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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 NEW DELHI 000178 
 
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: OBAMA PRESIDENCY, GUANTANAMO: 
DETAINEE POLICY; NEW DELHI. 
 
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. 
 
---------------- 
OBAMA PRESIDENCY 
---------------- 
 
¶1. "POLICY OF FRIENDSHIP," editorial in the January 28 pro- 
Congress Party HINDUSTAN Hindi daily: "All of the 
following happened at the same time: U.S. President 
Barack Obama said in his message on Republic Day that the 
U.S. is India's best friend -- the message had a very 
personal touch; secondly, Vice President Joe Biden said 
that the U.S. would launch attacks within Pakistan if it 
had intelligence on high level al-Qaeda operatives; and 
thirdly, terror aid to Pakistan has been cut. It is loud 
and clear that the U.S. policy for the Indian 
subcontinent is rapidly changing... the role that the U.S. 
had given Pakistan during the cold war has been taken 
away. Now the latter can only play a role of eradicating 
terrorism. The U.S. needs India for long-term and wide- 
ranging interests, but it only needs Pakistan for 
immediate needs, and only for uprooting terrorism. We can 
also call it the success of our foreign policy -- 
Pakistan is trapped now." 
 
¶2. "U.S. MESSAGE," editorial in the January 28 nationalist 
RASHTRIYA SAHARA Hindi daily: "U.S. President Barak Obama 
and Vice President Joe Biden's anti-Pakistan and pro- 
India attitude toward terrorism on Republic Day is a sign 
of a change in the U.S.' South Asia policy. Obama's call 
to work jointly to deal with the obstacles in the way of 
shared U.S. and Indian values has a serious meaning. 
Similarly, Biden's comments on launching attacks to 
destroy terrorist networks in Pakistan is also a clear 
indication of a new American approach. This shows the 
desire to actively manifest U.S.-Indian multilateral 
relations and strategic partnership. Obama-Biden's 
aggressive attitude seems to be far ahead the Bush 
administration on terrorism. In fact, the Obama 
administration is working on the strategy of finalizing 
the war against terrorism in Afghanistan. The U.S. 
policy, indeed, is a relief for India. The attack on 
Pakistan-based terrorist networks will automatically 
reduce the threat to India." 
 
¶3. "SOLACE TO THE MUSLIM WORLD" editorial in the January 
29, 2009, Mumbai edition of left-of-center Marathi daily 
MAHARASHTRA TIMES. "At the very beginning of his White 
House tenure, President Obama has made it clear that 
America will be friendly to the Muslim world. Obama's 
clear-cut call for cooperation is welcome and necessary. 
The Muslim world has been alienated for a long time. 
Ordinary people living in Muslim countries are insecure. 
Obama's predecessor, George W. Bush, did his best to 
aggravate this insecurity. Far from serving the cause of 
world peace, Bush's failed missions in Iraq and 
Afghanistan jeopardized the interests of the people of 
these countries, predominantly Muslims. Bush's fight 
 
NEW DELHI 00000178  002 OF 003 
 
 
against terror was as dreadful as the 9/11 terrorist 
attack executed by Osama bin Laden against the U.S. Bush 
did immense harm to the U.S. image in the Muslim world, 
thereby making it almost obligatory for Obama to make a 
concerted effort to win over Muslims." 
 
¶4. "TRUSTWORTHY INITIATIVES" editorial in the January 29, 
2009, Mumbai edition of centrist Marathi daily 
NAVASHAKTI.  "President Obama's interview on the Al- 
Arabiya television network demonstrated his intention to 
deploy effective out-of-the-box strategies to fight 
terror. His resolve to reinstate normalized friendly 
relations with the Muslim world also comes across very 
clearly in the interview. In fact, his statement about 
restoring `the same respect and partnership that America 
had with the Muslim world as recently as 20 or 30 years 
ago' is quite revolutionary. His interview indicates an 
open-mind which acknowledges America's past errors of 
judgment and makes a renewed effort to reach out to the 
rest of the world." 
 
--------------------------- 
GUANTANAMO: DETAINEE POLICY 
--------------------------- 
 
¶5. "GUANTANAMO BAY, OBAMA AND EUROPE", editorial in the 
January 28 right-of-center Urdu daily HINDUSTAN EXPRESS, 
New Delhi: "Severe differences surfaced between America 
and its allies on the proposal to shut the detainee camp 
at Guantanamo Bay. America, the flag-bearer of democracy, 
liberty and human rights, America, the country of George 
Washington, Benjamin Franklin and Abraham Lincoln has 
also adopted the torture techniques of Hitler and those 
of the Zionist regime. And the European countries 
followed in the footsteps of Uncle Sam blindly. When Bush 
was massacring innocent human beings, these voice-raisers 
were silent, but they are restless when President Barack 
Hussain Obama orders the closure of the camp within a 
year. The tragic aspect of this incident is that these 
countries are avoiding accepting these detainees. 
According to the President of the European Union, closure 
of this camp is not an easy matter. Do they want these 
detainees to take shelter in the U.S and play into the 
hands of the CIA as usual?" 
 
¶6. "DETAINEES IN GUANTANAMO BAY AND PRESIDENT OBAMA", 
editorial in the January 28 right-of-center Urdu daily 
MUNSIF, Hyderabad: "Post 9/11, America's war against 
terrorism is based on frivolous and baseless assumptions 
which America can not prove as yet. On the other hand, it 
is America itself that committed most crimes before and 
after 9/11. On the long list of crimes committed by 
America is the Guantanamo Bay prison. America claimed 
that detainees are the deadliest terrorists. Most heinous 
violations of human rights have been made there. It is 
the demand of justice that allegations against these 
detainees should be investigated, and detainees 
apprehended on the basis of mere assumptions be released. 
But the question is whether Obama will be able to deviate 
from the defined strategy and modus operandi. For this, 
he will have to accept the wrongs committed in the past. 
 
NEW DELHI 00000178  003 OF 003 
 
 
He will have to admit the fabrications made on the 
websites and video tapes depicting the dreaded image of 
al-Qaeda. In a nutshell, if Obama is sincere in doing 
away with the injustice of the past, he will have to deal 
with the matter with courage and the determination to go 
against the interests of Israel. Else apprehensions about 
Obama may prove true." 
MULFORD