PAKISTAN MEDIA REACTION: FEBRUARY 12, 2009

UNCLAS ISLAMABAD 000307 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KMDR KPAO OIIP OPRC PGOV PREL PK SUBJECT: PAKISTAN MEDIA REACTION: FEBRUARY 12, 2009 Summary: Reports of the assassination of NWFP Assembly member Alamzeb Khan (Awami National Party) in a remote-controlled blast in Peshawar dominated all front-pages on Thursday. Several major dailies reported that "President Zardari, and Prime Minister Gilani condemned the incident," and the NWFP government announced "three-day mourning" in the province. All newspapers also front-paged President Obama's phone call to his Pakistani counterpart President Zardari to "start an active engagement for the resolution of problems facing the region through a holistic strategy." Reports and photographs on a "Taliban raid on Afghan government offices in Kabul killing at least 26 people just ahead of a planned visit of the U.S. envoy to the region" received prominent coverage. All major dailies ran in-depth analytical editorials and opinion-articles on various aspects of the ongoing visit of U.S. Special Envoy Holbrooke. (PAS has drafted a special Media Cable today covering this portion of editorials). The leading mass circulation Urdu daily, "Jang," while commenting on the impending threat of Taliban attack on Islamabad, cautioned that "this is not the time to get entangled in petty issues, trivial differences, meaningless rhetoric, mudslinging on one another, and to keep or kick out the incumbent governments." In its editorial on the Mumbai episode, the English daily, "The Nation," noted that "New Delhi would have to accept the fact that crimes of this nature cannot be unraveled with an attitude of dictation; they call for honest cooperation not only by any one party supposed to be involved but the other also that proffers the charges." End Summary. -------------- News Stories -------------- "Bomb Kills ANP MPA In Peshawar" "The Nation" (02/12) "Member of Provincial Assembly Alamzeb Khan was killed while eight others including two children were injured when a remote control bomb went off in Momin Town, Peshawar on Wednesday.... Condemning the cowardly act of terrorism in strongest terms the President and the Prime Minister said that those playing with the lives of innocent people would be brought to justice." "Obama, Zardari Agree On 'Active Engagement'" "Dawn" (02/12) "U.S. President Barack Obama telephoned President Asif Ali Zardari on Wednesday, a day after his special envoy met the Pakistani leader with a message from his boss urging Pakistan to be a 'stalwart ally' ;in the fight against terrorism. After the telephone call, the Ministry for Foreign Affairs issued a statement in Islamabad saying the two leaders agreed on the need for a strategy to try and resolve the region's problems." "U.S. To Review Pak-Afghan Policy Sooner Than Later" "The News" (02/12) "The State Department on Wednesday said the review of U.S. policy on Pakistan and Afghanistan, ordered by President Barack Obama, would be 'expeditious' and completed 'as quickly as possible,' spokesman Robert Wood said." "Reformulated U.S. Pak Aid Bill Within Days" "The Nation" (02/12) "The Senate Foreign Relations Committee is reformulating a massive U.S. development assistance program for Pakistan, including at least $1.5 billion annually for the next five years, most of it focused on development aid for the tribal areas, according to a leading American newspaper 'The Washington Post' reported on Wednesday." "Afghanistan Could Be Obama's Vietnam" "Dawn" (02/12) "Unless the insurgents' advance is halted, Afghanistan will become President Barack Obama's Vietnam, fears Col. John Nagl, a consultant. A Daily Telegraph report (War against Taliban 'will be lost by autumn' unless strategy changes) datelined Washington and published on Wednesday quoted Col. Nagl, an Iraq veteran who helped devise the strategy, as saying that gains made by the Taliban needed to be reversed by the end of the fighting season, around late September or early October, or else the Taliban would establish a durable base that would make a sustained Western military presence futile." "Taliban Raid Afghan Government Offices, Kill 26" "The News" (02/12) "Eight Taliban gunmen wearing suicide vests attacked three Afghan government buildings on Wednesday in a coordinated assault that killed 26 people in the heart of Kabul just ahead of a planned visit of the new U.S. envoy to the region." "Attackers Contacted Pakistan, Says Afghan Intelligence Chief" "Daily Times" (02/12) "Five attackers who targeted the Afghan Justice Ministry building amid a wave of coordinated suicide attacks on Wednesday had contacted Pakistan shortly before being shot dead, the Afghan Intelligence Chief said. Mobile phones found at the scene showed the attackers had "sent three messages to Pakistan calling for the blessings of their mastermind" as they entered the building, Afghan intelligence chief Amrullah Saleh said." "TTP Threatens To Destroy Schools" "Dawn" (02/12) "The Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) threatened on Wednesday to destroy all educational institutions in Bajaur if the government did not withdraw security forces stationed in government schools in the region within three days." "New Zealander Held At Check-Post In South Waziristan" "Dawn" (02/12) "A New Zealander was arrested at the Manzai Fort checkpost in South Waziristan on Wednesday. He was taken to Tank police station and handed over to personnel of a secret agency. Investigators suspect that Mark Taylor may have links with Al Qaeda and Taliban." "5 Militants, Soldier Killed In Bajaur" "The News" (02/12) "Six more people, including five suspected militants and a soldier, were killed and several others injured in clashes and bombing by Pakistan Air Force jet fighters in Bajaur." "Six 'Taliban' Arrested Near Quetta" "Dawn" (02/12) "Security personnel raided a house on the outskirts of Quetta on Wednesday and arrested six suspected Taliban, officials said." "Three Soldiers Die In Swat" "The News" (02/12) "Three soldiers were killed and several others injured in fierce clashes between security forces and the militants in Charbagh area of troubled Swat Valley on Wednesday." "Check-Post Blown Up In Essa Khail" "The Post" (02/12) "Unidentified militants blew up a newly-constructed check-post in the area of Kacha Kandal, some 15 kilometers away from Essa Khail city in Mianwali tehsil but no loss of life was reported as no one was present in the check-post." "Indian Official Says Al Qaeda Involved In Attacks" "Dawn" (02/12) "The head of India's elite National Security Guard (NSG) that spearheaded the counter-attack in Mumbai's terror nightmare seems to have sown confusion in New Delhi by claiming on Wednesday that Al Qaeda was among the groups involved in the attacks." -------------- Editorials/Op-eds -------------- "Bell Is Ringing," an editorial in the leading mass circulation centrist Urdu daily "Jang" (cir. 300,000) (02/12) "The local Taliban have decided to send their militants to Islamabad in reaction to military operations in Darra Adamkhel and Swat valley... It is a matter of serious concern and now we all should work together for the survival and national integrity of Pakistan. This is not the time to get entangled in petty issues, trivial differences, meaningless rhetoric, mudslinging on one another, and to save or kick out the incumbent governments. In fact, people are upset over these insurgencies, but we must find out those causes and reasons that force them to support Taliban and militants at the end of the day." "Wise Counsel," an editorial in the center-right national English daily "The Nation" (cir. 20,000) (02/12) "The Pakistani response, seeking more information on the Mumbai episode, has not pleased India.... New Delhi would have to accept the fact that crimes of this nature cannot be unraveled with an attitude of dictation; they call for honest cooperation not only by any one party supposed to be involved but the other also that proffers the charges." "Who Are Taliban And What Do They Want?," an editorial in the Karachi-based right-wing pro-Jamaat-e-Islami Urdu daily "Jasarat" (cir. 3,000) (02/12) "It is becoming more difficult with each passing day to identify who actually is a Taliban, as it seems that every militant is now calling himself as Taliban, and he is imposing self-righteous Sharia in the name of religion. Kidnapping foreigners, and beheading them, is not in conformity with the teachings of Islam. Likewise, imposing restrictions and curbs on people is not a commandment of Islam. In that case, who are these people that are defaming the faith, it is quite natural to see them with suspicions as what their real objectives are?" "No Polish Joke," an editorial in the centrist national English daily "The News" (cir. 55,000) (02/12) "The people of Poland have obviously been left in a state of shock by the gory murder of a national who was beheaded by Taliban militants.... It is possible people in Warsaw have got their facts confused. But what is clear is that many around the world simply do not trust Pakistani leaders any more.... Islamabad must wake up to the fact that all this is inflicting on it a great deal of damage." Patterson