PAKISTAN MEDIA REACTION: DECEMBER 02, 2009

UNCLAS ISLAMABAD 002889

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KMDR KPAO OIIP OPRC PGOV PREL PK
SUBJECT: PAKISTAN MEDIA REACTION: DECEMBER 02, 2009

Summary: All TV networks telecast live Wednesday morning President
Obama's address announcing the new Afghan Strategy. Newspapers
highlighted reports that President Obama is sending 30,000
additional troops to Afghanistan. Commenting on the subject, "Daily
Times," cautioned that "any knee-jerk response may not only be
futile, it may actually unleash unforeseen and unintended
consequences." Several major dailies reported Pakistan Foreign
Minister Qureshi's remarks that "Pakistan's problem was not increase
in troops in Afghanistan, but their positions of deployment."
Secretary of State Clinton's statement, made while addressing
American business executives, that the "U.S. can ignore Pakistan
only at its own peril" also received prominent display. Reports of
the assassination of an NWFP legislator in a suicide attack in Swat
garnered front-page coverage. "The News," quoted Prime Minister
Gilani who terming the U.S. drone attacks as "counterproductive."
Some dailies also reported that an American and a Swiss national
along with their facilitator were detained at Landi-Kotal for
entering the tribal district without permission. End Summary.

TOP STORIES

News Story: New Strategy For Afghanistan: U.S. Going For Troop
Surge; Withdrawal In Three Years "Dawn" (12/02)

"U.S. President Barack Obama is sending 30,000 additional troops to
Afghanistan but plans to conclude the war and withdraw most American
troops within three years, White House officials said on Tuesday.
'We came to that determination through a series of deliberations and
getting a strategy for how we go forward in Afghanistan,' White
House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs told CNN." (Story also covered
in all newspapers)

News Story: Our Concern Is About Area Of Deployment: Qureshi "Dawn"
(12/02)

"Pakistan had been informed by the U.S. that it planned to increase
troops in Afghanistan, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said in
Frankfurt on Tuesday, Mr. Qureshi said at a press conference. He
said that U.S. National Security Adviser James Jones had contacted
Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani in Frankfurt and informed him
about the U.S. decision. Mr. Qureshi said that Pakistan had no
objection to the increase in the number of U.S. troops in
Afghanistan, but wanted details about their deployment." (Story also
covered in all newspapers)

News Story: U.S. Can Ignore Pakistan Only At Its Own Peril: Hillary
"Dawn" (12/02)

"U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said on Tuesday that the
United States could ignore Pakistan only at its own peril. In an
address to American business executives, Secretary Clinton pointed
out that the United States could not afford to ignore threats
emanating from far-off places because on Sept 11, 2001 it learned
how dangerous it was to do so." (Story also covered in all
newspapers)

News Story: Success In Afghanistan Linked To Pakistan: U.S.
President "Dawn" (12/02)

"President Barack Obama said on Tuesday that U.S. success in
Afghanistan, where he plans to deploy 30,000 more troops, was
'inextricably linked' to Washington's partnership with Pakistan. 'We
will act with the full recognition that our success in Afghanistan
is inextricably linked to our partnership with Pakistan,' Obama told
cadets at the U.S. military academy at West Point, in a speech
televised live nationwide." (Story also covered in all newspapers)

News Story: Obama, Karzai Discuss New U.S. Afghan Policy "Dawn"
(12/02)

"Afghan President Hamid Karzai and President Barack Obama discussed
the new U.S. policy for Afghanistan during an hour-long
videoconference call on Tuesday morning. Karzai's office said the
two leaders discussed in detail the security, political, military
and economic aspects of the strategy."

News Story: No Exit But Strategy Is Transfer And Transition: Mullen
"The Nation" (12/02)

"Welcoming President Barack Obama's new Afghan policy, the top US
military commander today said the decision to start withdrawing of
troops from the war-torn country in 18 months is not an exit, but it
is a strategy of transfer and transition, Admiral Mike Mullen,
Chairman of the U.S. Joint Chief of Staff, was quoted as saying by
American Forces Press Service."

TERRORISM/MILITARY ISSUES

News Story: Security Man Killed In Islamabad Suicide Blast "The
News" (12/02)

"A Navy official Ashraf has been killed and three others injured in
a suicide attack at the entrance of Naval Headquarters at 1330 PST,
Wednesday, December 02, in sector E-8 in Islamabad. According to
sources, a suicide bomber aged between 16 to 17 years blew up
himself when Naval guards stopped him at the entrance of Naval
Headquarters. Deputy Inspector General Islamabad Police Bin Yameen
has confirmed that it was a suicide attack."

News Story: Suicide Bomber Kills ANP Lawmaker "Dawn" (12/02)

"A teenaged suicide bomber blew himself up, killing ANP lawmaker
Shamsher Ali Khan as he was seeing off guests who had come to his
house in Mingora to offer Eid greetings on Tuesday. Shamsher Khan's
two brothers and nine other people were injured." (Story also
covered in all newspapers)

News Story: Drone Attacks Blocking Way To Success, Says PM "The
News" (12/02)

"Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani, terming U.S. drone attacks
counterproductive, said that it is creating a lot of anti-American
sentiment all over the country and without the public support we
cannot win this war, the Prime Minister said in an interview with
German Magazine Der Spiegel."

News Story: War On Terror Was Forced Upon Us, Says Gilani "Daily
Times" (12/02)

"Pakistan should not be looked upon only as a country at war and the
problem of terrorism and the war against it were 'thrust upon us,'
Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani said on Tuesday. In an interview
with German paper SPIEGEL Online, Gilani said the terrorism in the
region was a result of the world's alienation of it."

News Story: No Need Of Pak-U.S. Joint Command Against Qaeda: FM "The
Nation" (12/02)

"Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi has said there is no need of
joint command between Pakistan and the United States regarding
actions against Al-Qaeda and Taliban, while talking to a British
news agency on Tuesday."

News Story: U.S., Swiss Nationals Held In Torkham "Daily Times,"
"The Nation" (12/02)

"An American, a Swiss and their local facilitator were brought to
Peshawar for interrogation on Tuesday after they were arrested from
the Torkham border crossing on Monday. 'We are investigating what
forced the two foreigners to attempt crossing the border into
Afghanistan,' officials told 'Daily Times.' The American was
identified as Nicole Tank and the Swiss as Matayse."

News Story: Terrorists Being Targeted In Orakzai, Kurram: ISPR
"Daily Times" (12/02)

"The military is targeting terrorists in Orakzai and Kurram agencies
and has destroyed several training centers in the areas, the
Inter-Services Public Relations said on Tuesday. Speaking on Radio
Pakistan, ISPR Director General Major General Athar Abbas said the
military was moving according to its plans and terrorists had
reportedly fled to Orakzai and Kurram, where their hideouts were
being targeted. He said around 600 terrorists had been killed and 22
arrested so far in the Operation Rah-e-Nijat in South Waziristan,
adding that about 70 army officers and Jawans had also been martyred
during the operation."

News Story: Four Militants Killed In Bara "The News" (12/02)

"The Frontier Corps (FC) officials claimed killing four militants in
the Kamarkhel area of Bara during an exchange of fire. Local sources
told 'The News' that five houses, owned by the wanted militants,
were demolished in the Yousaf Talab area of Bara." (Story also
covered in all newspapers)

Editorial: Afghan Policy Review, an editorial in the Lahore-based
liberal English language daily "Daily Times" (cir. 10,000) (12/02)

"Seemingly, the future military plan will be to corner the Taliban
at the Afghanistan-Pakistan border and then deliver barrages of
drone aircraft attacks against enemy pockets while continuing the
fagade of a military and economic alliance with Pakistan. This
strategy too is expected to furnish only limited success in a
spiraling conflict. Caution in all the possible scenarios remains
inescapable. The problem is knotty and needs measured handling,
taking into account the nuances and sensitivities of the
forces-that-be. Any knee-jerk response may not only be futile, it
may actually unleash unforeseen and unintended consequences."

Editorial: Obama Surrenders To Warmongers, an editorial in the
Islamabad-based rightist English daily "Pakistan Observer" (cir.
5,000) (12/02)

"There was parallel pressure on President Obama from warmongers from
within his administration and the armament industry, interest of
which is best served by consumption of arms and ammunition of all
sorts in situations like Afghanistan and Iraq. And it seems they
ultimately prevailed and Obama, who came to power with the promise
of change, fell victim to their machinations for continuation of the
conflict in Afghanistan. We wish the world community should have
exerted pressure on Obama advising him against adventurism but now
the history is destined to decide things."

Editorial: Threats And Lure, an editorial in the center-right
national English daily "The Nation" (cir. 20,000) (12/02)

"The gist of the letter that became public, courtesy the American
media, and observations of unnamed U.S. officials provide an
interesting insight about how the policymakers in Washington view
Islamabad's significance and role in the anti-terrorism war and the
difficulty in dealing with Pakistan. The view, 'We can't succeed
without Pakistan,' is a strategic reality as seen by a senior
administration official, contains food for thought for Pakistani
leaders, if they had not grasped the point earlier.... The Obama
administration should break the mould of the Bush era thinking that
denied Pakistan the civilian nuclear technology it so generously
offered to India, while the lack of conventional resources to undo
the power scarcity was a problem for both, and Pakistan being its
partner and a frontline state in the war on terror deserved
preferential treatment."

Editorial: U.S. And Britain's Insistence On Doing More, an editorial
in liberal Urdu daily "Express" (cir. 25,000) (12/02)

"American President Obama has warned Pakistan to desist from using
Lashkar-e-Taiba and other terrorist outfits as strategic weapons....
Indian diplomacy seems to be instrumental in the change in the
American attitude. Firstly, AMERICA never before talked of
terrorist groups' usage as strategic weapons and secondly, American
President has named Lashkar-e-Taiba which India had been accusing of
11/26 attacks in Mumbai.... The adventurism of last eight years in
Afghanistan has not been fruitful and al-Qaeda and Taliban are
getting strength once again. The need of the time for AMERICA and
Britain is to play their due role in the campaign in Afghanistan
instead of merely increasing pressure on Pakistan."

Editorial: The 'Do More' Mantra, an editorial in the country's
premier business newspaper, "Business Recorder" (cir. 25,000)
(12/02)

"A U.S. Senate report commissioned by Senator John F. Kerry, which
was released on Monday, holds Secretary of Defence Donald Rumsfeld
and his top commander, General Tommy Franks responsible for al Qaeda
leadership's slipping into Pakistan. The report sums up the
consequences, maintaining that the neglect left the American people
'more vulnerable to terrorism, laying the foundation for today's
protracted Afghan insurgency and inflaming the internal strife now
endangering Pakistan.' Thus Pakistan is a victim of American
negligence. Instead of hectoring Islamabad, Britain and US need to
help it as it bears the brunt of terrorism."

Editorial: U.S. Press Report And President Obama's Threat, an
editorial in the Lahore-based populist center-right Urdu daily
"Khabrain" (cir. 50,000) (12/02)

"According to press reports, President Obama has warned Pakistan
that AMERICA will be forced to take any action in Pakistan's western
and southern border areas if Pakistan did not take effective action
against the terrorists. Pakistan should take a stern note of the
U.S. President's threat and should tell him that the war on terror
is failing because of U.S. and its allies' incompetence and not
because of Pakistan."

Editorial: Prime Minister's Flat Refusal, an editorial in the
popular rightist Urdu-language daily "Ausaf" (cir. 10,000) (12/02)

"Despite the befitting retaliation from Prime Minister Yousuf Raza
Gillani over the 'do more' demand from U.S. President Barack Obama,
the unfolding events in the region have exposed Washington's covert
agenda. It seems that the U.S. has planned to not only occupy the
natural resources in this part of the world but also intends to
create difficulties for Pakistan as well as China by elevating India
to the position of regional bulwark. We urge the government,
politicians and the policy-making institutions to put aside their
mutual differences and join hands to confront the U.S. designs."

Editorial: New Threat To Pakistan from U.S. And Britain, an
editorial in the Karachi-based, pro-Taliban Jihadi Urdu daily
"Islam" (cir. 15,000) (12/02)

"According to several analysts, the real objective of sending more
U.S. troops to Afghanistan is to cope with Pakistan and the
Washington-Delhi-Kabul trio has decided to attack Pakistan. We think
that our political and military leadership must develop a
comprehensive strategy and take the entire nation on board to
confront this threat to our country."

Editorial: Become Standing Guards for Survival, an editorial in the
Peshawar-based Urdu-language daily "Mashriq" (cir. 55,000) (12/02)

"The latest threat from Washington and London seems the reiteration
of their old tactics to pressurize Pakistan to follow the guidelines
of these powers aimed at vested interests. We are a country replete
with natural resources but a weak and irresolute leadership has made
Pakistan a 'beggar state'. Our rulers must take immediate steps to
achieve the goal of economic independence in order to safeguard the
sovereignty of the country."

Editorial: Swat Attack, an editorial in the Karachi-based
center-left independent national English daily "Dawn" (cir. 55,000)
(12/02)

"The killing of Shamsher Ali Khan, an ANP member of the NWFP
Assembly, in Swat yesterday is a grim reminder that the war against
Maulana Fazlullah and his TTP militants has not yet been won. The
problem appears to stem from the security forces' inability to
capture or eliminate the top leadership of the militants in Swat....
The focus, therefore, needs to be on finding and capturing or
eliminating the leaders of the Swat TTP who are still at large....
Operation Rah-i-Nijat in South Waziristan has cleared many of the
Mehsud militants' strongholds, but no leader of note, local or
foreign, has been captured or eliminated in the operation. There,
too, there has been a lack of adequate human intelligence on the
ground. Without a doubt, the security forces have fought bravely and
achieved many successes in recent months. But the gains made could
yet be lost if the TTP leaders are not captured or eliminated."

Opinion: Absurd Demands & Accusations, an op-ed by Shireen M. Mazari
in the center-right national English daily "The Nation" (cir.
20,000) (12/02)

"Given the growing absurdities of the U.S. and its allies in this
region, especially in relation to the unending demands being made on
Pakistan, with no reciprocity, it is time for Pakistan to do a major
rethink of its whole cooperation with these powers. Renegotiate the
cooperation with the U.S. on Afghanistan, including terms for
transit access to NATO supplies; demand an immediate end to the
Indian presence in Afghanistan alongside the border areas with
Pakistan and a clamping down of their covert activities from Afghan
soil targeting Pakistan; throw out all the private military
contractors, be they DynaCorp or Blackwater or any other; make the
U.S. access in Pakistan more transparent; get Parliament to approve
all agreements with external powers relating to military and
security cooperation.... After laying our country's very existence
on the line for the United States' misguided War on Terror, the time
has come for Pakistan to demand rather than to continue giving in to
U.S. interests."

Opinion: The Ghost Of Tora Bora, an op-ed by Rafia Zakaria in the
Karachi-based center-left independent national English daily "Dawn"
(cir. 55,000) (12/02)

"Not living up to the promise of returning to the rule of law as a
defining principle of American initiatives abroad is not the only
disappointment. While strong on rhetoric against both Al Qaeda and
the Taliban, the American President has not defined U.S. objectives
in the region. No American and certainly no Afghan or Pakistani
knows at this moment whether U.S. objectives are nation-building,
counter-insurgency, intelligence-gathering or peacemaking. The
resulting confusion obfuscates whether the enemy in question is the
Taliban, Al Qaeda or both. Like the Bush administration, the Obama
dispensation has failed to unify the various branches of government
to construct a cohesive strategy to tackle the war on terror. In the
Pakistani case, this means that the U.S. military continues to
supply the Pakistan Army with billions of dollars of equipment and
aid concomitantly detracting from the power of the flailing civilian
government.... The true tragedy of Tora Bora is not the fact that
Osama bin Laden remains free. Instead, it is the fact that in being
uncertain of its goals and evasive about its ideological and moral
position and strategic aims, the United States has let Osama bin
Laden dictate the terms of the war on terror."

Opinion: The Taliban Mindset, an op-ed by Dr. Khalil Ahmad in the
Lahore-based liberal English language daily "Daily Times" (cir.
10,000) (12/02)

"What was sowed by the intellectual, political, religious, business,
and military elites is today beginning to rear its ugly head and its
consequences are affecting ordinary citizens in the form of absolute
insecurity that threatens their very existence without any reprieve
in sight. This tragedy is deeper than our imagination can fathom....
To fight this war we first have to admit that we are in the midst of
an intellectual as well as a real war."

Opinion: Increasing U.S. Influence, an op-ed by Muhammad Tahir Iqbal
in the Lahore-based liberal English daily "The Post" (cir. 5,000)
(12/02)

"The Obama administration is again ready to send the reinforcement
of 25,000 troops to Afghanistan impending more peril to the already
volatile region. The terror has, now, crept into Pakistan with all
its machination wreaking every other day its vengeance on the
innocent citizens of Pakistan. The reign of terror has been let
loose here.... To render this dismal scenario all the more worse,
the Americans have found their true pals in Pakistan that can lend
them all assistance they need to accomplish their designs. These
American allies, ensconced in the power seats at Islamabad, in
return want their reign secured and strengthened as reward of their
friendship, and that is what they get staking sovereignty and
integrity of Pakistan. Thanks to Pakistani media that has imparted
acumen to the eye of a layman. Now nothing can remain in wraps for
long. In recent times, there have been stories as to the suspicious
but meaningful activities of the spreading U.S. network in Pakistan.
The credible sources have this that these dubious and mysterious
activities of the Americans are well aided by their true pals at
Islamabad.... In this disturbed situation fraught with deception and
hollow verbosity exhibited by our politicians, who are perhaps dumb
and deaf over mounting U.S. interference in Pakistan."

Opinion: Time To Listen To Saner Voices, an op-ed by Mahmood Sadiq
in the Lahore-based liberal English daily "The Post" (cir. 5,000)
(12/02)

"President Obama continues facing the same old question - should he
continue with his predecessor's course, which has caused great
damage to the U.S. He missed the opportunity granted by a broad
national mandate and the universal consensus against the Bush
policies. One hopes he won't miss the chance this time when the
people are demanding to do something about the national and world
ailments.... With U.S. economy on an unrelenting decline and no
military solution to Afghan problem in sight, Obama should ride the
rising tide of the demand of 'do something' and dare to stare the
hawks in the eye. If he again misses the opportunity, nothing would
save him and his people from disaster."
MISCELLANEOUS

News Story: SC Moved To Search American Embassy "The News," "Daily
Times" (12/02)

"The Watan Party has filed a petition at the Lahore High Court,
seeking directives to search the U.S. Embassy for the recovery of
illegal weapons and evidences for the alleged U.S. involvement in
terrorist activities in Pakistan. The counsel for the petitioners,
Barrister Zafarullah Khan, cited reports that the ISI director
general had shown proofs to the visiting CIA chief last month about
his organization's involvement in the terrorist activities in
Pakistan."

News Story: Iranian Plan To Build 10 Uranium Plants Not A Bluff
"Daily Times" (12/02)

"Iran's plan to build 10 new uranium enrichment plants is not a
'bluff' and Tehran will go ahead with the program, President Mahmoud
Ahmadinejad said in a televised interview on Tuesday."


POLITICAL ISSUES

News Story: Most Of Rs100bn Loans Written Off In Musharraf Era "The
News" (12/02)

"Industrialists, military men and politicians have got loans of over
Rs100 billion written off from banks since 1985, the National
Assembly Secretariat record has revealed. A big chunk of loans was
written off during the regime of former President Pervez
Musharraf."

News Story: SC To Take Up Petitions Against NRO On Dec 7 "Dawn"
(12/02)

"After having failed to get parliamentary protection, the NRO
beneficiaries are pinning their hopes on the Supreme Court which has
fixed Dec 7 to begin hearing of petitions challenging the
controversial law promulgated by former military ruler Gen. (Retd)
Pervez Musharraf to grant amnesty to politicians, bureaucrats and
holders of public offices involved in corruption and criminal
cases."

News Story: Zardari Fends Off Opponents, At Least For Now: U.S.
Paper "Dawn" (12/02)

"President Asif Ali Zardari appears to have fended off his
opponents, at least for now, but the struggle has weakened him
considerably, The Washington Post reported on Tuesday. In the
process, he had to deal with pressures from opponents in the media,
the courts, parliament and the military and despite these pressures
he 'appears to have reasserted his grip on the presidency for the
time being.'"

Editorial: Evaporating, an editorial in the populist, often
sensational national English daily "The News" (cir. 55,000) (12/02)

"The Zardari presidency is clearly crumbling before our eyes and the
president has little chance of avoiding this disaster, which is of
his own making. Domestically he has lost the support of the media
with but a few diehard exceptions.... The president is not going to
go quietly and he will fight to retain what he can of his power and
position, but the die is now cast - it is a matter of 'when' and not
'if'. It could have been so different had he kept a few more
promises and not lost touch with an electorate that in reality was
voting for his slain wife and not him as the leader of the hour. But
it was not to be and the president who should never have been will
be another sad footnote in our political history."

(All circulation figures are based on estimation)
Patterson