PAKISTAN MEDIA REACTION: TOP STORIES, TERRORISM/MILITARY,

UNCLAS ISLAMABAD 002773

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KMDR KPAO OIIP OPRC PGOV PREL PK
SUBJECT: PAKISTAN MEDIA REACTION: TOP STORIES, TERRORISM/MILITARY,
MISCELLANEOUS, POLITICAL ISSUES, ECON/BUSINESS - NOVEMBER 18, 2009

Summary: President Obama's remarks that the U.S. wants China to help
improve relations between India and Pakistan received extensive
coverage in media on Wednesday. Urdu newspapers "Jang," and
"Express" published U.S. Embassy denial regarding the presence of
alleged "Blackwater operatives" in a neighborhood of Islamabad as
reported in a section of media. All newspapers highlighted the
Transparency International report that corruption in Pakistan has
increased in one year of PPP government. Reports that security
forces captured most of Taliban's bases in South Waziristan Agency
were also prominent displayed. All major dailies, quoting BBC,
reported that the Swat Taliban leader Fazlullah managed to escape to
Afghanistan. End Summary.

TOP STORIES

News Story: U.S. Requests China To Help Develop Indo-Pak Ties "Dawn"
(11/18)

"The United States wants China to help improve relations between
India and Pakistan and to work with it to ensure that neither
Pakistan nor Afghanistan is used as a base for terrorism, says U.S.
President Barack Obama. Mr. Obama emphasized both points in his
remarks in Beijing on Tuesday and they were also included in a joint
statement issued after talks between the U.S. president and his
Chinese counterpart Hu Jintao." (Story also covered in all
newspapers)

News Story: U.S. Denies Presence of Blackwater Operatives in
Islamabad 'Jang,' 'Express' (11/18)

"The U.S. Embassy has clarified that a national daily newspaper
yesterday published on its front page the photograph of a residence
in Islamabad that it alleged is a 'suspected Blackwater house,'
where 'suspicious foreigners' had 'manhandled' and created 'a wave
of fear and insecurity' among residents. The paper's edition today
adds further to the story, but claiming that its photographer had
been harassed by police while taking pictures of the residence. The
accusations are entirely false."

News Story: Corruption In Pakistan Increases: Transparency
International "Daily Times" (11/18)

"Pakistan has climbed five places to number 42 in an annual list of
the world's most corrupt countries, Transparency International said
in a report on Tuesday. In its annual Corruption Perceptions Index,
the TI said Pakistan's 2009 Corruption Perceptions Index Score is
2.4, and of the 180 countries and in its ranking as the most corrupt
country, it has slipped five ranks, from 47 in 2008 to the 42nd most
corrupt country in 2009." (Story also covered in all newspapers)

TERRORISM/MILITARY ISSUES

News Story: Troops To Hunt Militants In Forests; ISPR Says Main
Taliban Bases In SWA Cleared "The News" (11/18)

"The security forces have captured most main Taliban bases in their
offensive in South Waziristan Agency and will soon fan out into the
rugged countryside to hunt for militants there, commanders said on
Tuesday. Chief military spokesman and D.G. ISPR Maj. Gen. Athar
Abbas told reporters on a trip to South Waziristan with the army
that some militants might have slipped out the region but many were
hiding."

News Story: Laddah, Sararogha Cleared; Street Fighting In Makin
"Dawn" (11/18)

"The mud-compound, which had a part of its outer wall blown up by
artillery fire, was used as an Al Qaeda training facility until
recently. Jihadi literature and guerilla training manuals, mostly in
Arabic, lay in a heap amidst a huge pile of weapons left by the
insurgents after security forces captured Laddah, a key militant
stronghold in South Waziristan. Army officials said on Tuesday that
the place was used for militant as well as ideological training."

News Story: Fazlullah Escapes To Afghanistan "Dawn" (11/18)

"Maulana Fazlullah, one of the most wanted Taliban leaders, has told
the BBC that he has escaped to Afghanistan and is planning new
attacks on Pakistani forces. Fazlullah was said by officials to have
been wounded or killed in July, during the operation in Swat."

(Story also covered in all newspapers)

News Story: Militants' Possession Of Israeli Arms Raises Questions
"The Nation" (11/18)

"Use of Israeli-made light arms by militants against security forces
in Waziristan has raised several questions amongst many recently.
'The Nation' has learnt on good authority that militants are using
Israeli-made light arms including 'Uzi gun' and 'Rapid-fire pistol'
against security forces in North Waziristan as the operation
Rah-I-Rast reached its final stage."

News Story: 24 Militants Surrender In Bajaur "The News" (11/26)

"Twenty-four militants surrendered to security forces while a huge
quantity of weapons was seized during a search operation in Charmang
area of Bajaur's Nawagai Tehsil on Tuesday. The militants, belonging
to Shaida Shah, Asghar and Manogi areas in Charmang valley, laid
down arms and surrendered to security forces during a Jirga."

News Story: Agencies Hiring Interpreters "The Nation" (11/18)

"Foreign as well as local agencies are looking for persons
understanding the languages being used by terrorists, 'The Nation'
has learnt reliably. According to the reports, a U.S.-based company
has established a language center in Doha, Qatar, and is hiring
people from across Pakistan on handsome salaries."

News Story: Pakistan Can Deal With Local, Afghan Militants: U.S.
"Dawn" (11/18)

"The United States believes that Pakistan has the capability of
dealing with the militants operating within its border and also with
those who may come from Afghanistan. At a briefing at the U.S. State
Department, spokesman Ian Kelly, however, acknowledged that the
fight against the militants could not be won by military means
alone." (Story also covered in all newspapers)

News Story: One Killed, Nine Injured In Quetta Motorbike Attack
"Dawn" (11/18)

"At least one person was killed and nine others injured in a bomb
blast outside a security official's office here on Tuesday. Deputy
Inspector General (DIG) Nizam Durrani sustained injuries as a result
of the attack and is believed to have been the target."

News Story: TTP Threatens To Poison Water In Pindi Area "The News"
(11/18)

"Banned Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) have threatened the
Rawalpindi Cantonment Board (RCB) and Chaklala Cantonment Board the
(CCB) of contaminating water sources and reservoirs with poisonous
material with the aim of pressurizing the Army to stop military
operation in Waziristan. Official sources told 'The News' that a
letter threatening to contaminate water was faxed to the Directorate
of Military Lands and Cantonments (ML&C),Rawalpindi on Tuesday."

News Story: NATO Trucks Cost NHA $83 Million Per Annum "The Nation"
(11/18)

"Pakistan is suffering a loss of approximate $83 million every year
due to NATO/ISF freight truckloads that have been badly damaging the
National Highway network for the last seven years, according to
documents made available to 'The Nation.'"

News Story: Defence Spending To Go Up By 20pc "Dawn" (11/18)

"Pakistan's defence expenditures may exceed the budgetary allocation
of Rs343 billion by about 20 per cent during the current fiscal year
because of the military operation against militants. Sources told
'Dawn' that the security-related expenditures in Waziristan were
much higher than during the operation in Swat."

News Story: Taliban Blow Up Girls' School Near Bara "Daily Times"
(11/18)

"The Taliban on Tuesday blew up a girls' school in Khyber Agency on
Tuesday, the third such attack in the Tribal Areas so far this
month. The Taliban have destroyed hundreds of schools, mostly for
girls, officials said."


News Story: Taliban Not Behind Attack On NATO Supplies: IG - "The
Nation" (11/18)

"Inspector General (IG) Police Balochistan Syed Javed Ali Shah
Bukhari has said that Taliban are not behind attacks on NATO
supplies in Balochistan. He expressed these views while talking to
media persons in Chaman, a bordering tow with Afghanistan, the other
day."

Editorial: "Do More" Once More, an editorial in the Lahore-based
liberal English language daily "Daily Times" (cir. 10,000) (11/18)

"The New York Times reports that U.S. National Security Adviser
James Jones carried a letter on his recent visit from President
Barack Obama to President Asif Ali Zardari urging Pakistan to expand
its operations against the Taliban and al Qaeda.... To sweeten the
pill, President Obama offers a range of new incentives such as
enhanced intelligence sharing and military cooperation.... The
concerns of the U.S. seem to be too narrowly focused on al Qaeda
without giving due weight to the nexus between Usama bin Laden's
organisation, the Afghan Taliban and now, arguably, the Pakistani
Taliban along with militant groups originally nurtured for the
Kashmir struggle but who have now emerged from the deserts of south
Punjab to make common cause with their extremist brothers in arms.
Pakistan on the other hand, is hoist between taking on al Qaeda and
the Pakistani Taliban and their allies while retaining the Afghan
Taliban card close to its chest for a rainy day. This disjuncture
between the respective positions and concerns of both sides in the
uneasy U.S.-Pakistan alliance may one day lead to divergence, unless
both sides sit down and come to the conclusion that the militant
threat is indivisible."

Editorial: Illogical Demand To Expand The Military Operation, an
editorial in the second-largest, nationalist Urdu daily
"Nawa-i-Waqt" (cir. 150,000) (11/18)

"American President Barack Obama has demanded in a letter to
President Asif Ali Zardari that Pakistan should expand the military
operation against extremists. The terrorism and suicide attacks in
Pakistan are logical conclusion of American interference in
Afghanistan and unjust occupation of a Muslim state.... Pakistan
may get a few more dollars by expanding the scope of the operation,
but the ensuing destruction and chaos in Pakistan is not difficult
to assess. Following the disclosure that in case of a danger
American special squad could takeover Pakistan's nuclear program,
the American demand for enlarging the scope of the operation is
tantamount to fuel the fire of chaos, terrorism and civil war in
Pakistan.... AMERICA is spending $1 million annually on one soldier
in Afghanistan and the weekly expenditure on its troops equals
annual assistance of $1.5 billion to Pakistan. Still, AMERICA
expects from Pakistan to win a war which will not end for years...."


Editorial: President Obama's Letter, an editorial in the
center-right Urdu daily "Pakistan" (cir. 10,000) (11/18)

"In view of the discussion that started after President Obama's
letter and what James Jones had to say, it seems that only Pakistan
can fight the terrorists and it should be the one that should be
forced to fight them. Did Pakistan attack Afghanistan in the first
place to shoulder the entire responsibility of fighting the war?
James Jones opinion gives the impression that American President is
not in favor of extended stay of his troops in Afghanistan and he
does not want to send more troops to Afghanistan. American
authorities believe that in return to $1.5 billion annually two
birds can be killed with one stone. Accepting American advice would
mean that entire country is pushed into the bloody consequences....
President Obama's letter would help us understand the American
designs and reconsider our role in the war against terrorism."

Editorial: Another Mischief By The U.S., an editorial note an
editorial in the Lahore-based populist center-right Urdu daily
"Khabrain" (cir. 50,000) (11/17)

"During his address in Shanghai, President Obama said that
terrorists have fled from Afghanistan to Pakistan and are now the
biggest threat to the U.S. The question is: who is to blame if
terrorists flee Afghanistan? Can Obama not ask the allied troops as
to why check-posts from the Pak-Afghan border were removed? Is he

not aware of the fact that despite allied forces' presence in the
country, 75 percent of Afghanistan is still under Taliban control?
Why do the Taliban need to flee into Pakistan when most of
Afghanistan is under their control? Is it not a fact that the allied
forces have failed, and are pushing the Taliban into Pakistan?
Actually, President Obama is asking Pakistan to 'do more' just to
absolve himself."

Editorial: U.S. Demand For 'Do More', an editorial in the
Karachi-based, pro-Taliban Jihadi Urdu daily "Islam" (cir. 15,000)
(11/18)

"At a time when the military operation in South Waziristan is in
progress, and the terrorists are retaliating through deadly suicide
attacks in Peshawar, the demand from President Obama to expand the
offensive against the Taliban and Al Qaeda seems part of the U.S.
plan to push Pakistan into civil war. We think that it is high time
for our leadership to expose the American blackmailing and formulate
the national policies in line with the aspirations of the nation."

Editorial: Will Obama's Revised Afghan Policy Guarantee Peace?, an
editorial in the Lahore-based independent Urdu daily "Din" (cir.
5000) (11/18)

"According to the U.S. media, President Obama has written a letter
to President Zardari asking Pakistan to step up its measures against
terrorists.... The silent progress U.S. is making to ensure Indian
supremacy in the region does not bode well for our national
security. Hence we feel that the Pakistan government should make a
wise assessment of the outcome of U.S. policies, and hold talks with
American authorities keeping national interests paramount."

Editorial: Target Error?, an editorial in the populist, often
sensational national English daily "The News" (cir. 55,000) (11/18)

"As Peshawar picks itself up from daily bombing attacks, the toll of
civilians rises.... Where we hear anything coherent from the bombers
as to why it is that they are doing what it is that they do, it is
invariably along the lines of... 'We are fighting America. We want
the Americans out of Pakistan.' We would not wish to inflame the
bombers into yet further atrocity, against American or other foreign
interests, why is it that the terrorists seem intent on harvesting
the souls of their fellow Muslims, women and children, schools and
mosques? The answer lies in the dual identity of the war that is
being fought - part of the Taliban's war is fought against the
Americans but another and perhaps larger part of their war is fought
against the state of Pakistan."

Editorial: What United States Is Up To?, an editorial in the
Islamabad-based rightist English daily "Pakistan Observer" (cir.
5,000) (11/18)

"There is a general impression that U.S. demands become unending if
one keeps on meeting them without any resistance.... However,
emboldened by the meekish approach of the Pakistan's successive
leaders, the United States is increasing pressure on the country to
do things that could endanger the very existence of Pakistan.... As
the U.S. President is about to announce a new so-called Af-Pak
policy, it seems that the new approach too would expect too much
from Pakistan without any worthwhile effort to meet its demands and
needs. This is time for Pakistani strategists and leaders to deeply
ponder and analyze the situation."

Editorial: Take The Nation On Board, an editorial in the
Peshawar-based Urdu-language daily "Mashriq" (cir. 55,000) (11/18)

"The NWFP provincial ministers have maintained that a good number of
terrorists have shifted from Waziristan to other tribal areas from
where they are launching terrorist attacks in Peshawar. They demand
the government to launch military operation in Orakzai Agency,
Malakand, Khyber Agency and other areas. We think that the expansion
of military operation in the entire FATA region would overstretch
the capabilities of the Pak army which might undermine national
interests of Pakistan."

Editorial: Real Threat To Pakistan's Nuclear Assets, an editorial in
the popular rightist Urdu-language daily "Ausaf" (cir. 10,000)
(11/18)

"The Taliban, both Afghan and Pakistani, or any Jihadi group have

never uttered even a single word against the nuclear program of
Pakistan. In fact, the agents of the United States, India and Israel
present in Pakistan, who had staged rallies on the roads of
Islamabad against our nukes, are the real threat to our nuclear
assets. We urge our military leadership to beware of these
anti-Pakistan elements who are siding with the armed forces on the
pretext of fighting the Taliban."

Editorial: Unholy Crusade, an editorial in the Lahore-based liberal
English language daily "Daily Times" (cir. 10,000) (11/18)

"The Tablighi Jamaat (with millions of followers worldwide) has
spoken out in very strong terms against the Taliban and their
terrorist activities in the name of Islam. At the Jamaat's annual
feature in Pakistan, the Tablighi Ijtema in Raiwind, scholars
denounced the Taliban for their 'unholy crusade' against
humanity.... The Tablighi Jamaat's message of moderate Islam will
surely resound amongst the believers. By taking this position
against the Taliban, the Jamaat has shown the Muslim world the true
face of the Taliban. This message comes at a crucial time because in
the recent past, we saw the fanatics dominating the discourse on
Islam in the media and the public space."

Opinion: "Do More" Becomes Obsolete, an op-ed by Shireen M. Mazari
in the center-right national English daily "The Nation" (cir.
20,000) (11/18)

"The U.S. keeps on chanting the 'do more' mantra before our rulers
and they keep going more - even if that means destroying the
nation's social fabric and stability.... Is it not time for the
present leadership, then, to put a stop to the U.S. 'do more' mantra
which is destroying our country?"

Opinion: Wooing The Middle Class, an op-ed by Rafia Zakaria in the
Karachi-based center-left independent national English daily "Dawn"
(cir. 55,000) (11/18)

"While reconsidering military/strategic initiatives is crucial the
Obama administration must realize that much of its failure in
winning Pakistani hearts and minds has been because of its failure
to identify which hearts can indeed be won. A strategy that seeks to
amend this omission should undertake a reconsideration of current
initiatives for a narrower focus towards empowering the Pakistani
middle class through the facilitation of projects that directly
affect their lives. The answer to the vexing question of how
Pakistanis can be wooed may thus quite simply be to know which ones
to pursue."

Opinion: Washington's Welcome Indecision, an op-ed by Mahir Ali in
the Karachi-based center-left independent national English daily
"Dawn" (cir. 55,000) (11/18)

"The indecision in Washington over Afghanistan has prompted a
plethora of criticism from a broad range of angles, but there is at
least one redeeming factor that has received insufficient
acknowledgment.... The Obama administration has faced considerable
criticism for lumping Afghanistan and Pakistan together in its
so-called Af-Pak strategy, but the role that links between the most
deleterious elements in the two countries have played in the
evolution of present conditions are undeniable.... The current
debate in Washington is likely to lead to a decision that won't
please anyone: a surge that doesn't mean Gen Stanley McChrystal's
audacious demand, but also doesn't clearly spell out an exit
strategy. It'll disappoint those who are prone to crying uncle. But
a sustainable future for the region has got to be one in which Uncle
Sam does not play a military role."

MISCELLANEOUS

News Story: We Can Question 'Suspicious' Journalists, Says Mazari
"Daily Times" (11/18)

"We have every right to raise questions about 'suspicious'
journalists and question their activities, Shireen Mazari, editor of
a Lahore-based English daily, said on Tuesday. According to a
private TV channel (DawnNews). She was referring to a report,
published by her newspaper, which questioned the credibility of Wall
Street Journal correspondent Matthew Rosenberg and accused him of
being a 'spy.' Defending her newspaper's stance, Mazari said those
who broke the country's laws and had frequently travelled to hostile

lands such as India in the past, were liable to scrutiny by the
Pakistani media. She said Rosenberg had ventured into FATA without
permission from the government, adding that she had credible
information that Rosenberg had met with certain 'undesirable'
individuals."

News Story: Home-Built JF-17 to Be Unveiled On 23rd "Dawn" (11/18)

"The first multi-role JF-17 Thunder jet fighter, jointly developed
with China, produced at the Aircraft Manufacturing Factory (AMF) of
the Pakistan Aeronautical Complex will roll out in Kamra, Attock on
Nov 23. This would be a milestone, marking the fulfillment of
Pakistan Air Force's goals of achieving self-sufficiency and
strengthening its fighting capability, ISPR said on Tuesday."

News Story: Musharraf Passed Atomic Information To U.S. "The News"
(11/18)

"Nuclear scientist Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan has expressed his firm
conviction that former military ruler Pervez Musharraf had
transferred very sensitive information relating to Pakistan's atomic
program to the U.S. Dr. Khan said he was ready to record the facts
before the court of law."

POLITICAL ISSUES

News Story: Jamaat-e-Islami Anti-U.S. Rally Today "The Nation"
(11/18)

"Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) (women) Islamabad will organize a 'Go AMERICA
Go' rally today (Wednesday) against the unnoticed interference of
the U.S. in the internal affairs of Pakistan. Addressing a press
conference in Islamabad on Tuesday, Syed Bilal, JI Islamabad Amir,
alleged that U.S. firm Blackwater was providing assistance to
notorious spy agencies of India and Israel in Balochistan and FATA
region."

(All circulation figures are based on estimation)
Patterson