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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 NEW DELHI 000074 
 
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, MIDDLE 
EAST CRISIS; 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. 
 
------------------------ 
INDIA-PAKISTAN RELATIONS 
------------------------ 
 
¶1. "WAR NOT AN OPTION," op-ed in the January 13 NAVBHARAT 
TIMES Hindi daily by Joginder Singh, former director of 
India's Central Bureau of Investigation: "Addressing 
chief ministers of Indian states, Prime Minister Manmohan 
Singh recently conceded that the defense mechanisms to 
thwart terror threats were inadequate, and a great deal 
more needed to be done to strengthen intelligence, 
surveillance and police capabilities. Our problems are 
compounded by the fact that we have a highly 
unpredictable and uncertain security environment in our 
immediate neighborhood. The Governments in some of our 
neighboring countries are very fragile in nature. The 
more fragile a Government, the more it tends to act in an 
irresponsible fashion. Pakistan's responses to our 
various demarches on terrorist attacks are an obvious 
example. Some people will say you that there is no 
option, but war. No doubt talking of war makes people sit 
up and listen, and it gets the international community 
activated, but war is no solution. Afghanistan and Iraq 
show why war is a bad option. One option is to strengthen 
our defenses. India is lackadaisical on this front. We 
have to tighten our internal security. Instead of 
thinking of striking militant camps in Pakistan, we 
should create an internal security structure that acts as 
a solid defense against terrorism." 
 
¶2. "ROOTS OF JIHADI TERROR," op-ed in the January 13 
DAINIK JAGRAN Hindi daily by right-wing economic 
columnist Bharat Jhunjhunwala: "The roots of jihadi 
terrorism -- the kind that Pakistan is exporting to the 
world -- lie also in the economic situation of the 
country. PM Jawaharlal Nehru liberated India from feudal 
land owners, but Pakistani society continues to be under 
feudal control even today. Rich landowners and the feudal 
class control the reins of society. This class has the 
support of the Pakistani Army, and together they support 
the U.S. For its part, the U.S. propped up and supported 
this unholy duo to check the Taliban and India's 
influence. This class of people facilitated the entry of 
American multinationals into Pakistan. The Pakistani Army 
helped the US establish a free market economy in 
Pakistan, but under this free market economy the people 
of Pakistan were looted. The common man in Pakistan 
blames the U.S. for the sad state of the country. This 
discontent has fuelled Jihad in Pakistan.... India must 
attempt to break this nexus between the ruling classes of 
Pakistan and the U.S." 
 
¶3. "WAITING, INSTEAD OF MOUNTING PRESSURE, IS DELHI'S NEW 
STRATEGY" Own Correspondent's analysis in the January 14 
nationalist Kolkata Bengali ANANDABAZAR PATRIKA.  "No 
change is being effected in the policy to corner Pakistan 
 
NEW DELHI 00000074  002 OF 003 
 
 
on the question of combating terrorism, but for the time 
being India is altering its strategy for a limited 
period.  Delhi wants to wait because fundamentalist 
forces may raise their head again if there is increasing 
pressure on the political leadership in Pakistan... Delhi 
wants to see how Pakistan reacts.  It is the contention 
of the top leadership in India that the entire package of 
proof and evidence on the Mumbai massacre is open not 
only before Pakistan but also the entire world.  Under 
these circumstances, let the rest of the world ask 
Pakistan to take credible steps to curb terrorism...." 
 
¶4. "U.S. Double Face," editorial in the January 6 Cuttuck 
Oriya daily SAMAJA.  "The U.S. is speaking in a different 
voice about Pakistan extraditing Mumbai 26/11 terrorists 
to India.  The Bush Administration's decision not to 
press the matter because there is no extradition treaty 
between India and Pakistan provides strong diplomatic 
leverage to Pakistan.  India has not only unduly delayed 
deciding its course of action in the wake of 26/11 
terrorism, it has blundered by unduly relying on the U.S. 
America has its interests elsewhere, and it is natural 
that it will secure its position before helping a third 
party.  America is well aware that terror attacks on 
India are not something new, something the Pakistani 
government does not know about.  That's why it will not 
act against terrorists despite irrefutable proof.  India 
had an opportunity to act.  It has squandered it by its 
excessive reliance on the U.S." 
 
------------------ 
MIDDLE EAST CRISIS 
------------------ 
 
¶5. "GAZA SHALL BURN!" editorial in January 13 right-of- 
center Urdu daily "HAMARA SAMAJ", New Delhi: "If Gaza is 
separated from the map of Palestine, it shall 
disintegrate into three parts, as per the plan envisaged 
by Israel. One of these parts shall go with Jordan, the 
second shall become a part of Egypt, and the remaining 
larger section shall be under the possession of Israel. 
This is part of the larger conspiracy in accordance with 
which Israel is breaking all previous records of tyranny 
& barbarism in Palestine. Of course, in such a situation, 
why would Egypt be close down the terrorism being 
perpetuated by Israel, and the seemingly endless process 
of ethnic cleansing going on in Palestine? For Jordan as 
well, the idea that war clouds over Gaza should clear and 
Jordan should lose its war booty is certainly not on the 
priority list. No efforts at bringing a ceasefire will be 
successful until all the three players come under one 
umbrella." 
 
¶6. "HOW THICK IS THE PACHYDERM?", editorial in January 13 
right-of-center Urdu daily "HINDUSTAN EXPRESS", New 
Delhi: "It is indeed highly shameful and disgraceful that 
certain Arab leaders are working on a plan, crafted by 
America, to disintegrate Palestine and finish off what 
little existence it has on the map of the world. The plan 
would hand over Jerusalem (Baitul Muqaddas) to Israel, 
the Gaza Strip to Egypt, and the West Bank to Jordan. On 
 
NEW DELHI 00000074  003 OF 003 
 
 
the other hand, the Arab League has called for a 
conference on the 19th-20th of this month to discuss the 
present impasse in the Gaza Strip. It's as if the leaders 
of the Arab League still don't see the seriousness of the 
situation. They still have not considered putting their 
heads together and doing something about it. Now we can 
very well imagine how deadly the ongoing war is, which 
seems to threaten the very existence of Palestine." 
 
¶7. "THEN HOW WOULD TERRORISM VANISH FROM THE PLANET?", 
editorial in January 12 right-of-center Urdu daily "URDU 
TIMES", Mumbai: "If the so-called superpower America 
continues to extend support to Israel instead of 
Palestine, how can terrorism be wiped off the face of the 
planet? Every action is followed by a reaction. Israel is 
targeting the innocent and helpless populace of Palestine 
in the name of hunting for Hamas fighters. In order to 
compensate for their misdeeds against Germans, the United 
States and other western countries hold the Jews above 
the poor people of Palestine. Following the formation of 
the state of Israel, all kinds of assistance and support 
have been extended to it. It has been empowered with the 
latest technologies and weapons. In other words, a 
handful of Jews in the form of Israel have been made the 
goons of the Arabian Gulf, and keep on intimidating their 
neighbors. Leave aside the women and children, even the 
corpses of the men folk seem to ask the world, how can 
peace and stability come in the midst of such injustice?" 
MULFORD