PAKISTAN MEDIA REACTION: APRIL 27, 2009

UNCLAS ISLAMABAD 000883

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KMDR KPAO OIIP OPRC PGOV PREL PK
SUBJECT: PAKISTAN MEDIA REACTION: APRIL 27, 2009

Summary: Reports on the launch of a military operation in Lower Dir
district (NWFP) killing "26 militants and two FC personnel"
dominated headlines in all newspapers on Monday. President
Zardari's remarks made during an interview with the state-run PTV
that "let's go beyond 'do more' mantra, as it was time to get
together and strengthen each other to be able to achieve more"
received prominent display. Newspapers highlighted Secretary of
State Clinton's statement that "U.S. has 'concern' over safety of
Pakistan nukes." Several major dailies also ran a Sunday Times
story that the "U.S. threatened to attack Swat Taliban if Pakistan
failed to act."

Most major Urdu language dailies ran in-depth editorials on the
growing threat of 'Talibanization,' whereas the English language
newspapers editorialized a host of other subjects. Commenting on
the western media reports on threats to Pakistan's survival, the
mass circulation Urdu daily, "Jang," noted that "we cannot shrug off
their criticism by merely saying that these are conspiracies of our
enemies, as ground realities support their analyses." In contrast,
the pro-Taliban Jihadi Urdu daily, "Islam," observed that the "U.S.
and its covert lobbies here in Pakistan are exaggerating the threat
of the Pakistani Taliban and their plans." The Lahore-based liberal
daily, "Daily Times," opined that "we know that we have the army
strong in numbers and strength to take care of the Taliban, but we
first must convince it that the threat from India is only relative
while that of the Taliban is absolute." End Summary.

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News Stories
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"Major Offensive Launched In Lower Dir; 26 Militants, Two FC Men
Killed" "The News" (04/27)

"The security forces killed 26 militants in a military operation
launched on Sunday morning in the Maidan area of Lower Dir district.
Two personnel of the paramilitary Frontier Corps (FC) were also
killed and a major was among the four injured in an ambush in
Maidan, the native area of the banned Tehrik Nifaz
Shariat-e-Muhammadi Chief Maulana Sufi Muhammad, the sources said."

"Forces Take On Militants In Lower Dir" "Dawn" (04/27)

"Security forces launched an operation against militants in Lower
Dir on Sunday and there were reports of fierce clashes from
different parts of the district. The ISPR claimed that several
militants, among them a 'commander,' had been killed in clashes in
the Kala Daag area. It said the operation had been launched at the
request of the NWFP government and local tribal elders."

"Taliban Asked To Lay Down Arms" "Dawn" (04/27)

"The government announced on Sunday that the Swat peace deal would
not be affected by the operation launched by the Frontier Corps in
cooperation with the army in Lower Dir. 'The operation has nothing
to do with Swat. It is being launched in Dir area against increasing
militancy there,' Interior Secretary Kamal Shah said.... However,
he hinted that if militants did not lay down arms after the
enforcement of 'Sharia laws' in Swat, the security operation could
be extended to other areas, including the valley. On the other
hand, the banned Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan's spokesman Muslim Khan
said Taliban would not lay down weapons unless all Americans in
Pakistan returned to their country and Darul Qaza was established in
Swat."

"Time To 'Achieve More,' Zardari Tells U.S." "The Nation" (04/27)

"President Asif Ali Zardari in a clear reference to repeated
assertions of 'do more' by the West and the United States, has said
it was time to get together and strengthen each other to be able to
achieve more, do more is not the answer. Achievement is the answer,
President Asif Ali Zardari told the state-run PTV during an
interview telecast on Sunday night."

"Government Will Review Stance If Swat People Reject Deal" "Daily
Times" (04/27)

"The government will review its stance on the peace deal and
Nizam-e-Adl Regulation in Swat if the people of the valley think it
did not bring peace, President Asif Ali Zardari said in an interview
with the state-run Pakistan Television on Sunday."

"U.S. Has 'Concerns' Over Safety Of Pak Nukes: Hillary" "The News"
(04/27)

"Pakistan's nuclear arsenal is currently safe, but Washington has
'concerns' over what could happen if the advancing Taliban topples
the government, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said in an
interview with Fox News on Saturday."

"Taliban Takeover A Possibility, Says U.S." "Dawn" (04/27)

"If the Taliban take over Islamabad, they will have the keys to
Pakistan's nuclear arsenal, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton
said on Saturday, underlining the fear that plays a pivotal role in
determining America's attitude towards the country. And recent
statements by other U.S. officials indicate that America sees a
Taliban takeover as a real possibility and not just a distant
threat."

"Taliban Threat To Islamabad Rubbish: ISPR" "The News" (04/27)

"Director General Inter-Services Public relations (ISPR) Maj. Gen.
Athar Abbas has outrightly rejected the (baseless) fears that
Taliban could storm Islamabad. Talking to CNN, he said it is
impossible for a band of only 200 Taliban, who had come to Buner, to
storm the capital also."

"U.S. Threatened To Attack Swat Taliban If Pakistan Failed To Act."
"Daily Times" (04/27)

"The United States made it clear last week that it would attack the
Taliban in Swat valley unless the Pakistani government stopped their
advance. A senior Pakistani official told 'The Times' newspaper,
the American government intervened after Taliban moved in Buner....
'The implicit threat - if you don't do it, we may have to - was
always there,' said the official."

"Munawar Announces Launching Of Anti-U.S. Movement" "The News"
(04/27)

"Amir Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Syed Munawar Hasan on Sunday announced to
launch a countrywide 'Go America Go' movement. 'The movement
starting immediately will continue till achieving its objective,'
Munawar Hasan said while addressing a training program of JI at Wah
Cantt."

"Govt. Urged Not To Deploy Troops In Buner" "Dawn" (04/27)

"Local chapters of the country's major political and religious
parties have opposed the deployment of troops in Buner.... They
proposed that a joint council comprising representatives of the
political and religious parties, Taliban and the administration be
formed to resolve all disputes."

"Army-Men Deployed To Secure Hazara From Militants" "The News"
(04/27)

"Security forces in Hazara insist that adequate measures have been
taken to stop the spillover of militants from the nearby Malakand
Division, a source disclosed on Sunday. Several hundred army-men,
the source disclosed, have been deployed in Thakot area since Friday
to block the route, linking Malakand with Hazara and the Northern
Areas."

"Taliban Moving Towards Kalam" "The News" (04/27)

"The conflict-weary people of Swat are seeing the activities of the
security forces and militants as prelude to the resumption of
military operation in the valley as militants established
check-posts in Bahrain and were reported to be advancing towards the
scenic Kalam valley, while the forces have set up their check-post
in Khwazakhela."

"TTP Assembling Taliban In Mardan: Residents" "Daily Times" (04/27)

"Mardan - the native district of NWFP Chief Minister Ameer Haider
Hoti - could be the next region to fall to the Taliban, as the group
has stepped up attacks in the district and started assembling local
Taliban in the area, said residents on Sunday."

"Billboards Featuring Women Reappear In Peshawar" "Daily Times"
(04/27)

"Despite Taliban threats for women to not appear on billboards,
multinational companies have begun replacing men's photos on
advertising billboards in the provincial metropolis with those of
women."

"Geologist's Body Handed Over To Polish Envoy" "Dawn" (04/27)

"The body of a Polish geologist, who was kidnapped in September last
year and beheaded by the Taliban on February 7, was handed over to
the Polish ambassador here on Sunday. The body of the 42-year-old
Piotr (Peter) Stanczak had earlier been handed over to the
administration in North Waziristan by some unidentified people."

"NATO-Pakistan Naval Exercises Off Karachi From Today" "Dawn"
(04/27)

"NATO will begin two days of joint naval exercises with Pakistan on
Monday as part of an effort to enhance cooperation in
counter-terrorism and anti-piracy measures. Five NATO vessels,
carrying about 800 crew in total, will take part along with four
ships and air units from the Pakistan navy."

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Editorials/Op-eds
--------------

"Swat Peace Deal - Government Must Not Delay All-Inclusive
Consultation," an editorial in the leading mass circulation centrist
Urdu daily "Jang" (cir. 300,000) (04/27)

"Pakistan's image is badly damaged in the world owing to the
situation of FATA, Swat, and different areas of the NWFP and
Balochistan. The western media is portraying Pakistan as a failed
state, and that Pakistani people don't deserve a democratic
dispensation. We cannot shrug off their criticism by merely saying
that these are conspiracies of our enemies, as ground realities
support their analyses."

"Negotiations Only Option," an editorial in the Karachi-based, pro
Taliban Jihadi Urdu daily "Islam" (cir. 15,000) (04/27)

"It is a reality that the U.S. and its covert lobbies in Pakistan
are exaggerating the threat of Pakistani Taliban and their plans to
achieve their nefarious designs, otherwise the ground realities
negate these half truths. The state of affairs necessitates an
immediate reconciliation between the government and the tribesmen.
The government should ensure peace by initiating dialogue in
insurgency-hit areas of Malakand, North and South Waziristan and
Balochistan."

"After The End Of Swat Peace Deal," an editorial in the Lahore-based
liberal English language daily "Daily Times" (cir. 10,000) (04/27)

"We become furious when Americans and Europeans tell us we are under
no threat from India. We give them circumstantial proofs - proofs
which have not yet been made public in Pakistan - but that doesn't
convince them of the threat because India does the same about our
'hand' in their country. The threat of the Taliban and Al Qaeda is
more palpable to them because it has an extra-regional dimension.
The 'deal' in Swat on the other hand has made us come alive to the
internal threat because the Taliban there have been forced to
clearly express their view of the state of Pakistan. At this
juncture we know that we have the army strong in numbers and
strength to take care of the Taliban, but we first must convince it
that the threat from India is only relative while that of the
Taliban is absolute."

"National Dialogue Is Essential," an editorial in the Peshawar-based
Urdu-language daily "Mashriq" (cir. 55,000) (04/27)

"At last U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has confessed that
the U.S. is to blame for the present mess in Pakistan, as it (U.S.)
abandoned Pakistan following collapse of the Soviet Union.
Secretary Clinton's affirmation is not the whole truth. No doubt
that the U.S. achieved its objective of breakdown of Soviet Union,
but it (U.S.) has been engaged to seek its aims in Afghanistan
hitherto. And the presence of the U.S. troops in Afghanistan is to
achieve those targets."

"TTP's Self-Assertion," an editorial in the center-right national
English daily "The Nation" (cir. 20,000) (04/27)

"Sufi Muhammad's apparent helplessness to persuade the TTP to abide
by the agreement could reflect, according to some analysts, his
complicity since they believe that the TNSM is one with the TTP in
the mission to spread their brand of Islam outside the confines of
the valley into Pakistan and beyond.... In the wider interests of
the nation already facing multiple crises, both sides should do
their best to avoid the situation getting out of hand. That is only
possible if all parties involved were to strictly adhere to the
agreement."

"Root Cause Of Militancy," an editorial in the Islamabad-based
rightist English daily "Pakistan Observer" (cir. 5,000) (04/27)

"It is ironical that the United States and its cohorts have
successfully diverted attention of the international community from
the real and root cause of terrorism and extremism in the region
through intense propaganda campaign. They are now trying to
convince the world that the problems lay in the tribal region on
Pakistan-Afghanistan border and therefore, there is need to focus
attention on this area. Irrespective of these diversionary tactics,
the fact remains that the root cause of terrorism and extremism in
this part of the world is illegal occupation of Afghanistan by the
United States, Britain and other contributing troops for
consolidating this aggression.... Simple and honest solution of the
problem is immediate and unconditional withdrawal of foreign
occupation forces from Afghanistan."

"Consensus On A Decisive Operation In Tribal Areas," an editorial in
the second-largest, center-right nationalist Urdu daily
"Nawa-i-Waqt" (cir. 150,000) (04/27)

"Militants have already signaled their resistance [to a military
operation] by stopping a convoy in Mingora. Hence the unwise path
of an operation must be avoided at all costs, and peace deals like
the Swat deal must be promoted. Otherwise there will be no peace in
the country, in fact Pakistan's security will be endangered - which
is America's greatest desire because then it would impose India's
supremacy on Pakistan."

"Terrorism: International Community Must Cooperate With Pakistan,"
an editorial in Lahore-based populist Urdu daily "Waqt" (cir.
10,000) (04/27)

"There has been no terrorist attack in the U.S. after 9/11 but there
have been almost daily terrorist attacks in Pakistan where innocent
people have lost their lives. Pakistan faces more threat from
terrorists than the U.S. Therefore, the U.S. and the international
community must help Pakistan as much as possible in dealing with
this problem. Instead of being impatient, the U.S. leadership must
help Pakistan succeed in its efforts against terrorism."

"Militants And Possible Steps Of Operation," an editorial in liberal
Urdu daily "Express" (cir. 25,000) (04/27)

"Despite the Swat peace deal, there has been no let up in terrorist
activities. Review of just one day's newspapers is enough to give
one an idea of how grave the situation is. It seems as if militants
considered the government's desire for peace to be weakness, and
went about demonstrating their strength without any fear.... The
question is: why are the militants not disarming despite the peace
deal?... The government should launch a full-fledged operation
against the militants if despite all efforts, the militants do not
give up."

"Children's Death Due To Toy Bomb," an editorial in the Lahore-based
populist center-right Urdu daily "Khabrain" (cir. 50,000) (04/27)

"Eleven children were killed by a toy bomb they found outside a
girls school in Lower Dir.... No religion of the world allows the
killing of children, let alone a faith like Islam that preaches
peace.... According to reports, the army has started an operation
in Lower Dir. Activities by the militants necessitated this
operation. It is imperative to crush elements involved in such
activities. However, we feel that there is a need to exercise
extreme caution so that civilian losses are minimized."

"And Now A Toy Bomb...!," an editorial in the Karachi-based
right-wing pro-Jamaat-e-Islami Urdu daily "Jasarat" (cir. 3,000)
(04/27)

"Bomb explosions have become a everyday happening in Pakistan.
Senior U.S. officials also have expressed their apprehensions that
Pakistan is in peril of survival. Some western media reports too
revealed the presence of Israeli secret missions in Afghanistan that
provide support to terrorist activities in the NWFP. And we believe
that these deadly toy bombs are being provided to terrorists by
these foreign elements. As pointed out by the Jamaat-i-Islami chief
the 'Americanization' of Pakistan is the real problem and not the
'Talibanization.'"

"We Are Not A Failed State," an editorial in the second-largest,
center-right nationalist Urdu daily "Nawa-i-Waqt" (cir. 150,000)
(04/27)

"Brookings scholar Bruce Reidel has said that it has become
fashionable to say that Pakistan is a failed sate, but the
Pakistanis neither support break-up of their country nor do they
want a Taliban state.... After reviewing the situation in the
region, British and U.S. think tanks have come to realize that
Pakistan is being pushed towards [being labeled] a failed state
according to a conspiracy. In this scenario, it is our leaders' duty
to immediately extricate themselves from a war of American
interests."

"Pro-Delhi Camouflaged Taliban," an editorial in the Lahore-based
independent Urdu daily "Din" (cir. 10,000) (04/27)

"According to a planned strategy, the Western media is misleading
the international community by spreading disinformation about
Taliban advances towards Shangla and Buner. The fact is that Afghan
Tajik infiltrators, posing as Taliban, are destroying peace in the
area. The fact is that U.S. troops and officials in Afghanistan,
NATO and ISAF forces are the sponsors of these camouflaged Taliban.
India has succeeded to a great extent in making these formerly
pro-Moscow Northern Alliance [members] pro-India. It is these
pro-Delhi camouflaged Taliban that are looting trucks loaded with
chemical fertilizers in Swat. There is a fear that these people
might use this ammonium nitrate fertilizer to make bombs."

"This Too Shall Pass," an op-ed by Syed Mansoor Hussain in the
Lahore-based liberal English language daily "Daily Times" (cir.
10,000) (04/27)

"Ultimately what will defeat Talibanization in Pakistan is the fact
that Muslims in Pakistan belong to many different schools of thought
within Islam and will not subscribe to any one interpretation that
is forced upon them.... What should worry us however is if the
Taliban morph into a populist political movement.... It is an
alliance of the poor and the underprivileged with the well-armed,
well-trained and now politicized Taliban that could make things
really difficult."

"Lessons From Buner," an op-ed by Zafar Hilaly in the centrist
national English daily "The News" (cir. 55,000) (04/27)

"Sufi Mohammed's new found respect for the Pakistani constitution is
a feeble attempt at dissimulation and yet another demonstration of
the familiar Taliban tactic to blow hot and cold, to confuse the
adversary, split his ranks while all the time consolidating the
Taliban's hold on the public mind and emotions. This tactic worked
in Afghanistan and Sufi Mohammed believes it will work in
Pakistan.... The Taliban are aware that as in Afghanistan, so in
Pakistan, they cannot succeed by force alone. If they ever prevail
it will be because Pakistani society preferred what they had to
offer by way of security, justice and opportunity to what a
succession of disastrously inept, corrupt and dysfunctional regimes
has visited on them over the past 60 years."

"Swat At The Mercy Of Militants," an op-ed by Anees Jillani in the
Karachi-based center-left independent national English daily "Dawn"
(cir. 55,000) (04/27)

"The people of these underdeveloped areas are depressed, and have
lost all faith in law-enforcement agencies. The rulers and the
ruling classes fail to realize that the masses must have a stake in
the system and the country. If they are deprived of fundamental
rights such as food, roads, electricity, jobs, education,
healthcare, and security, what purpose does this system serve for
them? Is it at all surprising then that, given their daily battles
for survival, who rules Saidu Sharif, Peshawar or Islamabad is of
very little consequence?"

"Fighting The Militant Within Us," an op-ed by Kamal Siddiqi in the
centrist national English daily "The News" (cir. 55,000) (04/17)

"As Pakistanis we need to ask ourselves what we want with this war
that has been imposed on us.... As Pakistanis, especially those who
directly or indirectly favor the Taliban and argue that this group
is not against Pakistan, we need to know what our rightwing lobby is
trying to get us into.... The writ of the state is challenged time
and again and we are left with empty assurances given by de facto
Interior Minister Rehman Malik. The state is seen as weak. Despite
the spending of billions on defence and law and order, the people
feel more insecure than ever."

"On The Brink Of An Abyss," an op-ed by Aqab Malik in the
Karachi-based center-left independent national English daily "Dawn"
(cir. 55,000) (04/17)

"The fact that Pakistan is a nuclear-armed state does not go
unnoticed by the outside world, neither does the situation in Swat,
Buner and now Shangla. What is stopping the West from saying that
enough is enough? The truth of the matter is that it fears that
Pakistan's nuclear arsenal may wholly or partially fall into the
hands of insurgents or those that sympathize with them.... There is
an imminent threat and alarm bells have been set off around the
world. Unfortunately, the government appears to be in a state of
deep sleep even as a civil war begins to envelop us."

"Getting Started," an op-ed by Shahzad Chaudhry in the Lahore-based
liberal English language daily "Daily Times" (cir. 10,000) (04/17)

"As a nation, true to our ways, with all or most of our eggs in the
U.S. basket, we are in a state of denial of the real-politik
compulsion of the need to work with the Americans to realize our
stated goals in this struggle against bigotry, antiquated thought
and self-styled religious extremists. After having waited for the
Americans to craft a smart policy to untangle Afghanistan and
militancy issues, and having praised it no end, we have chosen to
break away from it in official pronouncements at the level of the
prime minister, while the president continues to identify with the
shared goals and objectives of the revised policy."
Feierstein