SPECIAL MEDIA REPORT - COVERAGE OF POTUS AF-

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 NEW DELHI 002429 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: SPECIAL MEDIA REPORT - COVERAGE OF POTUS AF- PAK SPEECH IN INDIAN MEDIA SUMMARY: The majority of the reporting on the President's speech on Indian television channels is so far objective and straightforward. The timing of the speech (0630 December 2 in India) means that commentary and analyses as well as newspaper stories, are yet to come. President Obama's call to PM Singh in advance of the speech to preview its messages was reported overwhelmingly positively in the morning's newspapers and television reports. The telephone call is seen in New Delhi as U.S. acknowledgement of India's substantial role in Afghanistan. News stories pointed out that this was the first time the President had consulted New Delhi before a major policy statement. The outliers were India's CNN-IBN news channel which this morning criticized the speech saying, The President "made no mention of the Mumbai attacks, or the need to take on the Lashkar-e-Taiba," thereby "leaving India in the cold," the channel said. The reports further took issue with the strategy of offering a withdrawal timeframe, which the report felt thereby "encourages Al-Qaeda and the Taliban to stay their course" until the U.S. vacates Afghanistan. It is too soon to say if this will become a trend in commentary - that seems unlikely at this juncture but tomorrow's press will hold the answer. The Embassy also put out a statement by Ambassador Roemer today, reiterating India's role as a key partner on the way forward in Afghanistan and Pakistan. End summary. -------------- U.S. LEAVES INDIA COLD: TV CHANNEL -------------- ¶1. The speech appeared on major Indian news networks soon after it was delivered. NDTV 24x7 headlined their story "Nuclear-armed Pakistan big security threat, says Obama," and quoted the President as saying the cancer of TERRORISM has spread from Afghanistan to Pakistan and that the danger will grow if the region slides backwards. The TIMES NOW channel, in their story "US sends nuclear alarm on Pakistan," said the President described the stakes in the region being higher with a nuclear-armed Pakistan. ¶2. The 24-hour CNN-IBN English news channel was, however, hard-hitting in its reaction. The channel said: "This was a message meant to reassure the Americans and the Pakistanis, but it has ended up leaving India in the cold. Obama has described the U.S. relationship with Pakistan as key to the success of the Af-Pak plan. He made no mention, though, of the 26/11 attacks on Mumbai, or the need to take on the Lashkar- e-Taiba." ¶3. The channel's chief diplomatic correspondent Parull Malhotra said: "When President Obama talked about a time-bound withdrawal of American troops, what he essentially did is encourage the Al-Qaeda and Taliban to stay their course, because they know that within 18 months the American troops will be out of their country. And during that time period, and even beyond, NEW DELHI 00002429 002 OF 002 they will continue to work actively against Indian interests." ¶4. "There was no mention of the Mumbai attacks. Obama talked about the London bombings, 9/11, and even the Bali bombings, but 26/11 found no mention in his crucial address," CNN-IBN said. -------------- POTUS TELEPHONE CALL REPORTED POSITIVELY -------------- ¶5. All newspapers highlighted the President's call to PM Manmohan Singh before the speech. THE INDIAN EXPRESS said the telephone call is being seen in New Delhi as U.S. acknowledgement of India's role in Afghanistan. ¶6. THE TIMES OF INDIA said that while the phone call was one of several that President Obama made, officials said India's satisfaction was derived from the high level of Obama's commitment to stay the course in Afghanistan despite growing clamor in the US for an early pullout. ¶7. THE TIMES OF INDIA'S diplomatic editor Indrani Bagchi said: "The Obama-Singh conversation had another important component for India: India's own presence and activity in Afghanistan. The Indian takeaway here is that the Pakistan "line" which, in some ways was reflected in the report prepared by the top US commander in Afghanistan General Stanley McChrystal, that Indian activities in Afghanistan could be counter- productive, was comprehensively discarded. Obama reportedly told the PM that Indian activities were not only appreciated but they should continue." ¶8. THE HINDUSTAN TIMES daily reported U.S. diplomatic sources as saying that this was the first time the President had consulted New Delhi before a major policy statement. ROEMER