MEDIA REACTION: PAKISTAN, INDIA-PAKISTAN

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 NEW DELHI 000351 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: PAKISTAN, INDIA-PAKISTAN RELATIONS/ WAR AGAINST TERRORISM; 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. -------------- PAKISTAN -------------- ¶1. "PAKISTAN'S MILITARY WAR PLAN AND UNSTATELIKE CHARACTER", editorial in the February 23 right-of-center Urdu daily URDU TIMES, Mumbai: "It is of course not a concealed fact that the formation of terrorist outfits has always been a special ingredient of Pakistan's military strategies. Pakistan has been keen on making these outfits a part of its war plans. In the aftermath of the 9/11 incident, when a concerted plan of action was undertaken against the Taliban and al-Qaeda, and Pakistan severed its government-level links with the Taliban out of necessity or fear, the terrorist organizations reacted by turning against the policies of Pakistan. Since General Musharraf was the head of Pakistan at that time, they all turned against him; that is why he came was subjected to murderous attacks several times, attacks which were ultimately unsuccessful. On several other occasions, the security forces and army personnel bore the brunt of such attacks. However, the military in Pakistan (including the much-denounced ISI) never saw the terrorist outfits as being against them." -------------- -- INDIA-PAKISTAN RELATIONS/ WAR AGAINST TERRORISM -------------- -- ¶2. "PAKISTAN IN GRIP OF TALIBAN" editorial in the February 25, 2009, Mumbai edition of centrist Marathi daily SAKAL. "The ceasefire that the Pakistan government and the Taliban have arrived at has put the global war against terror on the wrong footing. Pakistan is justifying this truce by saying that it is trying to alienate the Taliban from Al-Qaeda. But these claims are really false, as all that Pakistan has done is release its army from constant fighting. Whether its army was wholeheartedly fighting the cause or not is a big question. Under American pressure t seemed as if the Pakistani army was fighting with borrowed motivation. But it was too difficult for them to face the Tehrik-E- Taliban in Pakistan. So by enforcing sharia law in the region, the Pakistan government has done nothing exceptional. The law was already in force and Taliban gangs were calling the shots in the area well before the Pakistan Government took these steps. ¶3. "THE PHASE OF ADMISSIONS!" editorial in the February 25, 2009 multi-edition right-of-center Gujarati daily GUJARAT SAMACHAR. "The Mumbai terror episode now seems to have entered the phase of admissions. After Pakistan, another Indian neighbor, Bangladesh, has admitted that terrorists might have used its soil in the planning stages. However, the question the Indian investigating agencies seem to ignore is: did the 11/26 perpetrators NEW DELHI 00000351 002 OF 002 also receive local help? While it is known that both Pakistan and Bangladesh have become sanctuaries for terrorists, the Indian government needs to admit that these attacks happened primarily because of our own weak security apparatus. Our leaders display their expertise in carrying forward the dialogue with Pakistan, but surrender to Pakistan's whims when it comes to taking stringent measures against terrorists to secure the lives of innocent civilians. Mere admission by Pakistan or Bangladesh won't make much difference until our own government accepts the moral responsibility for such vicious crimes and adopts a tough approach in bringing the guilty to justice." WHITE