Cablegate: Pakistan Media Reaction: June 12, 2009

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E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KMDR KPAO OIIP OPRC PGOV PREL PK
SUBJECT: PAKISTAN MEDIA REACTION: JUNE 12, 2009

Summary: Reports on killing of scores of militants at various
fronts in the military offensive in NWFP province, and the Taliban's
reprisal in different areas including Peshawar and Darra Adamkhel
dominated headlines in all major newspapers on Friday. Newspapers
highlighted reports that "33 militants including a cleric were
killed in Orakzai air strikes," and a "provincial minister injured
in an ambush in Darra Adamkhel." Several major dailies quoted
unnamed sources in New Delhi as claiming that U.S. Undersecretary
Burns "asked his interlocutors to trim India's consulate in
Jalalabad" that Pakistan saw as a distraction in the military
campaign against extremists on the Afghan border. Pakistan Foreign
Office spokesman's remarks that the "renewed American interest in
the resumption of Pakistan-India dialogue is a positive sign" also
received prominent display. CIA Director Leon Panetta's statement
that "Bin Laden was still hiding in Pakistan" received extensive
coverage. In a stop-press story, the Urdu daily "Nawa-i-Waqt,"
reported that the "U.S. House of Representatives passes Pakistan
military and economic $ 1.5 billion aid bill."

Most major dailies ran editorials on the precarious security
situation in the country with special reference to the ongoing
offensive against extremism and militancy. The Lahore-based liberal
English language daily, "Daily Times," stressed that "this war has
to be fought to the end - the end of the Taliban menace - for which
a forceful and enduring national consensus has to be maintained."
Toeing the line, the prestigious English daily, "Dawn," also
observed that the "army operation should be taken to its logical
conclusion and all areas be brought under the control of the
government." Commenting on some media reports about presence of
some American security personnel at the Peshawar hotel, the
second-largest Urdu daily "Nawa-i-Waqt," maintained that "if
American presence poses a threat to the public, especially the
presence of Intelligence people and other officials, then they
should be asked to leave [the country]." End Summary.

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News Stories
-----------------

"33 Dead As Jets Pound Orakzai Militants" "The News" (06/12)

"Pakistan Air Force (PAF) jet fighters on Thursday started bombing
suspected locations of Taliban militants in the Orakzai tribal
agency and the adjoining Hangu district, killing 33 people,
including Sunni Supreme Council chief Maulana Muhammad Amin and his
nephew, and injuring 29 others. Military officials said Maulana
Amin had close links with the Taliban militants."

"Minister Injured in Darra Ambush" "Dawn" (06/12)

"NWFP Minister for Prisons Mian Nisar Gul Kakakhel was seriously
injured and his two guards were killed when his convoy was ambushed
by suspected militants in Darra Adamkhel on Thursday."

"U.S. Wants India To Trim Mission In Jalalabad, Act On Kashmir"
"Dawn" (06/12)

"Senior U.S. diplomat William Burns gave Indian officials a
wish-list on Thursday that aims to revive India-Pakistan peace
talks, assures New Delhi of its vital role in Washington's strategy
in the region, and retrieves the hope for Kashmiri people to shape
their own destiny. Local reports quoted unnamed sources as saying
that the visiting U.S. Under-Secretary of State also asked his
interlocutors to trim India's consulate in Jalalabad, which Pakistan
sees as a distraction in the military campaign against Muslim
extremists on the Afghan border."

"U.S. Adopts Pakistan's Stance On Kashmir" "Daily Times" (06/12)

"The U.S. said on Thursday that it wants the Kashmir issue resolved
in line with the aspirations of the people of Kashmir - a statement
that reflects Pakistan's stance on the long-standing dispute.
Addressing a press conference after meeting Prime Minister Manmohan
Singh, U.S. Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs William
Burns - on a three-day visit to India - stunned reporters by saying
that the Kashmir issue had to be settled in line with the
aspirations of Kashmiris."

"Renewed U.S. Push For Pakistan-India Talks Welcomed" "Dawn"
(06/12)

"U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will visit India and
Pakistan next month and the Foreign Office in Islamabad sees the
renewed American interest in resumption of Pakistan-India dialogue
as a positive sign. 'We find it encouraging if a country that is
friend to both Pakistan and India is helping in the process,'
Foreign office spokesman Abdul Basit said at the weekly media
briefing."

"Pakistani Offensive To Help Nab Usama: CIA" "Dawn" (06/12)

"CIA Director Leon Panetta said on Thursday that Pakistan's military
offensive against the militants would help the United States catch
Osama bin Laden who was still hiding in that country. Mr. Panetta
told reporters after a speech on Capitol Hill that finding Bin Laden
remained one of CIA's top priorities. The combination of increased
CIA activity and the Pakistani military offensive will give the
United States a better chance of nabbing him, he added."

"U.S. House Approves Pakistan Aid Boost" "The News," (website)
"Nawa-i-Waqt" (06/12)

"The U.S. House of Representatives on Thursday voted to ramp up aid
to Pakistan but lawmakers still need to resolve deep differences on
how many strings come attached. The House voted largely along party
lines, 238 to 183, to triple U.S. aid to 1.5 billion dollars
annually through the 2013 fiscal year, focusing on development
spending aimed at weaning Pakistanis away from Islamic extremists.
'This legislation helps to lay the foundation for a stronger, more
stable Pakistan,' said Howard Berman, who heads the House Foreign
Affairs Committee.

"Congress Urged To Pass ROZs Bill In Days" "Dawn" (06/12)

"The U.S. administration is urging Congress to pass the
Reconstruction Opportunity Zones in the next few days so that it
could help create jobs for more than two million people displaced
during the Swat offensive, says Richard Holbrooke, America's special
envoy for Pakistan and Afghanistan. 'It is tremendously important,'
said Mr. Holbrooke when asked at a briefing to comment on the ROZs
bill. 'And I want to make a point. The area on the Pakistan side of
the border, the area covered by these ROZs, is where the refugees
are.' A transcript released by the State Department on Thursday
quoted Mr. Holbrooke as telling a briefing that he believed the ROZs
could help the refugees rebuild their lives."

"One Killed, 30 Injured In Bolan Express Blast" "The News" (06/12)

"A bomb exploded in a coach of Quetta Quetta-bound Bolan Express in
Dozan area on Thursday, killing one commuter and injuring over 30
others. The Baloch Republican Army (BRA) has claimed responsibility
of the blast."

"1 Dead, 9 Cops Hurt In Peshawar Suicide Attack" "The News" (06/12)

"A man was killed and 13 others, including nine cops, sustained
injuries in a hand grenade-cum-suicide attack on a police party in
Lateefabad area on Ring Road, Peshawar on Thursday night, police
said."

"Gun-Battle Near Residence Of Corps Commander In Peshawar" "Dawn"
(06/12)

"A heavy exchange of fire took place between law-enforcement
agencies and unidentified attackers in front of the Corps Commander
House on the Khyber Road, Peshawar on Thursday night, police said.
An official of the Eastern Police Station told 'Dawn' that two
unidentified attackers were killed after troops guarding residence
of the Corps Commander opened fire."

"Waziristan Taliban Behind PC Attack: NWFP Minister" "Daily Times"
(06/12)

"NWFP Information Minister Mian Iftikhar Hussain held Taliban groups
operating from Waziristan responsible for the Tuesday's suicide car
bomb attack on the Pearl Continental Hotel in Peshawar."

"22 Killed As Taliban Attack FC Fort In South Waziristan" "Daily
Time" (06/112)
"The army killed 22 Taliban in fierce clashes in South Waziristan,
the ISPR said on Thursday. According to reports from Waziristan,
the fighting broke out when around 400 Taliban attacked the Siplatoi
check-post and the Jandola Fort late on Wednesday, and continued for
several hours. Three soldiers died and five were injured in the
fight, the military said in a daily update in Rawalpindi."

"66 More Militants Killed, Says ISPR" "The News" (06/12)

"The security forces killed 66 more militants and arrested nine
others, while four soldiers also laid down their lives and 12 others
sustained injuries in various areas of Malakand, Bannu and South
Waziristan Agency, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said
on Thursday. In Frontier Region (FR) Bannu, according to the ISPR
update, the security forces secured Kotka Saifullah and Sara Bangal
areas."

"5 Militants Killed In Dir Lower; Jets Target Militant Hideouts In
Dir Upper" "The News" (06/12)

"Security forces claimed to have killed five militants during an
encounter in Kambar area of Dir Lower district on Thursday, while
two children were killed in fighting between the armed Lashkar of
villagers and militants in Dir Upper. The Pakistan Air Force
warplanes fired missiles on suspected hideouts of militants in
Shatkas area of Doog Darra in Dir Upper district. Also, four
suspected members of a banned militant outfit were captured by the
Lashkar from Patrak area early in the morning."

"Taliban Commander Held In Akora Khattak" "The News" (06/12)

"Police and Elite Force in a joint action arrested Qari Khurshid - a
close aide of the Swat-based Taliban Commander Maulana Shah Dauran
along with two associates in the precincts of Akora Khattak on
Thursday."

"Army Confirms 600 Losses In 11 Months" "The News" (06/12)

"Over 600 Pakistani soldiers have been martyred in the last one year
in the fight against terror as the spokesman to the Inter Services
Public Relations (ISPR) Director General, Athar Abbas says that
1,700 Pakistani soldiers have sacrificed their lives since 9/11 to
get their country free of terror."

"Ban's Appeal For Pakistan" "Dawn" (06/12)

"UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon made a fresh appeal to the
international community, especially to 'major donors,' on Thursday
to help Pakistan overcome the humanitarian crisis as a result of its
fight against insurgency."

"Tough Times, Tougher Decisions Ahead" "The News" (06/12)

"The incumbent regime missed virtually all main macro-economic
targets set in the budget 2008-09 for the outgoing fiscal that
included 5.5 percent Pakistan's real GDP growth, 12 percent
inflation, Rupees 1,250 billion revenue and per capita income of
1,085 dollars, reveals the Economic Survey for 2008-09 released in
Islamabad on Thursday by Advisor to Prime minister on Finance
Shaukat Tarin."

---------------------
Editorials/Op-eds
---------------------

"Reclaiming The Frontier Region Cities," an editorial in the
Lahore-based liberal English language daily "Daily Times" (cir.
10,000) (06/12)

"Responding late has its disadvantages but the current operation had
to come only after national reaction to what the Taliban were doing
had become coherent. The main factor that held back the national
consensus was the 'Islamic' and 'Sharia' aspects of the Taliban
appeal. The nation did not react as much to the inhuman violence of
the Taliban as to the violation of the edicts of Islam after the
NWFP went into negotiations with the TNSM cleric Sufi Muhammad.
Once an all-Pakistan reaction came to the fore the local populations
living under the savage control of the warlords became convinced
that what they were experiencing was not Islamic utopia but sheer
terrorism. The military operation has now inclined them to resist
and fight their erstwhile masters.... But this war has to be fought
to the end - the end of the Taliban menace - for which a forceful
and enduring national consensus has to be maintained."

"Curbing Extremism," an editorial in the Karachi-based center-left
independent national English daily "Dawn" (cir. 55,000) (06/12)

"An amendment to the Pakistan aid bill moved in the U.S. Congress
requires, among other things, that Islamabad implement economic,
legal and social reforms that would discourage 'violent Islamic
extremism.' Pakistani citizens must demand the same from their
government. The fight against extremism in any form concerns
Pakistan most deeply and directly, for as events in the country's
north-western areas illustrate, extremism and the militancy it
sponsors represent a potent threat to the writ of the state.
Firstly, of course, the militants must be effectively neutralized.
The army operation should be taken to its logical conclusion and all
areas be brought under the control of the government, while the
millions of people affected must be rehabilitated."

"Peshawar Suicide Attack: U.S. Intelligence Officials Were Target,"
an editorial in the second-largest, center-right nationalist Urdu
daily "Nawa-i-Waqt" (cir. 150,000) (06/15)

"There are some media reports that the infamous American security
agency Black Water's 15 personnel were killed and four were injured
in the PC Peshawar suicide attack.... It is known that Marriot
Islamabad was also attacked because of Americans presence over
there.... If American presence poses a threat to the public,
especially the presence of Intelligence people and other officials
then they should be asked to leave [the country]."

"Cut-Off Date For Army Operation," an editorial in the
Islamabad-based rightist English daily "Pakistan Observer" (cir.
5,000) (06/12)

"Presently, the military operation enjoys almost total support in
the country but it is understood that with the passage of time this
support would disappear because of associated problems. Under these
circumstances, the country can ill-afford prolonging of the
operation for an indefinite period and the authorities concerned
will have to devise a strategy to bring it to fruition in the
shortest possible time."

"Try To Wrap Up Military Operation," an editorial in the
second-largest, center-right nationalist Urdu daily "Nawa-i-Waqt"
(cir. 150,000) (06/12)

"This is ironic that the government is expanding the scope of the
military operation under U.S. pressure instead of wrapping it up
quickly.... Our homeland will be a target of terrorism until the
presence of foreign forces in the region and until drone attacks
inside Pakistan are stopped.... It is better to withdraw ourselves
from this war of American interests."

"Bannu Operation," an editorial in the center-right national English
daily "The Nation" (cir. 20,000) (06/12)

"With the resentment against the terrorist attacks mounting inside
the country, many would readily support whatever measures are taken
by the government put an end to them. There is, however, a need for
extreme caution and care while undertaking a new military operation
against a tribe. An entire population - men, women and children -
must not be victimized for the misdeeds of a handful of criminals.
This is not only unjust, but also harmful for national integrity as
this turns the affected population, which thinks it is being
unfairly made to suffer, against those conducting the operation.
This is precisely what the militants crave for."

"The Situation After Swat," an op-ed by M.A. Niazi in the
center-right national English daily "The Nation" (cir. 20,000)
(06/12)

"The military is doing something it understands well in fighting an
essentially 19th-century frontier war, which does not involve any
speedy maneuvering. It will continue combat until it 'wins' in
Malakand Division, and then until it is 'victorious' in the tribal
areas, particularly the Waziristans. This is probably a good
opportunity to ask what the victory is being gained over."
"We Must Prepare For a Long Conflict," an op-ed by Shafqat Mahmood
in the populist, often sensational national English daily "The News"
(cir. 55,000) (06/12)

"It is time we recognize that what we are experiencing today is also
a war. We can hope and pray that its impact would not be as
destructive as it was during the world wars or as in recent times in
Afghanistan. But, let us not have any doubt; it is going to be a
long haul. Our cities and towns and people will pay a price. But,
we shall overcome. This will require some doing. Both the state and
society will have to prepare for it and be ready.... Let the people
get involved in defending themselves. It could become a critical
factor in winning this war."

"What Is Holbrooke's Agenda?," an op-ed by Mian Munir Ahmad in the
Karachi based Pro-Jamaat-e-Islami weekly magazine "Friday Special",
published by daily "Jasarat" (06/12)

"America is planning to use Nawaz Sharif's popularity to safeguard
American interest in Pakistan. Another agenda of Richard Holbrooke
was that how to bring Nawaz Sharif and President Zardari closer to
each other thus he is actively playing role through backdoor
diplomacy. U.S. wants to make Nawaz Sharif first to join the
federal cabinet, and latter on become the Prime Minister. Following
9/11 incidents, the U.S. has learned from its failures, and now it
is deliberately creating conflicts in the region on the basis of
ethnicity and sectarianism."

"Obama's Message To Muslims," an op-ed by Asghar Ali Engineer in the
Karachi-based center-left independent national English daily "Dawn"
(cir. 55,000) (06/12)

"Obama, too, like American presidents before him, is surrounded by a
highly influential Zionist lobby.... However, it does not mean that
Obama will have a convenient excuse to do nothing about what he
committed himself to in Cairo. The world and especially the Muslim
world will watch out for all his actions.... Obama has also given
us, Muslims, hope and hope gives the Muslim world confidence in
these trying times. Obama may not be able to finally solve the
Palestinian problem but his speech has brought good tidings to the
Arab, Islamic world."

"Cairo And Beyond," an op-ed by Mowahid Hussain Shah in the
center-right national English daily "The Nation" (cir. 20,000)
(06/12)

"Obama's speech shows the persuasive power of ideas and imagination.
Indeed, his words have made more headway in the Muslim world than
all the bombs, missiles, sanction, and threats could have achieved.
The force of argument proved more telling than the argument of
force."

"Obama's Metaphysics," an op-ed by Dr. A.H. Khayal in the
center-right national English daily "The Nation" (cir. 20,000)
(06/12)

"If Obama honestly desires to establish peace in the world then he
must ensure that man is stripped even of his hands. Only completely
handless human beings can be peaceful human beings.... For the last
forty-two years, Israel has been chopping off the Palestinians'
necks. Actually, Israel does not want a solution. A solution would
deprive Israel of its necks-chopping revelry. By imposing a
solution, Obama would risk his own neck."

"Obama's Speech, Words Need Action," an op-ed by Ayaz Ahmed Pirzada
in the Islamabad-based rightist English daily "Pakistan Observer"
(cir. 5,000) (06/12)

"The speech in Cairo was a deliberate attempt and an initiation of a
process of reconciliation. His clear announcement without mincing
words that U.S. is not at war with Islam but is fighting the
militants who are killing innocent civilians was meant to give
clarity to the new policy and to gain confidence of the Muslims.
President Obama's speech was a good beginning to improve the
American image in the Muslim world which had got used to see the
American administration during the last several years as a bullying
power. The world saw the U.S. using brute force and threats to
achieve its national objectives punctuated by expressions of 'shock
and awe.' Recognizing common humanity is only the beginning of the
task. Words alone cannot solve multifarious problems the world is
facing. Therefore words have to be matched by deeds. These good
intentions will be met if bold actions by the U.S. are taken fully
understanding challenges otherwise lack of trust between the U.S.
and the Muslim world would continue to remain if not further
eroded."

"Obama's Lollypop For Muslim World," an op-ed by Prof. Shamim
Akhtar, (Former Chairman Department of International Relations,
Karachi University) in Pro-Jamaat-e-Islami weekly magazine "Friday
Special" (06/12)

"The President Obama's speech in Cairo is a lollypop to the Muslim
world, it was a classic example of hypocrisy, and seemed like a
priest was addressing a church service gathering, urging Muslim
world to accept aggression of West, stop resisting it and reconcile
with it."
(All circulation figures are based on estimation)
Patterson

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