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UNCLAS ISLAMABAD 000958 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KMDR KPAO OIIP OPRC PGOV PREL PK
SUBJECT:  PAKISTAN MEDIA REACTION: MAY 05, 2009 
 
Summary:  Reports on "Taliban's takeover of Mingora city (capital of 
Swat valley)" and "siege of 46 security personnel" dominated 
headlines in all newspapers on Tuesday.  All newspapers highlighted 
reports that the "Kerry-Lugar bill to triple U.S. aid was tabled in 
Senate."  Some major dailies reported that the "tripartite talks in 
U.S. focus on Al Qaeda" as President Zardari began his 3-day U.S. 
visit today.  U.S. Admiral Mullen's remarks that he was "gravely 
concerned" about the progress the Taliban have made inside both 
Pakistan and Afghanistan received prominent coverage.  The remarks 
of Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhary that the "Supreme Court can 
review the 17th Amendment as per the powers conferred upon it by the 
Constitution" also received front page display. 
 
Some major dailies ran editorials on President Zardari's current 
U.S. visit in the light of recent remarks of the senior U.S. 
officials about Pakistan.  The centrist national English daily "The 
News," advised that "we need to carve out a path for ourselves and 
place ourselves in a position where we can deliver a fitting 
response to the U.S. next time we are subjected to tongue lashing of 
the kind delivered by President Obama."  The second-largest, 
center-right nationalist daily "Nawa-i-Waqt," observed that "by 
creating misunderstanding between the Pakistan Army and the 
government, U.S. officials are engaged in provoking the latter to 
take over again."  Whereas, the prestigious English language daily, 
"Dawn," while disparaging the contentious views of TNSM chief Sufi 
Mohammad, noted that "further dilly-dallying on the militants 
challenge to state authority and not pursuing an effective military 
and civilian strategy to rein in the extremists will worsen 
matters."  End Summary. 
 
----------------- 
News Stories 
----------------- 
 
"Taliban Take Over Mingora" "Daily Times" (05/05) 
 
"The Swat peace agreement crumbled on Monday as Taliban took over 
Mingora, the district headquarters, taking positions atop government 
and private buildings and patrolling the deserted streets." 
 
"Militants Besiege 46 Security men In Mingora" "Dawn" (05/05) 
 
"The Taliban took control of the city of Mingora on Monday and 
reportedly laid siege to a place which housed 46 security personnel, 
an official who did not want to be identified said." 
 
"Bill To Triple U.S. Aid Tabled In Senate" "Dawn" (05/05) 
 
"The U.S. Congress made a friendly gesture to President Asif Ali 
Zardari on Monday, introducing a bill to triple American aid to 
Pakistan on the day he arrives in the US capital on a four-day 
visit. Two influential senators - Democrat John Kerry and Republican 
Richard Lugar - introduced the Pakistan Enduring Assistance and 
Cooperation Enhancement or the PEACE Act of 2009, in the Senate on 
Monday afternoon after a long delay." 
 
"Tripartite Talks In U.S. To Focus On Al Qaeda; Zardari Begins His 
3-Day U.S. Visit Today" "The News" (05/05) 
 
"President Barack Obama presents his strategy for defeating Al Qaeda 
to the leaders of Afghanistan and Pakistan on Wednesday amid growing 
U.S. concern it is losing the war and neither is a reliable ally. 
The White House meetings with President Asif Ali Zardari and Afghan 
President Hamid Karzai are likely to be cagey affairs - both 
visitors have been heavily criticized by Obama's administration and 
are also wary of each other." 
 
"Pakistan's N-Arms Safe, Says Mullen" "The News" (05/05) 
 
"Pakistan's nuclear weapons are secure, U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff 
Admiral Michael Mullen said on Monday, ruling out that they could 
fall into the hands of Taliban militants, Mullen told reporters in 
Washington." 
 
"SC Can Review 17th Amend: CJ" "The News" (05/05) 
 
"Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry in Islamabad 
on Monday remarked that the Supreme Court could review the 17th 
Amendment when it deemed it necessary as per the powers conferred on 
it by the Constitution." 
 
"U.S. Focused On 'Vulnerability' Of Pakistan N-Arsenal" "Dawn" 
(05/05) 
 
"The United States is expected to discuss the perceived 
vulnerability of Pakistan's nuclear weapons with the Pakistanis 
during President Asif Ali Zardari's four-day visit which began on 
Monday." 
 
"Obama May Give Bitter Pill To Zardari Over Taliban" "The Nation" 
(05/05) 
 
"As President Asif Ali Zardari meets his U.S. and Afghan 
counterparts in Washington tomorrow (Wednesday), President Barack 
Obama is expected to urge the Pakistani leader for a strong military 
action against the Taliban backed by main political leadership and 
for that to evolve the much needed national consensus." 
 
"ISI, MO DGs In U.S. For Inter-Agency Talks" "The News" (05/05) 
 
"Director General Inter-Service Intelligence Lt. Gen. Ahmad Shuja 
Pasha and Director General Military operations Maj. Gen. Javed Iqbal 
have arrived in Washington for participation in U.S.-backed 
Pakistan-Afghanistan inter-agency dialogue." 
 
"Pak-U.S. Talks To Have Far-Reaching Impacts On Ties" "The News" 
(05/05) 
 
"The sensitivity, importance and far-reaching impact of the 
top-level talks between the U.S. and Pakistan will almost be 
unmatchable in the history of the bilateral relations of the two 
countries.  Although Pakistan may have difference of opinion over 
the U.S. global and regional agenda, the existing circumstances does 
not allow Islamabad to lock horns with Washington....  When 
President Asif Ali Zardari will reach the White House along with his 
high-level delegation for talks, he will be walking on a tight rope, 
as extensive preparations have been made at diplomatic level for 
talks." 
 
"U.S. Options In Pakistan Limited" "The News" (05/05) 
 
"As Taliban forces edged to within 60 miles of Islamabad late last 
month, the Obama administration urgently asked for new intelligence 
assessments of whether Pakistan's government would survive.  In 
briefings last week, senior officials said, President Obama and his 
National Security council were told that neither a Taliban takeover 
nor a military coup was imminent and that the Pakistani nuclear 
arsenal was safe, said a report published in Washington Post." 
 
"Robert Gates Sees Larger Role For Saudis In Pakistan" "Dawn" 
(05/05) 
 
"As Washington prepares for direct talks with President Zardari and 
his Afghan counterpart on the issue of Islamic militancy, the United 
States is prodding Saudi Arabia to play a pacifying role in 
Pakistan. While talking to pressmen aboard the flight to Riyadh, US 
Defense Secretary Robert Gates clarified he wanted Saudi Arabia to 
help forge a political consensus in Pakistan that it must deal with 
the threat from the Taliban, al-Qaida and related militant groups." 
 
 
"Failed U.S. Foreign Policy Allowed Taliban To Regroup" "Dawn" 
(05/05) 
 
"As acclaimed author and journalist Ahmed Rashid explained how the 
Taliban fled their Afghan stronghold and regrouped in Pakistan 
following the American-led invasion of Afghanistan in 2001, one got 
an eerily familiar feeling that history was repeating itself.  The 
best-selling author said in very clear terms that the resurgent 
Taliban - which are posing a mortal threat to Pakistan - gained 
strength as a result of the failure of American foreign policy in 
Afghanistan....  Ahmed Rashid was delivering a lecture titled 
'Afghanistan and Pakistan: Quest for peace or recipe for war?' in 
Karachi on Monday." 
 
"2,000 People Being Used By Taliban As Human Shields" "The News" 
(05/05) 
 
"Militants, in gross violation of the peace accord, were marching on 
the roads of Mingora city and in other areas, threatening innocent 
people and the civil administration.  The ISPR said that in Buner 
militants were using 2,000 innocent people as human shields in view 
of the imminent cleansing of Pir Baba by security forces." 
 
"Swat Braces For Fresh Operation" "The Nation" (05/05) 
 
"Clashes flared late Monday between security forces and militants in 
Swat as the Valley braced for another possible military 
operation....  The administration imposed night curfew and also 
directed all government officials, personnel of the security forces 
and other civilians to avoid isolated travelling." 
 
"20 More Killed In Buner" "The News" (05/05) 
 
"At least 20 people were reportedly killed and 36 injured in Buner 
as security forces continued operation on Monday." 
 
"Govt. Buildings, Schools Blown Up In Buner" "The News" (05/05) 
 
"Militants blew up several government buildings and schools in Buner 
district while security forces expanded their operation on Monday 
after securing Ambela." 
 
"Taliban Vow To Fight Till Death" "Daily Times" (05/05) 
 
"Calling the Pakistani government and army 'enemies of Muslims,' the 
Swat Taliban vowed on Monday to march forward till death.  'Either 
we'll be martyred or we'll march forward,' Taliban spokesman Muslim 
Khan told Reuters by telephone." 
 
"TNSM Warns Against Further Military Action" "The Nation" (05/05) 
 
"Spokesman of Tehrik-e-Nifaz-e-Shariat Muhammadi (TNSM) Amir Izzat 
Khan Monday said that the government should first stop military 
operations in Dir and Buner and after that the TNSM would be 
answerable to disarm the Taliban." 
 
"Violence Against Minorities 'Common In Pakistan'" "Dawn" (05/05) 
 
"Pakistan is one of 13 countries named by the U.S. Commission on 
International Religious Freedom as a place where violence against 
religious minorities is common and condoned or supported by the 
government, the annual Report 2009 of the U.S. Commission on 
International Religious Freedom stated." 
 
--------------------- 
Editorials/Op-eds 
--------------------- 
 
"A Turning Point?," an editorial in the centrist national English 
daily "The News" (cir. 55,000) (05/05) 
 
"The task of the President and his team is thus clearly a tough one. 
 Washington has made it quite clear it has little faith in the 
ability of Pakistan to deal with terror.  It has also identified 
what it see as multiple areas of weakness.  Islamabad must at this 
point consider its options.  It can attempt to win back some lost 
brownie points from the U.S. - or it can choose a quite different 
path....  For too many decades, Pakistan has followed directions 
from Washington - sometimes quite blindly.  It has at times done so 
even at the cost of its own interests and those of its people.  This 
must now change.  The options are fast running out.  We need to 
carve out a path for ourselves and place ourselves in a position 
where we can deliver a fitting response to the U.S. next time we are 
subjected to a tongue lashing of the kind delivered by President 
Obama." 
 
"Unrest In Swat: U.S. Designs And Duty of Political, Military 
Leadership," an editorial in the second-largest, center-right 
nationalist Urdu daily "Nawa-i-Waqt" (cir. 150,000) (05/05) 
 
"Robert Gates' statement that the Swat deal has failed and is a 
challenge to the government is tantamount to fooling the world. 
However, there is no doubt in the fact that  Maulana Sufi Muhammad 
and the Taliban have also not played the role that was expected of 
them in making the peace deal successful....  Statements by Hillary 
Clinton, Robert Gates, Admiral Mike Mullen and General Petraeus 
before President Zardari begins his trip to the U.S. are aimed at 
exerting pressure on the President and Pakistan government to accept 
U.S. dictation.  Whatever Robert Gates has said is reflective of 
U.S. designs.  By creating misunderstanding between the Pakistan 
army and the government, U.S. officials are engaged in provoking the 
Army to take over again." 
 
"Militants' Bid For Power," an editorial in the Karachi-based 
center-left independent national English daily "Dawn" (cir. 55,000) 
(05/05) 
 
"Taken in conjunction with Sufi Mohammad's earlier rejection of the 
country's constitution and judicial system, these comments should 
put paid to any doubts about the TTP-TNSM lust for power....  The 
government and the security apparatus' weak-kneed approach has 
already allowed great havoc to be wrought.  Further dilly-dallying 
on the militants' challenge to state authority and not pursuing an 
effective military and civilian strategy to rein in the extremists 
will worsen matters.  Time in which the tide can be turned back is 
fast running out." 
 
"RIP, Swat Deal," an editorial in the centrist national English 
daily "The News" (cir. 55,000) (05/05) 
 
"Whatever the details of the Swat deal may have been it now lies in 
tatters....  The Swat deal thus joins a long line of deals done with 
extremists stretching back into the Raj that have failed.  Its death 
will continue to be denied by federal and provincial governments 
even as its coffin is lowered into the ground.  Once again the 
governments have their back to the wall and the Taliban operate from 
a position of strength.  Buner may have 'almost' been returned to 
government control; but Swat remains extra-territorial, a landlocked 
carrier task force from which deadly threat radiates daily." 
 
"A Pernicious Doctrine," an editorial in the center-right national 
English daily "The Nation" (cir. 20,000) (05/05) 
 
"While extremism expresses itself in various forms and shapes, the 
views put forth by Sufi Mohammad represent a most pernicious strain 
of the phenomenon.  His ideas which are shared only by a miniscule 
and highly primitive section of the population stand opposed to the 
moderate thinking of the Founding Fathers of Pakistan who stood for 
democracy, social justice, rule of law and modernism within the 
framework of a moderate Islam....  While Sufi Mohammad opposes any 
recourse to violent methods for the enforcement of Shariah, the TTP 
Swat, which looks up to him as an ideologue, refuses to lay down 
arms....  This raises the question if Sufi Mohammad, who played the 
role of an arbitrator between the NWFP government and the militants, 
really has much influence over the Taliban." 
 
"Darul Qaza And Taliban Activities," an editorial in liberal Urdu 
daily "Express" (cir. 25,000) (05/05) 
 
"Violent activities in Swat soon after the NWFP government issued a 
notification to set up the Darul Qaza can mean only two things.  One 
that the Taliban are not in Sufi Muhammad's control and that he has 
failed in disarming them.  And second, that this is all planned [by 
the Taliban] to put pressure on the government to get more demands 
met....  Moreover, unnecessary statements by both parties must stop, 
especially  the uncalled for criticism by head of the banned TNSM 
Sufi Muhammad  of Pakistan's constitution, girls education etc must 
stop as it will only worsen the situation.... " 
 
"Maulana Sufi Muhammad And NWFP Government Must Not Let Contact 
Break," an editorial in the center-right Urdu daily "Pakistan" (cir. 
10,000) (05/05) 
 
"It is the responsibility of all those political and religious 
parties that have a little bit of sympathy for the Taliban to get 
active and should urge them [the Taliban] to wage a peaceful 
struggle, instead of picking up arms.  There can be no two ways 
about it: no individual or group has the right to use the language 
of weapons." 
 
"Not Merely Land, But Hearts And Minds Should Also Be Won," an 
editorial in the leading mass circulation centrist Urdu daily "Jang" 
(cir. 300,000) (05/05) 
 
"Unilateral military operation is not a solution to deal with 
militancy and extremism. In fact, it will aggravate the situation, 
and fan more fanaticism.  Some quarters oppose the government's 
decision of military operation by declaring it as a part of the 
American war.  This negative approach also encourages terrorists and 
fanatics, and consequently, the government is not able to convince 
people that extremism is not only a serious threat to our very own 
existence, but also drives our society back to dark ages. 
Therefore, it is essential for the government to resort to 
productive dialogue with the misguided elements besides using 
military force against those who aren't ready to lay their arms." 
 
"Derailment Of Swat Peace Accord," an editorial in the 
Islamabad-based rightist English daily "Pakistan Observer" (cir. 
5,000) (05/05) 
 
"At a time, when the country was facing serious external threats, 
TNSM should have accepted, of course, with reservations what the 
Government was offering at the moment.  This is because volatility 
in Swat would benefit our enemy.  We believe that there is still 
time to find a middle way to avoid bloodshed." 
 
"Uncertainty In Swat," an editorial in the Lahore-based liberal 
English daily "The Post" (cir. 5,000) (05/05) 
 
"If the Taliban use the peace deals to increase their authority, 
they should be stopped with an iron hand.  In the meanwhile, contact 
should be made with the Sufi and talks continue so that a peaceful 
resolution of the crisis is arrived at because a communication gap 
will provide room to certain elements that may not want peace to 
prevail in the region." 
 
"Clashing Interpretations Of Islam," an editorial in the 
Lahore-based liberal English language daily "Daily Times" (cir. 
10,000) (05/05) 
 
"One can say that the Madarassa clergy has developed a schism in 
which the Sufi and the Taliban stand isolated.  There has emerged a 
third variant, that of the 'Mazar' clerics who reject the theology 
of the Madarassa plus the Taliban brand that the Sufi wants to 
impose....  The Taliban are not the distant upholders of true Islam 
in Kabul being pulverized by the Americans after 2001.  They are 
militants who use terror to subjugate communities, kill innocent 
Muslims through suicide-bombing, and want to replace democracy with 
a despotic order." 
 
"Beggary - Mother Of All Evils," an editorial in the Karachi-based, 
pro Taliban Jihadi Urdu daily "Islam" (cir. 15,000) (05/05) 
 
"Foreign Minister Qureshi has rightly said that the world will 
continue to dictate us, unless we stop begging others countries for 
aid.  Mr. Qureshi should better give this piece of advice to 
President Zardari and his aides, who are for all time ready to 
commit this 'crime' of begging.  Time has come to get rid of this 
social evil, and make Pakistan a self-reliant and independent 
country, or else, we will never be able to stand with honor in the 
international community." 
 
"Unraveling The American Mind," an op-ed by Anjum Niaz in the 
centrist national English daily "The News" (cir. 55,000) (05/05) 
 
"Apart from sending the wrong signals to the majority of Pakistanis 
who openly loathe America and disown the war on terror, the rank and 
file in our army, navy and air force don't trust the U.S., to put it 
mildly.  The common perception is that some among them are 
anti-American and would rather see the Taliban take over than have 
U.S. as our suzerain....  I suspect the reason Gen. Kayani has 
pulled out of attending the tri-lateral summit in Washington 
scheduled for tomorrow is the overarching praise from the quartet 
that perhaps causes our army chief a blush and compromises his 
position.  They'd want to know from him where we keep our nukes." 
 
"One Hundred Days In Obamistan," an op-ed by Mosharraf Zaidi in the 
centrist national English daily "The News" (cir. 55,000) (05/05) 
 
"The Af-Pak construct has set back U.S. policy in Pakistan by at 
least 100 days.  And that is if the president can somehow manage to 
clear his desk of the dozen memos it currently has on it, relating 
to Pakistan, and replace it with one, single-page, bulleted list 
that synthesizes the mass cacophony of analysis that is now at his 
disposal.  Somebody needs to Rahm Emmanuel the Pakistan strategy.... 
 Because American attention for Pakistan is so explicitly temporal 
and myopic that it has no chance of being taken seriously, be it 
Main Street, or Cantonment Street.  The failure of President Obama's 
first hundred days in Pakistan is that the warmth that is involved 
in every new U.S. mission to Islamabad seems more show and tell than 
it does real.  This may be a deeply dysfunctional country of 172 
million, but dysfunction does not mean disabled.  Pakistanis are not 
stupid.  Especially not the ones that run interference for Team 
GHQ....  The blunt reality is that today's Pakistan is a lot closer 
to being a model of U.S. foreign policy failure, than it is of 
Taliban success.  Failure here will stain every last spec of 
achievement by the Obama administration at home and elsewhere." 
 
"No Aid Without Benchmarks," an op-ed by Kamran Shafi in the 
Karachi-based center-left independent national English daily "Dawn" 
(cir. 55,000) (05/05) 
 
"I take strong exception to President Obama saying that it was 'very 
difficult (for the government) to gain the support and the loyalty 
of their people' because it didn't 'seem to have the capacity to 
deliver basic services.' I wish someone would remind Mr. Obama that 
army dictators have ruled this country for longer than civilians, 
and that it was an army dictator who was in office immediately 
before this government was elected to office.  Why weren't 'basic 
services' delivered then?  It was completely unfair of Mr. Obama 
too, to place the entire responsibility for what is going on in the 
country today on the civilian, elected government, when there is 
every evidence that the army simply did not do its job seriously, 
and well enough, in Swat." 
 
"Pakistan's Crossword Puzzle," an op-ed by Samson Simon Sharaf in 
the center-right national English daily "The Nation" (cir. 20,000) 
(05/05) 
 
"The vanguard of Obama policy is the symbolic drone attacks widened 
into new areas, increased pressure on the political and military 
establishment and violence expanding to Punjab.  U.S. in cahoots 
with political minimalists of Pakistan is on a dangerous road to 
curtail the over arching role of Punjab.  U.S. will reserve its 
option of direct and indirect military intervention.  The stark 
reality is that Pakistan's continued policy of appeasement has 
failed to address legitimate concerns....  Pakistan's role as an 
ally of U.S. needs review.  The Government of Pakistan must draw its 
strength from the people." 
 
"The Man that Is Sufi Mohammad," an op-ed by Rahimullah Yusufzai in 
the centrist national English daily "The News" (cir. 55,000) 
(05/05) 
 
"Sufi Mohammad and his TNSM followers are not much different than 
the Taliban, who under the leadership of his 33-year old son-in-law 
Maulana Fazlullah in Swat have played havoc with the lives of a 
hapless population and forcibly enforced their writ in the valley. 
The only difference is that Sufi Mohammad's men want to peacefully 
achieve their goal of Sharia while the Swat Taliban and their 
colleagues in Buner, Dir and elsewhere in Malakand region are 
ostensibly trying to reach this objective through violent means. 
Both groups of militants have the same worldview and are definitely 
pro-Taliban, though their strategy is different." 
Feierstein