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UNCLAS ISLAMABAD 000307 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KMDR KPAO OIIP OPRC PGOV PREL PK
SUBJECT:  PAKISTAN MEDIA REACTION: FEBRUARY 12, 2009 
 
Summary:  Reports of the assassination of NWFP Assembly member 
Alamzeb Khan (Awami National Party) in a remote-controlled blast in 
Peshawar dominated all front-pages on Thursday.  Several major 
dailies reported that "President Zardari, and Prime Minister Gilani 
condemned the incident," and the NWFP government announced 
"three-day mourning" in the province.  All newspapers also 
front-paged President Obama's phone call to his Pakistani 
counterpart President Zardari to "start an active engagement for the 
resolution of problems facing the region through a holistic 
strategy."  Reports and photographs on a "Taliban raid on Afghan 
government offices in Kabul killing at least 26 people just ahead of 
a planned visit of the U.S. envoy to the region" received prominent 
coverage. 
 
All major dailies ran in-depth analytical editorials and 
opinion-articles on various aspects of the ongoing visit of U.S. 
Special Envoy Holbrooke. (PAS has drafted a special Media Cable 
today covering this portion of editorials).  The leading mass 
circulation Urdu daily, "Jang," while commenting on the impending 
threat of Taliban attack on Islamabad, cautioned that "this is not 
the time to get entangled in petty issues, trivial differences, 
meaningless rhetoric, mudslinging on one another, and to keep or 
kick out the incumbent governments."  In its editorial on the Mumbai 
episode, the English daily, "The Nation," noted that "New Delhi 
would have to accept the fact that crimes of this nature cannot be 
unraveled with an attitude of dictation; they call for honest 
cooperation not only by any one party supposed to be involved but 
the other also that proffers the charges."  End Summary. 
 
----------------- 
News Stories 
----------------- 
 
"Bomb Kills ANP MPA In Peshawar" "The Nation" (02/12) 
 
"Member of Provincial Assembly Alamzeb Khan was killed while eight 
others including two children were injured when a remote control 
bomb went off in Momin Town, Peshawar on Wednesday....  Condemning 
the cowardly act of terrorism in strongest terms the President and 
the Prime Minister said that those playing with the lives of 
innocent people would be brought to justice." 
 
"Obama, Zardari Agree On 'Active Engagement'" "Dawn" (02/12) 
 
"U.S. President Barack Obama telephoned President Asif Ali Zardari 
on Wednesday, a day after his special envoy met the Pakistani leader 
with a message from his boss urging Pakistan to be a 'stalwart ally' 
in the fight against terrorism.  After the telephone call, the 
Ministry for Foreign Affairs issued a statement in Islamabad saying 
the two leaders agreed on the need for a strategy to try and resolve 
the region's problems." 
 
"U.S. To Review Pak-Afghan Policy Sooner Than Later" "The News" 
(02/12) 
 
"The State Department on Wednesday said the review of U.S. policy on 
Pakistan and Afghanistan, ordered by President Barack Obama, would 
be 'expeditious' and completed 'as quickly as possible,' spokesman 
Robert Wood said." 
 
"Reformulated U.S. Pak Aid Bill Within Days" "The Nation" (02/12) 
 
"The Senate Foreign Relations Committee is reformulating a massive 
U.S. development assistance program for Pakistan, including at least 
$1.5 billion annually for the next five years, most of it focused on 
development aid for the tribal areas, according to a leading 
American newspaper 'The Washington Post' reported on Wednesday." 
 
"Afghanistan Could Be Obama's Vietnam" "Dawn" (02/12) 
 
"Unless the insurgents' advance is halted, Afghanistan will become 
President Barack Obama's Vietnam, fears Col. John Nagl, a 
consultant.  A Daily Telegraph report (War against Taliban 'will be 
lost by autumn' unless strategy changes) datelined Washington and 
published on Wednesday quoted Col. Nagl, an Iraq veteran who helped 
devise the strategy, as saying that gains made by the Taliban needed 
to be reversed by the end of the fighting season, around late 
September or early October, or else the Taliban would establish a 
durable base that would make a sustained Western military presence 
futile." 
 
"Taliban Raid Afghan Government Offices, Kill 26" "The News" 
(02/12) 
 
"Eight Taliban gunmen wearing suicide vests attacked three Afghan 
government buildings on Wednesday in a coordinated assault that 
killed 26 people in the heart of Kabul just ahead of a planned visit 
of the new U.S. envoy to the region." 
 
"Attackers Contacted Pakistan, Says Afghan Intelligence Chief" 
"Daily Times" (02/12) 
 
"Five attackers who targeted the Afghan Justice Ministry building 
amid a wave of coordinated suicide attacks on Wednesday had 
contacted Pakistan shortly before being shot dead, the Afghan 
Intelligence Chief said.  Mobile phones found at the scene showed 
the attackers had "sent three messages to Pakistan calling for the 
blessings of their mastermind" as they entered the building, Afghan 
intelligence chief Amrullah Saleh said." 
 
"TTP Threatens To Destroy Schools" "Dawn" (02/12) 
 
"The Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) threatened on Wednesday to 
destroy all educational institutions in Bajaur if the government did 
not withdraw security forces stationed in government schools in the 
region within three days." 
 
"New Zealander Held At Check-Post In South Waziristan" "Dawn" 
(02/12) 
 
"A New Zealander was arrested at the Manzai Fort checkpost in South 
Waziristan on Wednesday.  He was taken to Tank police station and 
handed over to personnel of a secret agency.  Investigators suspect 
that Mark Taylor may have links with Al Qaeda and Taliban." 
 
"5 Militants, Soldier Killed In Bajaur" "The News" (02/12) 
 
"Six more people, including five suspected militants and a soldier, 
were killed and several others injured in clashes and bombing by 
Pakistan Air Force jet fighters in Bajaur." 
 
"Six 'Taliban' Arrested Near Quetta" "Dawn" (02/12) 
 
"Security personnel raided a house on the outskirts of Quetta on 
Wednesday and arrested six suspected Taliban, officials said." 
 
"Three Soldiers Die In Swat" "The News" (02/12) 
 
"Three soldiers were killed and several others injured in fierce 
clashes between security forces and the militants in Charbagh area 
of troubled Swat Valley on Wednesday." 
 
"Check-Post Blown Up In Essa Khail" "The Post" (02/12) 
 
"Unidentified militants blew up a newly-constructed check-post in 
the area of Kacha Kandal, some 15 kilometers away from Essa Khail 
city in Mianwali tehsil but no loss of life was reported as no one 
was present in the check-post." 
 
"Indian Official Says Al Qaeda Involved In Attacks" "Dawn" (02/12) 
 
"The head of India's elite National Security Guard (NSG) that 
spearheaded the counter-attack in Mumbai's terror nightmare seems to 
have sown confusion in New Delhi by claiming on Wednesday that Al 
Qaeda was among the groups involved in the attacks." 
 
--------------------- 
Editorials/Op-eds 
--------------------- 
 
"Bell Is Ringing," an editorial in the leading mass circulation 
centrist Urdu daily "Jang" (cir. 300,000) (02/12) 
 
"The local Taliban have decided to send their militants to Islamabad 
in reaction to military operations in Darra Adamkhel and Swat 
valley...  It is a matter of serious concern and now we all should 
work together for the survival and national integrity of Pakistan. 
This is not the time to get entangled in petty issues, trivial 
differences, meaningless rhetoric, mudslinging on one another, and 
to save or kick out the incumbent governments.  In fact, people are 
upset over these insurgencies, but we must find out those causes and 
reasons that force them to support Taliban and militants at the end 
of the day." 
 
"Wise Counsel," an editorial in the center-right national English 
daily "The Nation" (cir. 20,000) (02/12) 
 
"The Pakistani response, seeking more information on the Mumbai 
episode, has not pleased India....  New Delhi would have to accept 
the fact that crimes of this nature cannot be unraveled with an 
attitude of dictation; they call for honest cooperation not only by 
any one party supposed to be involved but the other also that 
proffers the charges." 
 
"Who Are Taliban And What Do They Want?," an editorial in the 
Karachi-based right-wing pro-Jamaat-e-Islami Urdu daily "Jasarat" 
(cir. 3,000) (02/12) 
 
"It is becoming more difficult with each passing day to identify who 
actually is a Taliban, as it seems that every militant is now 
calling himself as Taliban, and he is imposing self-righteous Sharia 
in the name of religion. Kidnapping foreigners, and beheading them, 
is not in conformity with the teachings of Islam. Likewise, imposing 
restrictions and curbs on people is not a commandment of Islam.  In 
that case, who are these people that are defaming the faith, it is 
quite natural to see them with suspicions as what their real 
objectives are?" 
 
"No Polish Joke," an editorial in the centrist national English 
daily "The News" (cir. 55,000) (02/12) 
 
"The people of Poland have obviously been left in a state of shock 
by the gory murder of a national who was beheaded by Taliban 
militants....  It is possible people in Warsaw have got their facts 
confused.  But what is clear is that many around the world simply do 
not trust Pakistani leaders any more....  Islamabad must wake up to 
the fact that all this is inflicting on it a great deal of damage." 
 
Patterson