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UNCLAS ISLAMABAD 001543 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KMDR KPAO OIIP OPRC PGOV PREL PK
SUBJECT:  PAKISTAN MEDIA REACTION: JULY 09, 2009 
 
Summary:  Reports of two "suspected U.S. drone attacks" on militant 
targets in South Waziristan dominated headlines in all newspapers on 
Thursday.  However, the number of casualties reported varied from 38 
to 60.  Newspapers also prominently highlighted reports that the 
Government of Pakistan announced "the military operations have been 
completed in Swat and Buner."  All dailies carried a statement by 
the GoP's military spokesman that "Swat Taliban chief Maulana 
Fazlullah was seriously injured."  Visiting British Foreign 
Secretary Miliband's statement that "Britain fully recognized 
sacrifices made by Pakistan in the war against terror" also figured 
prominently. 
 
Most major dailies ran editorials on local political developments. 
However, continuing military operation against militants remains 
under editorial scrutiny.  The English newspaper, "Daily Times" 
noted in an editorial titled "The Waning Power of the Taliban" that 
"the news coming from the region formerly dominated by the Taliban 
clearly indicates a change in the security situation" but the 
editorial adds that "the scale of the 'refugee crisis' that has come 
in the wake of military action is casting gloom over what should 
normally have been welcomed as a victory."  Another English daily, 
"Dawn," in an editorial titled "Jihad and The State" observed that 
"perhaps more than anything else, defeat of the militants is impeded 
by an inability of the security establishment to revisit past 
strategic choices and admit candidly that grave mistakes were made." 
 End Summary. 
 
----------------- 
News Stories 
----------------- 
 
"Two Drone Attacks Kill Dozens Of Militants In Waziristan" "Dawn" 
(07/09) 
 
"Suspected U.S. drones hit two militant targets in South Waziristan 
on Wednesday, killing 38 militants.  (According to AP news agency, 
45 militants were killed in the two missile attacks on Taliban 
targets.)  In the first strike, the drones fired six missiles in 
Laddha subdivision of South Waziristan, killing eight militants in a 
training camp.  In the second attack on Wednesday, drones fired five 
missiles in an area in the same subdivision, destroying five 
vehicles and killing 30 militants." 
 
"Swat And Buner Cleared: Govt." "Dawn" (07/09) 
 
"Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Qamar Zaman Kaira 
on Wednesday said that security forces have successfully completed 
military operations in Swat and Buner, clearing out militants and 
making the area safe for return of the displaced local population." 
 
"Terrorists Getting Money, Training, Arms And Equipment From Outside 
Pakistan: Kaira" "Business Recorder" (07/09) 
 
"Terrorists are getting money, training, arms and equipment from 
outside Pakistan, but it is yet to be determined as which country is 
supporting the insurgency in Pakistan, said Federal Information 
Minister Qamar-uz-Zaman Kaira in Islamabad on Wednesday." 
 
"Fazlullah Critically Injured: Gen. Athar" "The News" (07/09) 
 
"The chief of Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Swat chapter, Maulana 
Fazlullah, has been critically injured in an attack by security 
forces, Director General Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) 
Maj-Gen Athar Abbas said." 
 
"Pakistan's Sacrifices Widely Recognized: Miliband" "Dawn" (07/09) 
 
"British Foreign Secretary David Miliband said on Wednesday his 
government fully recognized sacrifices made by Pakistan in the war 
against terrorism, adding that Britain was playing its role to 
mitigate the hardship and strengthen the country's economy, while 
addressing a press conference in Multan." 
 
"Pakistan And Afghanistan Should Be Treated Separately, Says 
Miliband" "Daily Times" (07/09) 
 
"Britain, Pakistan and Afghanistan do not like the term 'Af-Pak' 
used for the two countries as both have a separate status in the 
international community, British Foreign Secretary David Miliband 
said on Wednesday." 
 
"Offensive To Go On Till End To Militancy: PM" "The Nation" (07/09) 
 
 
"Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has reiterated that the ongoing 
military operation will continue till the complete elimination of 
militants from the troubled areas.  Premier Gilani expressed these 
views during his meeting with Chairman Joint Chief of Staff 
Committee Gen. Tariq Majid on Wednesday." 
 
"One Killed As Bomb Placed In Pushcart Explodes" "Dawn" (07/09) 
 
"A bomb placed in a fruit cart at Chongi Chowk, Peshawar went off on 
Wednesday, killing a man whose identity is yet to be ascertained. 
Peshawar SSP (Investigation) Mian Ghulam Mohammad said he couldn't 
say it was a suicide attack or the blast was caused by a timed 
device." 
 
"Anti-Taliban Tribal Leader Shot Dead: Official" "Dawn" (07/09) 
 
"A tribal elder Malik Zardad Khan, 55, who was raising a militia 
against the Taliban has been killed, an official said on Wednesday, 
in the latest attack against figures opposing the extremists in 
Khyber Agency." 
 
"Three Women, Two Children Killed In North Waziristan" "Dawn" 
(07/09) 
 
"Three women and two children were killed and two people were 
injured when a shell hit a vehicle carrying a displaced family in 
North Waziristan on Tuesday night.  Officials said the family from 
Manzerkhel area was going to Miramshah, at a time when a fierce 
clash between troops and militants were under way." 
 
"Four 'Militants' Arrested" "Dawn" (07/09) 
 
"Four suspected Afghan militants were arrested at Sakhi Sarwar 
check-point on Punjab Balochistan border on Wednesday.  The 
suspects, who are from Mazar-i-Sharif and Heart, were entering 
Punjan in the guise of religious preachers when they were 
arrested." 
 
"U.S. Aims To Create 'Deep Engagement With India" "Dawn" (07/09) 
 
"U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, preparing to travel to 
India next week, has said that Washington and New Delhi intend to 
cooperate on an unprecedented range of issues.  'We are working hard 
with our Indian counterparts to create a very deep and broad 
strategic engagement,' Mrs. Clinton told reporters in Washington on 
Tuesday." 
 
"Pakistan, India Show Desire To Improve Ties, U.S. Senate Told" 
"Dawn" (07/09) 
 
"Chairman of the U.s. Senate Foreign Relations Committee John Kerry 
says he has seen signs to indicate that India and Pakistan are 
willing to recreate the relationship that existed before the Mumbai 
terror attacks in November last year, Senator Kerry told a 
congressional hearing on Tuesday." 
 
"India Pays Terrorists To Attacks Pak N-Sites" "The News" (07/09) 
 
"India has paid terrorists who have well armed and trained terrorist 
army around 25 million U.S. dollars to mount a spectacular attack on 
a major Pakistani nuclear site.  A special force of around 500 
recruits has been assembled and trained to mount the operation that 
is supposed to shock the world.  Some foreign organizations have 
shared these information with the Pakistani intelligence agencies." 
 
 
"UN Aid Chief Urges Security For IDPs' Return" "Dawn" (07/09) 
 
"The 1.9 million Pakistanis uprooted by anti-Taliban offensives must 
not be pushed into returning home before their safety and security 
is assured, John Holmes, United Nations Emergency Relief 
Coordinator, said on Wednesday, as he visited the displaced people 
in Mardan." 
 
--------------------- 
Editorials/Op-eds 
--------------------- 
 
"Waning Power Of Taliban," an editorial in the Lahore-based liberal 
English language daily "Daily Times" (cir. 10,000) (07/09) 
 
"The news coming in from the regions formerly dominated by the 
Taliban clearly indicate a change in the security situation in 
Pakistan.  Received by a 'new mind' in Pakistan, the reports 
represent a turning of the tide and, more significantly, a change of 
strategy in the centers of national power....  More significantly, 
the Taliban 'emirate' of Baitullah Mehsud is fraying at the seams. 
Commanders unhappy with his policies in the past are now breaking 
ranks and declaring open rebellion against him.  There can be two 
reasons for their rebellion: that the military operation is having 
the desired psychological effect; and that more and more Taliban are 
convinced that Baitullah's enterprise is not going to ripen into a 
full-fledged state inside Pakistan.  Ever more striking is the 
development of a counterforce in Tank and Dera Ismail Khan - headed 
by the 'Abdullah' and 'Turkistan' groups - willing to fight the 
Taliban.  Unfortunately, the scale of the 'refugee crisis' that has 
come in the wake of the military action is casting gloom over what 
should normally have been welcomed as victory." 
 
"Jihad And The State," an editorial in the Karachi-based center-left 
independent national English daily "Dawn" (cir. 55,000) (07/09) 
 
"Mr. Zardari was reported in this paper to have said that 'militants 
and extremists had been deliberately created and nurtured as a 
policy to achieve some short-term tactical objectives.'  The 
President is right, and we would add the policy was wrong then and 
it is wrong now.  It cannot be any other way.  How is it possible to 
rationally explain to the people of Pakistan that the heroes of 
yesteryear are the arch-enemies of today?  The militants' religious 
justifications remain the same; what's changed is that the militants 
were fighting the state's 'enemies' yesterday but have turned their 
guns on the state and its allies today....  Perhaps more than 
anything else impeding the defeat of the militants today is the 
inability of the security establishment to revisit the strategic 
choices it made in the past and hold up its hand and admit candidly 
that grave mistakes were made....  Blaming the United States' 
invasion of Afghanistan is no good - the first and foremost 
responsibility of the state is to ensure the security of Pakistan, 
and allowing an internal threat to create a space for itself is 
anathema to that idea.  Whatever the catalyst, the fact remains that 
it was because a Jihadi network was allowed to flourish inside the 
country that we were left exposed to its eventual wrath against 
us." 
 
"U.S. Drones And National Interest," an editorial in the country's 
premier business newspaper, "Business Recorder" (cir. 25,000) 
(07/09) 
 
"The question is, if American military supplies can be transported 
to Afghanistan through Pakistan; if its air bases can be used by 
Americans to support their invasion of Afghanistan, and if many 
other countries - in much less dangerous situations than Pakistan - 
host American bases and troops on their soil; we need to look at 
this issue realistically through the prism of pragmatism.  Failure 
against Baitullah Mehsud and his ilk of murderous criminals is just 
no option.  The Pakistan military simply cannot afford to lose this 
campaign against him and his gang.  Pakistan must win this war at 
all costs - including the deployment of American drones within a 
mutually agreed framework." 
 
"Barack Obama's sayings," an editorial in the Karachi-based 
right-wing pro-Jamaat-e-Islami Urdu daily "Jasarat" (cir. 3,000) 
(07/09) 
 
"President Obama has claimed that the United States has no plans to 
control Islamabad and Kabul and does not need military bases in 
these countries. This is a big lie by him.  For the last eight 
years, the U.S. has been occupying Afghanistan.  What else is the 
meaning of 'control?' What is the need for having military bases 
when the entire country (Afghanistan) has turned into an American 
military base." 
 
"Britain Should Convince India For Kashmir Dispute Resolution," an 
editorial in the second-largest, center-right nationalist Urdu daily 
"Nawa-i-Waqt" (cir. 150,000) (07/09) 
"Mere statement by Britain's Foreign Secretary David Miliband that 
Pakistan and India should resolve Kashmir in keeping with Kashmiris 
aspirations is not just enough and it would not resolve the 
dispute....  Britain should convince India for the same, in order to 
fulfill unfinished agenda of the partition." 
 
"America And Israel's Hostile Designs Against Iran And World Peace," 
an editorial in liberal Urdu daily "Express" (cir. 25,000) (07/09) 
 
"America should not be over enthusiastic in its adventurism.  It 
should not support Israel in its bid against Iran, for it would 
result in large scale destruction reaching out to America and 
Israel.  If Europe can go for missile defense system then Iran 
should also have the right to take steps for its defense.  The 
international community is duty bound to use its influence against 
American hostility, rein in Israel and bring Iran and America to 
negotiating table." 
 
"Hypocritical Kvetching," an op-ed by Rami G. Khouri in the 
Lahore-based liberal English language daily "Daily Times" (cir. 
10,000) (07/09) 
 
"Iran is ripe for change from within, as we have witnessed in the 
past decade, through several elections and now in the behavior of 
many brave street demonstrators.  Negotiating with Iran cannot be 
any more difficult than it was with the Soviet Union.  So why the 
hesitancy - and the anguished, hypocritical debate in the West?" 
 
"Trouble In Xinjiang," an editorial in the Karachi-based center-left 
independent national English daily "Dawn" (cir. 55,000) (07/09) 
 
"Some separatist voices have been raised by elements seeking to 
exploit the situation for political gains.  More explosive could be 
the religious issue, especially complaints by Uighurs that 
restrictions have been exercised by the Chinese government on their 
practice of Islamic rites.  Given the rise of Islamic militancy in 
the region, one can understand Beijing's fears.  But it would do 
well to investigate the matter before reaching a hasty conclusion." 
 
 
"Riots in Xinjiang: Need to be Careful While Protesting," an 
editorial in the second-largest, center-right nationalist Urdu daily 
"Nawa-i-Waqt" (cir. 150,000) (07/09) 
 
"China is on top of our friends list....  The Muslims killing in 
Xinjiang province is surely a cause of concern and our protest on it 
should be similar to the silent ones by Holland and Germany over 
attacks on their embassies.  Any government or public protest should 
not be seen as interference in China's internal affairs. 
Jamaat-i-Islami former chief Qazi Hussain Ahmed has given a call for 
protest on Friday.  He should be careful and keep in mind Pak-China 
friendship, so that no one could blame Pakistan [for the riots?], 
especially when China has talked of foreign involvement in the 
riots." 
 
"Xinjiang Riots And Pakistan," an editorial in the Lahore-based 
independent Urdu daily "Din" (cir. 10,000) (07/09) 
 
"There is a danger of an attempt to undermine Pak-China relations if 
rioting in Xinjiang increased. Pakistan should immediately clarify 
its standpoint to China in order to allay apprehensions of a friend 
like China." 
 
(All circulation figures are based on estimation) 
Patterson