MEDIA REACTION: INDIA-PAKISTAN RELATIONS, MIDDLE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 NEW DELHI 000074 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: INDIA-PAKISTAN RELATIONS, MIDDLE EAST CRISIS; 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. -------------- INDIA-PAKISTAN RELATIONS -------------- ¶1. "WAR NOT AN OPTION," op-ed in the January 13 NAVBHARAT TIMES Hindi daily by Joginder Singh, former director of India's Central Bureau of Investigation: "Addressing chief ministers of Indian states, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh recently conceded that the defense mechanisms to thwart terror threats were inadequate, and a great deal more needed to be done to strengthen intelligence, surveillance and police capabilities. Our problems are compounded by the fact that we have a highly unpredictable and uncertain security environment in our immediate neighborhood. The Governments in some of our neighboring countries are very fragile in nature. The more fragile a Government, the more it tends to act in an irresponsible fashion. Pakistan's responses to our various demarches on terrorist attacks are an obvious example. Some people will say you that there is no option, but war. No doubt talking of war makes people sit up and listen, and it gets the international community activated, but war is no solution. Afghanistan and Iraq show why war is a bad option. One option is to strengthen our defenses. India is lackadaisical on this front. We have to tighten our internal security. Instead of thinking of striking militant camps in Pakistan, we should create an internal security structure that acts as a solid defense against terrorism." ¶2. "ROOTS OF JIHADI TERROR," op-ed in the January 13 DAINIK JAGRAN Hindi daily by right-wing economic columnist Bharat Jhunjhunwala: "The roots of jihadi terrorism -- the kind that Pakistan is exporting to the world -- lie also in the economic situation of the country. PM Jawaharlal Nehru liberated India from feudal land owners, but Pakistani society continues to be under feudal control even today. Rich landowners and the feudal class control the reins of society. This class has the support of the Pakistani Army, and together they support the U.S. For its part, the U.S. propped up and supported this unholy duo to check the Taliban and India's influence. This class of people facilitated the entry of American multinationals into Pakistan. The Pakistani Army helped the US establish a free market economy in Pakistan, but under this free market economy the people of Pakistan were looted. The common man in Pakistan blames the U.S. for the sad state of the country. This discontent has fuelled Jihad in Pakistan.... India must attempt to break this nexus between the ruling classes of Pakistan and the U.S." ¶3. "WAITING, INSTEAD OF MOUNTING PRESSURE, IS DELHI'S NEW STRATEGY" Own Correspondent's analysis in the January 14 nationalist Kolkata Bengali ANANDABAZAR PATRIKA. "No change is being effected in the policy to corner Pakistan NEW DELHI 00000074 002 OF 003 on the question of combating terrorism, but for the time being India is altering its strategy for a limited period. Delhi wants to wait because fundamentalist forces may raise their head again if there is increasing pressure on the political leadership in Pakistan... Delhi wants to see how Pakistan reacts. It is the contention of the top leadership in India that the entire package of proof and evidence on the Mumbai massacre is open not only before Pakistan but also the entire world. Under these circumstances, let the rest of the world ask Pakistan to take credible steps to curb terrorism...." ¶4. "U.S. Double Face," editorial in the January 6 Cuttuck Oriya daily SAMAJA. "The U.S. is speaking in a different voice about Pakistan extraditing Mumbai 26/11 terrorists to India. The Bush Administration's decision not to press the matter because there is no extradition treaty between India and Pakistan provides strong diplomatic leverage to Pakistan. India has not only unduly delayed deciding its course of action in the wake of 26/11 terrorism, it has blundered by unduly relying on the U.S. America has its interests elsewhere, and it is natural that it will secure its position before helping a third party. America is well aware that terror attacks on India are not something new, something the Pakistani government does not know about. That's why it will not act against terrorists despite irrefutable proof. India had an opportunity to act. It has squandered it by its excessive reliance on the U.S." -------------- MIDDLE EAST CRISIS -------------- ¶5. "GAZA SHALL BURN!" editorial in January 13 right-of- center Urdu daily "HAMARA SAMAJ", New Delhi: "If Gaza is separated from the map of Palestine, it shall disintegrate into three parts, as per the plan envisaged by Israel. One of these parts shall go with Jordan, the second shall become a part of Egypt, and the remaining larger section shall be under the possession of Israel. This is part of the larger conspiracy in accordance with which Israel is breaking all previous records of tyranny & barbarism in Palestine. Of course, in such a situation, why would Egypt be close down the terrorism being perpetuated by Israel, and the seemingly endless process of ethnic cleansing going on in Palestine? For Jordan as well, the idea that war clouds over Gaza should clear and Jordan should lose its war booty is certainly not on the priority list. No efforts at bringing a ceasefire will be successful until all the three players come under one umbrella." ¶6. "HOW THICK IS THE PACHYDERM?", editorial in January 13 right-of-center Urdu daily "HINDUSTAN EXPRESS", New Delhi: "It is indeed highly shameful and disgraceful that certain Arab leaders are working on a plan, crafted by America, to disintegrate Palestine and finish off what little existence it has on the map of the world. The plan would hand over Jerusalem (Baitul Muqaddas) to Israel, the Gaza Strip to Egypt, and the West Bank to Jordan. On NEW DELHI 00000074 003 OF 003 the other hand, the Arab League has called for a conference on the 19th-20th of this month to discuss the present impasse in the Gaza Strip. It's as if the leaders of the Arab League still don't see the seriousness of the situation. They still have not considered putting their heads together and doing something about it. Now we can very well imagine how deadly the ongoing war is, which seems to threaten the very existence of Palestine." ¶7. "THEN HOW WOULD TERRORISM VANISH FROM THE PLANET?", editorial in January 12 right-of-center Urdu daily "URDU TIMES", Mumbai: "If the so-called superpower America continues to extend support to Israel instead of Palestine, how can terrorism be wiped off the face of the planet? Every action is followed by a reaction. Israel is targeting the innocent and helpless populace of Palestine in the name of hunting for Hamas fighters. In order to compensate for their misdeeds against Germans, the United States and other western countries hold the Jews above the poor people of Palestine. Following the formation of the state of Israel, all kinds of assistance and support have been extended to it. It has been empowered with the latest technologies and weapons. In other words, a handful of Jews in the form of Israel have been made the goons of the Arabian Gulf, and keep on intimidating their neighbors. Leave aside the women and children, even the corpses of the men folk seem to ask the world, how can peace and stability come in the midst of such injustice?" MULFORD