MEDIA REACTION: TERRORISM/LAHORE ATTACKS,

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 NEW DELHI 000662

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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: TERRORISM/LAHORE ATTACKS,
AFGHANISTAN/PAKISTAN,G-20 SUMMIT; 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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TERRORISM/ LAHORE ATTACKS
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1. "BLOOD ALL AROUND", editorial in April 2 right-of-
center Urdu daily HAMARA SAMAJ: "As was expected, the
conspiracy behind the terrorist attack on the police
training academy in Lahore was unearthed. Baitullah
Mehsood, the leader of the Taliban, was said to have
owned up to the attacks in a conversation with the BBC.
The extremists led by Mehsood have their headquarters in
the tribal areas of Baluchistan, and dominate some of the
tribal areas on the border with Afghanistan. It is
important to remind ourselves that AMERICA has lost the
ground battle against Iraq and Afghanistan. History
speaks for itself: no force, however big, has ever been
able to defeat Afghanistan. The primary reason is the
tough terrain and uneven topography; the attacker himself
tends to suffer more in a bombardment. The other reason
could be that the ground supply line of the Afghans has
not been interrupted. No one has been able to break it so
far. Britain, one of the most powerful countries to fight
in Afghanistan, also returned empty-handed."

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AFGHANISTAN/PAKISTAN
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2. "BAITULLAH'S THREAT," editorial in April 2 RASHTRIYA
SAHARA Hindi daily: "Pakistan Taliban leader Baitullah
Mehsud's threat to attack the U.S. demonstrates the
Taliban's enhanced boldness, despite the U.S. announcing
a $5 million bounty on his head. It is difficult to say
how real the threat will turn out to be, but action on
these threats in Pakistan is very much possible. The U.S.
also admits the increased military competence of the
Taliban. The attacks could intensify in Pakistan's tribal
areas, after the announcement of President Obama's Af-Pak
strategy to wipe out Al Qaeda and Taliban. This new Laden
will try to step up attacks, since the Pakistan
Government supports the U.S. It is not difficult to
imagine the consequences. Obama has said that Pakistan
will have to take help from other countries because
defeating terrorist groups is not easy."


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G-20 SUMMIT
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4. "PAKISTAN TERROR: INDIA NEEDS TO ACT," editorial in
the April 3 pro-BJP Kolkata Bengali daily, BARTAMAN: "The
truth is that both Britain and AMERICA want to interfere
with the Kashmir issue. They are sympathetic to Pakistan
in order to fulfill their own political agenda. Pakistan
takes advantage of this. However, AMERICA and Britain

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have become friendly to India due to the threat of
terrorism ... Indian leaders now must take stern measures
against (Pakistan's) state-sponsored terrorism in order
to protect national security."


6. "ONE MORE BOOSTER DOSE FOR A WORLD AILING UNDER
RECESSION" editorial in the April 3, 2009 multi-edition
centrist Gujarati daily DIVYA BHASKAR. "The world's
superpower economies... have now decided to inject one
trillion dollars into the global financial system to
resurrect ebbing economies. However, this effort will
only bear fruit if it promotes trade and commerce between
nations. For this to happen, the developed nations will
have to open their markets. The Indian Prime Minister's
hint to developed nations to shun protectionist attitudes
assumes significance in this light... one hopes that global
efforts will prove positive..."
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