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UNCLAS ISLAMABAD 000707 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KMDR KPAO OIIP OPRC PGOV PREL PK
SUBJECT:  PAKISTAN MEDIA REACTION: APRIL 03, 2009 
 
Summary:  The G-20 leaders' agreement to "spend their way out of the 
current global recession with an injection of about 1.1 trillion 
dollar worldwide" dominated headlines in almost all newspapers on 
Friday.  Newspapers highlighted reports that "Obama administration 
plans to seek as much as $3 billion over the next five years to 
train and equip Pakistan's military."  The postponement of "hearing 
on a proposal to triple economic assistance to Pakistan" by a U.S. 
Senate panel figured prominently.  U.S. President Obama's concern 
about extremists and terrorists "who have made camp in the border 
regions of Pakistan as well as in Afghanistan" received extensive 
coverage.  All newspapers reported the Foreign Office's statement 
that the "drone issue would be taken up with Holbrooke." 
 
The volatile security situation of the country remained the main 
focus of the editorialists and op-ed writers.  Commenting on the 
drone attack on the Orakzai Agency, the centrist national daily, 
"The News," observed that "Washington has every intention of 
stepping up its war, and quite clearly believes it is essential if 
there is to be any success in eliminating the militants who remain 
entrenched in these areas..."   The second-largest Urdu daily, 
"Nawa-i-Waqt," opined that the "U.S. wants to see Pakistan suffer 
like Iraq and Afghanistan while it continues with the ongoing war on 
the pretext of terrorism..."  The Lahore-based liberal daily, "Daily 
Times," in its editorial titled, "Logic of Drone Attacks," noted 
that "one thing is certain: the local population (in Wana, Ladda, 
Miranshah, Razmak and Parachinar) is against the TTP 
(Tehrik-i-Taliban of Pakistan) and doesn't mind too much if the 
Americans take it out in the absence of an adequate Pakistani 
response."  End Summary. 
 
----------------- 
News Stories 
----------------- 
 
"G-20 To Fight Cash Crunch With $1 Trillion" "Dawn" (04/03) 
 
"G-20 leaders agreed to spend their way out of the current global 
recession with an injection of about $1.1 trillion worldwide, which 
would take their collective contribution in the fight against the 
economic meltdown to $5 trillion by the end of next year." 
 
"U.S. Seeks $3 Billion For Pakistani Military" "Dawn" (04/03) 
 
"The Obama administration is seeking as much as $3 billion over the 
next five years to train and equip Pakistan's military, Pakistan 
Embassy officials in Washington told 'Dawn.'  The money would 
include $500 million in an additional war budget request for the 
coming year that will go to Congress this month." 
 
"U.S. Senate Panel Puts Off Hearing Of Aid Bill For Indefinite 
Period" "Dawn" (04/03) 
 
"A U.S. Senate panel has postponed indefinitely a much-awaited 
hearing on a proposal to triple economic assistance to Pakistan.... 
The Senate Committee on Foreign Relations had scheduled a full 
Committee hearing on Wednesday but it had to be postponed for 
technical reasons." 
 
"Obama 'Very Concerned' About Militants in FATA" "The News" (04/03) 
 
"U.S. President Barack Obama said on Thursday he was 'very 
concerned' about extremists who have holed up on the border between 
Pakistan and Afghanistan.  Obama told reporters after talks with 
Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on the sidelines of the G-20 
economic summit that they had discussed the threat posed by the 
militants." 
 
"Drone Attacks Issue To Be Taken Up With Holbrooke: FO" "Dawn" 
(04/03) 
 
"Pakistan said on Thursday that drone attacks inside its territory 
were unacceptable and it would issue a demarche to the United States 
over the violation of its sovereignty.  Foreign Office spokesman 
Abdul Basit told reporters at his weekly briefing that the issue 
would be taken up with U.S. special envoy Richard Holbrooke during 
his visit to Pakistan next week." 
 
"Holbrooke, Mullen To Visit Pakistan On 6th" "The Post" (04/03) 
 
"U.S. special envoy to Pakistan and Afghanistan Richard Holbrooke 
and U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Admiral Mike Mullen will 
arrive in Pakistan on a two-day visit on April 6, according to 
Defense sources." 
 
"Mullen Comfortable With Pak Nukes" "The News" (04/03) 
 
"The top U.S. military officer said on Thursday he is 'reasonably 
comfortable' Pakistan's nuclear weapons are secure.  Admiral Mike 
Mullen, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told a lunchtime 
audience at the Hudson Union Society, said the US has invested in an 
effort to keep the weapons secure and that Pakistan has 'taken 
significant steps in recent years, so I'm comfortable.'" 
 
"Pakistan's N-Security Second To None" "Dawn" (04/03) 
 
"Pakistan maintains security around its atomic sites that is second 
to none and the world has no cause for concern, a senior Pakistani 
official has said." 
 
"Think-Tank Urges U.S. Focus On Pakistan" "The News" (04/03) 
 
"The U.S. policy on Afghanistan must focus on Pakistan, 
strengthening civilian government and ending the use of militant 
groups as an instrument of foreign policy, according to a report by 
Barnett Rubin, a think tank with close ties to the Obama 
administration." 
 
"No Sign Of A Composite Government Strategy On Obama Policy" website 
"The News" (04/03) 
 
"Does the government of Pakistan comprehend the internal and 
external "multiple challenges" that it is faced with?  Is it at any 
level trying to figure out a comprehensive strategy to meet these 
challenges?  Has the recent, very controversial Pak-Afghan U.S. 
policy, announced by President Barrack Hussain Obama, given the 
presidency, the Prime Minister's Secretariat, the Foreign Ministry 
and the General Headquarters reason to jointly formulate a 
forward-looking and sustainable strategy?  None appears to be 
forthcoming, even at a time when Pakistan has been pushed into a 
tight corner by the western capitals, a county which in the past 
bestowed with the title of the most favored non-NATO ally.  One of 
Pakistan's most accomplished former diplomat, Munir Akram, turned 
the tables on Washington when on Wednesday he made mockery of 
Obama's conditionality of providing aid to Pakistan by saying that 
there would be no 'blank cheques.'" 
 
"Obama Plan Seen As Disastrous For Pakistan" "The News" (04/03) 
 
"Top experts on Afghanistan and Pakistan's troubled tribal areas 
agree that President Barack Obama's new strategy for the region is a 
recipe for disaster from Islamabad's point of view.  They lament 
that short-sighted people at the helm of affairs are jubilant over 
the $1.5 billion yearly reward for implementation of the plan. 
'Pakistan would be reduced to a battlefield if our leadership 
accedes to Obama's strategy,' commented Rustam Shah Mohmand, former 
interior secretary, former ambassador to Afghanistan and a top 
security expert.  Former FATA Secretary Brig (R) Mehmud Shah is of 
the view these are testing times for political as well as military 
leaders, who are expected to defend Pakistan against the sinister 
Zionist conspiracy to destabilize and denuclearize Pakistan.  Yet 
another renowned expert on Afghanistan and tribal areas and a 
respected journalist, Rahimullah Yousafzai, warned the Obama 
strategy would lead to instability in Pakistan." 
 
"U.S. Should Not Worry About Proper Use Of Aid: Gilani" "Daily 
Times" (04/03) 
 
"Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani rejected in an interview on 
Thursday U.S. concerns on how Islamabad would use the increased aid 
given by Washington.  He said the Obama administration 'should not 
worry about the proper use of its aid.'" 
 
"In Major U-Turn, Nawaz To Visit U.S. Embassy" "The News" (04/03) 
 
"PML-N Quaid Mian Nawaz Sharif has agreed to visit the U.S. Embassy 
in Islamabad to meet President Obama's Special Representative 
Richard Holbrooke during his forthcoming visit to Pakistan, 
according to reliable sources.... " 
 
"Nawaz Critical Of Obama's AfPak Strategy" "The Nation" (04/03) 
 
"U.S. President Barack Obama's policy to halt the advance of 
militants in Pakistan differs little from the disastrous one pursued 
by his predecessor, Nawaz Sharif, leader of the opposition, told the 
'Financial Times.'" 
 
"Pak-U.S. Collaboration For $24 Million Energy Project" "Daily 
Times," "The Nation," "The Frontier Post, "Jang," "Nawa-i-Waqt," 
"Khabrain," "Ausaf," and "Din" (04/03) 
 
"A Joint Statement of Collaboration was signed between the United 
States Government and the Ministry of Finance, Economic Affairs 
Revenue & Statistics, Government of Pakistan.  The signing marked 
the announcement of the United States Agency for International 
Development's (USAID) 3-year, $24 million Energy Efficiency and 
Capacity Building project, according to a U.S. Embassy announcement 
made on Thursday." 
 
"U.S. Seeks To Enlist Insiders' Help To Tame ISI" "Dawn" (04/03) 
 
"The United States wants to empower those elements in the Pakistani 
government and the military who want to cooperate effectively in the 
war against terror but are prevented by the ISI from doing so, says 
a senior Pentagon official." 
 
"U.S. Efforts To Reduce Pakistan, India Tensions" "The Post" 
(04/03) 
 
"The United States has launched a diplomatic effort to ease tensions 
between India and Pakistan that have decades-old lingering conflict 
over Kashmir, in order to allow Islamabad to focus more effectively 
on fighting al-Qaeda and Taliban militants on its western border 
with Afghanistan, top American defence officials said." 
 
"3 Members of UN Probe Team Arrive" "Dawn" (04/03) 
 
"A technical team of the United Nations arrived in Islamabad on 
Thursday to carry out preliminary work for initiating an inquiry 
into former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto's assassination." 
 
"Taliban Beheaded Police Officer In Peshawar" "The Nation" (04/03) 
 
"Security forces on Thursday recovered the beheaded corpse of a 
police officer abducted by militants in Peshawar, police said." 
 
"Failed Attacker Kills Himself In Dir" "Dawn" (04/03) 
 
"A man shot himself dead in Upper Dir on Thursday after a hand 
grenade he had hurled at the funeral of a slain police official 
failed to explode." 
 
"Militants Free 10 Khasadars" "The News" (04/03) 
 
"Militants on Thursday freed 10 Khasadars who were kidnapped from 
Bara sub-division of Khyber Agency five days back." 
 
"Independent Courts Key To Malakand Peace: Sufi" "The News" (04/03) 
 
"Chief of Tanzim Nafaz Shariat-e- Muhammadi (TNSM) Maulana Sufi 
Muhammad on Thursday said peace would return to Malakand Division 
only after the Qazi courts were made independent." 
 
"Girl Flogged as Taliban Deliver 'Justice' "The Nation" (04/03) 
 
"A video showing a teenage girl being flogged by Taliban fighters 
has emerged from the Swat Valley, offering a shocking glimpse of 
militant brutality in the once-peaceful district." 
 
"NWFP 'At War,' Governance Becoming Difficult: Hoti" "Daily Times" 
(04/03) 
 
"The NWFP is at 'war' and governance of the province is 'becoming 
difficult,' Chief Minister Ameer Haider Hoti Said on Thursday." 
 
-------------------- 
Editorials/Op-eds 
-------------------- 
 
"A Bigger Battle Zone," an editorial in the centrist national 
English daily "The News" (cir. 55,000) (04/03) 
 
"Washington has every intention of stepping up its war, and quite 
clearly believes it is essential if there is to be any success in 
eliminating the militants who remain entrenched in these areas.... 
The key problem seems to be a failure on the part of Islamabad to 
put forward a clear alternative strategy before Washington.  While 
it has consistently opposed drone attacks, possibly as part of a 
strategy agreed on with U.S. decision-makers, it does not say what 
the options are.  Beyond rhetoric, there has been no detail of plans 
or strategies.  There can be no doubt the drone strikes have 
inflicted much damage - on Pakistan's sovereignty, on innocent 
citizens and on the war against terror itself given the anger the 
bombings generate.  We are convinced of this.  But what we need to 
hear more of are viable options, so that the strikes can be replaced 
by other means to deal with militants." 
 
"Britain And America's Open Declaration Of War Against Us," an 
editorial in the second-largest, center-right nationalist Urdu daily 
"Nawa-i-Waqt" (cir. 125,000) (04/03) 
 
"The statements by American Commander General Petraeus and Admiral 
Mike Mullen are demonstrative of American declaration of war against 
us.  America wants to see Pakistan suffer like Iraq and Afghanistan 
while it continues with the ongoing war on the pretext of 
terrorism....  Our government and military leaderships should think 
about the defense of the country and extricate Pakistan from the war 
on terror." 
 
"Logic Of Drone Attacks," an editorial in the Lahore-based liberal 
English language daily "Daily Times" (cir. 10,000) (04/03) 
 
"One thing is certain: the local population [in Wana, Ladda, 
Miranshah, Razmak and Parachinar] is against the TTP and doesn't 
mind too much if the Americans take it out in the absence of an 
adequate Pakistani response.  The Pakistani stance that its 
sovereignty is being violated by the drones is weakened by the day 
by the very clear loss of Pakistan's sovereign territory to the TTP 
and the inability of the state of Pakistan to either recapture it or 
come to the rescue of the local population.  The 'external' argument 
that this lost territory brings the world under real threat of 
terrorist attacks through the local and foreign terrorists also 
gains strength as Baitullah Mehsud extends his violence-based 
emirate to Punjab and Sindh in the coming days." 
 
"Yet Another Drone Attack," an editorial in the country's premier 
business newspaper, "Business Recorder" (cir. 25,000) (04/03) 
 
"Pakistan would like the new U.S. administration to rethink the 
Obama strategy keeping in view the fact that as the war on terror 
enters its ninth year the American thinking remains the same 
therefore oblivious of the transformation Al Qaeda must have 
undergone....  There are also differences of opinion about the 
quality and quantity of economic assistance.  Obviously, the Obama 
strategy has not gelled with an average Pakistani, a situation made 
unpalatable all the more with drone attacks." 
 
"No More Confusion On Terrorism," an op-ed by Shafqat Mahmood in the 
centrist national English daily "The News" (cir. 55,000) (04/03) 
 
"Drone attacks are not good, but every time they happen, it is 
largely foreigners who are killed.  Why is it that we worry about 
the one aspect but not the other?  Clearly, the world is deeply 
concerned about the presence of extremist elements in our country 
who threaten their security.  If we do not take notice of their 
concern, they will not wait for us to get our act together.  It is 
this challenge that we have to meet." 
 
"U.S. Plan To Monitor Aid At The District Level," an editorial note 
in the second-largest, center-right nationalist Urdu daily 
"Nawa-i-Waqt" (cir. 125,000) (04/03) 
 
"Assistant Secretary of State Richard Boucher has said that America 
will give more aid to Pakistan this time around, but it will be 
monitored minutely by to-be-appointed officials at district 
level....  What is the guarantee that America will not demand its 
officials access every nook and corner of the country?  Who will be 
these monitors?  They could be from CIA.  It seems a conspiracy is 
on to control the entire country....  American aid would not be 
required if we control our non-development expenditure.  We should 
reject the aid which is detrimental to the country's security." 
 
"The Threat Is Real," an editorial in the Karachi-based center-left 
independent national English daily "Dawn" (cir. 55,000) (04/03) 
 
"There are plenty of reasons to worry about militancy.  One, 
territorial control is a key aim of the militants.  It's pointless 
espousing a particular worldview if you don't have a place to 
implement it.  Two, militants aren't necessarily 'religious,' even 
in the extremist sense.  Many militant groups in Pakistan today 
attract criminals and thugs for whom the exercise of power is the 
primary goal.  Three, despite domestic notions of a 'strong' state, 
Pakistan is actually quite weak and can be destabilized relatively 
easily.  In fact, it is being destabilized from within.  Denial of 
the threat of militancy is no longer an option." 
 
"Ankara Summit," an editorial in the center-right national English 
daily "The Nation" (cir. 20,000) (04/03) 
 
"With Islamabad and Kabul under increasing U.S. pressure to do more 
in the war against Al-Qaeda and the Taliban, it is all the more 
necessary for them to undertake regular consultations.  They need to 
evolve a common strategy to deal with the terrorists who are out to 
destabilize the two countries, as well as to resist the unreasonable 
demands by Washington, which often go against their national 
interests." 
 
"America's Last Option And The Prerequisites Of The Situation," an 
editorial in the Lahore-based Urdu daily "Waqt" (04/03) 
 
"Gen Petraeus' insistence that we will launch an operation inside 
Pakistan as a last option points to a situation that will be even 
more dangerous than the drone attacks.  The $1.5 billion announced 
by the U.S. President cannot act as balm for the injuries we have 
sustained fighting this war; nor can this amount alleviate our sense 
of helplessness.  Allegations are being made that our sensitive 
inQitutions like the ISI are providing military and financial aid 
to the Taliban and other militants.  The real reason for such 
heinous allegations against the ISI is that it is blocking the way 
of Israeli and Indian designs. .. If the U.S. administration now 
insists on using its last option [in Pakistan] the results will be 
devastating for all.  Even the U.S. and Europe will not be able to 
save themselves from this fire." 
 
"U.S. Administration's Baseless Apprehensions," an editorial in the 
Lahore-based populist center-right Urdu daily "Khabrain" (cir. 
50,000) (04/03) 
 
"President Obama has again alleged that Al Qaeda is planning attacks 
on the U.S. from Pakistan.... [The U.S. attacked Iraq on the pretext 
of WMDs] but those WMDs were never found. Eventually, President Bush 
made a perfunctory apology and the matter was put in cold storage. 
No one asked: Sir, what was the fault of those thousands of innocent 
Iraqis who lost their lives. This story was repeated in Afghanistan. 
The U.S. turned the entire country into Tora Bora but Usama somehow 
disappeared into thin air. Now the same stage is being set in 
Pakistan.  After all, the U.S. has to find some scapegoat for its 
failures in Iraq and Afghanistan." 
 
"Dissecting Obama's Speech," an op-ed by Najmuddin A. Shaikh in the 
Lahore-based liberal English language daily "Daily Times" (cir. 
10,000) (04/03) 
 
"The Pakistani establishment, particularly after the two tragedies 
in Lahore, will be able to overcome the forces within its ranks that 
have so far successfully advocated the policy of running with the 
hare and hunting with the hounds.  They may be helped in this 
endeavor by Obama's offer of concrete assistance: 'we must focus our 
military assistance on the tools, training and support that Pakistan 
needs to root out the terrorists.'" 
 
"Obama's New Strategy - A Delusion," an op-ed by Mohammad Jamil in 
the center-right national English daily "The Nation" (cir. 20,000) 
(04/03) 
 
"As regards propaganda campQgn against the ISI, it has malicious 
intent because the ISI is the eyes and ears of the armed forces. 
And those who wish to harm Pakistan want that it becomes ineffective 
so that they could advance their agenda....  The U.S. and the West 
should stop criticizing the Pakistan army and the ISI, because under 
no circumstances Pakistan would buy in their flawed logic and give 
in to their demands that run counter to Pakistan's national interest 
and could make Pakistan's security environment perilous." 
 
"U.S. And Iran," an editorial in the Karachi-based center-left 
independent national English daily "Dawn" (cir. 55,000) (04/03) 
 
"If Israel, a nuclear-weapons state, still continues to harp on the 
'danger' Iran poses, it only creates doubts about its own 
credibility and good faith.  If wars and cross-border military 
action were to be justified under international law on flimsy 
grounds such as paranoid fears or a policy of pre-emption when no 
violation of the law has actually taken place, the entire global 
system would go haywire.  No doubt nuclear arms do pose a risk to 
mankind.  But the problem needs to be addressed rationally and 
equitably so that the world is not divided into nuclear haves and 
have-nots." 
 
"Threat Of Israeli Attack On Iran?," an editorial in the 
center-right Urdu daily "Pakistan" (cir. 10,000) (04/03) 
 
"U.S. military commander for the Middle East General David Petraeus 
has said that Israel could attack Iran in order to stop it from 
making nuclear weapons.  In a statement before American Congress the 
General said that Israel is feeling threatened of Iran and does not 
want it to have freehand to manufacture nuclear weapons....  Israel 
attacked Iraqi nuclear installations several years ago.  However, 
Israel will get a befitting response if it did the folly of 
attacking Iran.  Moreover, the entire region will be embroiled in a 
bigger war." 
 
"G-20 Summit And The Global Recession," an editorial in liberal Urdu 
daily "Express" (cir. 100,000) (04/03) 
 
"Many countries included in G-20 are followers of Christianity; if 
they are not moved by the increasing poverty and unemployment around 
the world, they should at least heed what the Pope has said. 
Addressing participants from the world major industrial capitals, 
Pope Benedict has urged them to unite in eliminating poverty from 
the world.  There is no doubt that hatred for these countries will 
increase if they do not pay attention to the sentiments hidden in 
the protests surrounding the summit.  They must remember that if 
third world economies crash due to the recession, where will they 
[G-20 states] sell their products." 
 
"Protests At The G-20 Summit," an editorial note in the Lahore-based 
populist center-right Urdu daily "Khabrain" (cir. 50,000) (04/03) 
 
"Protestors at the G-20 summit raised slogans like 'War Class' and 
'Summit of Thieves,' which reveals the fact that the people are sick 
of the unfair and cruel division of wealth in this system....  If 
the G-20 countries want to retain the present capitalist system they 
will have to strive for equitable distribution of wealth and the 
establishment of welfare states not just in their own countries but 
around the world." 
Patterson