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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 05 NEW DELHI 003059 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR NP, AC, PM 
 
STATE FOR INR/MR 
 
STATE FOR SCA/INS, PM/CBM, PM/PRO 
 
STATE FOR SCA/PPD, PA/RRU 
 
STATE FOR AID/APRE-A 
 
USDOC FOR 4530/IEP/ANESA/OSA FOR BILL MURPHY 
 
E.O. 12958:N/A 
TAGS: KMDR KPAO PGOV PREL IN
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION: MUMBAI TERROR ATTACKS; 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." 
 
--------------------- 
MUMBAI TERROR ATTACKS 
--------------------- 
 
¶1. "LET PAKISTAN BE DECLARED A TERRORIST STATE," 
editorial in the November 29 Leftist Agartala (Tripura) 
Bengali daily, TRIPURA DARPAN.  "Pakistan should 
immediately be declared a terrorist state. All sorts of 
relations should be snapped with this country. Merely 
pointing fingers toward Pakistan will not do. Pakistan 
has now become the homeland for Jaish-e-Muhammed, 
Lashkar-e-Toiba, the Taliban, and al-Quaida. It is common 
knowledge that the Pakistani Army and ISI are directly 
and indirectly supporting all these organizations. Our 
nation is now facing a grave danger. Setting aside 
individual ideologies, all political parties should stand 
united and eliminate terrorism at all costs." 
 
¶2. "COST OF COMPLACENCE," editorial in the November 28 
centrist Agartala (Tripura) Bengali daily, SYANDAN 
PATRIKA.  "The police and intelligence agencies must 
remain more alert about attempts of the Pakistan-harbored 
terrorists and their local agents. The Mumbai killings 
have made it clear that either they are stronger than us 
or we are careless about our internal security. The 
country will suffer more losses if the situation is not 
dealt with firmness." 
 
¶3. "CRYING IS NOT THE LAST WORD," editorial in the 
November 29 centrist Agartala (Tripura) Bengali daily, 
DAINIK SAMBAD.  "No doubt, the terrorist attacks in 
Mumbai were perpetrated by Pakistan. The terrorists were 
desperate and the conspiracy well-planned. Still, 
shedding tears for the Mumbai victims cannot be the last 
resort. A handful of terrorists will never succeed in 
stalling the march of civilization. A united and 
patriotic nation will dig the grave for the terrorists." 
 
¶4. "DON'T EXPECT TOO MUCH FROM PAK," editorial in the 
December 04 left-of-center English daily DECCAN CHRONICLE 
(circulation: 1 million). "The irony cannot be more 
pronounced. By the time America's Secretary of State 
Condoleezza Rice had spelt out at her press conference in 
New Delhi on Wednesday afternoon that Pakistan must be 
transparent and cooperate with India over last week's 
horrific terror strike in Mumbai, Pakistan's President 
Asif Ali Zardari had just finished announcing that the 
attackers were not from his country. Clearly, then, there 
is not much more to say as far as Pakistan is concerned. 
Islamabad has washed its hands off completely from the 
whole affair. India will no doubt thank the United States 
for rushing its high-profile foreign minister to express 
her country's solidarity with it in the aftermath of the 
terror attack, but clearly there are limits to what US 
 
NEW DELHI 00003059  002 OF 005 
 
 
intervention can do. Islamabad can afford to be brazen 
because it is only too aware that the US would counsel 
India restraint. America, it is well known, does not 
favor a muscular Indian response since that would make 
the Pakistanis move their forces from the Afghan front - 
where they are meant to fight the Taliban who cross the 
border and attack American troops in Afghanistan - to the 
Indian border. Nevertheless, Islamabad may be expected to 
make the appropriate noises in fighting terrorism 
together with India through mechanisms such as 
intelligence-sharing and joint investigation." 
 
¶5. "INVOKE 9/11 WITH CAUTION, IT LED TO DISASTROUS BUSH," 
Op-Ed by Amitav Ghosh in the December 04 left-of-center 
English daily DECCAN CHRONICLE (circulation:1 million). 
"Since the terrorist assaults began in Mumbai last week, 
the metaphor of the World Trade Center attacks has been 
repeatedly invoked. When commentators repeat the metaphor 
of 9/11 they are in effect pushing the Indian government 
to mount a comparable response. If India takes a hard 
line modeled on the actions of the Bush administration, 
the consequences are sure to be equally disastrous. If 
9/11 is a metaphor for one kind of reaction to terrorism, 
then 11-M (as it is known in Spanish) should serve as 
shorthand for a different kind of response: one that 
emphasizes vigilance, patience and careful police work in 
coordination with neighboring countries. This is exactly 
the kind of response India needs now, and fortunately 
this seems to be the course that the government, led by 
the Congress Party, has decided to follow." 
 
¶6. "ZARDARI'S ATTITUDE WON'T HELP INDIA DEAL WITH THE 
SITUATION," editorial in the December 04 left-of-center 
English daily DECCAN HERALD (circulation:350,000). 
"Pakistan's elected President Asif Ali Zardari has 
disappointed a concerned India and an anxious 
international community. His outright denial of any 
Pakistani hand in the last week's terror attacks in 
Mumbai has far-reaching consequences. By questioning the 
veracity of the captured terrorist, he has shut the door 
for any cooperation between the two countries in 
unraveling the conspiracy behind the unprecedented acts 
of terror. Zardari did not merely cast doubts on the 
nationality and other details of the captured Pakistani 
terrorist as provided to Islamabad by New Delhi, he went 
to the ridiculous extent of saying that those involved in 
the Mumbai attacks, could be a gang of 'stateless' 
people. The familiar 'denial mode' of Pakistan that 
Zardari too chose to adopt doesn't leave India with much 
option to deal with the situation that has arisen in the 
aftermath of the latest terror attacks on Mumbai." 
 
¶7. "TILT TOWARDS INDIA," editorial in the December 04 
independent English daily THE NEW INDIAN EXPRESS 
(circulation:300,000). "Not since the days of direct 
conflict between India and Pakistan have bilateral 
relations been so low as at present. The fact that there 
is no clarity on the next move on the diplomatic front 
has made matters worse. The recourse to punitive action 
has been mentioned as well as denied. While no one 
seriously believes that there will be any dramatic 
 
NEW DELHI 00003059  003 OF 005 
 
 
deterioration in the situation, the present tense stand- 
off also cannot continue for long. The problem, as 
before, stems from the sense of mistrust in India of 
Pakistan's intentions. It is this wariness which seems to 
stand in the way of a joint probe, which Pakistan has 
been suggesting. In any event, few believed that the 
Pakistan army was exerting its full pressure on the 
Taliban and al Qaeda in the northwest a lapse which the 
US tried to make up with its own incursions. Much of the 
way forward now depends, therefore, on the international 
pressure on both countries. While India is likely to be 
dissuaded from taking or even talking of any drastic 
action, Pakistan may be asked to do its best to assuage 
Indian anger and frustration. Islamabad will know in this 
context that the world community is not very well 
disposed towards it, as the description of the country as 
an 'international migraine' by Madeleine Albright has 
shown. Unlike the days of Nixon and Kissinger, the tilt 
is now unmistakably towards India." 
 
¶8. "WILL AMERICA PRESSURE PAKISTAN?"  editorial in the 
December 03 Mumbai-based Gujarati afternoon daily 
JANMABHOOMI.  "America has issued astern message to 
Pakistan to fully cooperate with India in bringing the 
guilty of the Mumbai terror attacks to justice. 
President Bush has also sent Secretary of State 
Condoleezza Rice to reinforce America's solidarity with 
India in this hour of grief and also amidst the fears 
that rising tempers between India and Pakistan might 
spill over into a conflict.  President-elect Barack Obama 
has already stated that America stands with India as it 
deals with this grave menace....  Despite all this, it 
would be naove to believe that Pakistan will take any 
concrete measures against homegrown radicals and 
extremists....  Considering that even the U.S. government 
is under transition phase, it might not be possible for 
India to count on its active support if India considers 
any stringent action against Pakistan.  Hence, it would 
be appropriate at this point of time for India to 
pressure America in order to compel Pakistan to act 
against terrorists organizations in Pakistan." 
 
¶9. A similar editorial appeared in the December 04 
Mumbai-based right-of-center Gujarati daily 'Mumbai 
Samachar.'"HAVE WE UNDERSTOOD THE PURPOSE BEHIND THE 
MUMBAI TERROR ATTACKS?" editorial in the December 4, 
2008, Mumbai edition of left-of-center Marathi daily 
LOKSATTA.  "Many in India have not yet gotten the scale 
and the rationale behind the Mumbai terror attacks. 
People are too angry and passionate to see the larger 
global conspiracy. This terrorist conspiracy is beyond 
the usual India-Pakistan dynamics. India, in the real 
sense, is now on the world terror map and the solution 
does not lie in bombing off Pakistan. Little will be 
achieved by zeroing in on the terror training camps in 
Pakistan because such camps exist and are scattered 
worldwide. On the contrary any drastic action may 
aggravate the situation. India has to be extra-alert now 
to judge whether these attacks are the beginning of an 
identifiable series. They are not the first of their kind 
but, unfortunately, they are certainly not the last of 
 
NEW DELHI 00003059  004 OF 005 
 
 
their kind. The mastermind behind the attacks has 
achieved the primary target of creating a nationwide 
scare. Now it is in our hands not to let the instigator 
further vitiate the atmosphere with communal tension... 
That's precisely why we have to discard the rhetoric of 
military action against Pakistan. Both India and Pakistan 
are nuclear-empowered nations and Pakistan might use 
nuclear weapons against India if it fears defeat in the 
traditional warfare. India will then have to strike back 
in retaliation, resulting in a nuclear war. That war 
again will serve the terrorists' agenda... More than India, 
the U.S. seems to have grasped these intricacies. 
Secretary Condoleeza Rice's India visit is a telling 
comment on how well the U.S., which includes both 
Democrats and Republicans, understands the larger global 
design in the latest attacks..." 
 
¶10. "WAS IT ONLY MUMBAI'S TAJ THAT WAS ATTACKED?" 
editorial in the December 04 CPI (M) Organ GANASHAKTI 
Bengali daily, Kolkata. "Mumbai has become freed. The 
commando operation has been successful. Yet the media war 
has not ended. Competition of 'exclusive' and 'breaking 
news' is still raging especially in television channels. 
But what sort of news is being telecast? What is the 
focus of that news and how does it impact viewers? Will 
not the television viewers and newspaper readers be 
misled at the cost of so many lives? Why did the 
television anchors remain busy projecting horrific 
devastations at Taj or Oberoi only? We cannot ignore the 
damages done to these hotels or to Leopold restaurant. 
But could we afford to ignore the terrorist strike on 
CST, one of the heritage railway stations in the country? 
Will the television barons be concerned only about the 
aristocrats? Does it mean that the media have now become 
more sensitive to people, who go to luxury hotels, 
restaurant, and spa? Interestingly, BBC has shown its 
double-standard by choosing not to use the word, 
'terrorist'. Instead, it used 'gunmen' or 'militant'. 
When London had been attacked it did not hesitate to use 
the word, 'terrorist' but why did they choose a different 
word while reporting on Mumbai? Because of the editorial 
policies, common men's tragedy failed to get proper media 
attention." 
 
¶11. "WHO WILL ADVISE, WHAT SHOULD BE DONE IN THE EVENT OF 
A CRISIS?" editorial-page article in the December 04 
independent Kolkata Bengali daily, ANANDABAZAR PATRIKA. 
"The Maharashtra administration has seriously ignored the 
issue of mass communication. A number of spokesperson 
spoke differently at the hour of crisis. People lose 
their common sense in the noise of different versions and 
that generates rumor. Sometimes these rumors manage to 
find its place in the media too. But common people want 
to know about their own role during a crisis situation. 
People want to know whether anyone can volunteer to 
assist the wounded or whether all the terrorists have 
been neutralized. Has any terrorist fled away? Can people 
help the police and in which manner in nabbing those 
terrorists? Senior officials did not care to answer any 
of these questions. Ordinary people in Mumbai are 
aggrieved. They feel: enough is enough! Lack of effective 
 
NEW DELHI 00003059  005 OF 005 
 
 
mass communication is one of the reasons behind people's 
annoyance." 
 
¶12. "ACROMONIOUS INDO-PAK RELATIONS", editorial in the 
December 03 right-of-center Urdu daily "HAMARA SAMAJ", 
New Delhi: "There are apprehensions that hasty 
initiatives of the ministry of foreign affairs and Pranab 
Mukherjee's statement may adversely affect Indo-Pak 
relations. Pranab Mukherjee has said that strings of 
Mumbai terror attacks seem to be connected with Pakistan. 
He should not have given such irresponsible statement at 
such a crucial juncture. Zardari has already said that 
terrorist elements are hell bent on to pitch both the 
countries against each other by sabotaging their 
bilateral relations. Indian media should also be diligent 
in this regard. It should not publish or telecast 
anything, which may make the mutual relations 
acrimonious. Pakistani Prime Minister, Syed Yusuf Raza 
Geelani is making efforts to establish better relations, 
but only future can decide the success of his endeavors." 
 
¶13. "WAIT FOR HARSH STEPS", editorial in the December 03 
right-of-center Urdu daily "URDU TIMES", Mumbai: 
"Yesterday, Indian government asked Pakistan to hand over 
20 extremely wanted terrorists, who are supposed to be 
present in Pakistan. Pranab Mukherjee said that the world 
community including the President-elect, Barack Obama is 
with us. In fact, a war between India and Pakistan will 
be entirely against the interests of both the countries. 
Both will be at loss. Some elements in both the countries 
do not like friendly relations. In the present 
perspective, Pakistani leaders should act responsibly so 
that bilateral trade, which will be ultimately beneficial 
for the people of both the countries, could not be 
affected. These initiatives will bring prosperity too. 
Moreover, mentality of anti-India people will change." 
MULFORD