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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 NEW DELHI 000012 
 
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, WAR 
AGAINST TERRORISM, MIDDLE EAST CRISIS; NEW DELHI-JANUARY 
3-5, 2008. 
 
This countrywide cable reports on relevant media 
reaction/opinion from India's large non-English press. 
The Mission reports on English-language media via email 
through the daily "Early Edition" summary. 
 
------------------------ 
INDIA-PAKISTAN RELATIONS 
------------------------ 
 
¶1. "PAKISTAN IN DEEP CRISIS," op-ed article in January 4 
DAINIK JAGRAN Hindi daily by strategic affairs specialist 
¶K. Subrahmanyam: "The only contribution of Pakistan in 
the war against terror is that it is the origin of 
terrorism, safe haven for Al-Qaida and the hub of the 
Pakistani and Afghan Taliban. The U.S. has been 
struggling in Afghanistan for a long time and working on 
a new strategy. And Pakistan is trying to increase 
tension by provoking India. It is deploying its army on 
the India-Pakistan border, creating war hysteria. 
Actually, it does not want to fight against the Taliban. 
The message is clear from the regular attacks on supplies 
to U.S. troops in Afghanistan: the U.S. should not expect 
cooperation from Pakistan in the proposed Afghanistan 
policy. But pressure is mounting on Pakistan to act tough 
against terrorists. It will either have to help the U.S. 
in the fight against the Taliban, or sacrifice U.S. 
economic aid, which it badly needs. If the Pakistani 
Generals will not stop using jihad as a political tool, 
Pakistan's clash with the U.S. and Europe is certain." 
 
¶2. "AGAINST TERRORISM," editorial in January 2 AMAR UJALA 
Hindi daily: "Only India's internal preparation will help 
it to deal with terrorism. The National Investigative 
Agency's coming into existence is an important step in 
this direction. It would be a big mistake to expect 
cooperation from Pakistan. Under the present 
circumstances, Pakistan's government cannot act against 
terrorists. It actually has no power. Thus we have no 
option but to tighten our internal and external security. 
Now that the U.S. and U.K. have given solid proofs that 
the Mumbai assaults were masterminded and controlled from 
Pakistani territory, the Pakistan government is exposed. 
There is speculation that the FBI even has information on 
the involvement of some in the Pakistani administration. 
Thus, this is Pakistan's destiny: that it cannot do 
anything because its army, intelligence, radical leaders 
and everybody over there have been busy producing 
terrorism. The Pakistan government should itself act 
against such elements or else the external forces will do 
so." 
 
--------------------- 
WAR AGAINST TERRORISM 
--------------------- 
 
¶3. "AMERICA'S CONVENIENT WAR AGAINST TERRORISM" editorial 
in the January 5, 2009, Mumbai edition of right-of-center 
Marathi daily SAAMNA.  "FBI officials have landed in 
Islamabad to unearth the conspiracy behind the 26/11 
terror attacks on Mumbai.  These officials have also 
 
NEW DELHI 00000012  002 OF 003 
 
 
interrogated residents of the village from where Ajmal 
Kasab (the lone arrested terrorist in Mumbai) hails. One 
hardly knows anything about the nature and findings of 
this investigation conducted by the self-declared global 
policemen. The U.S.-led war against terrorism is anyway 
quite a mirage. More than serving the global interests, 
this war serves the U.S. interests. The U.S. has taken 
the lead in this war only because it has been affected by 
Islamic terror and fears further onslaughts..." 
Similar editorial appeared in the Marathi daily 
VRITTAMANAS. 
 
------------------ 
MIDDLE EAST CRISIS 
------------------ 
 
¶4. "ISRAEL'S EXTREMISM AND PEACE HAMMERING," opinion 
article in January 2 RASHTRIYA SAHARA Hindi daily by 
international affairs analyst Vedpratap Vedik: "The 
Palestine-Israel struggle is no less than a war. The UN 
Security Council's call for a ceasefire is ineffective. 
Israel, in the name of uprooting Hamas, will make 1.5 
million Palestinians refugees in their own country. After 
all, why has Israel become so uncontainable? The Hamas 
and Fatah factions are more responsible than anyone else 
for the suffering and misery that has engulfed West Asia. 
The U.S. should have encouraged Hamas when it agreed to 
opt for democracy, but it provoked Hamas against Fatah 
and now it is supporting Israel against Hamas. Israel may 
be taking this extremist step because Barack Obama gave 
some indications of softness in his election campaign. 
Perhaps it wants to wipe out Hamas before Obama becomes 
President. Israeli premier Ehud Olmert could win the next 
elections with this extremism, but it will hammer the 
peace in the west Asia." 
 
¶5. "NEED TO LEARN SOME LESSONS FROM ISRAEL!"  editorial 
in the January 3, 2009, Mumbai-based centrist Gujarati 
daily evening newspaper JANMABHOOMI.  "For the 
international community to live in peace it is imperative 
to crush the menace of terrorism from its roots.  It 
would not be an exaggeration to say that all the hubs of 
terrorism are in Muslim nations, be it Pakistan, 
Afghanistan, Iraq or Palestine.  America succeeded in 
ousting Saddam Hussein in Iraq and flushing out the 
Taliban from Afghanistan.  However, terrorist 
organizations in Pakistan and the Hamas in Palestine 
continue to spew the venom of terrorism.  The need of the 
hour for India is to take some lessons from Israel. 
India also needs to imitate the Israeli example and 
dismantle terrorist infrastructure across the Indian 
border.  Mere talks for dialogue and peace with those who 
understand the language of force won't yield any 
results." 
 
¶6. "SEVERE HUMAN TRAGEDY IN MIDDLE EAST:  LASTING PEACE 
IMPOSSIBLE" editorial in the January 4, 2009 in the 
centrist Gujarati daily GUJARATMITRA.  "The present day 
conflict in the Middle East has snowballed into a severe 
crisis resulting in the loss of more than 400 lives and 
 
NEW DELHI 00000012  003 OF 003 
 
 
injuring almost 2000 people.  The Israeli action comes in 
the wake of the violation of ceasefire by the radical 
group Hamas.  It is worth noting here that even a group 
of Arab nations are in favor of decimation of Hamas at 
the hands of Israel as they believe that terrorism 
perpetrated by Hamas is a major hindrance to a peaceful 
solution of the Israel-Palestine conflict. Even the U.S. 
has its own strategic interests in this region.  Although 
America too intends peace in the Middle East and is also 
making all out efforts in this direction, it would 
certainly not wish a weakened Israel against an 
aggressive Palestine.  Considering all this, there appear 
no signs of the present conflict between Palestinians and 
Jews ending amicably." 
MULFORD