VZCZCXRO7926
OO RUEHLH RUEHPW
DE RUEHIL #2690/01 2241407
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 111407Z AUG 08
FM AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 8297
INFO RUEHBUL/AMEMBASSY KABUL PRIORITY 8991
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON PRIORITY 8482
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI PRIORITY 3630
RUEHKP/AMCONSUL KARACHI PRIORITY 0158
RUEHLH/AMCONSUL LAHORE PRIORITY 5900
RUEHPW/AMCONSUL PESHAWAR PRIORITY 4691
RUMICEA/USCENTCOM INTEL CEN MACDILL AFB FL PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RHMFISS/CDR USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL PRIORITY
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC PRIORITY

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ISLAMABAD 002690 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PK PREL PTER
SUBJECT: COUNTERING NEGATIVE PRESS ON THE AAFIA SIDDIQI CASE 
 
REF: ISLAMABAD 2586 
 
¶1.  (SBU) Summary:   To counter a growing avalanche of 
negative press stories alleging that the U.S. has been 
illegally detaining and torturing Pakistani scientist Dr. 
Aafia Siddiqi, post will place several letters to the editor 
from Ambassador in local print media (text para 6).  End 
summary. 
 
Press Conferences and Posturing 
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 
 
¶2.  (SBU) Aafia's sister, Dr. Fauzi Siddiqi, held a press 
conference in Karachi August 5 in concert with the Human 
Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) to allege the U.S. had 
tortured Aafia and to demand her release from illegal 
detention.  Aafia's story has been the subject of debate in 
the Pakistani Senate as well.  Senate Leader Mian Raza 
Rabbani (Pakistan People's Party) noted the GOP remained in 
communication with the U.S and promised more information 
would be presented to the Senate on the issue.  Senator 
Ibrahim (Jammat-e-Islami), Senator Abbasi (Pakistan Muslim 
League-Nawaz), and Senator Kamran (Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam) 
lodged complaints about her alleged mistreatment and 
recommended creating a special committee to investigate her 
arrest. The senators' statements echoed earlier calls by the 
Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRPC) for investigations 
into her alleged abduction at the hands of Pakistani and U.S. 
forces in 2003. 
 
¶3.  (SBU)  Paralleling politicians' statements, protests for 
her release increased since the U.S. acknowledged on August 4 
that Aafia was in U.S. custody.  One protest in Islamabad 
near Parliament August 7 organized in part by Internet blogs 
and attended by Jamaat-e-Islami workers and Jamia Hafsa (the 
female madrassah connected to the Red Mosque) students 
reiterated the accusations of abuse and blamed Musharraf for 
her alleged detention.  The same day the Pakistan Tehrik 
Insaaf party of Imran Khan, who participated in a July 6 
press conference (reftel) on the Aafia Siddiqi case, 
organized a protest in Peshawar where reportedly dozens of 
activists protested peacefully.  The media reported 
unconfirmed protests in favor of Siddiqi outside the U.S. 
Consulate in Lahore on August 9. 
 
Judicial/Diplomatic Responses 
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 
 
¶4.  (SBU)  The Judicial Activism Panel (JAP), an obscure 
legal group which supports the lawyers' movement, has also 
weighed in on the issue. On August 8 the panel demanded the 
GOP take the case to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) 
and reportedly is contacting Aafia's U.S. attorney.  Attorney 
Iqbal Jaffery filed a second petition with the Islamabad High 
Court (IHC) August 8 seeking Aafia's release from U.S. 
custody and alleging President Musharraf's son pocketed an 
FBI reward for Aafia's capture.  His initial petition July 29 
to the IHC named the U.S. Embassy's legal attache, among a 
host of senior Pakistani officials, in an effort to discover 
Aafia's location (reftel).  The IHC has ordered the Ministry 
of Foreign Affairs (MFA) to file a report with the court 
September 9 on everything it knows about the case. 
 
¶5.  (SBU)  Local media reported that two Pakistani consular 
officers visited Aafia in jail in New York on August 9. 
These stories alleged that when asked about her and her 
children's whereabouts for the last five years, Aafia 
declined comment on advice of her legal counsel. Pakistan's 
Ministry of Foreign Affairs has stated it will ensure Aafia's 
rights are maintained throughout the pending legal process, 
but the local media openly question this pledge.  Editorials 
published in Pakistan's English-language newspapers sharply 
criticized the U.S. and questioned the circumstances of her 
capture. Some warn the story will turn moderate Pakistanis 
against the U.S. while others allege GOP complicity in the 
case and call for Supreme Court intervention.  Nearly all 
media reports report as true the allegations that the U.S. 
has held Aafia in custody the last five years and that we 
continue to torture or mistreat her and her children. 
 
¶6.  (SBU)  Post will place the following letter to the editor 
signed by the Ambassador in local papers this week: 
 
ISLAMABAD 00002690  002 OF 002 
 
 
 
Facts about Mrs. Aafia Siddiqi Case 
 
To the Editor:  We at the U.S. Embassy Islamabad have been 
reading with increasing concern a number of erroneous and 
irresponsible media reports regarding the arrest of Ms. Aafia 
Siddiqi. 
 
We commend the majority of Pakistani journalists for their 
accurate and balanced reporting and overall professionalism. 
Sadly, however, a few have allowed rumor, innuendo, and 
grossly unsubstantiated allegations to dominate their 
coverage.  Unfortunately, there are some who have an interest 
in simply distorting the facts in an effort to manipulate and 
inflame public opinion.  The truth is never served by 
sensationalism; we believe your readers, as fair-minded and 
critical thinkers, deserve better.  Therefore, it's high time 
that we set the record straight. 
 
-- Allegations that Ms. Siddiqi has been in custody at the 
Bagram Theater Internment Facility in Afghanistan are 
completely erroneous.  Ms. Siddiqi was not in the custody of 
the United States -- either at Afghanistan's Bagram Air Base 
or anywhere else -- at any time prior to her detention by 
Afghan police on July 17, 2008.  The United States did not 
have knowledge of her whereabouts until she was detained by 
Afghan police on July 17, 2008. 
 
-- Ms. Siddiqi is accused of seizing a weapon and firing -- 
unprovoked -- on U.S. personnel during questioning.  She 
sustained non-life threatening injuries, received prompt 
medial attention, and is expected to fully recover.  At no 
time was Ms. Siddiqi mistreated or abused in any manner 
whatsoever. 
 
-- While in the custody of the United States, consular 
authorities of the Government of Pakistan have standard 
consular access to her under the terms of the Vienna 
Convention.  Pakistani Embassy officials visited Ms. Siddiqi 
on August 9. 
 
-- Upon her arrival in the United States, a criminal action 
was initiated against Ms. Siddiqi.  She is charged in a 
criminal complaint filed in the Southern District of New York 
with one count of attempting to kill United States officers 
and employees and one count of assaulting United States 
officers and employees.  If convicted, Ms. Siddiqi faces a 
maximum sentence of 20 years in prison on each charge. 
 
-- The U.S. justice system is based on the abiding principal 
that defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven 
guilty.  Ms. Siddiqi will receive a fair and public trial and 
will be afforded every opportunity to present her defense. 
 
We would encourage your readers to remain open-minded but 
skeptical of these current -- and any future sensational 
allegations that have no basis in fact. 
 
Sincerely yours, 
PATTERSON