P 301202Z SEP 08
FM AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI
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AMCONSUL KARACHI 
AMCONSUL MUMBAI 
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E.O. 12958:N/A 
TAGS: KMDR KPAO PGOV PREL IN
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION: INDO-U.S. NUCLEAR DEAL, U.S. 
ECONOMY, TERRORIST ATTACK, U.S.-PAKISTAN RELATIONS; NEW 
DELHI. 
 
This cable reports on relevant media reaction from 
India's large non-English press. Embassy New Delhi 
reports on English-language media via email in the daily 
"Early Edition".  USG customers please write to Geeta 
Krishali (KrishaliG@state.gov) to subscribe to the "Early 
Edition." 
 
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U.S.-INDIA NUCLEAR DEAL 
----------------------- 
 
¶1. "JUST A STEP AWAY," editorial in the September 29 AMAR 
UJLA Hindi daily: "The U.S.-India nuclear deal is just a 
step away from its conclusion after the approval by the 
U.S. House of Representatives. Now there will be a 
discussion on the deal in the senate. The U.S. Congress' 
clearance is just a formality and it is pretty evident 
from the U.S. attitude itself.... The Bush Administration 
has purposely scheduled the visit of U.S. Secretary of 
State Condoleezza Rice, in the first week of October so 
that she can sign the deal. It means the 123 agreement 
will soon be wrapped up after the final clearance by the 
U.S. Senate. Both George Bush and Manmohan Singh will, 
certainly, benefit from this. Besides the political 
advantage, this pact will not only enhance our 
development but our image at international level." 
 
¶2. "ANOTHER ACHIEVEMENT," editorial in the September 29 
DAINIK JAGRAN Hindi daily: "The U.S. House of 
Representatives has cleared the 123 agreement and its 
final approval in the U.S. Congress is nothing but a 
formality. After the NSG waiver, it is another historic 
achievement for India. The U.S.-India nuclear deal will 
take the bilateral relations to new heights and it will 
also improve India's international reputation. This is 
the right time for India to remove all the obstacles in 
the path of obtaining benefits of the nuclear deal. It 
should get the nuclear technology, fuel and other 
necessary materials without further delay. But, India 
will have to ensure that its foreign policy is not just 
independent but it also gives such impression. India 
should now emerge as a mature, systematic and responsible 
nation. The national leadership at present seems 
incapable of fighting with problems like corruption, 
terrorism and anarchy etc because of the lack of interest 
of finding their permanent solution." 
 
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U.S. ECONOMY 
------------ 
 
¶3. "AMERICAN FINANCIAL QUAKE: GREED BREEDS PERIL" op-ed 
article by guest columnist and general secretary of the 
Mumbai unit of Bharatiya Janata Party Atul Bhatkhalkar 
(who was USG's International Visitor in 2005) in the 
September 30, 2008, Mumbai edition of left-of-center 
Marathi daily LOKSATTA.  "Market booms and busts are part 
of an inevitable cycle, but the current U.S. credit 
crisis is a scenario that could have been averted. The 
problem is that the Bush administration allowed the 
massive shift of the flow of investment capital to the 
speculative transactions and could not retain much in the 
productive economy. The operations of big corporations 
were deregulated and a huge amount of wealth was 
transferred to the hands of a tiny financial elite. 
Naturally, the irresponsibility of these unrestricted 
financial institutions led the US economy to the brink of 
collapse. No bailout plans, which are being touted by the 
Treasury Secretary as panacea as of now, will solve the 
deep structural problems that have developed over the 
last eight years of Bush administration... This collapse is 
also due to the failure of a culture, a culture of 
unchecked greed and capitalism... The government cannot 
blame the companies for having failed to maintain 
adequate capital or for indulging in reckless speculation 
or creating new complex derivatives. The companies merely 
focused on short-term profits at the expense of 
sustainability and for which their top bosses got huge 
bonuses. But this recklessness was possible only because 
of governmental incompetence..." 
 
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TERRORIST ATTACK 
---------------- 
 
¶4. "BLAST IN DELHI, YET AGAIN", editorial in the 
September 29 right-of-center Urdu daily "SIASAT", 
Hyderabad: "The capital Delhi has been rocked again by a 
terrorist act. The investigations and subsequent arrests 
in connection with the previous blasts were going on, 
when the city has been sent into shivers once again. Till 
a few months back, the entire focus of police was on HUJI 
and Bangladeshis were being accused, then it was SIMI 
which took the latter's place and now it is the Indian 
Mujahideen. There have been holes in the police story 
even in matters of such gravity. The police shall never 
be able to track the real culprits if it continues to 
have a prejudiced investigation, while more bomb blasts 
could be seen in future. The police should try to have 
more transparency in its functioning and let the people 
of the community & the country know, if an encounter like 
the one at Jamia Nagar takes place, since the credibility 
of this encounter has been challenged by a large section 
of the populace." 
 
¶5. "STUDENTS OF JAMIA MILLIA", editorial in the September 
28 right-of-center Urdu daily "SIASAT", Hyderabad: "For 
the last few years, Muslim youth, particularly the 
students are being increasingly harassed and targeted in 
the name of terrorism. A fake encounter took place in 
Delhi and subsequently, two students belonging to the 
Jamia Millia Islamia were arrested on the grounds of 
being suspected terrorists. When the vice chancellor of 
the university spoke of providing legal aid to the 
arrested students, he was widely criticized. It is 
noteworthy to mention that the police had picked up two 
students of the university in the aftermath of the 
September 13 serial blasts in Delhi. The police have 
waged a war against Muslims on the directions of communal 
forces. Till when would we continue to wait, for it is an 
issue which directly concerns the future of our children 
in India?" 
 
¶6. "BEWARE OF DIVISIVE FORCES", editorial in the 
September 29 right-of-center Urdu daily "INQUILAB", 
Mumbai: "An important opinion poll has been conducted 
jointly by the media houses CNN-IBN and the Hindustan 
Times regarding terror. One of the questions put forth 
was, whether it is appropriate to associate Muslims with 
terrorism? In response, 54 percent people said yes, while 
46 per cent said no. This survey poll is a clear 
indication as to how fast the idea of association of 
Muslims with terrorism is getting embedded in the minds 
of the common people. Muslims & other people with secular 
credentials in the country have often been reiterating it 
to the government agencies & the media that, if efforts 
are continued to be made to associate Muslims with 
terrorism, its consequences shall be disastrous. However, 
no heed has been paid & whenever a terrorist act happens, 
it is immediately linked up with Muslims. When LTTE and 
ULFA wreaked havoc in the country, they were not 
connected with any religion, but now the recent 
unfortunate happenings are being associated with 
Muslims." 
 
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U.S.-PAKISTAN RELATIONS 
----------------------- 
 
¶7. "BRITISH SOLDIER'S ADVICE FOR AMERICA", editorial in 
the September 29 right-of-center Urdu daily "URDU TIMES", 
New Delhi: "Two days back, the Waziristan area of 
Pakistan came under aerial attacks. The American 
warplanes attacked the Taliban hideouts in tribal areas, 
resulting in the loss of lives of hundreds of innocents. 
President Bush has already given the green signal for 
military action in the Pakistani territory in July 2008. 
According to an American army officer, President Bush's 
instructions talk about informing Pakistan about any such 
incursion, instead of seeking permission, since America 
need not seek permission from Pakistan. The 'new West 
Asia' plan of Zionists includes the division of Saudi 
Arabia & then Pakistan. Going by the Zionist mindset, 
more destruction is required to be done in Muslim 
countries, if Israel has to be made more secure. However, 
if we look at the prevailing situation in the world & 
learn lessons from history, the decline of Zionist regime 
is near and certain." 
 
 
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