MEDIA REACTION: OBAMA PRESIDENCY, GUANTANAMO:

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E.O. 12958:N/A
TAGS: KMDR KPAO PGOV PREL IN
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION: OBAMA PRESIDENCY, GUANTANAMO:
DETAINEE POLICY; 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.

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OBAMA PRESIDENCY
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1. "POLICY OF FRIENDSHIP," editorial in the January 28 pro-
Congress Party HINDUSTAN Hindi daily: "All of the
following happened at the same time: U.S. President
Barack Obama said in his message on Republic Day that the
U.S. is India's best friend -- the message had a very
personal touch; secondly, Vice President Joe Biden said
that the U.S. would launch attacks within Pakistan if it
had intelligence on high level al-Qaeda operatives; and
thirdly, terror aid to Pakistan has been cut. It is loud
and clear that the U.S. policy for the Indian
subcontinent is rapidly changing... the role that the U.S.
had given Pakistan during the cold war has been taken
away. Now the latter can only play a role of eradicating
terrorism. The U.S. needs India for long-term and wide-
ranging interests, but it only needs Pakistan for
immediate needs, and only for uprooting terrorism. We can
also call it the success of our foreign policy --
Pakistan is trapped now."


2. "U.S. MESSAGE," editorial in the January 28 nationalist
RASHTRIYA SAHARA Hindi daily: "U.S. President Barak Obama
and Vice President Joe Biden's anti-Pakistan and pro-
India attitude toward terrorism on Republic Day is a sign
of a change in the U.S.' South Asia policy. Obama's call
to work jointly to deal with the obstacles in the way of
shared U.S. and Indian values has a serious meaning.
Similarly, Biden's comments on launching attacks to
destroy terrorist networks in Pakistan is also a clear
indication of a new American approach. This shows the
desire to actively manifest U.S.-Indian multilateral
relations and strategic partnership. Obama-Biden's
aggressive attitude seems to be far ahead the Bush
administration on terrorism. In fact, the Obama
administration is working on the strategy of finalizing
the war against terrorism in Afghanistan. The U.S.
policy, indeed, is a relief for India. The attack on
Pakistan-based terrorist networks will automatically
reduce the threat to India."


3. "SOLACE TO THE MUSLIM WORLD" editorial in the January
29, 2009, Mumbai edition of left-of-center Marathi daily
MAHARASHTRA TIMES. "At the very beginning of his White
House tenure, President Obama has made it clear that
America will be friendly to the Muslim world. Obama's
clear-cut call for cooperation is welcome and necessary.
The Muslim world has been alienated for a long time.
Ordinary people living in Muslim countries are insecure.
Obama's predecessor, George W. Bush, did his best to
aggravate this insecurity. Far from serving the cause of
world peace, Bush's failed missions in Iraq and
Afghanistan jeopardized the interests of the people of
these countries, predominantly Muslims. Bush's fight

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against terror was as dreadful as the 9/11 terrorist
attack executed by Osama bin Laden against the U.S. Bush
did immense harm to the U.S. image in the Muslim world,
thereby making it almost obligatory for Obama to make a
concerted effort to win over Muslims."


4. "TRUSTWORTHY INITIATIVES" editorial in the January 29,
2009, Mumbai edition of centrist Marathi daily
NAVASHAKTI. "President Obama's interview on the Al-
Arabiya television network demonstrated his intention to
deploy effective out-of-the-box strategies to fight
terror. His resolve to reinstate normalized friendly
relations with the Muslim world also comes across very
clearly in the interview. In fact, his statement about
restoring `the same respect and partnership that America
had with the Muslim world as recently as 20 or 30 years
ago' is quite revolutionary. His interview indicates an
open-mind which acknowledges America's past errors of
judgment and makes a renewed effort to reach out to the
rest of the world."

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GUANTANAMO: DETAINEE POLICY
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5. "GUANTANAMO BAY, OBAMA AND EUROPE", editorial in the
January 28 right-of-center Urdu daily HINDUSTAN EXPRESS,
New Delhi: "Severe differences surfaced between America
and its allies on the proposal to shut the detainee camp
at Guantanamo Bay. America, the flag-bearer of democracy,
liberty and human rights, America, the country of George
Washington, Benjamin Franklin and Abraham Lincoln has
also adopted the torture techniques of Hitler and those
of the Zionist regime. And the European countries
followed in the footsteps of Uncle Sam blindly. When Bush
was massacring innocent human beings, these voice-raisers
were silent, but they are restless when President Barack
Hussain Obama orders the closure of the camp within a
year. The tragic aspect of this incident is that these
countries are avoiding accepting these detainees.
According to the President of the European Union, closure
of this camp is not an easy matter. Do they want these
detainees to take shelter in the U.S and play into the
hands of the CIA as usual?"


6. "DETAINEES IN GUANTANAMO BAY AND PRESIDENT OBAMA",
editorial in the January 28 right-of-center Urdu daily
MUNSIF, Hyderabad: "Post 9/11, America's war against
terrorism is based on frivolous and baseless assumptions
which America can not prove as yet. On the other hand, it
is America itself that committed most crimes before and
after 9/11. On the long list of crimes committed by
America is the Guantanamo Bay prison. America claimed
that detainees are the deadliest terrorists. Most heinous
violations of human rights have been made there. It is
the demand of justice that allegations against these
detainees should be investigated, and detainees
apprehended on the basis of mere assumptions be released.
But the question is whether Obama will be able to deviate
from the defined strategy and modus operandi. For this,
he will have to accept the wrongs committed in the past.

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He will have to admit the fabrications made on the
websites and video tapes depicting the dreaded image of
al-Qaeda. In a nutshell, if Obama is sincere in doing
away with the injustice of the past, he will have to deal
with the matter with courage and the determination to go
against the interests of Israel. Else apprehensions about
Obama may prove true."
MULFORD