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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 NEW DELHI 000335 
 
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: PAKISTAN, WAR AGAINST TERRORISM; 
NEW DELHI-FEBRUARY 21-23, 2009. 
 
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. 
 
-------- 
PAKISTAN 
-------- 
 
¶1. "MEANING OF HOLBROOKE MISSION," op-ed in the February 
22 right-of-center DAINIK JAGRAN Hindi daily by strategic 
affairs specialist K.  Subrahmanyam: "The Pakistan army 
and its supporters have given three clear messages to the 
U.S. during the first step of Richard Holbrooke mission. 
They tried to show by releasing A.Q. Khan that the 
nuclear proliferation in the past was backed by the U.S. 
Second, Pakistan recently accepted links with the Mumbai 
attacks under U.S. pressure.  And the third message was 
conveyed through a truce between the Pakistani troops and 
terrorists that Pakistan army is not willing to fight the 
whole fight in the war against terrorism... Sooner or later 
the U.S. and the NATO nations will have to accept that 
the Pakistan army will not support them in the war 
against the Taliban and Al-Qaida. Pakistan's nuclear 
weapons and talibanisation are a grave danger for the 
international community. The entire world, including the 
U.S., NATO, Russia and India, should control Pakistan 
economically, politically and strategically. We should 
not let Pakistan become a failed state. U.S. and NATO 
troops should be increased in Afghanistan. India should 
also increase its role in Afghanistan. Pakistan should be 
kept under a strict watch to prevent nuclear 
proliferation in the future." 
 
¶2. "TALIBAN TERROR IN SWAT" op-ed article by Prashant 
Dikshit in the February 23, 2009, Mumbai edition of 
centrist Marathi daily SAKAAL.  "One is curious to know 
how the U.S. has dealt with the Pakistani government's 
handshake with the Taliban militants in the Swat region. 
The truce is a sort of temporary ill-conceived measure to 
stop beheadings, kidnappings, and the destruction of 
Swat's population. The U.S. policy response to this truce 
is crucial for India as well.  Former U.S. President 
George W. Bush had upheld the noble aim to reinforce 
democracy in Islamic nations. The invasion of Iraq and 
Afghanistan was also part of his noble agenda of 
promoting democracy.  It is another story that the U.S. 
was hardly successful in eradicating the extremist 
elements in Afghanistan and Iraq. Now that ally Pakistan 
has openly shaken hands with Taliban, the U.S. seems to 
be more accepting of Taliban..." 
 
¶3. "TALIBANI OUTBREAK" op-ed article by senior editor 
Ashok Panvalkar editorial in the February 22, 2009, 
Mumbai edition of left-of-center Marathi daily 
MAHARASHTRA TIMES.  "The deal between the Pakistani 
government and Taliban in the Swat region does not seem 
to usher in good times for Pakistan. Hours after the deal 
was signed, militants kidnapped the Pakistani government 
administrator and six of his guards. The development is 
worrying for India as Islamabad's decision to cede 
 
NEW DELHI 00000335  002 OF 002 
 
 
geographical and ideological space to extremists could 
have dangerous consequences to the entire South Asian 
neighborhood..." 
 
¶4. "DON'T SHED TEARS FOR PAKISTAN"  editorial in the 
February 21, 2009 multi-edition right-of-center Gujarati 
daily GUJARAT SAMACHAR.  "There is absolutely no need to 
show any mercy towards Pakistan.  It is going to be 
consumed by the fire it has generated...  For decades, 
Pakistan has remained a mute spectator to the killing of 
innocent Indians by the religious extremists in the name 
of jihad.  Now the dragon of religious extremism has 
become a threat to Pakistan...  In the aftermath of the 
Mumbai terror attacks last year,  Al Qaeda threatened 
India of grave consequences if it attacked Pakistan. 
Pakistan should have immediately reprimanded Al Qaeda for 
this statement and should have stated that it would first 
eliminate such a blasphemous organization.  Pakistan has 
dug its own grave. There is no need on the part of our 
leaders to show any sympathy for Pakistan's state of 
affairs." 
 
--------------------- 
WAR AGAINST TERRORISM 
--------------------- 
 
¶5. "FEAR OF THE BOMB," editorial in the February 21 
centrist NAVBHARAT TIMES Hindi daily: "The Indian Navy 
chief Admiral Sureesh Mehta recently pointed out that 
terrorists may exploit weak security at Indian ports to 
smuggle in nuclear weapons. After the attacks in Mumbai, 
the government has been thinking of increasing container 
security.  Immediately after September 11 the US launched 
its Container Security Initiative (CSI) program, but 
India is not a part of it. India should sign up for this 
program. That is one way to prevent dangers from the sea. 
The way Pakistan is drifting toward lawlessness, it is 
not impossible for the Taliban to get hold of the nuclear 
bombs in Pakistan's possession. Pakistan's civilian 
government is weak and ineffective in preventing 
religious fanaticism from engulfing Pakistan." 
MULFORD