MEDIA REACTION: WAR AGAINST TERRORISM, SRI

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 NEW DELHI 001673 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: WAR AGAINST TERRORISM, SRI LANKA, CLIMATE CHANGE; 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. -------------- WAR AGAINST TERRORISM -------------- ¶1. "CONTINUING JIHAD IN AFGHANISTAN-PAKISTAN: AN AMERICAN GAMEPLAN," op-ed in August 11 right-of-center Urdu daily, RASHTRIYA SAHARA: "Analysts and researchers throughout the world have concluded that the jihad continuing in Afghanistan and Pakistan for the last 30 years is, in fact, an American game plan. Jihadi organizations like al-Qaeda are products of global jihad, the seeds of which were sown by General Zia and President Ronald Reagan. Now the Pakistani people have come to know that modern-day jihad is not a service to Islam, but rather a service to America. That is why they are happy over the killing of Baitullah Mehsud which is a part of the American conspiracy initiated in the eighties and still going on." ¶2. "WHO FINANCED MEHSUD?" commentary in August 11 right-of-center Urdu daily, HAMARA SAMAJ: "Mehsud is killed, but the mystery about who was funding him remains. However, the death of Mehsud is just a temporary relief for the Pakistan government. It will have to face a horrifying series of death and destruction soon after the issue of succession in the Tahreek-e-Taliban is settled. We have to see how the Pakistan government comes out to control the situation." -------------- SRI LANKA -------------- ¶3. "TOWARDS THE MAINSTREAM," editorial in August 11 independent Kolkata Bengali, ANANDABAZAR PATRIKA: "The Rajapaksha government needs to attach more importance to winning the confidence of the Tamils than to organizing elections. The Tamils may be interested to participate in democracy but that democracy must be free and fair. It is deceptive to hold elections with a handful of them just to prove the Tamils' return to the mainstream national politics. President Rajapaksha has become desperate to project Sinhalese nationalism. Will the Tamils join this initiative?" -------------- CLIMATE CHANGE -------------- ¶4. "CHALLENGES OF CLEAN ENERGY," editorial in August 10 Hindi daily, NAVBHARAT TIMES: "India cannot achieve its aim of generating 20,000MW electricity from sunlight by the year 2020 without the government giving subsidies. For a government that wants to do away with subsidies, this is a strong argument at international platforms. NEW DELHI 00001673 002 OF 002 In the upcoming climate change summit in Copenhagen, India can submit that it cannot set a goal to cut down greenhouse gas emissions because of development challenges. India can, however, offer to use non- polluting green technologies if the top-polluting western countries can provide it with the latest solar technology for free." ROEMER