MEDIA REACTION: PAKISTAN, UNITED STATES,

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 NEW DELHI 000528

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, UNITED STATES,
PALESTINE/ISRAEL, HUNT FOR OSAMA BIN LADEN; 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.

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PAKISTAN
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1. "GOOD TERRORISTS, BAD TERRORISTS," op-ed article in
March 19 right-of-center DAINIK JAGRAN Hindi daily by
strategic expert Brahma Chellaney: "The Obama
administration's strategy to separate a majority of
insurgent commanders from the hard core of the Taliban is
flawed. America is about to repeat its original sin -
that of creating the Taliban, and thereby giving birth to
Islamic jihadi terrorism. Obama does not want his term to
be equated with that of Bush, and is desperate to score
some successes in Afghanistan. Today's jihadi terrorism
is a result of the wrongheaded policies of the Ronald
Reagan era. Once again, the U.S. is out to make the same
mistakes."


2. "COUNTRY WITH TOO MANY POWER CENTERS," op-ed article
in March 19 DAINIK JAGRAN Hindi daily by political
columnist Mahip Singh: "All of Pakistan's leaders over
the years have either been killed or deposed in a
disgraceful manner. Mohammad Ali Jinnah created Pakistan,
but he could not set up a system which encourages
democratic values. Who is the supreme authority in
Pakistan -- the President, the Prime Minister or the Army
Chief? The real problem is that there are too many power
centers in Pakistan."


3. "TURMOIL IN PAKISTAN" editorial in March 20 Guwahati
Assamese left-of-center ASAMIYA PRATIDIN: "Turmoil may
return to Pakistan unless fundamentalist elements are
completely eliminated. These forces are backing Nawaz
Sharif because they want to keep the government on edge.
Some political parties playing into the hands of the
Taliban have made the situation more complicated... the
growing power of the Taliban and Al Qaeda in Pakistan and
Afghanistan is a major security threat for India."


4. "TALIBANIZATION OF PAKISTAN: CHALLENGE FOR INDIA" op-
ed article by columnist Anil Athalye in March 20 Marathi
daily MAHARASHTRA TIMES. "As the Pakistan drama unfolds
further, the whole of South Asia -- and India in
particular -- will be at the receiving end of the growing
Talibanization of an immediate neighbor. The Pakistan
government's recent pact with the Taliban (in the Swat
region) is a dangerous development for India - much more
than the 26/11 terrorist plot hatched on Pakistani soil.
The pact is like an official announcement of the entry of
the dreaded Taliban into Pakistan's mainstream politics..."

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UNITED STATES
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5. "OBAMA, TAKE [CORRECTIVE] STEPS," editorial in March

NEW DELHI 00000528 002 OF 002


20 right-of-center Gujarati daily GUJARAT SAMACHAR: "It
was widely perceived that Obama would adopt stringent
measures against Pakistan in America's fight against
terrorism. On the contrary, Obama's approach of providing
aid to Pakistan to enable the latter to fight terrorism
has come as a complete surprise. America needs to
understand that the Taliban and Al Qaeda have taken
control of border areas in Pakistan, and that people
there consider America enemy number one. America will
have to pay dearly if it continues this policy vis-`-vis
Pakistan."

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PALESTINE / ISRAEL
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6. "THESE ARE MUSLIMS!" editorial in March 19 right-of-
center Urdu daily URDU TIMES: "Egypt has learned a lesson
neither from Lebanon nor from Gaza. Instead of patting
Hezbollah on the back, Egypt thought it necessary to
console Israel. It started supplying an additional 12
billion square meters of natural gas annually to the
illegal and tyrant Zionist state, and that too almost
free of cost. Egypt has assured the Zionist state it will
continue this favor. Egypt has perpetrated another
brutality by closing the hidden routes along the Gaza
border through which help and support was continued to
some extent."

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HUNT FOR OSAMA BIN LADEN
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7. "OSAMA ALIVE!" editorial in March 19 right-of-center
Urdu daily HAMARA SAMAJ: "The U.S. wants Osama binLaden,
and the Al-Arabia TV channel is helping the U.S. by
keeping Osama in the news. During the upcoming
Afghanistan elections, the U.S. may take advantage of
recent reports that bin Laden is present in the Chitral
valley of Pakistan. It would be better for America to
liberate Afghanistan. Independent Afghans may prove good
friends of the U.S."
WHITE