MEDIA REACTION: U.S. POLICIES, WAR AGAINST

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 NEW DELHI 000187 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: U.S. POLICIES, WAR AGAINST TERROR/INDIA-SRI LANKA RELATIONS; 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. -------------- U.S. POLICIES -------------- ¶1. "FIRST OF ALL ERADICATE OPPRESSION AND ITS USURY", editorial in the January 29 right-of-center Urdu daily URDU TIMES, Mumbai: "Barrack Obama is a symbol of a 'Change' in the America of the 21st century. Therefore, the American hand of friendship extended by the American to India, through the good offices of President Obama, must be welcomed. But the problem is that the American people and the American administration are not two sides of a coin. No doubt, the majority of the American people are 'peace-loving,' but that cannot be said with confidence about the American administration. Henry Kissinger, former U.S. Secretary of State and part of the think tank of Zionist power, once said 'America's friendship is more dangerous than its hostility.' Iraq and Pakistan are the two recent, glaring examples that vindicate that statement. In the same way, Obama's statement that 'The American people are not enemies of Muslims' does not hold true. Afghanistan, Iraq and Gaza are recent examples. Unless and until politics becomes bereft of tyranny, injustice and corruption, and economics gets rid of usury, gambling and selfishness, mere talk will not help establish peace in the world, nor will the world come out of the current economic crisis." ¶2. "STRATEGY GOING OFF TRACK," op-ed in the January 29 right of center DAINIK JAGRAN Hindi daily: "President Barack Obama, with a new strategy -- a surge of U.S. forces, not to militarily rout the Taliban but to establish a position of strength from which to strike a political deal with local tribal leaders -- intends to pursue in Afghanistan what the Bush administration did in Iraq. The move turns a blind eye to the danger that such militias could terrorize local people. The U.S. cannot reclaim the global fight against terror without targeting Pakistan. Even if the Obama administration manages to bring down violence in Afghanistan, the Taliban will remain intact as a fighting force, with active ties to the Pakistani military. Such a strategic gain would pose serious long-term dangers to regional and international security. In seeking such short-term success, the Obama team is falling prey to a long-standing U.S. policy weakness. It is ignoring the security of friends. India is already bearing the brunt of the blow-back from past failed U.S. policies in the Afghanistan-Pakistan belt." -------------- WAR AGAINST TERROR/INDIA-SRI LANKA RELATIONS -------------- ¶3. "SRI LANKA AND INDIA: MUKHERJEE'S WISE COUNSEL" editorial in the January 30, 2009, Mumbai edition of centrist Marathi daily LOKMAT. "India's foreign minister NEW DELHI 00000187 002 OF 002 Pranab Mukherjee's advice to the Sri Lankan government to suitably differentiate between the peace-loving Tamil civilians and the LTTE separatist rebels comes at the right time. In a bid to tighten its hold on the last pocket of territory held by the LTTE (separatists seeking an independent homeland in the island's north and east) the Sri Lankan military used cluster bombs on January 27th. Disapproving this random use of force, Mukherjee directed the attention of the Sri Lankan government to the fact that these bombings have killed and injured innocent Tamils. Mukherjee in one sense has effectively urged Sri Lankan authorities to recognize the fact that terrorists, like LTTE, do not represent any people or ethnic group, but only themselves. Mukherjee's stance underlines India's deft understanding of the power dynamics in South Asia." MULFORD