MEDIA REACTION: PAKISTAN: TALIBAN INTERNAL

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 NEW DELHI 000936 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: TALIBAN INTERNAL INFLUENCE, AFGHANISTAN-PAKISTAN, AFGHANISTAN, NON- PROLIFERATION, U.S. ECONOMY; 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: TALIBAN INTERNAL INFLUENCE -------------- ¶1. "FIGHTING THE ENEMY OF THE WORLD," editorial in May 8 centrist Marathi daily LOKMAT. "Pakistan is involved in one of the worst and most violent confrontations with the Taliban. This is the time when the Pakistani government needs the support of the entire global community. The leadership in Pakistan is not above board. It has perennially used insurgent and terrorist outfits to gain short-term advantages." ¶2. "VOLATILE PAKISTAN," editorial in May 8 left-of-center Assamese daily ASAMIYA PRATIDIN: "Had Pakistan taken a strong stand against the radical forces during the Taliban's fall in Afghanistan, it could have avoided the current situation... Although the U.S. has kept up the pressure on Pakistan, the international community is still not sure of the safety of its nuclear weapons. For, Pakistan's assurance has failed to convince them." -------------- AFGHANISTAN-PAKISTAN -------------- ¶3. "OBAMA MAKING SAME MISTAKE," commentary in May 7 right-of-center DAINIK JAGRAN Hindi daily by strategic affairs expert Brahma Chellaney: "Obama's Af-Pak strategy inspires little confidence. Showering money on Pakistan is a folly. The U.S. military can never win in Afghanistan without first dismantling the Pakistan military's sanctuaries and sustenance infrastructure for the Taliban and other state-reared terrorist groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Muhammad. Bush's national security adviser Stephen Hadley himself admitted that you can't solve Afghanistan without solving Pakistan." -------------- AFGHANISTAN -------------- ¶4. "SOFT TARGET OF AMERICAN FORCES," editorial in May 8 right-of-center Urdu daily HINDUSTAN EXPRESS: "The brutal massacre of innocent civilians, including women and children, by American forces in Afghanistan May 5 has surpassed the barbarity of the Mongols. America itself is announcing an enquiry to wipe off the blood of innocents from its hands. Such incursions are not the outcome of any misunderstanding or mistake. They are, in fact, part of a pre-conceived U.S. strategy in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan. How long will humanity remain a mute spectator? -------------- NON-PROLIFERATION NEW DELHI 00000936 002 OF 002 -------------- ¶5. "NPT AND INDIA," editorial in May 7 centrist NAVBHARAT TIMES Hindi daily: "Before mentioning India in his statements on nuclear non-proliferation, President Obama should have given it a thought. India is only opposed to the NPT's discriminatory structure. India has repeatedly proposed nuclear disarmament, but the nuclear nations have ignored it. The U.S. itself has not ratified the CTBT till date. U.S. Presidents should realize that the days of heads I win, tails you lose-type diplomacy are now over." -------------- U.S. ECONOMY -------------- ¶6. "AMERICA RENDERS ONE MILLION INDIANS JOBLESS," editorial in May 8 centrist Gujarati daily GUJARATMITRA: "With his 'bye bye Bangalore, hello Buffalo' statement, President Obama has delivered on his campaign promise of withdrawing tax benefits to American companies outsourcing their jobs. The IT sector in Bangalore, and thereby one million Indians, will bear the brunt of this decision... But MNCs appreciate Indian talent. Eventually they will be back." BURLEIGH