT: PAKISTAN MEDIA REACTION: KERRY-LUGAR BILL, PAK-CHINA, F-16S, TERRORISM, INDIA-PAKISTAN - OCTOBER 14, 2009 Summary: Pakistani Foreign Minister Qureshi's Washington visit to "convey" Pakistan's concerns over Kerry-Lugar-Berman bill garnered extensive media coverage on Wednesday. All newspapers highlighted remarks attributed to Senator Kerry that "if there is a misinterpretation, it simply has to be clarified." In an exclusive story from its Washington-based correspondent, the English language daily, "Dawn," reported that a "President Obama signing statement may dilute impact of the U.S. aid bill's clauses." However, some news reports gave an impression that Foreign Minister Qureshi "may return empty handed" from Washington. Editorializing the "future of Kerry-Lugar Bill," the Islamabad-based English language daily, "Pakistan Observer," advised the Pakistani government to "know that with its insulting conditions the bill would become a political liability and inflict more harm than any perceived benefit." In other news, Prime Minister Gilani's China visit received front page coverage in all newspapers. Reports and photographs of his meeting with Chinese President Jintao were highlighted. Several major newspapers reported that the "first Block-52 F-16D aircraft of Pakistan Air Force rolled out at a ceremony held in Dallas." Some newspapers quoted a USAID economist as saying that Ambassador "Holbrooke is micro-managing a giant package to Pakistan in a 'shockingly counterproductive' way." Most major newspapers continued to run in-depth analytical editorials about the terror attack on the Pakistan military's General Headquarters (GHQ) and the various facets of the ongoing war on terror. Commenting on the Taliban raid on the GHQ, the populist, often sensational national English daily "The News," observed that "however the event is dressed up by the government and the military itself, this is a huge embarrassment that is not going to fade quickly." Whereas, the Lahore-based liberal newspaper, "Daily Times," maintained that the GHQ attack was "only for the 'psychological recovery' of the Taliban movement." End Summary. -------------- Kerry-Lugar Bill -------------- "No Change In Kerry-Lugar Bill, Qureshi Told" "The News" (10/14) "U.S. lawmakers and the Obama administration sought on Tuesday to allay Pakistani concerns over conditions tied to the Kerry-Lugar Bill, but made it clear that the legislation would not be changed. Democratic Senator John Kerry, who co-sponsored the aid bill, sought to soothe anger in Pakistan over the proposed multibillion-dollar U.S. aid package, saying lawmakers would prepare an explanatory statement to accompany the bill for President Barack Obama's signature into law. The statement would 'set the record absolutely straight' and correct misinterpretations about the bill, Kerry told reporters after his meeting with Qureshi. 'If there is a misinterpretation, it simply has to be clarified.' Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi is in Washington to convey Pakistan's concerns over the U.S. aid bill." "Qureshi, Kerry To Thrash Out Discord On Bill" "Dawn" (10/14) "Pakistan and the U.S. Congress agreed on Tuesday to work on a joint statement addressing all issues linked to the Kerry-Lugar-Berman bill. The decision to issue such a statement was taken after a series of meetings in Washington between the visiting Pakistani Foreign Minister and senior U.S. officials and lawmakers, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi told reporters after a meeting with Senator John Kerry, who chairs the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations." "Obama's Statement May Dilute Impact Of Bill's Clauses" "Dawn" (10/14) "The U.S. Constitution does allow President Barack Obama to attach a statement to dilute the impact of those clauses of the Kerry-Lugar-Berman that Pakistan finds objectionable. Such a statement is called a signing statement and is a written pronouncement issued upon the signing of a bill into law." "Qureshi May Return Empty Handed From U.S." "The News" (10/14) "U.S. Ambassador to Pakistan Anne W. Patterson and other U.S. diplomats have expressed shock at the reaction to the Kerry-Lugar Bill in Pakistan. They were responding to questions of Pakistani journalists at a dinner hosted by PPP Senator Enver Baig in Patterson's honor on Monday night. The purpose of the dinner was to enable both the American diplomats and Pakistani journalists to exchange views on the Kerry-Lugar Bill. Deputy head of the U.S. mission Gerald Feierstein, head of the political section Byran Hunt and head of the press section Richard Snelsire also attended the dinner. A diplomat said that Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi might not be able to convince the top guns of Washington at this stage when both houses of parliament had already passed the bill." "Holbrooke Accused Of Micro-Managing Aid" "Dawn" (10/14) "An economist at the US international aid agency has protested that Special Envoy for Afghanistan and Pakistan Richard Holbrooke is micromanaging a giant package for Pakistan in a 'shockingly counter-productive' way, according to a memo. In a memorandum to State Department officials, C. Stuart Callison, a senior economist at USAID, complained that Mr. Holbrooke was insisting on personally approving every funding decision, usually made by the agency's local mission." "Opposition Quizzes Qureshi's Sudden Visit To U.S." "The News" (10/14) "The opposition in the National Assembly on Tuesday questioned the sudden departure of Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi to Washington while parliament was still debating the Kerry-Lugar Bill (KLB). Though Tuesday was the private members' day yet most of the speakers spoke on the KLB, saying parliament was unaware of the message the Foreign Minister took with him to Washington as the decision was made in a meeting at the Presidency in which civil and military leadership was present." "Rumpus In Nation Assembly Over Kerry-Lugar" "Dawn" (10/14) "A rumpus marked by abusive language marred the National Assembly proceedings on Tuesday as members wondered about the fate of the so-called Kerry-Lugar bill for U.S. Aid to Pakistan a day after Islamabad sent to Washington possibly a revised view on the issue." "Senators Oppose Kerry-Lugar Bill" "Dawn" (10/14) "Senators taking part in a debate on the Kerry-Lugar bill in the upper house of parliament on Tuesday asserted the bill in its present form could not be endorsed. Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Malik Ammad Khan said the government would not go against the wishes of the political leadership on the issue." "Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Asks Parliament To Reject Aid Bill" "Dawn" (10/14) "Jamaat-i-Islami Amir Syed Munawar Hasan has asked the parliament to turn down the Kerry-Lugar bill. Speaking at a seminar entitled 'Kerry-Lugar bill aid or slavery' in Mansoora on Tuesday, the JI chief said Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani's statement describing the bill as good was 'against' people's sentiments." "USAID Suspends Uplift Projects Over Kerry-Lugar Bill Controversy" "The News" (10/14) "The USAID has scrapped certain ongoing development projects worth millions of dollars in Pakistan, which were running with the help of partner organizations till resolution of controversy on the Kerry-Lugar Bill, it is learned." "Haqqani Helped Remove Lacunas In KLB: Minister" "The News" (10/14) "Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Malik Ammad Khan on Tuesday came to defend Pakistan Ambassador in Washington Husain Haqqani saying that undue criticism was being unleashed on the envoy on the issue of the Kerry-Lugar Bill (KLB),said Malik Ammad, while speaking in the Senate during the debate. 'As far as Haqqani is concerned, he worked for removing lacunas in the bill,' said the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs while extending his full support to the envoy." "Future Of Kerry-Lugar Bill," an editorial in the Islamabad-based rightist English daily "Pakistan Observer" (cir. 5,000) (10/14) "In any case, if the objective of the bill was to assist Pakistani people and create goodwill for the United States then the piece of legislation in its present form has done the quite opposite. Therefore, it is in the interest of the United States itself to drop those conditionalities that impinge upon the sovereignty of Pakistan. The Government should also know that with its insulting conditions the bill would become a political liability and inflict more harm than any perceived benefit." "The Cost Of Conditionalities," an op-ed by Shireen M. Mazari in the center-right national English daily "The Nation" (cir. 20,000) (10/14) "The Kerry Lugar Bill has woken Pakistanis up to the realities of debilitating conditionalities that accompany U.S. aid. The Americans love to claim, 'there is no free lunch,' but no one in Pakistan thought that the cost of supporting the U.S. in its War on Terror would be so high for the nation. Apart from the human lives lost of Pakistanis, there have been the economic costs of becoming a front line state with all that that implies in terms of foreign investment and export orders lost, higher costs of insurance and related matters. However, the most lethal cost has been in terms of the destruction of our society's social fabric with the polarization, the violence and the extremism.... The irony is that with all these costs, has the U.S. shown an iota of understanding for the Pakistani nation's predicament? The simple answer is 'No.'... Somehow there is a feeling within the U.S. decision makers that if they drag us down the road of their failures we will become as entrenched in a quagmire and more vulnerable to their imperial diktat. The KLB is in a way a culmination of their neo-imperialist approach to Pakistan which ironically increased in pace after the Obama takeover." "Not So Helpful, This Aid!," an op-ed by Dr. Manzur Ejaz in the Lahore-based liberal English language daily "Daily Times" (cir. 10,000) (10/14) "Given how a big chunk of the aid money goes back to American, the U.S. needs a new approach if it really means to change the economic situation in this troubled region. No project will become feasible if it is managed by U.S. NGOs." "Carry on, Loo Gerbil!," an op-ed by Munir Attaullah in the Lahore-based liberal English language daily "Daily Times" (cir. 10,000) (10/14) "The government, knowing full well the proclivities of an overwhelmingly antagonistic media, should have anticipated this furore, and prepared and briefed its own spokesmen accordingly. But it did not do so. This oversight has cost it dearly. By the time it woke up and tried to inject some rational commonsense into the debate, it was already too late. The herd instinct had prevailed (why bother to read the bill when media pundits have already given their authoritative verdict?). The damage was done.... Additionally, were viewers told that the USD 1.5 billion per annum civilian aid was unconditional, and that the 'offensive' clauses (mostly, no more than a re-hash of the publicly declared policy of our government anyway, and also enshrined in the Charter of Democracy) applied only to the military aid that is additional to the civilian aid? Don't be silly! Why volunteer information that might dilute the government bashing exercise?" "Kerry-Lugar Concerns," an op-ed by Anees Jillani in the Karachi-based center-left independent national English daily "Dawn" (cir. 55,000) (10/14) "We as a nation can at least do one thing. We can refuse the aid. We can accept assistance that comes without conditions, and politely decline the portion with the stipulations. This does not mean that Pakistan disagrees with the principles and issues raised through the conditions in the Bill. Pakistan should remain committed to eliminating terrorism, whether domestically or externally in any country, including India. There should not be any terrorist base in the country, whether in Muridke, Quetta or Wana. The military should desist from interfering in the country's political process. But dictation from any quarter cannot, and should not, be accepted. This hurts our ego, dignity and sovereignty, and is an insult to millions of Pakistanis." -------------- Pak-China -------------- "China Vows Support For Efforts To Boost Security" "Dawn" (10/14) "Chinese President Hu Jintao has advised Pakistan to review its security policy and offered his country's complete support in the endeavor. Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani, who met the Chinese president at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Tuesday, described the outcome of the talks as a way forward in the multi-faceted friendship." -------------- F-16s -------------- "PAF To Get F-16D Aircraft From June Next Year" "Dawn" (10/14) "The First Block-52 F-16D aircraft of Pakistan Air Force (PAF) rolled out on Tuesday at a ceremony held at Lockheed Martin Aeronautics facility at Dallas. Chief of the Air Staff PAF Air Chief Marshal Rao Qamar Suleman attended the ceremony as chief guest. The F-16s will bolster PAF's fleet of high-tech combat aircraft and will enable it to undertake a variety of missions across its entire spectrum of operations. -------------- Terrorism -------------- "Jets Pound Militant Hideouts In South Waziristan" "Dawn" (10/14) "Aircraft bombed militants in the South Waziristan region on the Afghan border on Tuesday as government forces prepare for a ground offensive against the militant hub, security officials said. The military says it is awaiting government orders to give the final push to the militants in the Waziristan agencies." "12 Killed In Bajaur, Waziristan Air Strikes" "Dawn" (10/14) "A Taliban 'commander' and 11 other militants were killed when military planes bombed suspected locations in South Waziristan and Bajaur on Tuesday, sources said." "Military Operation In South Waziristan Agency (SWA) Decided: Malik" "The News" (10/14) "Interior Minister Rehman Malik on Tuesday said the government had decided to embark on a decisive military operation in South Waziristan Agency (SWA) to abolish terrorist outfits having links with al-Qaeda and the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and miscreants belonging to banned militant groups active against the sovereignty of Pakistan." "5 Militants Killed, 31 Surrender In Swat" "The News" (10/14) "The security forces claimed to have killed five insurgents during search and clearance operation in Kabal and Barikot areas of Swat Valley, while 31 militants surrendered on Tuesday." "TTP (Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan) Claims Responsibility For Shangla Suicide Attack" "Dawn" (10/14) "Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan has claimed responsibility for Monday's suicide attack in Shangla. A spokesman for TTP, Azam Tariq, told Dawn on phone in Laddah tehsil of South Waziristan that the attack was carried out by a member of the 'fidayeen wing' of Swat Taliban. He warned of such attacks in other cities of the country." "TTP Man Arrested In Karachi" "Dawn" (10/14) "The Crime Investigation Department (CID) of the Sindh police claimed on Tuesday to have arrested Ahmed Jan, an activist of the banned Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) from the city's Korangi area. 'Investigations are in a very early phase but they reveal that the TTP member hails from Matta tehsil of Swat,' said Fayyaz Khan, the SP Operations of the CID." "Series Of Attacks Show Taliban's Muscle" "Daily Times" (10/14) "The recent optimism in Pakistan, produced by the routing of the Taliban in Swat and Malakand and the death of their leader Baitullah Mehsud in a US drone strike, seems to be evaporating as the autumn sets in, with a series of Taliban attacks showing the muscle the group can still flex." "GHQ Attack Returns Focus On Nuclear Arms Safety" "Daily Times" (10/14) "The assault on the General Headquarters over the weekend has renewed fears of an insurgent attack on the country's nuclear weapons installation. Analysts are divided on how secure these weapons are. Some say the weapons are less secure than they were five years ago, and Saturday's attack would show a 'worrisome' overconfidence by the Pakistanis. While complex security is in place, much depends on the Pakistan Army and how vulnerable it is to infiltration by extremists, said a Western government official with access to intelligence on Pakistan and its nuclear arsenal. A U.S. counter-proliferation official, meanwhile, said strong safeguards were in place and there is no reason to believe the nuclear arsenal is in imminent jeopardy of seizure by militants." "GHQ Attack - Govt., MPs Shy Of Seeking Probe" "The News" (10/14) "The PPP government is said to have learnt its lessons from the fall of the Junejo government in the aftermath of the Ojhri Camp tragedy in 1988, and has stopped short of ordering an inquiry into the stunning attack on the GHQ, which virtually shook the whole nation last Saturday. One source said instead of calling an urgent meeting of the Defence Committee of the Cabinet (DCC),where three services chiefs are represented, to discuss this important issue, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani took a flight to China for a six-day trip." "No More Unchecked Comings And Goings For U.S. Officials" "The News" (10/14) "All U.S. officials and diplomats will now have to go through normal airport checks at the Islamabad Airport as the government has decided to withdraw the extraordinary concession offered to them after 9/11 by former president Pervez Musharraf. On the direction of the Defence Ministry, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has issued orders for the withdrawal of this facility as of October 15. The decision has been taken after reports that this concession was misused in the past." "Another Resolution Passed Against Possible Drone Attacks" "The News" (10/14) "The Balochistan Assembly on Tuesday unanimously passed another joint resolution against possible drone attacks in the province, demanding of the Federal Government to let the U.S. Ambassador in Pakistan know about the public reservations and to prevent the Americans from launching drone attacks in the name of terrorism." "Under Obama, Drone Attacks On The Rise" "Daily Times" (10/14) "Under President Barack Obama, the pace of strikes by 'drone' aircraft on insurgents in the country is rising and could pick up further after a White House review of its war strategy in the region. There have been 39 drone strikes in Pakistan since Obama took office not quite nine months ago, according to a Reuters tally of reports from Pakistani security officials, local government officials and residents." "The Detail," an editorial in the populist, often sensational national English daily "The News" (cir. 55,000) (10/14) "Gradually the complexity and boldness of the Taliban raid on GHQ is being exposed - somewhat quicker than usual for these events, which is a welcome relief from the smokescreen that usually surrounds them.... However the event is dressed up by the government and the military itself, this is a huge embarrassment that is not going to fade quickly. A group of well-armed and well-trained men were able to fight and spoof their way into the heart of the military command structure. They sowed confusion with their camouflage and exploited their knowledge of the layout of the building they were attacking. Their reconnaissance and intelligence were good enough for the job in hand and they had logistical support in place around the area of operations. Once again we have to stress the competence of the enemy we face.... They have moved into higher education and created a cadre of highly-educated ideologues who will be their downstream planners, commanders - and scientists, the weapons developers of the future. They have become the enemy that is both within and without. Never underestimate them." "Blocking South Waziristan Offensive?," an editorial in the Lahore-based liberal English language daily "Daily Times" (cir. 10,000) (10/14) "The suicide-bombing on Monday of Shangla, a district of Malakand Division, has killed 41.... It is clearly a part of the 'revival' of the Pakistan Taliban offensive following an eclipse suffered after the death of the earlier leader, Baitullah Mehsud. There are two or three other ways of interpreting the spike that includes the massacre in Peshawar earlier, the attack on a UN office in Islamabad and the storming of the security barrier at the GHQ. First, the spike is an act by the Taliban signaling an end to the shock of the Pakistan army's success in the Malakand-Swat region. This is two-pronged. It is a message to the foot-soldiers of the TTP clearly disheartened by the large-scale casualties suffered by them and the arrests made of TTP's mid-level leaders; and to the stricken population of the area that the war is far from over.... A very difficult operation was mounted against the GHQ only for the 'psychological recovery' of the Taliban movement. Secondly, the killing of the common citizen tells the 'army-liberated' communities that the Taliban aim to return and that their 'Taliban order' is not yet at an end. The spike also seeks to bring the opinion in the rest of the country under pressure." "Wave Of Violence," an editorial in the populist, often sensational national English daily "The News" (cir. 55,000) (10/14) "The new wave of violence unleashed by militants continues.... At present they seem to be running nowhere at all but firmly holding their ground. It is becoming apparent that for all the claims, the operation against them cannot be termed the final triumph against militancy..... Our government needs to act quickly to ensure triumph is not snatched away from us. The militants have in recent months felt the weight of public opinion bear down on them. The pressure must be kept up. To ensure this, we need to see a continued demonstration of a will to defeat militancy. Action in South Waziristan is one way of keeping up the momentum and moving forward." "More 'Deals'?," an editorial in the Karachi-based center-left independent national English daily "Dawn" (cir. 55,000) (10/14) "A report in this newspaper yesterday has suggested that the state has intensified 'back-channel efforts' to win the support of militants in North Waziristan against the Baitullah Mehsud network, now led by Hakeemullah Mehsud, in South Waziristan.... In an area as fraught with danger as the Waziristan agencies the state will on occasion have to hold its nose and strike 'deals' with at least some local elements. However, here too problems are apparent. The use of tribal elders and jirgas as mediators is not necessarily viable anymore." "Back With A Vengeance," an editorial in the center-right national English daily "The Nation" (cir. 20,000) (10/14) "Apart from the fact that the TTP put to rout in the Swat valley would understandably be trying to regroup and sneak back, certain sinister foreign designs are clearly at work that impinge upon Pakistan's endeavors to hold the terrorists at bay. Obviously, the TTP continues to have some hidden pockets of support among the local people. However, the sophisticated arms and equipment the terrorists are invariably found to possess; the caves (sanctuaries for housing and training militants) that could not have been dug into the mountains without the use of heavy machinery; the logistical support available to them; and the easy flow of finances needed to keep their dastardly activity going - all these are bewildering to the mind and raise the valid question as to what source or sources could be at their back." "Continuation Of Terrorism And The Demands Of National Security," an editorial in the Lahore-based Urdu daily "Waqt" (cir. 5000) (10/14) "With regards to terrorism, the U.S. needs to stop the increasing influence of its strategic partner India within the region; and it is Pakistani leaders' responsibility to make the U.S. aware of this need. It is hoped that the Pakistani leadership will give up the Afghan policy of the former dictator, will change this attitude of acquiescing [to the U.S.] and will make it clear to the U.S. that it needs to act as an actual friend." "This Is Not Just Pakistan's War," an editorial in the Lahore-based populist center-right Urdu daily "Khabrain" (cir. 50,000) (10/14) "The international community must realize that Pakistan's efforts in the war on terror are far beyond its capacity. No corner of the world will be safe from terrorists if Pakistan is not strengthened at this juncture. It is only collective efforts against terror that can guarantee success in this war." "What Message These Suicide Blasts Are Conveying," an editorial in the leading mass circulation populist, often sensational Urdu daily "Jang" (cir. 300,000) (10/14) "While accepting the responsibility of attack on the GHQ, Taliban spokesman has said that the Black-water agents were involved in the suicide bombings in Khyber Bazaar and Peshawar Saddar area. These incidents should be considered in the context of the analyses which legitimize U.S. drone attacks, and the statements regarding strikes on Al Qaeda sanctuaries throughout the world including Pakistan. It is the high time for our leadership to give up their fighting on petty issues and join hands to safeguard our nuclear assets and cope with the dangers to our national security." "Foreigners' Investigation With Arrested Taliban," an editorial in the Peshawar-based Urdu-language daily "Mashriq" (cir. 55,000) (10/14) "The local citizens have expressed serious concerns on the reports about the presence of foreigners during investigations with arrested Taliban. We think that by allowing the foreign nationals to continue their activities, the NWFP government is not only weakening itself but also destroying the law and order situation in the province. It is necessary to expel the Red Cross, Black-water and all other foreign agencies out of the province." "Our 'Own' People" a column by Abbas Athar in liberal Urdu daily "Express" (cir. 25,000) (10/14) "How nice is the advice that 'government should hold talks with our own people instead of having a dialogue with India and stop fighting others' war.' Jamaat-i-Islami Ameer Syed Munawar Hasan gave this advice while addressing go-America-go rally at the time when the ringleader of GHQ attackers had already been wounded and arrested.... During the go-America-go rally no one condemned Khyber bazaar Peshawar bomb blast and GHQ attack, which was aimed at tarnishing the image of Pakistan Army. No one from the rally praised Pakistan Army for foiling the attack by our own people.... ISPR spokesman told us that the GHQ attack was planned in Waziristan where Syed Munawar Hasan's loved ones live and some religious and political parties support them." "Drones & Suicide Attacks," an op-ed by Rafia Zakaria in the Karachi-based center-left independent national English daily "Dawn" (cir. 55,000) (10/14) "If U.S. military commanders and political leaders continue to believe that sacrificing 10 civilians for the possibility of eliminating a handful of Al Qaeda or Taliban leaders is a fair bargain then little hope remains for the partnership. While both Al Qaeda and the Taliban are existential threats to the Pakistani state and to the collective security of both nations the expectation that the casualties and political cost of fighting them should only be borne by Pakistan is destined for failure. As the debate over the Kerry-Lugar bill amply demonstrates, the relationship between the United States and Pakistan is at a crossroads. The revulsion most Pakistanis feel at being handed out pennies in exchange for absorbing the human and political cost of drone attacks points to an alienation that goes beyond questions of sovereignty and towards deeper issues of how many thousands of Pakistani lives must be lost to appease the American quest for security." "Forewarned May Not Be Forewarned?," an op-ed by Ejaz Haider in the Lahore-based liberal English language daily "Daily Times" (cir. 10,000) (10/14) "South Waziristan has been blockaded by the army for two months now. The operation, technically, is already on. Efforts to isolate TTP fighters have largely succeeded. The organization's ground establishments, when identified, have been - and are - targeted from the air. Intelligence assets have been embedded in the area and they are the primary reason for successful drone attacks meant to degrade the TTP leadership. The ground is being prepared for a ground assault. The GHQ attack has only firmed the army's resolve to expedite the ground assault in South Waziristan. But what is important to remember is that the army should go in according to its own assessment of when the timing is right. It mustn't react." "Establishment Conveys 'Enough Is Enough' Message," news analysis by Ansar Abbasi in the populist, often sensational national English daily "The News" (cir. 55,000) (10/14) "Government's keeping mum over intrusive policies of a foreign power towards Pakistan targeting the Pakistan Army, its prime intelligence agency the ISI and the country's nuclear program, has left no option for the powerful establishment but to defend the national interest of Islamabad without much worrying about foreign or local reaction.... Asif Ali Zardari President of Pakistan would show the guts to resist foreign game plan to de-nuclearized Pakistan by weakening the ISI and hurting the military, those apprehensions could be subsided.... While at home we were facing a subtle flooding of Blackwater operatives, in Washington the Kerry-Lugar Bill was in the making. No proper consultation was done with concerned quarters here to assess as to what final shape the bill would take." -------------- India-Pakistan -------------- "Bill Clinton's Offer To Resolve Kashmir Issue, And Responsibility," an editorial in the second-largest, nationalist Urdu daily "Nawa-i-Waqt" (cir. 150,000) (10/14) "Former U.S. President Bill Clinton has said that he can give time for helping Pakistan and India resolve Kashmir dispute.... If Clinton really wants to do justice with the Kashmir dispute, and is not in favor of handing it over to India or turning it into a U.S. base, then he should arrange for a plebiscite in Kashmir, in keeping with the UN resolutions." (All circulation figures are based on estimation) Patterson