MEDIA REACTION: INDO-RUSSIAN NUCLEAR

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 NEW DELHI 002481 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-RUSSIAN NUCLEAR AGREEMENT, COPENHAGEN, AFGHANISTAN, PAKISTAN; 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-RUSSIAN NUCLEAR AGREEMENT -------------- ¶1. "RUSSIA-INDIA NUCLEAR AGREEMENT," editorial in December 11 Leftist Kolkata Bengali GANASHAKTI: "The Indo-Russian nuclear agreement will have far reaching effect on bilateral relationship. This pact offers more facilities than the Indo-U.S. civilian nuclear deal. Washington naturally faces terrible embarrassment. While Russia is fully cooperating with India on developing its nuclear energy capability, America unethically wanted to obtain mileage with several conditions. From that angle, the Indo-Russian pact is much more positive." ¶2. "ENERGY OF COOPERATION," editorial in December 9 Hindi daily, DAINIK HINDUSTAN: "India-Russia relations touched new heights in the economic-political and nuclear sectors during PM Manmohan Singh's Moscow visit. The India-Russia nuclear deal is far ahead of the U.S.-India 123 agreement. The liberal India-Russia nuclear deal is in the interest of both nations. The Russian economy benefits from selling defense or energy technology and equipment to India. And the latter gets easily what it does not get from the West. The U.S. imposes many conditions on the sale of defense equipment, technology and reprocessing, but Russia does not." -------------- COPENHAGEN -------------- ¶3. "EXPECTATIONS FROM COPENHAGEN," op-ed in December 10 Hindi daily, DAINIK JAGRAN: "All eyes are on Copenhagen where a new agreement to reduce greenhouse gases is expected as the Kyoto Protocol ends in 2012. Many countries have declared cuts in carbon emissions, but unfortunately developed nations, which are major polluters, want to impose it on developing countries. What can be more ironical than the fact that the U.S. has not yet signed the Kyoto Protocol? Developed nations consume 88% of the world's natural resources, despite being less in population. They should bear the responsibility to reduce emissions." -------------- AFGHANISTAN -------------- ¶4. "AMERICA TO BEGIN A NEW WAR," opinion in December 11 centrist Marathi Daily, PUDHARI: "President Obama was widely criticized for also announcing the date for withdrawal of troops along with the decision of sending NEW DELHI 00002481 002 OF 002 extra troops to Afghanistan. No American President in the past had made such a kind of announcement. After all, what was the need to declare the date of withdrawal of troops? The enemy gets a heads up of what is going to happen because of such announcements." -------------- PAKISTAN -------------- ¶5. "AMERICA'S FINAL WARNING TO PAKISTAN," opinion in December 11 centrist Marathi daily, VARTAHAAR: "General James Jones has warned the Pakistani army that if it is not successful in its military action against Taliban insurgents and terrorist groups then it would force the US army into Pakistan. It would also be compelled to increase the drone strikes in the area. The meaning that could be implied from this is that America is not content with Pakistan army's action against the Taliban and Obama administration has come to the conclusion that to relinquish the Taliban it has to send its troops to Pakistan." ROEMER