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