PAKISTAN MEDIA REACTION: DECEMBER 03, 2009

UNCLAS ISLAMABAD 002900 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KMDR KPAO OIIP OPRC PGOV PREL PK SUBJECT: PAKISTAN MEDIA REACTION: DECEMBER 03, 2009 Summary: Reports and photographs of President Obama's announcement of new Afghan strategy dominated all front pages on Thursday. His vow to seize the initiative to end the war and start a pullout in July 2011 received extensive coverage. Most major Urdu newspapers highlighted his remarks that the U.S. will go after Al Qaeda everywhere (implying Pakistan). Ambassador Patterson and DCM Feierstein's media roundtable with senior editors and marathon end-to-end interviews with six mainstream TV networks to elucidate salient features of the new Afghan strategy also garnered extensive media attention. Ambassador Patterson's statement that "Pakistan was taken on board over Afghan strategy" received prominent display. Pakistan Foreign Office's comments urging U.S. to ensure that "there is no adverse fallout on Pakistan" also received prominent display. Some dailies reported a statement by Afghan Taliban maintaining that "more U.S. troops will strengthen their resolve." Commenting on the President Obama's speech, "Dawn," described it "Janus-like and potentially creating more uncertainty in an already difficult region." End Summary. TOP STORIES News Story: Obama Links Afghan Success To Pakistan; Obama Targets Pakistan But Confuses The World "The News" (12/03) "U.S. President Barack Obama on Tuesday night sent focused messages to Islamabad as he announced the expected surge of 30,000 U.S. troops into Afghanistan but also set a deadline of July 2011 for beginning a pullout, leaving Americans and the world more confused than ever before about U.S. Af-Pak policy and goals. Caught between a divided Democratic Party not ready to support more troops and a Republican majority not ready for a pullout strategy, Obama in his West Point, New York, speech tried to please everyone but sent clear messages for Pakistan and Afghanistan that the days of "blank cheques" were over and U.S. would multiply its covert presence and operations inside Pakistan, despite the Pakistani backlash and resentment. News Story: Obama Gets Strong Support For New Afghan Strategy "Dawn" (12/03) "US President Barack Obama on Wednesday received strong support for his Afghan war strategy from both friends and foes although some refused to back the decision to set a timeframe for withdrawing troops from Afghanistan." (Story also covered in all newspapers) News Story: Pakistan Taken On Board Over Afghan Strategy: Patterson "Daily Times," "The News" (12/03) "The U.S. believes that its decision to send an additional 30,000 troops to Afghanistan would not create any problem for Pakistan and its armed forces fighting terrorists in the Tribal Areas, as Washington does not anticipate that Taliban may flee from Afghanistan and enter into Pakistan, U.S. Ambassador to Pakistan Anne Patterson has said. 'We don't see any spillover effect of sending more troops to Afghanistan,' Patterson told a small group of editors over breakfast on Wednesday after President Barack Obama announced his Afghan policy." News Story: Some leadership of al-Qaeda is hiding in Pakistan, wants access to nuclear assets to make dirty bomb: American Ambassador "Pakistan" (12/03) "American Ambassador Anne W. Patterson has said that our intelligence sources tell that a sizeable chunk of al-Qaeda leadership, not all of it, are hiding in Pakistan and wants to have access to nuclear assets to make dirty bomb.... Although America believes that Pakistan's nuclear assets are in safe hands, but existence of al-Qaeda and its leadership in a nuclear capable country is a matter of concern.... She said that elimination of al-Qaeda from Pakistan is in its interest so that the possibility of their access to its nuclear assets ends. That is why President Obama talked of Pakistan nuclear capability. She made it clear that Pakistan's command and control is its own business. Pakistan has taken all the steps to secure these nuclear assets, but there is no foolproof system around the world including America.... Avoiding terming President Obama's address as exit strategy, she said that the President did not give a clear timetable for the troops' withdrawal; he rather talked of a transitional period that starts after 18 months.... " News Story: Intelligence Report On Al-Qaeda's Presence In Pakistan exists: American Ambassador "Nawa-i-Waqt" (12/03) "U.S. Ambassador Anne W. Patterson has said that we have intelligence report that shows al-Qaeda's top ranking leadership's presence in Pakistan. She said that a group of al-Qaeda is seeking access to nuclear, chemical and biological weapons and they can lay their hands on Pakistan's nuclear assets, but America is sure of the security of Pakistan's nuclear program. When her attention was drawn to the complaints of the President, the Prime Minister and the Foreign Minister that Pakistan was not fully taken into confidence on the new Afghan policy, she said no one was taken into confidence like Pakistan's civil and military leaderships.... She dismissed the possibility of the Taliban's hot pursuit in Pakistani areas. When asked about Pakistan's concern over the bigger role America wants to give to India in Afghanistan, she said we are aware of Pakistan's concern, but our effort are aimed at resolving the disputes between the two countries through dialogue." News Story: Pakistan Wary Of New U.S. Policy's Fallout "Dawn" (12/03) "Pakistan said on Wednesday it would closely engage with the United States to ensure that there was no adverse fallout on Pakistan of its new Afghan strategy. 'There is certainly a need for clarity and coordination on all aspects of the implementation of this strategy,' the Foreign Office spokesman said in a statement on Wednesday." (Story also covered in all newspapers) News Story: Pakistan Must 'Do More' Against All Militants: Hillary "Dawn" (12/03) "Washington will press Islamabad to 'do more' against all the militant groups threatening Pakistan, its neighbors and the United States, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said on Wednesday. Testifying about President Barack Obama's new strategy for the region, Mrs. Clinton told lawmakers that the Pakistanis had shown over the last year their 'willingness to take on the Pakistani Talibans which directly threaten them.'" (Story also covered in all newspapers) News Story: U.S. Wants Democracy To Flourish In Pakistan "Daily Times" (12/03) "The United States wants to see democracy flourish in Pakistan, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said on Wednesday. 'It is democracy that strengthens the institutions and to my reckoning, Pakistan is quite resolved for the democracy. However, the country itself will have to tackle its internal issues,' APP quoted Clinton as saying." TERRORISM/MILITARY ISSUES News Story: Support To Continue After Guns Fall Silent, Says Obama "Dawn" (12/03) "The Pakistani people must know: America will remain a strong supporter of Pakistan's security and prosperity long after the guns have fallen silent, so that the great potential of its people can be unleashed," declared U.S. President Barack Obama in a policy speech on Tuesday night." (Story also covered in all newspapers) News Story: Defeating Taliban Key To Beating Qaeda: Gates "Dawn" (12/03) "Defeating Al Qaeda requires turning the tide against insurgents in Afghanistan, Defence Secretary Robert Gates said on Wednesday, arguing for a surge of US forces to take on the Taliban. 'Rolling back the Taliban is now necessary, even if not sufficient, to the ultimate defeat of Al Qaeda,' Gates told a Senate hearing a day after President Barack Obama unveiled plans to send 30,000 additional troops to Afghanistan." News Story: Fresh Troops To Reach Afghanistan In Weeks: Gates "The News" (12/03) "The first new U.S. troops should reach Afghanistan in two to three weeks, Defense Secretary Robert Gates said in Washington on Wednesday as a leading senator questioned President Barack Obama's plan for a speedy but limited surge to turn the tide against the Taliban." News Story: Offer Taliban A Chance To End Fight: McChrystal "Dawn" (12/03) "The Afghan government and its international partners should use the coming 18 months to convince the Taliban they cannot win and offer the group a way to quit the insurgency 'with dignity,' the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan - Gen. Stanley McChrystal - said on Wednesday." News Story: Pakistan Braces For Post-U.S. Policy Situation "The News" (12/03) "The government is evolving a strategy on emergency basis to deal with the situation in the wake of the Afghanistan policy announced by U.S. President Barrack Obama. Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani has spoken to Chief of Army Staff General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani immediately after receiving a call from the U.S. National Security Advisor General James Johns and had lengthy consultations with him on the related developments." News Story: More Troops Not To Save U.S. From 'Historic' Defeat: Haqqani "The News" (12/03) "Reacting to the announcement by the US to send additional 30,000 troops to the war-ravaged Afghanistan, top Afghan Taliban commander Sirajuddin Haqqani said Wednesday that numerical strength would not save Americans from "historic" defeat in Afghanistan." News Story: Taliban Vow To Step Up Resistance In Afghanistan "Dawn" (12/03) "The Taliban vowed on Wednesday to step up resistance and fight against the extra 30,000 American troops U.S. President Barack Obama has ordered to Afghanistan, a spokesman Yousuf Ahmadi told from an unknown location." News Story: Obama Sincere In Forging Partnership With Pakistan: Analysts "Daily Times" (12/03) "U.S. President Barack Obama made headway on Tuesday in forging a strategic partnership with Pakistan as a key to achieving success in Afghanistan, but it will take time to dispel mistrust, analysts said." News Story: New U.S. Policy To Put Pressure On Pakistan: Gul "The Nation" (12/03) "United States new Afghan policy has been framed to put more pressure on Pakistan as the U.S. wants to achieve some goals through its new policy that are more related to Pakistan than Afghanistan, observed Lt. Gen. (Retd) Hameed Gul. Lt. Gen. (Retd) Hameed Gul, former Director General, Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) was talking to 'The Nation' on Wednesday." News Story: Forces Strengthen Positions In SWA "The Nation" (12/03) "Security forces have cleared compounds at Ziarat and Dunai Killi and recovered huge cache of arms and ammunition in Jandola sector in the ongoing military operation Rah-e-Nijat in South Waziristan Agency, says an ISPR press release issued in Islamabad on Wednesday." News Story: Attack On Naval HQ Foiled; Two Killed "Dawn" (12/03) "Two naval personnel were killed and 10 other people injured in an abortive suicide attack on the Pakistan Naval Complex on Wednesday afternoon. The teenaged suicide bomber blew himself up when he was intercepted by a naval intelligence official, an official said." (Story also covered in all newspapers) News Story: 21 Militants Killed "Dawn" (12/03) "At least 21 militants were killed as troops continued operations in Malakand, Hangu and Bajaur on Wednesday. According to the ISPR, six militants were arrested in Peer Pati and Qambar." News Story: JI Calls For Talks With Militants "Dawn" (12/03) "Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) Chief Syed Munawwar Hassan has urged the government to hold dialogue with religious organizations and the militants, and said that without talks, terrorism and extremism could not be eliminated." News Story: Pakistan Moves To Drone Independence "The News" (12/03) "State-owned defense enterprise Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC) in Kamra, east of Islamabad, is engaged in manufacturing Falco pilotless planes in collaboration with Selex Galileo of Italy, according to a report of Asia Times Online. The growth of Pakistan's indigenous UAV industry is of great importance for the country's defense, as the nation is on the front line of the 'war on terror.'" Editorial: A Workable Strategy?, an editorial in the Karachi-based center-left independent national English daily "Dawn" (cir. 55,000) (12/03) "Janus-like and potentially creating more uncertainty in an already difficult region is how we would describe U.S. President Obama's speech on his new strategy for Afghanistan. The face turned towards the militants and the Afghan government tried to send a stern message.... On the Pakistan front, though, Mr. Obama sent a more encouraging signal. Appreciating the Pakistani public's opposition to militancy and the security forces' operations in Swat and South Waziristan, the U.S. President pledged: 'America will remain a strong supporter of Pakistan's security and prosperity long after the guns have fallen silent.' A welcome change from the 'do more' line, Mr. Obama's words on Pakistan suggested an understanding of common interests rather than a focus on the differences." Editorial: Obama's Realism, an editorial in the center-right national English daily "The Nation" (cir. 20,000) (12/03) "President Obama's much awaited policy on Afghanistan really turned out to be a whimper of a statement rather than a new policy commencing with a bang. This is appropriate because Obama seems to have opted to go with the old Bush policy while giving it a more realistic hue. Instead of a grandiose expectation of military victory and a new Afghan nation state construct, the U.S. is now clearly seeking a respectable exit within eighteen months. Clearly this involves pressuring all sides to come to the discussion table so that a situation can be created which allows this face-saving exit to the U.S.... Ironically, Obama has admitted that without Pakistan the U.S. strategy for Afghanistan is a non-starter. The despair in the U.S. regarding the Afghan war has been reflected in the Obama statement. It is time for Pakistan to renegotiate its cooperation and demand better terms for continuing as a front-line state for the U.S.... What we do not need is for our Foreign Minister to insist the U.S. stay five years more in Afghanistan! There has to be a limit on servility to a foreign power." Editorial: Missing Bricks, an editorial in the populist, often sensational national English daily "The News" (cir. 55,000) (12/03) "After weeks of waiting we finally have The Speech which may ultimately define the presidency and legacy of Mr. Barack Obama. The president made his pitch before an audience of cadets at West Point, America's premier military academy, and it was something less than a vintage performance.... America is set to begin its withdrawal from Afghanistan by 2011 - but there is no date for final disengagement, no commitment in what timeframe the troops will go. All will depend on the ground situation. This by implication means nothing, as a pullout has just been mentioned but is not actually intended.... Mostly, the speech was about the bricks and mortar of warfare. What was missing was a description of the bricks and mortar that would go into nation-building and here lies the weakness at the heart of the Obama strategy.... It is but certain that Washington and Obama will have to revisit this strategy a few months down the line. And when that happens the costs, both political and financial, may be way higher than Obama's liking." Editorial: Cut And Run, an editorial in the Lahore-based liberal English language daily "Daily Times" (cir. 10,000) (12/03) "U.S. President Barack Obama's much-awaited announcement of his new Afghan strategy has evoked alarm and disappointment in equal measure. Obama has committed to sending 30,000 additional U.S. troops, but also announced a withdrawal date starting from July ¶2011. The thrust of his message is that the U.S. cannot fight an unending war in Afghanistan and therefore must seek an honorable exit. How honorable it may turn out to be, given the ground realities, is a moot point. As though the U.S. president's 'cut and run' strategy is not alarming enough, his NATO allies are even less willing to come forward with additional troops, some even a continuing presence. The West as a whole then, led by the U.S., seems inclined once again to turn its face away from benighted Afghanistan.... The U.S. and the West have proved fickle allies. Their public at home has no stomach for foreign wars, especially after the shenanigans of Bush and Blair. Imperialism is pass. Afghanistan is about to be left to its own devices once again. The world may, however, once again live to regret it." Editorial: Obama's Afghan policy, an editorial in the Lahore-based liberal English daily "The Post" (cir. 5,000) (12/03) "Obama's new policy would have serious repercussions for Pakistan. Although, on Monday, he consulted Presidents Zardari and Hamid Karzai while finalizing his strategy for dealing with the situation in Afghanistan, Mr. Obama must not draw and deliver any plan which ignores its impact on Pakistan - the actual stakeholder in the war on terror.... Whether Mr. Obama's new policy on Afghanistan would yield the desired results or not, he must not ignore the fact that the public opinion of the war in many of its allies is even more negative than it is in his own country.... President Obama is optimistic about gaining the support of his allies in war on terror for his new Afghan policy but so far the latter have not yet promised him any surge in their troops since his address.... Only time will tell how successful Obama's new strategy will be in solving the Afghan tangle." Editorial: Obama's new Afghan policy and our rulers behavior, an editorial in the second-largest, nationalist Urdu daily "Nawa-i-Waqt" (cir. 150,000) (12/03) "Addressing a military command meeting in Washington, U.S. President Barack Obama reiterated U.S. administration's apprehension that Pakistan's nuclear assets could go into the hands of terrorists.... Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmud Qureshi, on the other hand, has very obediently requested America to not withdraw its troops from Afghanistan for five more years.... Our recommendation for U.S. forces stay in Afghanistan for five more years will anger the Afghans, who never tolerated foreigners on their soil, and this request by the FM might end up in more suicide attacks and terrorism.... American and allied forces' immediate withdrawal from Afghanistan is in our national interest." Editorial: President Obama's Pak-Afghan policy and ground realities, an editorial in liberal Urdu daily "Express" (cir. 25,000) (12/03) "America's new Afghan policy has disappointed a big chunk of American population and, according to analysts and war experts, Obama has taken an imprudent decision to move towards destruction.... During his election campaign President Obama appeared to be committed world peace, holding an olive branch for the Muslim world. He appeared to be different from cowboy Bush, but this image depicting hope has gone murkier...." Editorial: Pakistan Must Formulate Its Own Afghan Policy, an editorial in the leading mass circulation populist, often sensational Urdu daily "Jang" (cir. 300,000) (12/03) "Many points in President Barack Obama's speech are directly or indirectly related to Pakistan, therefore political leaders, ministers, members of the parliament and the analysts must avoid expressing their individual opinions. Rather, arrangements must be made to discuss this delicate issue on each and every level. The president, prime minister, foreign and defense ministers as well as the top military leadership must ponder upon the each and every aspect of this matter in order to develop a national policy. It would also be convenient if the parliament thoroughly debate this issue, and provide guidelines to the government to formulate its own Afghan policy." Editorial: U.S. Announcement Of Withdrawal Date From Afghanistan, an editorial in the Karachi-based, pro-Taliban Jihadi Urdu daily "Islam" (cir. 15,000) (12/03) "In fact, President Barack Obama's announcement to withdraw U.S. forces from Afghanistan is tantamount to the U.S. admission of its failure. However, the U.S. wants to stoke civil war and large-scale bloodshed in this region in order to divert attention from its defeat. For this purpose, it has planned to make Pakistan a scapegoat. We urge the U.S. president to pick up some moral courage and accept his country's defeat instead of turning the entire region into an inferno." Editorial: New U.S. Target, New Afghan Policy, an editorial in the Peshawar-based Urdu-language daily "Mashriq" (cir. 55,000) (12/03) "During the last eight years, the resistance in Afghanistan has expanded to 24 provinces of the country and the situation would further deteriorate with the deployment of more troops. The surge in the U.S. military presence in Afghanistan will also jeopardize Washington's negotiations with the Taliban. However, it is a good omen that the U.S. has confessed that it cannot achieve success in Afghanistan without the cooperation of Pakistan." Editorial: Governments and Policies Remain The Same, an editorial in Karachi based Pro-Jihadi right-wing daily "Ummat" (Cir. 33,000) (14/03) "Pakistan and the world should not trust President Obama's new promise of withdrawal from Afghanistan, as there is no reason to believe that security and stability in South Asia is in U.S. interest, and it (U.S.) is seeking long term alliance with Pakistan. The policy that President Obama has adopted is a continuation of Bush era." Editorial: Afghan Policy or Pakistan Policy, an editorial in the Karachi-based right-wing pro-Jamaat-e-Islami Urdu daily "Jasarat" (cir. 3,000) (12/03) "President Obama in a short span of his Presidency has disappointed his own people. He is ignoring a big question: will the additional troops to Afghanistan necessarily help him win the war? It is the war mongering mindset of former President Bush that continues to affect America, and Obama seems to be his continuity. The Policy that Obama has announced looks like more Pakistan-specific policy rather than for Afghanistan." Editorial: Obama Administration's New Afghan Policy, an editorial in Hyderabad based liberal and independent Sindhi daily "Ibrat" (Cir. 80,000) (12/03) "President Obama has announced gradual withdrawal of his troops from Afghanistan. It is hard to imagine what will happen of Afghanistan afterwards, we all have seen post-Soviet situation. But things will really become better for people of Afghanistan, if Taliban and Al-Qaeda are eliminated from Afghanistan before the U.S. departure." Opinion: Obama's Afghanistan Mis-Speech, an op-ed by Mosharraf Zaidi in the populist, often sensational national English daily "The News" (cir. 55,000) (12/03) "At West Point on Tuesday, President Obama was least like himself than we've ever known him. He was guarded, defensive, and less than entirely convincing. The biggest reason for the speech's failure is that it deliberately skirted around the central issue that plagues the American war in Afghanistan. If there is one overwhelming area of consensus among pundits that think about these things for a living, it is concerning where the epicenter of America's problem in Afghanistan lies. That place is Pakistan. More specifically, it is Pakistan's willingness and its ability to take on and defeat, decisively, those terrorists that would either themselves, or through proxies, seek to harm the United States.... Continued reliance on the Northern Alliance to provide good governance, on the U.S. military and NATO to hold territory, and on Pakistan to take on the Kandahari Taliban are all delusions. President Obama's refusal to recognize the immobility of America's position in his speech is his greatest failure to date." Opinion: The Afghan-Pakistan Solution, an op-ed by Pervez Musharraf in the Lahore-based liberal English language daily "Daily Times" (cir. 10,000) (12/03) "On the political front, we need an invigorated dialogue with all groups in Afghanistan, including the Taliban. Afghanistan for centuries has been governed loosely through a social covenant between all the ethnic groups, under a sovereign king. This structure is needed again to bring peace and harmony. We have to reach out to Pashtun tribes and others who do not ideologically align themselves with the Taliban or al Qaeda. I have always said that "all Talibans are Pashtun, but all Pashtuns are not Taliban." Pakistan and Saudi Arabia can play pivotal roles in facilitating this outreach. Pakistan and Afghanistan were shortsightedly abandoned to their fate by the West in 1989, in spite of the fact that they were the ones who won a victory for the Free World against the Soviet Union. This abandonment lead to a sense of betrayal amongst the people of the region. For the sake of regional and world peace, let us not repeat the same mistake." Opinion: Obama's Afghan War, an op-ed by Adnan Gill in the center-right national English daily "The Nation" (cir. 20,000) (12/03) "If history is any guide, similarities like Mission Creep, vague objectives, and confusing exit strategies are proven recipes for losing wars. Nonetheless, all is not lost. Going back to reliable American allies like Pakistanis and proven strategies could still save the day. A recipe to winning the war is very simple: Dust off the shelved list of the ISI contacts to formulate a winnable strategy. Tell India to immediately cease from destabilizing Pakistan, and to dramatically reduce its footprint in Afghanistan. Reserve Predator attacks for the most wanted terrorist leadership only. Stop supporting military-political dictators in Pakistan. Encourage formation of a national Afghan government. Involve tribal leaders in nation building. Above all, stop alienating highly territorial tribals through brute military force; which more than often multiplies civilian casualties. Mr. President (Obama),if you will win the hearts and minds of the masses, tired of violence and hungry for peace, they will win the war for you." Opinion: Pakistan At Odds With Obama's Vision, an op-ed by Syed Saleem Shahzad in the Lahore-based liberal English daily "The Post" (cir. 5,000) (12/03) "At the heart of Obama's plan appears to be the desire to sharply escalate the war in Afghanistan in an attempt to tighten the noose around the Taliban and Al Qaeda and then to open political dialogue with the Taliban that would lead to the dissolution of Al Qaeda's structures in South Asia and open the way for a U.S. exit in the next few years.... Pakistan, though, while wanting to play a mediating role between the Taliban and the U.S., does not want any active role in fighting the Taliban before they are eventually offered an olive branch as they do not pose any challenge to Pakistan's security." Opinion: Please Show Some Spine, an op-ed by Saida Fazal in the country's premier business newspaper, "Business Recorder" (cir. 25,000) (12/03) "While success in Afghanistan is being redefined as elimination of al Qaeda, the strategy is to blame Pakistan for the failure to get al Qaeda in order to pressure it to take greater responsibility on behalf of the US after it, along with Britain and other allies, beats a retreat in 18 months' time. It is important therefore that our government makes its own decisions, in the light of our national interest, on how to cope with the menace of militancy within our own borders, and acts accordingly. In view of our past experience we must not accept the responsibility to try and prevent cross-border movement. The U.S. and British troops on the other side of the border must contain the fighting within Afghanistan's borders as far as possible. We should offer co-operation where there is a confluence of interest and ignore the 'do more' demands when these involve avoidable risks for our people. It is time for our rulers to show some spine. The U.S. cannot resolve the Afghan problem without our help. A helping hand should be offered, but not at the cost of our own people's safety and security. A line must be drawn between what is doable and what is not." Opinion: New Afghan Policy Or New Pakistan Policy, an op-ed by Aijaz Mangi in Karachi based Pro-Jehadi right-wing daily "Ummat" (Cir. 33,000) (11/03) "President Obama was not conferred with Nobel Peace prize for waging a war. His new Afghan policy is a negation of his earlier positions. With the announcement of additional troops for Afghanistan, the world has lost its hope from America." Opinion: On Afghan Policy, an op-ed by M. Zubair Khan in Karachi based Pro-Jehadi right-wing daily "Ummat" (Cir. 33,000) (12/03) "President Obama eventually has betrayed his own slogan of change. In his speech he shifted the responsibility of failure in Afghanistan to Pakistan. Our Prime Minister Gilani has rightly expressed reservations on new the Afghan policy, and time has come for Pakistan and the U.S. to part their ways on Afghan issue for their respective security concerns." MISCELLANEOUS News Story: India May Pull Out Some Troops From Kashmir "Dawn" (12/03) "India's home minister said on Wednesday his government was prepared to withdraw a 'significant' number of troops from the restive Kashmir region. Briefing lawmakers in parliament on the state of security, P. Chidambaram noted that violence in occupied Kashmir had dropped in the past few years." (All circulation figures are based on estimation) Patterson