MEDIA REACTION: PAKISTAN, U.S. FOREIGN POLICY,

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 NEW DELHI 000447

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USDOC FOR 4530/IEP/ANESA/OSA FOR BILL MURPHY

E.O. 12958:N/A
TAGS: KMDR KPAO PGOV PREL IN
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION: PAKISTAN, U.S. FOREIGN POLICY,
PRESIDENT OBAMA'S FIRST BUDGET; NEW DELHI - MARCH 7-9,

2009.

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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PAKISTAN
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1. "BIG MISTAKE," op-ed in March 8 DAINIK JAGRAN Hindi
daily by strategic affairs specialist K. Subrahmanyam:
"The terrorist attack on the Lankan cricket team came as
the biggest shock for Pakistanis. Pakistan is paying a
heavy price for its mistake. The same terrorists whom it
created and supported have turned against it and
challenged its government. On the other hand, U.S. is
continually launching missile attacks in the tribal
areas. America has also warned that Pakistan will get
U.S. aid only if its army will take effective actions
against jihadis. If Pakistan, actually, wants to get rid
of terrorism, it will have to confront the jihadi
organizations. The U.S. claims to have tapped General
Kiyani saying on phone that the Taliban is Pakistan's
strategic possession. Thus, America also does not trust
it. The Lahore incident shows that the jihadis do not
even care about the public opinion and want to violently
impose their Islamic belief on Pakistan."


2. "PAKISTAN RUNNING AWAY FROM TRUTH," editorial in March
7 DAINIK JAGRAN Hindi daily: "With Pakistani newspapers
themselves blasting the Zardari government for turning a
blind eye to the truth, there are no doubts left about
its worthlessness. After Mumbai the recent terrorist
attack on the Lankan cricketers in Lahore is sufficient
to prove that terrorists have the government's support at
some level. Zardari has failed to combat terrorism and
trusting the Pakistani army means fooling yourself.
Merely expressing concern is not enough! The
international community needs to put pressure from all
fronts on Pakistan to get its government and the army on
the right track. The liberal section of the Pakistani
society, which wants to see the terrorists defeated,
needs to be strengthened to save Pakistan. Pakistan is
trying to divert attention by presenting itself as a
victim of its own created terrorism."


3. "ANARCHIC NATION," editorial in March 7 NAVBHARAT
TIMES Hindi daily: "Pakistan is on the verge of collapse,
but its rulers refuse to accept it. The Lahore terrorist
attack on the Lankan cricketers has shown that the
situation over there is much more serious than expected.
The government may say anything, but its helplessness is
pretty evident at every step... In fact, in Pakistan there
are many centers of power, which have a lot of
differences among them. The democratic forces are busy
weakening each other instead of fighting together against
the extremists. The common belief about Pakistan is that
if the anarchy intensifies the army can again come in
power. But, the lower level of the army has a lot of
Jihadi influence. If the radicals somehow come in power,

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2009.

a fraction of army could also turn treacherous. Now, the
only way out is that the democratic forces should forget
their differences and should stand firm, taking people in
confidence, against fanatics."


4. "MUSHARRAF LEARNS THE RIGHT LESSON IN INDIA" editorial
in the March 9, 2009, Mumbai edition of left-of-center
Marathi daily LOKSATTA. "Immediately after Pakistan's
former President Pervez Musharraf called for an end to
'atrocities' against Muslims in India, Maulana Asad
Madani (a Muslim cleric and a member of India's
parliament) asked Gen Musharraf to leave Muslims in
India alone, as they were capable of solving their own
problems. Musharraf, in New Delhi addressing a conclave,
said alienation of minorities in India was leading to
terrorism and that core disputes like the Kashmir issue
need to be urgently settled by the Indian political
leadership. There was nothing new in what Musharraf
said.... He reiterated that terrorist outfits like Jaish-
e-Mohammed and Lashkar-e-Toiba had come into being
because of their sympathies for the Kashmiri people.
While Musharraf's remarks are not surprising, but what
came as a pleasant surprise was Maulana Madani's straight
advice to Musharraf not to instigate Indian Muslims..."

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U.S. FOREIGN POLICY
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5. "AMERICA'S CORRUPT FOREIGN POLICY" editorial in the
March 9, 2009 Mumbai-based right-of-center Gujarati daily
MUMBAI SAMCHAR. "After the 9/11 attacks, America had
declared that any nation sheltering and/or nurturing
terrorists shall not be spared. However, the present
U.S. President and the Secretary of State seem to have
forgotten this statement.... Pakistan has become
synonymous with epicenter of terrorism and is on the
verge of being a failed state. Despite this, it is
surprising to learn that it continues to receive American
aid.... It is surprising that Obama, who had threatened to
carry out missile attacks on terrorist hideouts in
Pakistan, did not bother to act when the Swat region in
Pakistan was taken over by the Taliban ultras.... There
are large numbers of Taliban sympathizers in Pakistan's
army itself.... Has anyone raised questions about the
utilization of 71 billion dollars that Pakistan has
received until NOW from America? Has America benefited
from this? If America doesn't introspect, it won't be
surprising to see America and its citizens bearing the
ill effects of its foreign policy tilted in favor of
Pakistan ...."

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PRESIDENT OBAMA'S FIRST BUDGET
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6. "THE NEW 'NEW DEAL'?" editorial in the March 7
independent Kolkata Bengali daily, ANANDABAZAR PATRIKA.
"President Barack Hussein Obama's first budget proposals
are clearly different from that of his predecessor George

NEW DELHI 00000447 003 OF 003


2009.

Bush. The first difference is probably in the honesty of
the budget. During Bush's regime the characteristics of
his budget proposals were intentional suppression of some
inevitable expenses. Obama did not tread along that path.
His budget shows deficits clearly ... Obama's decisions
are significant at this hour of crisis. Democrat Obama's
budget brings back memories of the 'New Deal' ... Today's
rich community principally banks on the financial market.
So, the rich community has been more impacted by the
current financial crisis as compared to the great
depression. It is important that the policy of tax
collection reflects this reality."
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