MEDIA REACTION: INDO-PAK RELATIONS, G-8

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 NEW DELHI 001475 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: INDO-PAK RELATIONS, G-8 SUMMIT, HUMAN RIGHTS, CHINA; 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. -------------- INDO-PAK RELATIONS -------------- ¶1. "ZARDARI'S TRYST WITH TRUTH," commentary in July 15 right of center Hindi daily, DAINIK JAGRAN: "Zardari has shown rare courage in making a candid admission of the domestic realities. Till recently it was both blasphemous and anti-national in Islamabad to acknowledge this truth. The military-led establishment in Pakistan has kept alive a false narrative that Hindu India represents an existential threat to its survival and tried to legitimize the support to terrorism. Today with the anti-Taliban operations in the troubled Swat and Buner areas appearing to have succeeded, it is a more confident President Zardari who is asserting himself and exhorting his country to accept the realities about its security compulsions." ¶2. "PAKISTAN'S HIDE-AND-SEEK," editorial in July 15 right-of-center Hindi daily, AMAR UJALA: "By playing hide and seek over the detention of Jamaat-ud-Dawa chief Hafiz Saeed Pakistan has once again proved that it has no interest in improving relations with India. The entire world knows Saeed conducted anti-India terrorist activities using the aid coming from the West. Zardari has publicly accepted that Pakistan created and nurtured terrorism, but he is doing nothing about it. Pakistan only wants to keep the U.S. happy in order to continue getting U.S. aid." -------------- G-8 SUMMIT -------------- ¶3. "WHAT'S THE OUTCOME OF THE G-8 SUMMIT? IS U.S. WITH INDIA OR ON THE OTHER SIDE?" op-ed in centrist Marathi daily, SAKAAL: "From India's perspective, the most worrying factor at the G-8 meet was the stiff U.S. stance with regard to nuclear energy cooperation. The Obama administration does not seem forthcoming and transparent with regard to the U.S.-India nuclear deal. In fact there seems to be a very apparent effort to impose some restrictive clauses on India even before the execution of the deal. That could be another way of pressuring India to sign the NPT." -------------- HUMAN RIGHTS -------------- ¶4. "APPROPRIATE DECISION OF OBAMA," editorial in July 15 right-of-center Urdu daily, RASHTRIYA SAHRA: "During the Bush era, American soldiers and American jails established new records of making a mockery of international law. Most interestingly, all such deeds NEW DELHI 00001475 002 OF 002 were performed in the name of establishing peace in the world, and safeguarding human rights. There should be legal action against high officials of the Bush administration. Now, President Obama should expedite the investigation ensuring that every culprit will be tried under American penal laws in accordance with international rules and regulations, no matter if it is the former President George W. Bush." -------------- CHINA -------------- ¶5. "SHORTSIGHTEDNESS OF CHINESE GOVERNMENT," editorial in July 15 right-of-center Urdu daily, SIASAT: "on July 5, the Chinese government brutally crushed the agitation in Muslim dominated Xinjiang district. The massacre in the Muslim concentrated province should be strongly condemned. If the Chinese government perceives its consequences and shortsightedness, then it must be ready for a catastrophe ahead." BURLEIGH