MEDIA REACTION: PAKISTAN, IRAQ/AFGHANISTAN, IRAN,

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 NEW DELHI 001362 SIPDIS STATE FOR NP, AC, PM STATE FOR INR/MR STATE FOR SCA/INS, PM/CBM, PM/PRO STATE FOR SCA/PPD, PA/RRU STATE FOR AID/APRE-A USDOC FOR 4530/IEP/ANESA/OSA FOR BILL MURPHY E.O. 12958:N/A TAGS: KMDR KPAO PGOV PREL IN SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION: PAKISTAN, IRAQ/AFGHANISTAN, IRAN, MADOFF FRAUD; NEW DELHI. This countrywide cable reports on relevant media reaction/opinion from India's large non-English press. The Mission reports on English-language media via email through the daily "Early Edition" summary. -------------- PAKISTAN -------------- ¶1. "FAILED COUNTRY PAKISTAN," editorial in June 30 right-of-center Urdu daily, INQUILAB: "Defeat of the Taliban will not resolve all the problems of Pakistan. The country will have to tackle the problems like food scarcity, water shortage, power failure, unemployment and many more. Without taking care of these problems, it cannot find a place in the list of successful countries. If the Pakistani leadership is not taking stock of the prevalent situation, then they should understand that Pakistan is inching towards a horrible disaster." ¶2. "FEARS OF A NUCLEAR PAKISTAN," op-ed article in June 30 centrist Hindi daily, DAINIK HINDUSTAN: "The situation in Pakistan is completely out of the government's control and the Islamic terrorists are trying hard to get access of the weapons of mass destruction. The Pakistani army is not willing to hand over the control of the country's nuclear weapons to the civilian leadership. It is noteworthy that among all the nuclear states of the world Pakistan is the only nation where the army has the nuclear control in its hands. Pakistan is afraid that if its nukes would be in any kind of danger, the U.S. would not hesitate in removing or destroying them. India should be aware of the consequences of destruction of the state system in Pakistan." ¶3. "FUNDAMENTAL CONDITION OF A SUCCESSFUL DIALOGUE," commentary in June 30 centrist Hindi daily, NAI DUNIA: "Pakistan military operations against the Taliban are nothing but an attempt to please the U.S. for extracting more economic aid. The truth is just the opposite -- the ISI is supporting the Taliban. The situation is totally out of President Zardari's hands. India will have to take these facts into account while thinking in terms of resuming talks. The U.S. and its allies want India-Pakistan talks to be resumed. But they feel that India cannot be forced to hold �00A;another meaningless dialogue with Pakistan. India needs to tell the international community that no significant dialogue can be possible if Pakistan continues to support terrorism." -------------- IRAQ / AFGHANISTAN -------------- ¶4. "A NEW BEGINNING IN IRAQ," editorial in July 1 centrist Marathi daily, PRAHAAR: "It is indeed welcome that the U.S.-led occupation forces have begun withdrawing from Iraq. The Obama administration has kept its word on this count, especially after realizing that the mission was a failed one. Now a new beginning can be made in war- torn, unstable Iraq, provided the internal political tussle between NEW DELHI 00001362 002 OF 002 the Shias and Sunnis is sorted out peacefully. Also greater attention needs to be paid towards Al Qaeda sleeper cells, which are most likely to be activated now in Iraq." ¶5. "AMERICAN STRATEGY IN IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN," editorial in June 30 right-of-center Urdu daily, MUNSIF: "One of the reasons of the proposed withdrawal of American forces from Iraq is that America has accomplished its intentions to a great extent. America cannot bear the burden of the loss of lives and properties anymore. On the other hand, America's prestige is at stake in Afghanistan. The Taliban are the real targets of America, because it does not like hard-core Muslims. Withdrawal of forces from Iraq means reinforcement in Afghanistan. In a nutshell, Obama's strategy does not seem to be different from that of his predecessor George W. Bush." -------------- IRAN -------------- ¶6. "IMPERIALIST INTRIGUES," editorial in June 30 right-of-center Urdu daily, URDU TIMES: "Nowadays, America is repeating the same intrigues as in Iran when the elected and constitutional government had raised voice against the imperialist forces back in 1951. The CIA-sponsored riots and demonstrations made Mossadeq unpopular. The rest is the history. Now, the CIA is involved in a similar mission against Ahmadinejad. But the difference between Mossadeq and Ahmadinejad is that behind the latter, there is a powerful Islamic revolution, which had thrown the emperorship of Raza Shah Pahlavi into the dustbin of history." -------------- MADOFF FRAUD -------------- ¶7. "MADOFF SCANDAL: AMERICAN FRAUD, LESSONS FOR INDIA," editorial in July 1 left-of-center Marathi daily, LOKSATTA: "The maximum sentence served to 71-year-old Bernard Madoff, who defrauded thousands of investors of billions of dollars, is a telling comment on the American judicial system, which has so far meted out unsparing punishments to the perpetrators of fraudulent schemes. Unlike in India, where swindlers and conmen go behind bars for mysteriously short terms, the U.S. courts at least ensure that criminals, who have perpetrated extraordinarily evil irregularities, are placed into permanent lock-up." BURLEIGH