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UNCLAS ISLAMABAD 002049 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KMDR KPAO OIIP OPRC PGOV PREL PK
SUBJECT:  PAKISTAN MEDIA REACTION: AUGUST 27, 2009 
 
Summary: Reports on national political developments dominated 
headlines in all newspapers on Thursday. U.S. Special Envoy 
Holbrooke's statement made during a CNN interview that the "deadly 
Taliban insurgency in both countries (Afghanistan and Pakistan) 
relies heavily on funding from the Persian Gulf" received prominent 
display in all dailies. Some major newspapers highlighted the U.S. 
General Petraeus's statement that the "enormous amount of hard work 
and tough fighting lie ahead in Afghanistan." In other news, several 
newspapers highlighted reports that a "shutter-down strike was 
observed in Quetta and some other cities of Balochistan to mark the 
death anniversary of Baloch nationalist leader Akbar Bugti." The 
leading mass circulation Urdu daily, "Jang" highlighted Interior 
Minister Malik's remarks clarifying erroneous media reports that 
"U.S. Embassy (in Islamabad) has been provided land according to the 
appropriate rules." 
 
Most major dailies ran editorials on the expected disappointing 
outcome of the recently concluded Friends of Democratic Pakistan 
moot in Istanbul. In its editorial, the leading mass circulation 
populist, often sensational Urdu daily "Jang," noted that the "donor 
countries have some reservations due to the alleged large-scale 
corruption of our politicians and bureaucrats and the misuse of 
economic aid in the past."  Likewise, the Karachi-based English 
daily "Dawn," wrote: "Fiscal prudence, or even propriety, has not 
been the hallmark of successive Pakistani governments.  Bloated 
bureaucracies and poor planning have combined over the years to 
squander both taxpayer rupees as donor dollars."  However the 
second-largest, center-right nationalist Urdu daily "Nawa-i-Waqt," 
advocated to "stop waiting for yet another donors conference, shun 
the role of frontline U.S. ally and start the reconstruction work in 
the country independently."  End Summary. 
----------------- 
News Stories 
----------------- 
"Gulf Oil Fuelling Taliban Wars: Holbrooke" "Daily Times" (08/27) 
"Richard Holbrooke, the top US diplomat for Afghanistan and 
Pakistan, told CNN on Tuesday the deadly Taliban insurgency in both 
countries relies heavily on funding from the Persian Gulf." 
"Tough Fighting, Hard Work Needed In Afghanistan: US" "Dawn" (08/27) 
 
 
"Two top US military commanders warned on Wednesday that the 
situation in Afghanistan was extremely challenging and they needed 
more than battlefield victories to succeed. 'Given the deterioration 
in the security situation, an enormous amount of hard work and tough 
fighting lie ahead in Afghanistan,' said General David H. Petraeus. 
'The stakes are high, (and) the situation is extremely challenging,' 
said Admiral James G. Stavridis." 
"Pakistanis Suffered Most At The Hands Of Al Qaeda: US" "Daily 
Times" (08/27) 
"No nation has suffered at the hands of Al Qaeda the way Pakistanis 
have suffered after the 9/11 attacks, US Deputy Assistant Secretary 
of Defence for Pakistan and Afghanistan, David Sedney, said on 
Wednesday, a private TV channel reported." 
"Mullen Says US Starting Over In Afghanistan" "The News" (08/27) 
 
"Admiral Mike Mullen, Chairman Joint Chiefs Staff, has said due to 
years of neglect of Afghanistan war, the United States is basically 
'starting over' in its battle against the radical Taliban movement 
and its al-Qaeda allies.The top US military officer acknowledged in 
an interview with the Boston Globe that public support for the 
Afghan war is waning and that the US operation needs 12 to 18 months 
to turn this thing around. 'It is doable, but it is going to take 
some time,' he said, urging Americans to be patient." 
 
"Complete Shut Down, Wheel Jam Observed" "The News" (08/27) 
 
"A shutter down and wheel jam strike was observed in Quetta and some 
other cities of Balochistan on the third death anniversary of Nawab 
Akbar Khan Bugti as bomb blasts, firing incidents and attacks on 
security forces in various parts of the province were reported on 
Wednesday." 
 
"NWFP Wants Terror War Compensation" "The News" (08/27) 
 
"The NWFP government and opposition political parties on Wednesday 
unanimously demanded an additional five per cent share for the 
province in the upcoming National Finance Commission (NFC) award to 
compensate for the losses suffered during the anti-terror war." 
"PHC Orders Release Of Sufi's Sons" "The News" (08/27) 
 
"The Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Wednesday ordered the release of 
three sons of Maulana Sufi Muhammad, detained along with their 
father under Section 3 of the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) 
Ordinance." 
 
"Commander Among Eight Militants Killed In Swat" "The News" (08/27) 
 
"Three militants, including a commander, were killed in an exchange 
of fire with security forces in the Kokarai area in the Swat Valley 
on Wednesday." 
 
"4 Soldiers Killed In SWA Convoy Attack" "The News" (08/27) 
 
"Pakistani Jets and helicopter gunships pounded militant positions 
in South Waziristan on Wednesday, officials said, in a fresh assault 
on Taliban militants in the tribal belt. The bombardment in SWA 
comes after the death of Taliban chief Baitullah Mehsud." 
 
"Hakimullah A Fiercely Ambitious Militant" "Dawn" (08/27) 
 
"With Hakimullah Mehsud having been formally appointed the amir 
(chief) of Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), replacing the dreaded 
Baitullah, the powerstruggle is over (at least for the moment) and 
the first phase of transition in tribal areas' extremist Islamic 
militant movement is complete." 
 
"Taliban Seen As Regrouping: Report" "The News" (08/27) 
 
"An agreement by two top leaders of the Pakistani Taliban to share 
power following their chief's killing is a sign the al-Qaeda-allied 
movement is regrouping, but questions remain whether the network is 
as united as it seeks to appear. Two intelligence officers warned 
Wednesday that the group's new leader, Hakimullah Mehsud, may stage 
high-profile attacks in Pakistani cities to show it is still in 
business and avenge the death of his chief Baitullah Mehsud." 
"Oil Tanker Blown Up" "The Nation" (08/27) 
"A tanker carrying oil supplies for NATO forces was blown up in 
Torkham area on Wedneday." 
"India Refuses Jaswant Visit NOC" "Dawn" (08/27) 
 
"Jaswant Singh whose book on Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah has 
raked up a storm in India, resulting in his expulsion from the 
Bharatiya Janata Party, is not coming to Pakistan as announced 
earlier by local promoters of the book." 
 
"Indian Dossier Lacks Concrete Proof Against Saeed" "Dawn" (08/27) 
 
"India's only evidence against Jamaatud Dawa chief Hafiz Saeed is 
based on statements given by three accused detained in the Mumbai 
attack case, claiming that the banned outfit's leader had overseen 
their training and urged them in his sermons to carry out attacks." 
 
 
"India Hopes World Will Take Note Of Interpol Alert" "Dawn" 
(08/27) 
 
"Indian Foreign Minister S.M. Krishna has said the world must take 
notice of the Interpol alert against Hafiz Saeed of the Jamaatud 
Dawa." 
 
"U.S. Embassy Has Been Provided Land According To Appropriate Rules: 
Interior Minister Rehman Malik" "Jang" (08/27) 
 
"Federal Interior Minister Rehman Malik has said that the government 
has provided a piece of land to the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad 
according to the appropriate rules and regulations. In an interview 
rview 
with the Geo TV, Mr. Malik clarified vehemently that the U.S. 
Mission didn't grab the piece of land, in fact, the CDA has allotted 
this piece of land to the U.S. Mission on latter's formal request as 
some plots have been allotted to the China Embassy and other foreign 
missions." 
 
"US Refuses To Discuss Blackwater Mission In Pakistan" "The News" 
(08/27) 
 
". . . US embassy spokesman Richard W Snelsire, however, when asked 
about the presence of Blackwater personnel in Pakistan, said, 'We 
don't discuss issues related to the security that include the 
contractors, who are assigned the security tasks.' Snelsire said 
that making public such details would endanger lives. He said that 
95% of the security personnel doing security work with the US 
embassy and its officials are from the Pakistani security companies. 
Regarding Marines, he said that presently the US embassy has only 
eight Marines and when the expansion project of the embassy would 
complete in years to come, this strength would go up to 15-20 
maximum." 
 
--------------------- 
Editorials/Op-eds 
--------------------- 
 
"Win People's Confidence, Global Credibility Will Be Restored," an 
editorial in the leading mass circulation populist, often 
sensational Urdu daily "Jang" (cir. 300,000) (08/27) 
 
"The Friends of Democratic Pakistan (FoDP) has so far failed to 
fully honor its commitments to provide $5.7 billion as financial 
assistance to Pakistan. Almost the entire world admits that, due to 
its pivotal role in the War on Terror, Pakistan is facing a number 
of crises and needs a helping hand from the international community. 
But donor countries have some reservations due to the alleged 
large-scale corruption of our politicians and bureaucrats and the 
misuse of economic aid in the past. According to reports, our 
friends want to know further details of the utilization of their 
money as Ambassador Richard Holbrooke has also pointed out during 
his recent visit. It is the need of the hour that our government 
must pay some heed to its shortcomings and set its own house in 
order." 
 
"Friends' Relutance," an editorial in the Karachi-based center-left 
independent national English daily "Dawn" (cir. 55,000) (08/27) 
 
"Fiscal prudence, or even propriety, has not been the hallmark of 
successive Pakistani governments. Bloated bureaucracies and poor 
planning have combined over the years to squander both taxpayer 
rupees and donor dollarsl. . . it is not just the donors who are 
entitled to such information. The people of Pakistan also deserve to 
know how the funds that are being raised in their name will be 
utilised by the government. There can be no compromise on 
transparency or quality of work. . ." 
 
"Disappointment At Not Getting Expected Assistance From Friends Of 
Pakistan: Self-Reliance is in the National Interest," an editorial 
in the second-largest, center-right nationalist Urdu daily 
"Nawa-i-Waqt" (cir. 150,000) (08/27) 
 
"Foreign Minister Shah Mahmud Qureshi has stressed upon the 
international community to disburse to Pakistan billions of dollars 
assistance it had announced with a reference to Swat operation.... 
The Foreign Minister talk in Istanbul shows that the expectations of 
assistance promised in Tokyo donor's conference could not 
materialize in Istanbul, although the guarantor of the promises, 
President Obama's envoy, Holbrooke was present in the conference.... 
 According to the Foreign Minister, we have been given only $300 
million, which is reflective of our foreign policy failure....  This 
is time for us to stop waiting for yet another donor's conference, 
shun the role of frontline U.S. ally and start the reconstruction 
work in the country independently." 
 
"Friends Of Pakistan Meeting And Demands Of Time," an editorial in 
liberal Urdu daily "Express" (cir. 25,000) (08/27) 
 
"It is encouraging that the Friends of Democratic Pakistan (FoDP) 
have realized Pakistan's growing energy needs, and also the fact 
that the country is currently facing a grave energy crisis. Pakistan 
will be able to control many of its problems if the Friends help it 
in this regard.  However the government must also ensure that any 
assistance from the FoDP is utilized in a transparent manner, and 
that it is not squandered away." 
 
"The N-Terrorism Threat," an op-ed by Amjed Jaaved in the populist, 
often sensational national English daily "The News" (cir. 55,000) 
(08/27) 
 
". . . Foreign media continues to express doubts about security and 
safety of Pakistan's nuclear materials. . . Dr Shaun Gregory, in his 
article 'The terrorist threat to Pakistan's nuclear weapons', went 
as far as to claim that three attacks on Pakistan's nuclear 
facilities have already taken place... The truth about the attacks 
is that they are all figments of rotten imagination. . . The 
'research work' by well-known scholars reflects visceral hatred 
against Pakistan. The findings in fresh 'magnum opuses' are a 
re-hash or amalgam of the presumptions and pretensions in 
earlier-published 'studies.' Will the Western press stop churning 
out reports about vulnerability of nuclear Pakistan? It is time that 
the West deflected its attention to India where movements of nuclear 
materials, under 123 expansion plan, would take place between 
nuclear-power plants sprawling across different states." 
 
"Buried At Last," an editorial in the populist, often sensational 
national English daily "The News" (cir. 55,000) (08/27) 
 
". . . it is also true that it (Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan) has been 
weakened.  The rival claims to leadership heard over the past weeks 
underscore this.  It is indeed still not clear if Hakimullah's 
leadership will be challenged or indeed how he has been chosen.  The 
question now is whether the TTP will be allowed to re-build and 
reassemble itself around a new leader or whether it will be 
delivered a death blow now that some of its weaknesses have been 
exposed." 
 
"Post Baitullah," an editorial note in the Karachi-based center-left 
independent national English daily "Dawn" (cir. 55,000) (08/27) 
". . . The TTP as a fighting force has certainly been degraded after 
military operations in Swat and Bajaur, the two major strongholds of 
the TTP outside the Waziristan agencies. And the myth of the Taliban 
as an omnipotent force that could usurp the state's writ over huge 
swathes of northwest Pakistan has certainly been dented. But the TTP 
still has the capacity to launch suicide attacks and destabilise the 
country. So while cautious optimism may be warranted, unbridled glee 
is not - at least not yet." 
"We Should Exploit the Taliban Split," an editorial in the 
Lahore-based liberal English language daily "Daily Times" (cir. 
10,000) (08/27) 
 
"The post-Baitullah confusion in the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan 
(TTP) is not expected to go away soon....  How can Pakistan exploit 
this situation?  The initial opinion seems to be divided between 
those who recommend a forward policy and those who 'caution against 
too much interference in the fiercely independent tribal areas.'  If 
the fear is that going into South Waziristan will trigger some kind 
of tribal reaction that Pakistan cannot deal with, why not think of 
moving in areas outside South Waziristan, placing a wedge between 
Waliur Rehman and Hakimullah?" 
 
"Rifts Within TTP," an editorial in the center-right national 
English daily "The Nation" (cir. 20,000) (08/27) 
 
". . . Momentum of [the Tehrik Taliban Pakistan] at one time, when 
every other day they were beheading civilians, flogging women for 
stepping out of their homes, blowing up girls' schools in Swat and 
staging deadly bomb attacks, was going too fast for the security 
forces to stop.  But the death of the man who was at the helm of the 
movement has made considerable difference and the saga of terror he 
had unleashed finally seems to be subsiding....  This is a godsent 
opportunity for the Army to benefit from the rifts and infighting 
that is going on in the outfit and to dismember the network once and 
for all." 
 
"Successor of Baitullah Mehsud and Tehrik-e-Taliban," an editorial 
in the Peshawar-based Urdu-language daily "Mashriq" (cir. 55,000) 
(08/27) 
 
"The election of the new chief of Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) 
shows that the Taliban, though to some extent, have overcome their 
internal differences. The Pakistan government adopted a very bizarre 
policy after the killing of Baitullah and deliberately provided the 
Taliban breathing space to choose their new chief. The government 
could fully exploit the interim period for stoking serious 
differences among various extremist groups in order to further 
weaken the Taliban movement. This strategy gives rise to certain 
doubts as if the government has reached a compromise with the 
Taliban." 
"Obama's Summer Of Discontent," an op-ed by Tariq Fatemi in the 
Karachi-based center-left independent national English daily "Dawn" 
(cir. 55,000) (08/27)far from being dead, as claimed in some quar- 
ters, hakeemullah meh- sud is the new chief of the tehrik-i-taliban 
pakistan and has seemingly buried the hatchet with his rival waliur 
rehman. at least that is the gist of the inter- view given to the 
asso- ciated press by the two militant leaders on tues- day. in 
truth, however, lit- tle is clear about the ttp's future. the 
attempt by mehsud and rehman to paper over the cracks in their 
relationship has not convinced many observ- ers. it is believed that 
the afghan taliban and al qaeda intervened in the succession issue 
and brokered the new arrange- ment, but only time will tell if the 
ttp will hold together in the wake of baitullah meh- sud's killing. 
there is certainly ten- sion within the ranks of the ttp leadership 
and earlier reports of fighting between mehsud and rehman are 
believed to be true. unity has not been threatened by one is- sue: 
all ttp leaders agree that the foreign forces in afghanistan must be 
fought. however, the con- sensus has broken down on two other 
critical is- sues. one, should the ttp continue to attack the 
pakistani state and other targets inside the country? two, who 
should lead the ttp? while baitullah mehsud was alive, the answer to 
the latter ques- tion was never in doubt while baitullah's answer to 
the former was an un- equivocal yes. but now that he is dead, there 
is no clear answer to either question yet. does that mean though the 
state should pat itself on the back for a job well done? not quite. 
the ttp as a fighting force has cer- tainly been degraded after 
military operations in swat and bajaur, the two major strongholds of 
the ttp outside the waziris- tan agencies. and the myth of the 
taliban as an omnipotent force that could usurp the state's writ 
over huge swathes of northwest pakistan has certainly been dented. 
but the ttp still has the ca- pacity to launch suicide at- tacks and 
destabilise the country. so while cautious optimism may be warran- 
ted, unbridled glee is not - at least not yet. 
". . . It is Obama's desire to resolve the Middle East conflict that 
has galvanised the opposition. . . Obama even chose to take on this 
issue so early and with so much resolve is a testimony to both his 
courage and conviction that without its early resolution, the Muslim 
world would continue to harbour serious misgivings about the US. . . 
Many Israelis are also uncomfortable with the administration's 
policy of 'outreach and engagement', especially with states like 
Syria, North Korea and Iran. There is also the fear that engaging 
with the Muslim world, an avowed aim of the president - will 
inevitably result in a distancing from Israel, especially if Obama 
wants to appear more even-handed to Arab states. . . To the 
Israelis, this approach sounds not only naove but even dangerous. 
Israel fears that at the end of the day, its options will narrow 
down to two: live with an Iranian bomb or strike Iran to destroy or 
delay its nuclear programme. And now, with public support for the 
Afghan war eroding as well, Obama's summer holidays are unlikely to 
give him much time to relax and recoup." 
 
Patterson