VZCZCXRO8486
RR RUEHBC RUEHDA RUEHDE RUEHDIR RUEHGI RUEHJS RUEHKUK RUEHLH RUEHPW
RUEHROV
DE RUEHRH #1376 2531118
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 091118Z SEP 08
FM AMEMBASSY RIYADH
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 9144
RUEHJI/AMCONSUL JEDDAH 9736
RUEHZM/GULF COOPERATION COUNCIL COLLECTIVE
RUCNISL/ISLAMIC COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS RIYADH 001376 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR NEA/PPD (DBENZE, ASOMERSET), SCA/PPD (GSULLIVAN), INR/NESA, 
RRU-NEA, PA, LONDON (DSREEBNY), DUBAI (MPELLETIER) 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KPAO KDEM SA PK
SUBJECT:  Saudi Arabia:  Special Media Reaction on Election of 
Pakistani President Zardari 
 
¶1. Summary: Coverage of the election of Asif Ali Zardari as the new 
president of Pakistan has been extensive in the English-language 
press. The Arabic-language coverage has been significantly less, 
with only one newspaper printing a commentary on the election. 
Everything else consisted of wire story reprints buried inside the 
papers.  Finally, three days later, official SAG congratulations 
were sent via telegram.   End summary. 
 
 
¶2.  Editorials and commentaries: 
 
--Under the headline "Pakistan's New Phase" (09/07) Saudi Gazette 
editorialized, "Zardari's first priority should be to bring 
stability to his country. Stained by past corruption allegations, he 
has an uphill task to perform in the interest of the country if he 
wants to rebuild his image and win the trust of his people...With 
his finger over the nuclear button, Zardari will also be under 
immense international pressure, especially [from] America, to prove 
his commitment for "peace" as defined by the superpower." 
 
--Arab News (09/07) opined that "Nothing in Zardari's past would 
persuade one to believe that he is the man Pakistan...needs at this 
juncture...Widely distrusted and with no obvious political 
experience, Zardari would seem to be entering on an impossible task 
to restore political and social stability, while leading Pakistan to 
the economic renaissance that has been so long delayed. 
 
--In "Will Zardari Redeem Himself?" (09/07) Arab News columnist 
Anwar Kemal wrote: "The fact is that Zardari has been elected 
president of Pakistan. So reviling him and calling him insane is not 
going to help the cause of Pakistan, especially when the country 
faces extremely difficult, almost insoluble economic and law 
problems...Zardari needs all the help he can get to stop Pakistan's 
slide to lawlessness, religious extremism and economic insolvency." 
 
--Under the headline "Pakistani Democracy and Difficult Timing," 
(09/08) Okaz columnist Talal Banan wrote, "In Pakistan today there 
is an elected president, parliament, and regional council, but the 
Supreme Constitutional Court judges were appointed by the previous 
military president. The actual control over the nuclear power is in 
the hands of the army generals...Strong challenges are facing the 
new government from the opposition party and the army generals, who 
are awaiting the appropriate opportunity to regain power." 
 
--On 09/08 Arab News ran a commentary entitled "Will Zardari's 
Amazing Luck Hold?" by Mushtak Parker in which he stated, "If 
Zardari hopes to remain in office, he has to play the powerful 
military, which despises him. The new chief of staff, Gen Ashfaq 
Kayani, is a much more accomplished operator than his weak 
predecessor. Given any excuse to restore stability in the country, 
the army will not flinch from ousting the new president." 
 
 
¶3. Analysis: 
 
The English-language press has covered the election of Zardari 
extensively due to the large Pakistani and Indian constituency among 
their readership.  On the other hand, the Arabic-language press has 
not covered the election of Zardari in great part due to the lack of 
official reaction by SAG.  SAG may still be assessing the impact of 
Zardari, a Shia, on Saudi Arabia's foreign policies. With today's 
publication of SAG official congratulations, local media is expected 
to respond in kind. 
 
FRAKER