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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 NEW DELHI 003175 
 
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: INDIA/PAKISTAN RELATIONS, IRAQ, 
WORLD ECONOMIC CRISIS, CLIMATE CHANGE AND ENVIRONMENT; 
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." 
 
------------------------ 
INDIA/PAKISTAN RELATIONS 
------------------------ 
 
¶1. "PAKISTAN'S STALEMATE" editorial in the December 17, 
2008, Mumbai edition of centrist Marathi daily LOKMAT. 
"For the first time in recent history, the international 
community has taken strong open cognizance of the 
presence of terrorist outfits in Pakistan.  In this 
context, the Mumbai terror attacks have been instrumental 
in stepping up pressure on Pakistani authorities to crack 
down on the militants allegedly responsible for the 
mayhem. India's foreign minister has left no stone 
unturned in providing evidence to the world about ISI's 
complicity in the Mumbai attack. Coupled with this 
shocking evidence is the mounting U.S. pressure on 
Pakistan - first in the form of Secretary of State Rice's 
visit and now senator Kerry's warning.  British Prime 
Minister Gordon Brown has also held Pakistan responsible 
for the Mumbai attacks. In such a situation, Pakistan has 
lost its face, as can be seen in the conflicting and 
often confusing positions the country's prime minister 
and president are taking..." 
 
¶2. "NEED TO PRESSURE PAKISTAN ON TRADE AND COMMERCE 
FRONT"  editorial in the December 17, 2008 Mumbai-based 
right-of-center Gujarati daily MUMBAI SAMACHAR.  "The way 
in which Pakistan has been responding and reacting to the 
recent acts of terrorism [in Mumbai], indicates that it 
is not taking this issue seriously enough.  Considering 
this, India needs to up its ante on Pakistan on the 
diplomatic as well as on the trade and commerce front. 
There is a need to create business-trade lobby akin to 
weapons' lobby that can pressure nation-states that do 
not act against homegrown radicals....  Issuing warnings, 
demarches' to Pakistan is not going to serve any 
purposes.  India should pressure nations like Germany, 
Australia and France that have multi trade-commerce 
cooperation treaties with Pakistan to impose trade 
sanctions on Pakistan if they intend to increase 
technical cooperation with India.  Unless such strict 
commerce policies are adopted, it will be impossible to 
rein in the monster of terrorism emanating from 
Pakistan." 
 
---- 
IRAQ 
---- 
 
¶3. "BUSH'S IRAQ POLICY," editorial in December 16 
centrist DAINIK BHASKAR Hindi daily: "The incident of an 
Iraqi journalist throwing a shoe at U.S. President George 
Bush shows the resentment the Iraqi people feel toward 
 
NEW DELHI 00003175  002 OF 004 
 
 
him. Innocent people are being killed every day in Iraq. 
And U.S. soldiers are also extremely disappointed to be 
unable to return home. In addition to many other 
failures, the Bush Administration has also failed to 
convince other nations to send their troops to Iraq. Bush 
stated that the Iraq war is not over and will continue. 
Just one day before his Iraq visit, U.S. Defense 
Secretary Robert Gates said the Iraq mission is in its 
last phase. This created a hope for a change in U.S. Iraq 
policy, but Bush's recent statement clarified that 
nothing has changed. The U.S. has never been as unpopular 
as during Bush's rule. Since Barack Obama firmly 
criticized the Iraq invasion, he is expected to re-assess 
Bush's Iraq policy. This should help improve the U.S. 
image." 
 
¶4. "EVEN SHOE-BEATING DOES NOT MATTER", editorial in 
December 16, 2008 right-of-center Urdu daily "INQUILAB", 
Mumbai: "The civilized world may condemn the act of 
Muntazir Zaidi, an Iraqi journalist, but in fact the 
people whose culture and civilization is being 
annihilated by America and its allies cannot retain their 
civilizational values for long. We have the feelings of 
an Arab trader, who said that Muntazir Zaidi did what our 
Arab leaders could not. This Arab trader did not want to 
say that Arab leaders should have welcomed their guest 
with shoes in their hands. What he wanted to say was, if 
America could have gather its allies against Iraq, why 
did Arab leaders not gather their allies? Another Iraqi 
said Muntazir's shoes mirror the people's sentiments. Had 
the leaders in contact with George W. Bush expressed the 
people's feelings and aspirations, this mishap would not 
have happened. Moreover, Muntazir's shoes also exposed 
George Bush's lie that everything is normal in Iraq. Had 
there been normalcy in Iraq, shoes would not have been 
hurled at him. And had there not been tight security, 
there would have been a rain of shoes on the American 
president." 
 
¶5. "INSULT OF PRESIDENT BUSH: A WARNING?", editorial in 
December 16, 2008 right-of-center Urdu daily "MUNSIF" 
Hyderabad: "The worst sort of insult President George 
Bush faced in Baghdad, in his last days, is in fact the 
real reaction of the Iraqi people. It may also be termed 
a "Reward for his misdeeds." This insulting of Bush seems 
justified because he admitted recently that the invasion 
of Iraq was a mistake. Abusing Bush, the journalist 
hurled both of his shoes at the American President. 
Though the shoes missed their target, ush's repute was 
brought down to naught. The shoe-hurling incident is not 
just an expression of the Iraqi people's hatred of Bush; 
it is also a symbol of the hatred of millions of people 
throughout the length and breadth of the world. The 
President elect, Barack Obama, should learn a lesson from 
this. However, if America and its President do not change 
their behavior, a greater insult waits in store for any 
oppressive, hotheaded American President. And there is no 
way out." 
 
¶6. "SHOE OF AN IRAQI JOURNALIST", editorial in December 
 
NEW DELHI 00003175  003 OF 004 
 
 
16, 2008 right-of-center Urdu daily "HINDUSTAN EXPRESS", 
New Delhi: "Indeed Iraq is an oppressed state. A cheerful 
country is turned into a hell. Millions of people are 
massacred. Millions of children are dying for want of 
milk and medicine in Iraq facing the worst ever tragedy 
in the annals of history. And no need to explain that 
Bush and none other than Bush is responsible for this 
entire catastrophe. Recently he has admitted his sin of 
invading Iraq on false allegations. The hearts of Iraqi 
people are full of the fire of hatred against America and 
Bush. The indecorous deed of the Iraqi journalist is the 
expression of the same hatred and anger in which the 
whole of Iraq is burning. They found themselves helpless, 
otherwise they would banish each and every American from 
their land." 
 
¶7. "ANGER AGAINST AMERICA," editorial in December 17 
Guwahati Assamese left-of-center ASAMIYA PRATIDIN.  "In 
fact, suicide bombers and gun-toting terrorists have 
killed more people in Iraq than have U.S. troops. Are all 
these innocent people killed... really pro-America?  No 
matter how anti-American they are, the terrorists have 
committed heinous crimes against humanity, and they 
deserve to be condemned for this. Although the incident 
of an Iraqi journalist hurling his shoes at President 
Bush has made headlines across the world, one must not 
overlook the fact that the terrorists, by killing 
innocent people, have committed an offence no less 
atrocious than has the U.S." 
 
¶8. "TOP PRIZE OF THE YEAR," editorial in the December 17 
CPI (M) Organ GANASHAKTI Bengali daily, Kolkata. "The 
prize President Bush received during his last trip to 
Iraq will be considered as a lifetime achievement for 
him. Eeorge Bush received nothing but hatred from the 
peace-loving, democratic, and nationalist people of the 
world for setting a precedent of inhumanity, barbarism, 
and brutality across the globe during his eight year 
regime. Though the world hates Bush, there is still 
someone who loves him. The Indian Prime Minister Manmohan 
Singh is one of those who loves this most hated person, 
and takes pride in publicly recognizing him as a dear 
friend. However, nobody has given Manmohan Singh the 
right to speak for his countrymen on this. Indians can 
never love Bush, who is a devotee of inhumanity and a 
symbol of cruelty. This is contrary to Indian heritage. 
Indians can never invite global hatred by befriending 
Bush. On the contrary, Indians want to become the friends 
of all peace-loving and democratic-minded people by 
condemning Bush." 
 
--------------------- 
WORLD ECONOMIC CRISIS 
--------------------- 
 
¶9. "LIFE OF RECESSION," editorial in December 16 
nationalist RASHTRIYA SAHARA Hindi daily: "The Wall 
Street Journal's latest economic-forecasting survey 
showed that the ongoing recession may turn out to be the 
longest and most painful downturn since the 1930s Great 
 
NEW DELHI 00003175  004 OF 004 
 
 
Depression. The biggest concern is that the end of 
recession is not likely to mark the end of layoffs. So 
far 25 banks, including the 5 topmost American banks, 
have been bankrupted in the U.S. itself. One can imagine 
the global situation! Its impact is not just limited to 
the financial institutions, but it is affecting every 
sector of the economy. India's economic growth reaching 
0.4% is a matter of serious concern. It will, certainly, 
have adverse effect on the economic position of the 
country. It is clear that the world may have yet to see 
the worst of the current crisis. It is very likely 
President-elect Barack Obama will come up with rescue 
packages to boost economic growth. But the long period of 
decline is sufficient to prove the seriousness of the 
present crisis." 
 
------------------------------ 
CLIMATE CHANGE AND ENVIRONMENT 
------------------------------ 
 
¶10. "A YEAR OF FAILURES," editorial in December 17 
independent Kolkata Bengali daily, ANANDABAZAR PATRIKA. 
"The UN Climate Change Summit at Poznan is an indicator 
of the failures of the year 2008 in the history of 
environmental awareness. The summit failed to effectively 
suggest which way the world should go when the Kyoto 
Protocol expires in 2012. The year 2008 could have been a 
milestone on the environmental issue, had every country 
at least sacrificed a little. The world is one and each 
and every country has equal responsibility to protect it. 
Unfortunately, this truth has not yet been recognized. 
How the year 2009 goes remains to be seen. The entire 
world will focus its attention on the incoming Obama 
Administration. Obama so far has been known to be an 
environmentalist. The fate of the world depends much on 
whether he remains committed to his resolve even after 
entering the White House, or steps into the shoes of his 
predecessors." 
MULFORD