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UNCLAS ISLAMABAD 001189 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KMDR KPAO OIIP OPRC PGOV PREL PK
SUBJECT:  PAKISTAN MEDIA REACTION: June 1, 2009 
 
Summary:  Reports of "penetration of security forces in Kalam after 
securing Mingora city" made front-page headlines in most major 
dailies on Monday.  All newspapers reported that the "government 
asked IDPs from Buner to return to their homes, as all militants had 
been flushed out of the area."  The government's decision to 
"increase defense budget by 15.5 percent" for the upcoming financial 
year was also highlighted.  Some major dailies underscored 
Pakistan's Defense Secretary Athar Ali's remarks that the "Swat 
operation will be completed in two to three days."  The closure of 
Iranian border with Pakistan following a bomb explosion in a mosque 
in Zahedan (Iran) received prominent coverage.  Also highlighted was 
statement of Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz anticipating that 
"Taliban are eyeing Punjab." 
 
Most major dailies ran editorials on the fallouts of the ongoing 
military operation in Swat against the militancy and extremism.  The 
center-right national English daily "The Nation," noted that "there 
is an urgent need to repatriate the IDPs if the government wishes to 
avert a much severer crisis emerging from the camps presently 
housing them."  The popular rightist Urdu-language daily "Ausaf," 
avowed that "it is clear now that the militants in NWFP have backing 
of foreign agencies and forces, and Afghan soil is being used as 
launching pad against Pakistan."   The pro-Taliban Jihadi Urdu daily 
"Islam," opined that the "big powers don't want to end insurgency in 
this part of the world, if truth be told, they are interested in 
fanning this uprising, so that those who are opposing their (big 
powers') agenda remained engaged in their own conflicts."  End 
Summary. 
 
----------------- 
News Stories 
----------------- 
 
"27 Taliban Killed In Swat, Waziristan" "Daily Times" (06/01) 
 
"Security forces said on Sunday that they had entered Kalam after 
securing Mingora, as 27 militants were killed in different clashes 
in Swat and South Waziristan. The Army said one officer and eight 
soldiers lost their lives and six other were injured in different 
clashes with the Taliban." 
 
"Humanitarian Situation Grave In Mingora"  "Dawn" (06/01) 
 
"Thousands of people, who have been suffering severe hardships 
without water, electricity, gas and food for over a month, started 
streaming out of the area when the authorities announced a six-hour 
curfew relaxation on Sunday, for the first time in 10 days." 
 
"IDPs From Buner Told To Return Home" "Dawn" (06/01) 
 
"The government claimed on Sunday that all militants had been 
flushed out of Buner and asked people of the area to return to their 
homes.  According to an official announcement issued by the Interior 
Ministry, government officials have also been asked to return to 
their posts and resume work." 
 
"Defense Spending To Go Up By 15.5pc" "The Nation" (06/01) 
 
"The government has decided to increase the defense budget by 15.5 
percent for the upcoming financial year 2009-10 as Rs 342 billion 
has been earmarked for the military needs. With the raise of 15.5 
percent, the overall defense expenses will be increased amounting to 
Rs 46 billion in the budget volume." 
 
"Swat Operation To End In 2-3 Days" "Daily Times" (06/01) 
 
"The military operation in Swat will be completed in two to three 
days, Secretary of Defense Syed Athar Ali said on Sunday. Speaking 
at a security summit in Singapore and talking to Reuters later for 
an interview, Ali said the military operation in Swat had 'met 
almost complete success', with only 5 percent to 10 percent of the 
job remaining." 
 
"Iran Shuts Border At Taftan" "Dawn" (06/01) 
 
"Iran has closed its border with Pakistan at Taftan and informed the 
Pakistani government about its decision. A Pakistani official 
confirmed on Sunday that the Iranian authorities had closed the 
border. Iran had closed the border partially on Thursday after a 
suicide bomber attacked a mosque in Zahedan, but ordered complete 
closure on Saturday." 
 
"Taliban Eyeing Punjab, Says Shahbaz" "The News" (06/01) 
 
"As the Pakistan Army has intensified its operations against the 
Taliban in Swat and its adjoining areas, Punjab Chief Minister Mian 
Shahbaz Sharif has said the aim of the militants is to 'penetrate' 
into the Punjab.  'There is no doubt that one of their aims is to 
penetrate into the Punjab as well as to stop the operation in Swat,' 
Shahbaz Sharif told The Sunday Times." 
 
"Taliban Grooming Teens As Suicide Bombers: Report" "The News" 
(06/01) 
 
"After the Army launched an operation to flush them out of Swat, the 
Taliban went from house to house, demanding a boy or a young man 
from each family for grooming them as suicide bombers, a media 
report said on Sunday." 
 
"Taliban Attack School In Hangu, Kill Employee" "Daily Times" 
(06/01) 
 
"Taliban on Sunday attacked Army Public School in Hangu, killed a 
school employee and abducted three persons including two 
policemen." 
 
"31 Killed In SWA Clashes" "The News" (06/01) 
 
"Twenty-five militants, including a senior commander of Baitullah 
Mehsud-led Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Miraj Burki, and six 
soldiers were killed and several others injured in the deadly 
clashes between the militants and security forces in the South 
Waziristan Agency (SWA) tribal region on Sunday night." 
 
"34 Suspects Held In DI Khan" "The News" (06/01) 
 
"Police arrested 34 suspects in the Noon Nawab area in the 
jurisdiction of the Gomal University police station on Sunday. The 
police conducted raids on the suspected hideouts and arrested 34 
suspects. Thirty of them belong to the Mehsud tribe, while the other 
four are locals." 
 
"Military Seeks 'Hardcore' Taliban" "Daily Times" (06/01) 
 
"Pakistan Army says it is preparing to flush out 'hardcore' Taliban 
from Swat valley after regaining control of Mingora. 'We are going 
after the leadership and we are going to take care of all the 
militants in the valley,' spokesman Maj Gen Athar Abbas told the 
BBC." 
 
"N-Weapons Safe, Says Official" "Dawn" (06/01) 
 
"Pakistan was confident its nuclear assets would not fall into 
militant hands because it was constantly reviewing security and 
getting help from friendly countries, Defense Secretary Athar Ali 
said on Sunday.  'To talk of this falling into the wrong hands ... 
even the locations will not be known,' Mr. Ali told Reuters in an 
interview on the sidelines of the security conference in 
Singapore." 
 
"ICRC Gravely Concerned At Swat Situation" "Daily Times" (06/01) 
 
"Senior Red Cross officials said on Sunday they were 'gravely 
concerned' over the humanitarian situation in Swat. 'The 
organization is gravely concerned about the plight of civilians in 
Swat and believes their situation demands a prompt and comprehensive 
humanitarian response,' said a statement released from the ICRC's 
Geneva headquarters." 
 
"Pakistan May Have Second Strike N-Capability: Report" "Daily Times" 
(06/01) 
 
"Pakistan may have developed a second-strike capability - and 
nuclear parity with India - a US Congressional report has suggested. 
'Pakistan has reportedly addressed issues of survivability through 
second strike capability, possible hard and deeply buried storage 
and launch facilities, road-mobile missiles, air defenses around 
strategic sites, and concealment measures,' the Congressional 
Research Service (CRS) said in a May 15 report to lawmakers." 
"Miliband Behind Understanding Between Nawaz And U.S." "The News" 
(06/01) 
 
"The intensive lobby of UK Foreign Secretary David Miliband was the 
main reason behind understanding between the US and PML-N Nawaz 
Sharif. According to the report published in the Sunday Times, David 
Miliband, the British foreign secretary, persuaded Washington to 
overcome the US reluctance to deal with him, based on concerns that 
he was too close to the religious parties." 
 
"India Sees Pakistan As Strategic Partner" "The News" (06/01) 
 
"India saw Pakistan as a potential strategic partner and wanted 
Islamabad to mend fences with New Delhi, Indian Foreign Minister S. 
¶M. Krishna said, offering again to join the hunt with Pakistan for 
terrorists.  'Whether you refer to Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal or our 
immediate big neighbor China, we have our problems, but we also have 
our lasting friendship with all of them,' Krishna told the CNN-IBN 
news channel." 
 
--------------------- 
Editorials/Op-eds 
--------------------- 
 
"Still A Long Way To Go," an editorial in the center-right national 
English daily "The Nation" (cir. 20,000) (06/01) 
 
". . . Yet, as top army commanders have opined, military operation 
is not the solution; it is a temporary remedy. One might interject 
though that the operation's real challenge, after the terrorists 
have been routed, lies in hunting down those who have chosen to lie 
low till the time the troops have withdrawn. In this difficult 
exercise of differentiating between militants and innocent citizens 
the help of local residents should prove crucial. And there are 
reassuring reports that the people are coming forward to identify 
them....  There is urgent need to repatriate the IDPs if the 
government wishes to avert a much severer crisis emerging from the 
camps presently housing them." 
 
"Let Them Eat Cake," an editorial in the centrist national English 
daily "The News" (cir. 55,000) (06/01) 
 
". . . The random and often inappropriate donation and distribution 
of aid helps nobody and often serves to heighten the sense of loss 
felt by IDPs. Giving wheat to people who need flour is tantamount to 
saying 'then let them eat cake' - which we are sure is not the 
message that Punjab wanted to give to the IDPs." 
 
"National Resources And Interference Of Foreign Forces," an 
editorial in the popular rightist Urdu-language daily "Ausaf" (cir. 
10,000) (06/01) 
 
"Perhaps our rulers have now realized that the present state of 
affairs owes to the continuous foreign interventions in Pakistan, 
but they don't have any courage to put the situation right instead 
of mere rhetoric.  It is clear now that the militants in NWFP have 
the backing of foreign agencies and forces, and Afghan soil is being 
used as launching pad against Pakistan.  It is time to adjust our 
national policies and liberate the Pakistani nation from the 
clutches of big powers." 
 
"U.S. War Shifted to Pakistan Now!" an editorial in the 
Karachi-based, pro-Taliban Jihadi Urdu daily "Islam" (cir. 15,000) 
(06/01) 
 
"Prime Minister Gilani has rightly said that the proposed increase 
in NATO forces in Afghanistan will escalate terrorism in Pakistan. 
It is a fact that the U.S. has already moved its 'war on terror' to 
Pakistan, and now only Pakistanis are losing their lives from both 
sides whether they are troops or the defiant militants.  The 
civilian casualties are besides these losses.  Perhaps, the big 
powers don't want to end insurgency in this part of the world. If 
truth be told, they are interested in fanning this uprising, so that 
those who are opposing their (big powers') agenda remained engaged 
in their own conflicts." 
 
"The Myth Of A Political Solution," an op-ed by Shahed Sadullah in 
the centrist national English daily "The News" (cir. 55,000) 
(06/01) 
". . . The universal unpopularity of America has been used to create 
the red herring that this is America's war when the fact is that 
Swat, Buner and North and South Waziristan are not located in the US 
but in Pakistan and the people the Taliban were killing in these 
areas are Pakistanis and Muslims. To say that this situation would 
not have arisen if the US had not attacked Afghanistan is neither 
here nor there, for Pakistan could not have done anything to 
influence American decisions in Afghanistan. The only course for 
Pakistan is to take the situation in Afghanistan as a given, and to 
see what is the best it can do for itself under the circumstances. 
Not taking action against the Taliban is not an option." 
 
"More Successes In Military Operation," an editorial in liberal Urdu 
daily "Express" (cir. 25,000) (06/01) 
 
"Dialogue could be held only if militant groups surrender.  Recent 
history proves that whenever a peace deal was struck, the militants 
utilized it to increase their power and to open up a new war front. 
The option of talks cannot be considered till complete success of 
the military operation.  We would like to tell America that if it 
wants to help Pakistan against extremists then it should reconsider 
drone attacks.  This is a cause of satisfaction that American 
CENTCOM Chief General Petraeus has admitted on record that American 
drone attacks caused large scale innocent deaths which led to much 
decrease in the support for America." 
 
"See-Saw Of Pak-Afghan Battle," an editorial in the Lahore-based 
liberal English language daily "Daily Times" (cir. 10,000) (06/01) 
 
 ". . . President Barack Obama may be thinking of an exit strategy 
but he also plans to more than double the number of US forces in 
Afghanistan to 68,000 troops by the end of 2009, up from about 
32,000 in 2008. Pakistani strategists think that only 200,000 to 
300,000 American troops will deliver Afghanistan; anything short of 
that will make a mess of the war, pushing more Taliban fighters and 
refugees into Pakistan. Therefore Pakistan is in there for the long 
haul. It wants to tackle the menace of the Taliban piecemeal, 
relying on the public opinion in its favor, without being faced with 
more Taliban militants from across the Durand Line." 
 
"What Do They Want," an op-ed by Syed Mansoor Hussain in the 
Lahore-based liberal English language daily "Daily Times" (cir. 
10,000) (06/01) 
 
". . . In this connection, I have often asked many of my friends 
that have a soft corner for the Taliban about what exactly the 
Taliban want within Pakistan. Other than anti-Americanism and some 
vague mutterings about Shariah law, nobody has been able to answer 
my question in a satisfactory manner. As far as the talking heads on 
TV are concerned, they are entirely clueless. The Taliban do not fit 
into either the ideological or the civilization paradigm of conflict 
and thus essentially negate both the Fukuyama and the Huntington 
points of view. Or perhaps they really stand for nothing and are 
just a 'rabble without a cause.' That might then be why, in the 
crunch, most Pakistanis have come out in support of the army action 
against them." 
 
"Fight To The Finish," op-ed by Moazzam Husain in the Karachi-based 
center-left independent national English daily "Dawn" (cir. 55,000) 
(06/01) 
 
". . . Our God is benevolent, not angry and vindictive. Whilst proud 
of our homeland we are also citizens of a larger world that offers 
us opportunities to realize our larger aspirations. We can 
understand that the presence of American forces in Saudi Arabia 
during Operation Desert Storm in 1991 may have stoked your feelings, 
but today, your declaring jihad against your enemies, sitting on our 
soil outrages us. 'We are a nuclear-weapons state; we are proud of 
our military and our courageous people. We have friends around the 
world. We can look after our interests. We do not need you to fight 
for our causes. If you must fight for yours, then please go 
elsewhere. Take your foreign fighters and please leave. We ask you 
to leave and go find a home somewhere else." 
 
"The Battle For Pakistan," an op-ed by Javed Hussain in the 
Karachi-based center-left independent national English daily "Dawn" 
(cir. 55,000) (06/01) 
 
". . . The Taliban insurgents essentially are mountain fighters. 
When they come under pressure they withdraw into the mountains, 
their safe haven. But when these are denied to them they become 
vulnerable. Mountains therefore, constitute a key terrain for them 
as well as for the army. If the heights are secured by landing 
helicopter-borne troops on them, the insurgents in all probability 
would be forced down into the valleys, thus exposing themselves to 
pre-positioned units of the army. But if this doesn't force them 
down, a downhill attack would.  Unless the insurgency is defeated in 
the tribal areas of Pakistan, the insurgency in Afghanistan will not 
be defeated. Therefore, it would be in America's interest to provide 
the requisite number of troop-carrying helicopters and infantry's 
night-vision devices to the Pakistan Army and to redeploy their 
forces to make it difficult for the Afghan insurgents to cross into 
the tribal areas." 
 
Patterson