Identifier
Created
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10ISLAMABAD282
2010-02-04 10:18:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Islamabad
Cable title:  

PAKISTAN MEDIA REACTION: FEBRUARY 04, 2010

Tags:  KMDR KPAO OIIP OPRC PGOV PREL PK 
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E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KMDR KPAO OIIP OPRC PGOV PREL PK
SUBJECT: PAKISTAN MEDIA REACTION: FEBRUARY 04, 2010

SUMMARY: Coverage of the terrorist attack in Lower Dir that killed
three U.S. soldiers dominated front pages in all newspapers on
Thursday. Reports included official statements by the U.S. Embassy
and Special Representative Holbrooke. Newspapers published the
Taliban's statement claiming responsibility for the attack and
alleging that the "Americans killed were members of the Blackwater
group." The English daily, "The News," noted that the three
American soldiers "were part of [a] 100-strong commando
unit,...which has been training the Pakistani Frontier Corps."
Reports of the conviction of Dr. Aafia Siddiqui also made front-page
news, including a comment in the "The Nation" by Shireen Mizari
blaming "the vindictive mindset of the U.S. public post-9/11" and
"the Pakistani state and government" for its complicity in what she
termed a "judicial farce." All newspapers highlighted remarks by the
Director of U.S. National Intelligence Dennis Blair that "Al Qaeda
is poised to attempt an attack on the United States within three to
six months." Dailies also reported U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency
director, Lt-Gen Ronald Burgess's statement expressing confidence in
Pakistan's ability to safeguard its nuclear arsenal, "though
vulnerabilities exist." General Petraeus's support for Pakistan's
efforts to reach out to the Afghan Taliban also received wide
coverage. Other morning headlines included Chief of Army Staff
General Kayani's statement that the "ISI is not playing a double
game in the war on terror," and reports that security forces killed
15 militants in Bajaur. Minister Counselor for Public Affairs, Larry
Schwartz's address to information officers at the Public Service
Academy also received coverage in Thursday's papers. End Summary.

TOP STORIES

News Story: Dir attack Kills U.S. Troops, Schoolgirls - "Dawn"
(02/04)

"Three American soldiers were among eight people killed in a suicide
attack in Lower Dir district on Wednesday. It is the first time U.S.
soldiers have been killed in the tribal region, near the Afghan
border, in an attack that drew attention towards a little-known
program involving the U.S. army training Frontier Corps personnel, a

senior security official said."

News Story: Pakistan And U.S. Condemn Bombing - "Dawn," "Jang,"
"Nawa-i-Waqt," "Express," "Khabrain," "Aaj-Kal," "Islam," "Ausaf,"
"Jinnah," "Pakistan," "Mashriq" (02/04)

"The Foreign Office (FO) and the U.S. on Wednesday condemned the
attack in Lower Dir that killed three American soldiers, an FC
personnel, four schoolgirls and another person. The White House said
President Barack Obama condemned the attack that killed innocent
schoolgirls. Meanwhile, a spokesman for the U.S. embassy in
Islamabad said the carnage 'shows the vision of the terrorists ...
the U.S. and Pakistan are partners in fighting terrorism.'
Separately, U.S. envoy Richard Holbrooke also condemned the attack,
and said the U.S. soldiers appeared not to have been directly
targeted,' and denied Taliban charges they worked for Blackwater."

News Story: Taliban Claim Responsibility For Suicide Bombing: Dir
Attack Kills U.S. Troops, Schoolgirls - "Dawn" (02/04)

"Three American soldiers were among eight people killed in a suicide
attack in Lower Dir district on Wednesday.... According to AFP news
agency, the Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack and
alleged that the dead Americans belonged to U.S. security company
Blackwater Worldwide, now known as Xe. Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan
spokesman Azam Tariq said in a call from an unspecified place."

News Story: Killed Americans Were Part Of 100-Strong Commando Unit
"The News" (02/04)

"The three U.S. soldiers who lost their lives on Wednesday in a
school bombing incident in Dir Lower were members of the Army
Special Forces, which has been training the Frontier Corps to
improve its intelligence and combat tactics to effectively fight
al-Qaeda and the Taliban insurgents in the Pak-Afghan tribal belt."


News Story: Jury Finds Aafia Guilty - "Dawn" (02/04)

"Aafia Siddiqui, the Pakistani neuroscientist, was found guilty of
attempted murder charges on all seven counts listed in the complaint
against her. She was tried on charges of trying to kill American
soldiers in Afghanistan on July 28, 2008."

Comments: Cycle Of Injustice Complete, by Shireen M. Mazari - "The
Nation" (02/04)

"The New York jury's decision finding Dr. Aafia guilty on seven
charges did not really surprise anyone familiar with the vindictive
mindset of the U.S. public post-9/11. Yet as the trial progressed,
some hope seemed to appear since most of the crucial evidence
against her proved false or confused. There were no fingerprints on
the gun allegedly used on the U.S. soldiers for instance. Other
accusations also proved inconsistent so one thought that perhaps the
U.S. citizens on the jury would not show the bias and bigotry shown
to so many Muslims in the U.S. post-9/11. But alas that was not to
be. Despite serious doubts about the evidence - the most obvious one
being her weak physical frame, which would never have allowed her to
snatch the heavy gun and target the U.S. soldier -the jury convicted
her. But the main issue is that the Pakistani state and government
were complicit in this judicial farce."

News Story: Al Qaeda Attack On U.S. In Three To Six Months - "Dawn"
(02/04)

"Al Qaeda is poised to attempt an attack on the United States within
three to six months, America's top intelligence officials have
warned Congress. The intelligence chiefs also warned that militant
groups in Pakistan were coordinating their attacks with Al Qaeda,
which had led to an increase in terrorist attacks inside Pakistan as
well as rising concerns the groups might expand their ambitions to
attack outside Pakistan. Director of U.S. National Intelligence
Dennis C. Blair told the Senate Intelligence Committee that Al Qaeda
and its affiliates had made it a high priority to attempt a
large-scale attack on American soil."

News Story: Army Serious About Security - "Dawn," "Daily Times"
(02/04)

"Pakistan's military knows there will be 'catastrophic consequences,
primarily for Pakistan," if any of its nuclear bombs falls into the
wrong hands, the top U.S. Intelligence Chief said on Wednesday.
Director of National Intelligence Dennis Blair's comments came one
day after another top U.S. national security official told the
Senate Intelligence Committee that 'vulnerabilities exist' in
Pakistan's nuclear safeguards."

News Story: Pakistani N-Arsenal Safe But Vulnerable: U.S. - "Dawn"
(02/04)

"The United States believes Pakistan can protect its nuclear weapons
but vulnerabilities remain, according to the director of the U.S.
Defence Intelligence Agency. Lt-Gen Ronald Burgess told the U.S.
Senate Intelligence Committee that the Pakistani government and the
military establishment both came under repeated pressure from the
Taliban extremists last year, including an attack on the army
headquarters."

News Story: Petraeus Backs Pakistan's 'Constructive Involvement' -
"Dawn," "Daily Times" (02/04)

"U.S. General David Petraeus voiced support for Pakistan's
'constructive involvement' in reaching out to Afghan Taliban to
encourage reconciliation, saying its past ties to militants could
prove helpful. But the head of U.S. Central Command, who is
overseeing a surge of 30,000 additional U.S. forces into
Afghanistan, cautioned in an interview that prospects for
reconciliation among senior leaders were slight, at least for now."


News Story: ISI Not Playing Double Game: Kayani - "Daily Times"
(02/04)

"Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Ashfaq Kayani has strongly
rejected allegations that Pakistan's premier intelligence agency -
the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) - is pursuing double standards
in the war on terror, reported a private TV channel on Wednesday.
Addressing senior journalists in Kakool, Gen. Kayani said that
Pakistan Army had made more sacrifices than the coalition forces in
the war on terrorism. He said Pakistan and the U.S. had 'different
long-term goals' in Afghanistan."

News Story: Fifteen Militants Killed In Bajaur - "Dawn" (02/04)
"Troops supported by planes and helicopter gunships mounted fresh
attacks in Bajaur and killed 15 militants on Wednesday, sources
said."

NRO Pakistan's Internal Issue: Larry Schwartz - "Express" (02/04)

"Larry Schwartz, the Public Affairs Officer of the U.S. Embassy in
Islamabad, has said that the National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO)
is Pakistan's internal issue therefore he would not comment on it.
He said that different institutions have different opinions
regarding the NRO. Larry added that the United States wants to see
democratic stability in Pakistan and would continue its full
cooperation with the present government. He urged the Pakistani
people to undertake the task of leveling global opinion about their
country. Speaking to Information Officers at the Public Service
Academy, the U.S. diplomat said that in the perspective of the
future importance of Asia, it is the need of the hour that Pakistan
be introduced as a powerful country."

TERRORISM/MILITARY ISSUES

News Story: U.S. Takes Torture Claims Seriously - "Dawn," "Daily
Times" (02/04)

"The U.S. State Department has said it would raise with Islamabad
the claim by five American nationals, apprehended last year in
Sargodha, that they were tortured by Pakistani agencies. 'We take
seriously all reports of abuse and torture and will raise such
allegations with the government of Pakistan,' a statement issued by
the department said."

News Story: Coalition Troops Brace For Biggest Offensive Since Start
Of Afghan War - "Daily Times" (02/04)

"The U.S.-led coalition troops are planning their biggest joint
offensive since the beginning of the Afghan war, officers said on
Wednesday. They are aiming to target a town in the south of
Afghanistan, which is not only considered a Taliban stronghold but
also a hub of their lucrative opium trade. Due to security reasons,
no exact date for the launch of the offensive has been released as
yet but U.S. Commanders have said they plan to capture the town of
Marjah, 380 miles southwest of Kabul during this winter."

News Story: NATO Planes Violate Pak Airspace - "The Nation" (02/04)


"The NATO fighter planes reportedly violated Pakistan's airspace for
almost thirty minutes in the Zhob district, some 300 kilometers away
from Quetta, on Pak-Afghan border on Wednesday, according to
sources."

News Story: Govt. to Wipe Out Extremism: Qureshi - "The News"
(02/04)

"Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi on Wednesday reaffirmed the
government's commitment to wipe out the menace of extremism and
terrorism from the country. He, however, said there is a need to win
the hearts and minds of the people to completely overcome the
menace."

News Story: Hakeemullah May Have Survived Drone Attack: Official -
"Dawn" (02/04)

"A senior government functionary has told 'DawnNews' on condition of
anonymity that Hakeemullah Mehsud may have survived a drone strike.
The government has not officially confirmed the speculations about
his death."

POLITICAL ISSUES

News Story: Senate Asked To Debate U.S. Strikes, Karachi Killings -
"Dawn" (02/04)

"Two adjournment motions were submitted in the Senate on Wednesday,
seeking debate on recent target killings in Karachi and Tuesday's
U.S. drone strikes in North Waziristan. These were submitted by
three Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) senators - Prof Khurshid Ahmad, Prof
Mohammad Ibrahim Khan and Aafia Zia."

News Story: Kayani Spells Out Threat Posed By Indian Doctrine -
"Dawn" (02/04)

"While the Pakistan Army is alert to and fighting the threat posed
by militancy, it remains an "India-centric" institution and that
reality will not change in any significant way until the Kashmir
issue and water disputes are resolved, according to Army Chief Gen.
Kayani."

ECONOMY/ENVIRONMENT

News Story: NGOs Allowed In Conflict Zones After Scrutiny - "Dawn"
(02/04)

"The government has been issuing no-objection certificates to
non-governmental organizations for working in conflict-affected
districts after strict scrutiny to ensure that peace is maintained
there, sources said. The sources said 65 NGOs were working in
health, education, water and sanitation and other sectors in Swat.
Most of these organizations, they said, had signed agreements with
government departments for completion of certain projects over a
period of time."

MISCELLANEOUS

News Story: Ahmadinejad To Visit Pakistan - "The News" (02/04)

"Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad will soon visit Pakistan to
develop a joint action plan to boost bilateral ties and strengthen
tripartite contracts with Afghanistan on security issues, Iranian
Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki told visiting Pakistani
journalists."

EDITORIALS/OPINIONS

Editorial: U.S. Furious On Pakistan's Refusal, an editorial in the
Peshawar-based Urdu-language daily "Mashriq" (cir. 55,000) (02/04)

"On the one hand, the U.S. wants to politically engage the Afghan
Taliban while, on the other, it has increased the frequency of drone
attacks in North Waziristan which implies that Washington is working
on an agenda to pitch the tribal people against the Pakistan Army,
which has refused to open a new front in this area. This
contradiction in the U.S. policy casts doubts on the war against
terrorism. Moreover, the U.S. has also refused to give drone
technology to Pakistan and is using this weapon ungrudgingly against
the innocent people of North Waziristan with an aim to increase
pressure on Pakistan. The government needs to unequivocally ask the
U.S. to stop these attacks."

Editorial: Death & Confusion, an editorial in the populist, often
sensational national English daily "The News" (cir. 55,000) (02/04)

"The bomb blast that has killed at least nine people in Lower Dir
and injured perhaps 100 others - most of them schoolgirls -- could
be the first in what some security experts have warned may be
retaliatory action following the possible death of Hakimullah
Mehsud. Three foreign nationals were reported killed.... Tragic as
the loss of young life is, we wonder why 'U.S. army trainers' were
present at the inaugural ceremony of a girls' school that had
apparently been built by our own armed forces after the previous
school had been demolished. It may also be wondered how the
terrorists were able to place their IED - reportedly of 70kg, a very
large device.... It is obvious that the terrorists have no scruples
about attacking schools or other soft targets even though they are
aware that it is civilians who will die.... Continued bombings
detract from the confidence of the public at large that the Taliban
can be overcome."

Editorial: U.S. Drone Terrorism, an editorial in the center-right
national English daily "The Nation" (cir. 20,000) (02/04)

"The U.S. is raining drones on Pakistani soil with a vengeance. On
Tuesday alone the drones' death toll has reached 30.... The fallout
for Pakistan is dreadful, Not only does it show that the Pakistani
government is allowing its citizens to be killed by the U.S. on
Pakistani territory, it also creates more recruits for the
extremists and militants and makes the job of winning over the
tribals so as to isolate the hardcore militants that much more
difficult. It would appear that that is the U.S. insidious design
against Pakistan, since they also know that such strikes not only
add to the locals' resolve to fight the Americans, but they also
undermine the credibility of the Pakistan military and the state....
So, if the U.S. is not prepared to accept our demand and stop
violating our sovereignty with the drone attacks, then we need to
demonstrate intent and will through actions."

Editorial: Planned Increase In U.S. Drone Attacks, an editorial in
the center-right national English daily "The Nation" (cir. 20,000)
(02/04)

"According to reports emanating from Washington, the new U.S.
defence budget seeks more funds to enhance drone operations by 75%,
citing its success in targeting militants in Afghanistan and
Pakistan's tribal region.... Pakistan has repeatedly conveyed to
Washington that these attacks amount to undermining the sovereignty
of the country and these are counterproductive to the stated
objective of winning hearts and minds of the people, which is
necessary to achieve victory against war on terror. It is also
strange that on the one hand the United States is directly or
indirectly approaching Taliban for talks, facing domestic pressure
for bringing back Marines and is engaged in finalizing an exit
strategy but on the other hand it is planning to increase drone
attacks which would increase temperature both in Afghanistan and
Pakistan and mar chances for initiating any meaningful dialogue.
Unfortunately, President Obama has become a lackluster leader and
his policies are devoid of coherence and logic and these would lead
the U.S. to nowhere."

Editorial: Has America Been Given A License To Kill?, an editorial
in the second-largest, nationalist Urdu daily "Nawa-i-Waqt" (cir.
150,000) (02/04)

"American drones fired 18 missiles at five places in North
Waziristan killing 17 people and wounding many.... Pakistani rulers
are demanding the American administration for halting the done
attacks, but to no avail. The administration has rather intensified
the attacks. A better option for Pakistan is to start shooting down
drones like the tribal people have done. This missile strikes
campaign by America can be described as the target killing of
Pakistanis and Pakistani President and the Prime Minster should
lodge a strong protest with America. A mysterious silence by the
government of Pakistan and meek protest shows that the government
has given a license to kill to America."

Opinion: Afghanistan: At A Turning Point, an op-ed by General
(Retd) Mirza Aslam Beg in the center-right national English daily
"The Nation" (cir. 20,000) (02/04)

"Obama announced the New Strategy for Afghanistan, and "has come to
the determination through a series of deliberations, and getting a
strategy for how to go forward in Afghanistan" with the intention
'to finish the job.' He has thus ordered a surge of 30,000 troops,
increasing the total U.S. commitment to about 100,000, bolstered by
45,000 NATO troops.... On the face of it, this strategy is flawed,
because the 30,000 troops surge will not help win the war. Rather,
they would need 10 times more troops to achieve a semblance of
success. Since they cannot afford such a large mobilization of
troops, they can, at best maintain the no-win-situation, with 30,000
troops 'to hold the existing important population and communication
centers, while the air power will be used to flush-out the
Taliban.'... The United States of America and their allies are faced
with a situation in Afghanistan, similar to the one the Soviets
faced in 1989. Having suffered defeat, the Soviets asked for a safe
exit, which was provided by the Mujahideen and the Pakistan
government. Obama's new strategy in fact, is a veiled request for
their safe exit. "It is a gamble. The price of victory will be high
and the price of failure is incalculable" (Simon Tisdold)."

Opinion: Taliban Take On The U.State' Surge, an op-ed by Syed Saleem
Shahzad in the Peshawar-based independent regional daily "The
Statesman" (cir. 3,000) (02/04)

"In an effort to get the dialogue process back on track, the U.S. is
considering the Taliban's demand on stopping the troop surge in
Afghanistan, with the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan lined up to
work out an arrangement that would keep the Taliban and al-Qaeda
under control in any U.S. exit plan. Should the U.S. agree to the
Taliban demands, there is no guarantee that the Taliban would stick
to their word. This is the United States' dilemma."

Opinion: Sleeping With The Enemy, an op-ed by Farrukh Khan Pitafi in
the Lahore-based liberal English language daily "Daily Times" (cir.
10,000) (02/04)

"Those who advocate negotiating with the Taliban have actually been
brainwashed by them and are still laboring under the delusion that
somehow Pakistan can control Kabul through such groups. The only way
Pakistan can play a role in today's Afghanistan is by winning the
hearts of the Afghan people and not trying to impose rogues on them.
Inclusion of the Taliban in the current administration will only be
a ticking time bomb and will destroy the countries on both sides of
the Durand Line. What else can we do then? It is clear that warfare
is not solving everything. The Taliban are growing and the
neo-conservatives in the U.S. are painting a doom and gloom
scenario, especially because in the current situation they cannot
make any capital - either political or financial - out of
Afghanistan. They now want the Obama administration to commit a
final and irredeemable mistake in Afghanistan so that he becomes
totally marginalized."

Opinion: New Strategy For Afghanistan, an op-ed by Burhanuddin Hasan
in the Islamabad-based rightist English daily "Pakistan Observer"
(cir. 5,000) (02/04)

"Following many years of disastrous war with Taliban in which
thousands of people were killed or injured and most of the country
was laid waste, the Afghan President Hamid Karzai along with the
U.S. and its NATO allies has finally reached the conclusion that the
war is after all not winnable and the policy of reconciliation
through dialogue with moderate factions of Taliban would be the best
solution... Taliban have not so far shown any willingness in public
for talks, but observers believe they are dead tired of fighting and
might gladly accept the offer. The problem however is whether the
die-hard followers of Osama will agree with moderate elements as
expected by the Karzai government."

Opinion: Between Surge And Talks, an op-ed by Dr. Maleeha Lodhi in
the Lahore-based liberal English daily "The Post" (cir. 5,000)
(02/04)

"The Taliban have been confronted with the challenge of the surge
but with fighting yet to intensify. It is precisely because the
Taliban feel that they are strong that they can be tempted to engage
in the political process. As far as Pakistan is concerned, it has
already signaled that it can play a role in mediating with the
Taliban once there is clarity about how and when to proceed. The
view that has prevailed for now is to wait until Washington has made
up its mind and decided on a political framework for talks with the
Taliban. The obvious question raised by this wait-and-see approach
is how in the meantime Islamabad will deal with U.S. expectations of
cooperation with its military escalation strategy, which is at odds
with its role as an interlocutor with the Taliban. While daunting
challenges lied ahead in resolving the tensions in the U.S.-led
international effort in Afghanistan there is an important aspect of
the evolving situation that has attracted little attention in the
media."

Opinion: Striving To Matter, an op-ed by Mowahid Hussain Shah in the
center-right national English daily "The Nation" (cir. 20,000)
(02/04)

"An e-mail currently being circulated in the Washington metropolitan
area lists the number of Indian Americans in key policy positions in
the White House and elsewhere in the federal government.... India
continues to seek an expanded platform. Its relative unease with
Obama has not deterred India from nursing grander plans. It still
continues to crave a permanent seat with veto power on the UN
Security Council, a prospect which is dimmed because of India's
contentious tussle with Pakistan over Kashmir. India also wants to
be included in the area of responsibility of CENTCOM (the main US
military command structure responsible for the U.S. military
operations in Afghanistan, Iraq, and the Persian Gulf) - a wish the
U.S. is unlikely to accommodate for fear of antagonizing an already
wary Pakistan."

Opinion: Aman Ki Asha: The Challenges Ahead, an op-ed by Muhammad
Umer in the populist, often sensational national English daily "The
News" (cir. 55,000) (02/04)

"While creating an environment conducive to talks is essential, it
is equally important that conditions are created which will ensure
any spoiler of peace efforts is brought to account. The two nations
have had enough of the Musharrafs and the Kapoors. Peace
constituencies in both countries will need to eventually become
pressure groups with the capacity to tailor public opinion strong
enough to guard against any attempt to derail the peace process once
it is resumed. Galvanizing the people into action will be possible
only through creating political awareness, which is the soul of any
meaningful change in society. The role of the media simply cannot be
denied in this respect."

Editorial: There Must Be Strict Measures Against Israel, an
editorial in the liberal Urdu daily "Express" (cir. 25,000)(02/04)

"Israel has admitted that during last year's attacks on the Gaza
Strip, citizens were targeted with white phosphorous shells. The
Israeli government has reprimanded army officers responsible for
these attacks. Until now, the Israeli army has denied violating
regulations on the use of white phosphorous. Israel has violated
international norms on war, as well as human rights countless times,
and this has continued unabated because the international community
has not taken note of these or taken action against Israel.... Just
reprimanding soldiers responsible for such attacks is negligible
penalty for such a major crime.... The need is to take effective
measures that compel Israel to abide by international regulations,
otherwise it would endanger the entire world, not just the Middle
East."

(All circulation figures are based on estimation)
Patterson