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