PAKISTAN MEDIA REACTION: DECEMBER 16, 2009

UNCLAS ISLAMABAD 003015 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KMDR KPAO OIIP OPRC PGOV PREL PK SUBJECT: PAKISTAN MEDIA REACTION: DECEMBER 16, 2009 Summary: Coverage of the suicide car bombing in Dera Ghazi Khan dominated front pages this morning. Against the backdrop of this latest attack, U.S-Pakistan dialogue on the fight against violent extremism continued to play out in the headlines. Most papers reported Admiral Mullen's meeting with his Pakistani counterpart, General Majeed, carrying Mullen's message that "defeating the Taliban and al Qaeda is a must for peace". Vice President Biden's comments to MSNBC that stabilizing Pakistan and defeating al Qaeda are America's main strategic goals in South Asia were also widely covered. On the Pakistani side, coverage prominently featured the Pakistani military's refusal of U.S. demands to crack down on the Haqqani network. Many newspapers also carried Foreign Office spokesman's statement that Pakistan has conveyed to the U.S. its concerns over the extension of drone attacks. All major English language dailies covered Counsel for the Federation, Kamal Azfar's retraction of his statement that the CIA and GHQ threaten the Pakistani democratic system; however reports indicate that Azfar only clarified his stance on the GHQ, making no mention of his CIA claims. Continuing its conspiratorial slant, The Nation front-paged a story entitled "Arrival of the Jackals", alleging the CIA's "longstanding presence in Pakistan". Law enforcement news completed today's coverage with reports that the alleged American Jihadis have been remanded and will be booked under the Anti Terrorism Act (ATA). End Summary. TOP STORIES News Story: 'Concern Over Haqqani Network': Stabilizing Pakistan Main U.S. Goal, Says Biden "Dawn," "Daily Times," "The News" (12/16) "Stabilizing Pakistan and defeating Al Qaeda are America's main strategic interests in South Asia, U.S. Vice President Joseph Biden said on Tuesday. He stressed the need for a long-term partnership with Pakistan. In an interview to MSNBC television channel, Mr. Biden also emphasized the need to work with Pakistan to undo the Haqqani network and defeat the Pakistani Taliban." News Story: Pak Rebuffs U.S. Demand To Hit Haqqani Group "The Nation" (12/16) "Pakistani military has rebuffed U.S. military's demands to hit Siraj Haqqani, whose fighters pose the biggest threat to American forces in Afghanistan, The New York Times reported on Tuesday." News Story: Mullen, Majid Discuss Possible Implications Of U.S. Afghan Strategy On Pakistan "Daily Times," "Khabrain," "Express" (12/16) "Chairman U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Michael Mullen called on his Pakistani counterpart General Tariq Majid on Tuesday and discussed Washington's revised policy for Afghanistan and the region. The two exchanged views on the possible implications of the new Afghan strategy on Pakistan, envisaging additional 30,000 troops to turn around the war on terror and force the Taliban into submission. Sources said Gen. Tariq highlighted the importance of a stable Afghanistan for Pakistan and said Pakistan's armed forces were committed to rooting out militancy from the Tribal Areas, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said." News Story: India Using Afghanistan To Destabilize Pakistan "The Nation" (12/16) "U.S. Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee Admiral Michael Mullen, who arrived here on Tuesday on a two-day visit, called on his Pakistani counterpart General Tariq Majeed and discussed new U.S. Afghan policy, regional security and other professional matters with him.... However, according to the sources, General Tariq conveyed his concerns to the American Admiral over potential fallout of U.S. troop surge on Pakistan. General Majeed also conveyed to the U.S. counterpart the country's concerns over growing Indian involvement in destabilizing Pakistan by using Afghan soil." News Story: "Defeating Taliban, Al Qaeda Must For Peace: Mullen "The News," "Jang" (12/16) "The U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee Chairman Admiral Mike Mullen has said that defeating Taliban and Al Qaeda was inevitable for establishing peace and stability in the region, for which Pakistan's cooperation with U.S. was of paramount importance, military sources quoted him as saying during his special address at National Defense University, Islamabad after arriving from Kabul on Tuesday." News Story: Suicide Attack Outside Khosa's House Kills 33 "Daily Times" (12/16) "A suicide car bomb exploded in a market outside the home of the Punjab chief minister's senior adviser, Zulfiqar Khosa in Dera Ghazi Khan on Tuesday, killing 33 people and wounding 60 others.... The attacker had packed the car with about 900 pounds (400 kilogram's) of explosives, senior police officer Muhammad Rizwan said." (Story also covered in all newspapers) News Story: U.S. Flays Blast "The Frontier Post," "Jinnah," "Express," "Ausaf," "Pakistan" (12/16) "The U.S. Embassy in Pakistan Strongly condemned the terrorist bombing on Tuesday in Dera Ghazi Khan that claimed the lives of innocent Pakistanis and injured many more." News Story: GHQ's Been A Bad Boy, But Kayani Is A Gentleman "The News" (12/16) "Making a hasty retreat from his stunning Monday statement wherein he had tried to unnerve the Supreme Court with CIA-GHQ sponsored anti-democracy consequences, Kamal Azfar on Tuesday took refuge behind the blame-it-on-past doctrine and told the court that the General Headquarters (GHQ) had been destabilizing the democratic process but gave the incumbent COAS a good behavior pass." (Story also covered in all newspapers) News Story: CIA Has Longstanding Presence In Pakistan "The Nation" (12/16) "The recent terror incidents in the major cities of the country have shown light to an ugly reality related to the hatching up of a malicious conspiracy against the very existence of Pakistan, which has often been exposed in Western media. CIA has been working on its heinous and expansionist plans in Pakistan for years. In a recent article published in Times in September 2009, a CIA agent, Art Keller, said that about 50 to 100 CIA agents have been working in Waziristan to locate the presence of Osama bin Laden for the last eight years." News Story: Court Gives 10-Day Physical Remand: Six Americans To Be Booked Under ATA "Dawn" (12/16) "The Joint Investigation Team (JIT) has reportedly decided to book the six United States nationals under Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA). The police had registered a case against Waqar Hussain Khan, 22 (Virginia),Ahmed Abdullah Mani, 20 (Virginia),Ramay S Zamzam, 22 (Egypt) Iman Hasan Yamar, 17, (California),Omar Farouk, 24 and his father Khalid Farouk (Virginia) under the Pakistan Penal Code for criminal conspiracy and violation of Foreigners Act after arresting them from Sargodha on December 9 and sealed it soon after." (Story also covered in all newspapers) TERRORISM/MILITARY ISSUES News Story: Concerns Over Drone Attacks' Extension Conveyed To U.S.: FO "Daily times," "The Nation," "The News" (12/16) "Pakistan has conveyed its concerns over the extension of drone attacks to Balochistan to the U.S., a Foreign Office (FO) spokesman told a private TV channel on Tuesday. Abdul Basit said the U.S. could better understand the implications of extension of the attacks, adding that the U.S. should not only avoid it but also stop such attacks in FATA." (Story also covered in all newspapers) News Story: NATO Oil Tankers Torched, Gas Pipeline Blown Up "Dawn," "The Nation," "The News," "The Frontier Post" (12/16) "Two oil tankers carrying fuel for NATO forces in Afghanistan were torched and a gas pipeline in the Loti area of Dera Bugti district (Quetta) was blown up on Tuesday, police said." News Story: Taliban Want Talks With Govt.: Malik "Daily Times" (12/16) "The Taliban leadership is sending messages from various sources to the government for holding dialogue, Interior Minister Rehman Malik said on Tuesday. 'The government cannot hold talks with unreliable people who don't even fulfill their commitments. If the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) really wants to hold dialogue with the government, they must surrender and lay down their arms first,' Malik said." News Story: 20 Killed In Orakzai Air Strikes "Dawn" (12/16) "Twenty militants were killed and six others injured in air strikes in lower Orakzai Agency on Tuesday evening. Three camps and four vehicles of the militants were destroyed, official sources said." (Story also covered in all newspapers) News Story: 23 Militants Killed In Kurram "The News" (12/16) "Security forces killed 23 more militants and injured five others while five were arrested in the Muswozai area in Kurram Agency on Tuesday, official sources said." (Story also covered in all newspapers) News Story: Jamaat-e-Islami Holds Anti-U.S., India Rally In Chakwal "The Nation," "The News" (12/16) "Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Chakwal arranged protest rally against America and India on Tuesday. The protesters were carrying banners and placards in which anti-America and India slogans were inscribed." EDITORIALS/OPINIONS Editorial: Please Stop, an editorial in the Karachi-based center-left independent national English daily "Dawn" (cir. 55,000) (12/16) "The American side needs to stop its public posturing and reflect privately on the pluses of the present partnership with Pakistan. So keen of late to drum up the differences, the Americans have perhaps deliberately but no less foolishly downplayed the very real cooperation of the Pakistani security establishment. From a reasonable level of partnership across the Pak-Afghan border to impede the flow of militants in both directions to the intelligence-sharing that makes drone strikes possible in the Waziristan agencies to the occasional breaking up of Al Qaeda cells inside Pakistan, there is in fact a healthy degree of ongoing cooperation between the two countries. Beating the 'do more' drum, however, obscures that reality and makes the security establishment here bristle at the thought of being bullied by a 'friend' and an 'ally'." Editorial: Our Friend! Our Enemy!, an editorial in the center-right national English daily "The Nation" (cir. 20,000) (12/16) "U.S. Central Command Chief General David Petraeus should not make light of the warning by Chief of the Army Staff General Ashfaq Pervaiz Kayani to stop drone attacks in FATA. The U.S. General was also told about the Indian involvement in terrorist activities in Pakistan through Afghanistan. General Kayani's worry would lend credibility to the perception that the U.S. in league with New Delhi is involved in the ongoing destabilization of Pakistan.... The repercussions of U.S. adventurism would be severe to say the least. Drone attacks are no antidote to the prevailing conundrum.... By making Pakistan a scapegoat for its own failings in Afghanistan, the U.S. would be living up to its reputation of a proverbial weathercock ditching its partners in the end." Editorial: Threat To Quetta, an editorial in the populist, often sensational national English daily "The News" (cir. 55,000) (12/16) "The prospect of drone strikes over an urban centre is indeed horrifying. The bombings in the northern areas have already created much angst and, in some ways at least, fuelled militancy. Any action elsewhere would meet with still angrier reaction. It is obvious that loss of innocent lives, or 'collateral damage' as the U.S. terms such deaths of women, men and children, will be unavoidable in that situation. We must hope and pray that this never becomes a reality. But we must also ask what our own government is doing to ensure this.... In the wake of the growing demands that the Quetta issue be addressed, the government needs to act quickly - and, for once, wisely. For our sakes, more than for anyone else, the Taliban need to be acted against wherever they are based." Editorial: Pak-U.S. Relations May Ultimately Rupture, an editorial in the Islamabad-based rightist English daily "Pakistan Observer" (cir. 5,000) (12/16) "Vibes from Washington and the talks General Petraeus held in Islamabad leave no doubt that Pakistan is coming under increased pressure from the United States to deploy more troops along the Durand Line, expand the military operation to North Waziristan and act against alleged Taliban leadership in the vicinity of Quetta. The message from the Obama administration is categorical and if it does not act more aggressively, U.S. will use considerably more force on its side of the border to shut down the Taliban attacks.... If the U.S. went ahead with its plan to launch drone strikes in Quetta or any other settled area, then the Government and the people would certainly react to this misadventure and it may rupture Pak-U.S. cooperation in the fight against extremist groups and further destabilize the whole region." Editorial: Time Has Come To Take Courageous Decisions, lead editorial in the popular rightist Urdu-language daily "Ausaf" (cir. 10,000) (12/16) "Although, for the time being, President Barack Obama has expressed his concern over a proposal to expand the drone attacks to Quetta, we know that, when it comes to their interests, the Americans feel no qualms in violating all the ethics and human rights. We think that it is the need of the hour that our rulers pick up some courage and take decisions according to the wishes of the Pakistani masses. The day, when our rulers succeed in getting rid of the fear from the U.S., we would gain the status of an indomitable and respectable country in the comity of the nations." Editorial: Respecting Pakistan's Sovereignty, an editorial note in the second-largest, nationalist Urdu daily "Nawa-i-Waqt" (cir. 150,000) (12/15) "U.S. magazine Newsweek has revealed in a report the President Obama has opposed drone attacks in Quetta and said that there is a danger that ordinary citizens might die [in such strikes].... There is no existence of the Taliban Shura in Quetta, Al Qaeda and Taliban leaders are not in Pakistani areas; they might be in Afghan provinces under Taliban control. The U.S. should work within Afghan borders, finish the job quickly and leave the country. Pakistani authorities are fully capable of taking all possible measures in Pakistan, [the U.S.] need not worry about it." Editorial: Hopes Pinned On Our Political And Military Leadership: Lessons From The Fall Of Dhaka, an editorial in the second-largest, nationalist Urdu daily "Nawa-i-Waqt" (cir. 150,000) (12/16) "Is the satanic triumvirate of U.S.-India-Israel not conspiring against Pakistan the way India conspired to break Pakistan in 1971? Aren't the infamous Blackwater and RAW playing the same games on Pakistani soil?... Our political and military leadership need to work together to face this difficult situation; otherwise repeating past mistakes could lead to fulfillment of our enemy's aim of making Pakistan disappear from the world map." Editorial: Undaunted Step Taken By LHC Regarding Deportation of 5 Detained Americans, second editorial in the popular rightist Urdu-language daily "Ausaf" (cir. 10,000) (12/16) "The entire Pakistan feels pride in the decision of the Lahore High Court (LHC) to stop the deportation of five U.S. nationals arrested from Sargodha a couple of days ago. We hope this ruling will set a trend that in future the American and Pakistani citizens would be treated at par before the law." Editorial: High Court's Positive Decision [To Stop Deportation Of 5 U.S. Detainees], an editorial note in the Lahore-based populist center-right Urdu daily "Khabrain" (cir. 50,000) (12/16) "The U.S. government demands that these persons [arrested from Sargodha] should be deported. Naturally, one wonders why the U.S. is making this demand when around the world every government wants to protect its citizens and avoid their deportation. We feel that the Pakistani agencies should try to get to the bottom of this issue, as some people suspect that these U.S. citizens came to Pakistan with terrorist objectives." Editorial: Deviant Diplomats?, an editorial in the populist, often sensational national English daily "The News" (cir. 55,000) (12/16) "There are a number of reports of vehicles carrying diplomats bearing fake number-plates. There have been other incidents where usually Americans have been involved in altercations and threatening behavior with our citizens. There does not appear to be any record of any foreign national being prosecuted for unlawful behavior.... It is no unsubstantiated rumor that diplomats are toting weaponry and acting aggressively; they have been caught red-handed. We need a little more clarity and a lot less fog around the issue of what diplomats here are and are not allowed to do. Because in a country where accidents happen with monotonous frequency, this is beginning to look like a large accident waiting to happen." Editorial: Ulema Against Terrorism, an editorial in the Lahore-based liberal English language daily "Daily Times" (cir. 10,000) (12/16) "Interior Minister Rehman Malik's initiative to ask the Ulema to play their due role in denouncing suicide attacks and defeat the menace of terrorism must be appreciated. After Mr. Malik's call to the Ulema, many renowned Islamic scholars have come out and spoken against suicide bombings in particular and terrorism in general.... It was quite disappointing - though hardly surprising - to see former Amir of Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Qazi Hussain Ahmad saying that there was no need for the Ulema to issue a fatwa (decree) against suicide bombing.... Instead of being in denial, we would urge Qazi sahib to lend his support to the government and the nation in spreading the true message of Islam, i.e. peace!" Opinion: The Blackwater Chronicles, an op-ed by Irfan Husain in the Karachi-based center-left independent national English daily "Dawn" (cir. 55,000) (12/16) "In Pakistan's context, the firm has become synonymous with public perception about American interference in the country. Despite repeated denials, Blackwater/Xe is widely viewed as yet another symbol of Washington's intrusive policies. This impression was recently reinforced by a New York Times story alleging that the firm's operatives worked hand in glove with the CIA in covert anti-terrorist operations. In the wake of President Obama's recent announcement of the surge that will add 30,000 soldiers to the present strength of 68,000 in Afghanistan, few realize how deeply the concept of defence outsourcing has become entrenched. For instance, there are already 104,000 American private security contractors in Afghanistan." Opinion: Quetta Shura, an op-ed by Aziz-ud-Din Ahmad in the country's premier business newspaper, "Business Recorder" (cir. 25,000) (12/16) "On September 29, Ambassador Anne Patterson told Washington Post that the Quetta Shura was high on the U.S. list and the Obama administration had 'turned its focus to Quetta,' which had now become a 'major Taliban base' from where Mullah Omar and his commanders plan and launch cross-border strikes in Afghanistan.... Suspicions, meanwhile, continue to persist. Washington believes Pakistan is unwilling to take action against Sirajuddin Haqqani or Mullah Omar because it hopes to preserve the Taliban leadership with a view to using them as a weight that acts to balance the Indian influence in Afghanistan after the U.S. forces have left.... Meanwhile, attacks by unmanned aircraft on Quetta are not a feasible proposition. The city has a population of 850,000 and the collateral damage would be quite high. This would have damaging repercussions for the war against al Qaeda and the Taliban. Public opinion in Pakistan, currently supporting the military operation in the tribal areas, would suddenly take an anti-U.S. turn depriving the army of the much-needed popular support, which has led to quick victories in Swat and South Waziristan. While drone attacks might kill a few Taliban in Balochistan, they would put the government in a position where it might not be possible for it to carry on the war on terror." Opinion: We Have The Time!, an op-ed by S.M. Hali in the center-right national English daily "The Nation" (cir. 20,000) (12/16) "In response to U.S. President Obama's latest Afghan policy, the Taliban's response has been: 'You may have the watches but we have the time!' That is a pragmatic thought since Obama has exposed his cards by disclosing the date of July 2011 for commencing the egress of US troops from Afghanistan. Now all that the Taliban have to do is to wait the period out, and once the troops withdraw, they would take over from where they had left.... The Taliban will never give up on its goals and the only resolution would be to grant the Taliban the status of a political player. Maybe Obama is buying himself some time to negotiate a 'decent interval' which would cover his 2012 election campaign, so both Obama and the Taliban are vying for time but only the Taliban have it." Opinion: Chasing Shadows, an op-ed by Iftekhar A. Khan in the center-right national English daily "The Nation" (cir. 20,000) (12/16) "The truth is that Obama seems to have lost control of the US foreign and defence policies. It is the hawks of the military industrial complex and national security advisers, who 'war game' with public lives and resources in alien lands, which dictate U.S. policies.... the U.S. agenda in Pakistan is not obscure anymore; the superpower intends to stretch the war with drone strikes in Balochistan beside FATA. The U.S. already knows that the weak-kneed Pak government beholden to it will make superficial noises of little consequence and not much else. This supports the oft-repeated stance that destabilization activity surrounds the arc: CAS-Afghanistan-FATA-Balochistan (Gwadar). With surge in U.S./NATO troops in Afghanistan, the region round the arc is likely to boil over. People are seething with anti-Americanism; they attribute deaths and destruction of property because of daily blasts to the U.S. War on Terror the country has been sucked into." Opinion: No More Jihadi Proxies, an op-ed by Dr. Manzur Ejaz in the Lahore-based liberal English language daily "Daily Times" (cir. 10,000) (12/16) "Pakistan and the U.S. have put themselves in such a tight corner that both countries are not left with many choices. President Barack Obama made winning the Afghan war his priority even during his election campaign.... On the other hand, the Pakistan military does not seem ready to go all the way against all kinds of Jihadis because of its apprehensions, real or perceived, about India.... However, it is clear that the U.S., run by President Obama or someone else, can hardly run away from Afghanistan. As a matter of fact, China and Russia cannot afford a Taliban-run Afghanistan either. Therefore, all the international powers, actively fighting or by-standing, are united against the Taliban rule. Therefore, Pakistan's military cannot sustain its Jihadi proxies by any means and should adopt alternative approaches by strengthening economy and democratic rule in the country." Opinion: Obama's 'Nobel' Path, an op-ed by Shamshad Ahmad in the populist, often sensational national English daily "The News" (cir. 55,000) (12/16) "To prove himself worthy of the prize, Obama must establish his 'peaceful' credentials. He could do so only by ensuring U.S. withdrawal from Iraq on schedule, ceasing drone strikes across the Durand Line, preparing the ground for withdrawal from Afghanistan in eighteen months as announced, and getting the Palestinians a state by the end of 2011 even through unilateral recognition. Another Nobel Laureate and a fellow democrat president, Woodrow Wilson's ghost doesn't have to come to remind Obama that to make 'the world safe for every peace-loving nation, it must be assured of justice and fair dealing, and that unless justice is done to others it will not be done to us.' President Obama's 'Nobel' path line is clearly drawn. He must go ahead and follow it lest history rewards him, like his predecessor, with flying Size 10 Shoes." POLITICAL ISSUES News Story: SC Asks Govt. To Elaborate On 'GHQ Threats' "Dawn" (12/16) "A judge of the Supreme Court implicitly asked the government's first law officer on Tuesday to state in clear terms whether the government wanted to save President Asif Ali Zardari.... 'Tell us if the GHQ (General Headquarters) is doing something. Then we can pass a restraining order, but if it is the question of saving President Asif Ali Zardari then this should be clearly addressed so that we can answer to this,' observed Justice Jawwad S. Khawaja, a member of the 17-judge bench hearing the petitions against controversial National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO)." News Story: Taliban Threat To Democracy, Not CIA Or GHQ "Daily Times" (12/16) "An attorney for the federal government - Barrister Kamal Azfar - on Tuesday altered a statement he made in the Supreme Court on Monday, saying the actual threat to democracy was the Taliban, not the CIA and General Headquarters." Editorial: No One Would Be Threatened If All Remain Within Limits, an editorial in the Lahore-based populist center-right Urdu daily "Khabrain" (cir. 50,000) (12/16) "In response to a question before the 17-member Supreme Court bench hearing the NRO cases, government lawyer Kamal Azfer said that GHQ and CIA pose a threat to democracy; and that GHQ had derailed democracy in the past. Although the army has not directly responded to this remark, U.S. General Petraeus who was visiting Pakistan stated that the army does not wish to remove Zardari.... It is very unfortunate that American Generals are reassuring our government. When we drag the U.S. into every issue, why do we complain that we face a threat from CIA?" ECONOMY/ENVIRONMENT News Story: Pakistan Set To Get $1.2 Billion From IMF "Dawn" (12/16) "Pakistan is set to get the fourth disbursement of $1.2 billion from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) under the Stand-by Arrangement (SBA) later this month. Sources in the finance ministry told Dawn on Tuesday that documentation was complete for the IMF Executive Board to take up Pakistan's case on Dec 23. This would be the board's last major meeting this year." News Story: Climate Change Will Endanger Livelihood "The Nation" (12/16) "The UNFPA's State of the World Population 2009 and it's Pakistan Supplement examined how family planning, reproductive healthcare and gender relations could influence the future course of climate change. The supplement highlighted how climate change poses threats that could increase the incidence of poverty to put further burden on already marginalized setions of population. Report stressed that climate change will potentially endanger the lives and livelihoods of most vulnerable groups..." News Story: Load-Shedding Of Up To Four Hours A Day From December 25 "Dawn" (12/16) "Electricity load-shedding of up to four hours a day is likely to start from Dec 25 across the country because of a sharp decline in hydel power generation. Power generation would drop sharply between Dec 31 and Jan 31 as releases from water reservoirs would be reduced in the wake of the canal cleaning drive by Sindh and Punjab." MISCELLANEOUS News Story: NWFP Minister Thanks U.S. For Rescue Equipment "Daily Times" (12/16) "NSFP Information Minister Mian Iftikhar Hussain has thanked the U.S. government for donating search and rescue equipment to the provincial government, said an official release issued in Peshawar on Tuesday." (All circulation figures are based on estimation) Patterson