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UNCLAS ISLAMABAD 002218 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KMDR KPAO OIIP OPRC PGOV PREL PK
SUBJECT:  PAKISTAN MEDIA REACTION: SEPTEMBER 14, 2009 
 
Summary:  The Interior Minister's statement claiming that "troops 
were close to capturing Swat Taliban chief Fazalullah" dominated 
headlines in all newspapers on Monday.  Newspapers also highlighted 
reports that "three Frontier Corps (FC) personnel were killed when a 
military convoy hit a landmine in Khyber Agency."  All newspapers 
also reported that "ten militants were killed when the jetfighters 
pounded their hideouts in South Waziristan."  In other news, all 
newspapers ran front-page reports and photographs of former Prime 
Minister Nawaz Sharif's meeting with Saudi King Abdullah in Mecca. 
Former President Musharraf's television interview with a Pakistani 
network continued to garner media coverage on the second consecutive 
day.  All dailies highlighted his admission that the "military aid 
provided by the U.S. to Pakistan for the war against terror during 
his tenure had been used to strengthen defense against India."  In 
its editorial on the issue, the Urdu daily, "Express," criticized 
that "President Musharraf should not have talked about double 
crossing the U.S. because even domestically many people may [now] 
accuse him of doing the same [to Pakistan]." 
 
Most major dailies ran editorials on various facets of the Pak-U.S. 
relationship. Expressing its "legitimate concern" over the proposed 
expansion of the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad, the national English 
daily "The Nation," in its editorial, observed that the "U.S. 
nationals' insulting behavior towards Pakistani citizens in the 
streets of Islamabad gives the foretaste of the things to come." 
Toeing the line, its sister Urdu publication, daily "Nawa-i-Waqt," 
noted that the "entire nation has concerns over notorious 
Blackwater's illegal activities in Islamabad and Peshawar, 
construction of an American military base on the pretext of Embassy 
expansion, American attempts to acquire houses near Dr. A.Q. Khan's 
residence and other sensitive  installations, and the desire to buy 
a Peshawar hotel."  Commending the U.S. government's decision to 
provide development assistance through NGOs and other alternative 
channels, the Urdu daily "Jang" noted that it "highlights the fact 
that hefty chunks of development funds provided by the donor 
countries are not properly utilized for public welfare and often 
misappropriated."  End Summary. 
 
----------------- 
News Stories 
----------------- 
 
"Fazlullah Surrounded" "The Nation" (09/14) 
 
"Interior Minister Rehman Malik has confirmed reports that security 
forces have started operations to arrest the chief of the banned 
Tehrik-e-Taliban Swat Chapter, Maulana Fazlullah, adding that he has 
been surrounded by the forces.  Talking to media persons after his 
meeting with the FATA delegation on Sunday, Rehman Malik said that 
he wanted to tell Fazlullah that security forces were about to 
arrest him." 
 
"Three Security Personnel Die In Bara Attack" "Dawn" (09/14) 
 
"Three security personnel were killed and three other injured when a 
military convoy hit an explosive device planted on the road in Bara 
tehsil of Khyber Agency on Sunday." 
 
"10 Militants Killed In South Waziristan Agency (SWA) Blitz" "The 
News" (09/140 
 
"Ten militants were killed and 15 others sustained injuries when 
fighter planes hit the hideouts of the militants in Sarwakai area in 
South Waziristan Agency (SWA) on Sunday. The sources said security 
forces also dismantled 10 hideouts of the militants." 
 
"Abdullah Asks Nawaz To Avoid Non-Issues" "The News" (09/14) 
 
"Saudi King Abdullah Abdul Aziz has advised PML-N Quaid Mian 
Muhammad Nawaz Sharif to avoid controversial issues and promote 
reconciliation for the continuation of the democratic system in 
Pakistan.  Nawaz Sharif, who is in Saudi Arabia, met Shah Abdullah 
bin Abdul Aziz on Sunday and discussed matters of mutual interest 
including national, regional and international issues." 
 
"Mush Passes The Buck To Army" "The News" (09/14) 
 
"Replying to a question in an interview, former President Musharraf 
admitted that aid and weapons supplied by the U.S. were used to 
strengthen Pakistan's defence against India.  Musharraf admitted 
that he had violated rules governing the use of the military aid, 
and justified his actions by saying he had 'acted in the best 
interest of Pakistan.'  He said he 'did not care' whether the US 
would be angered by his disclosure." 
 
"Zardari's New U.S. Yatra First It Was Money, Now Weapons" "The 
Nation" (09/14) 
 
"President Asif Ali Zardari is intending to link the start of a full 
scale military operation in Waziristan with the provision of 
military equipment by the U.S.  Well-placed sources told 'The 
Nation,' he would press on U.S. President Obama to expedite the 
delivery of these weapons, when he meets him in New York on 
September 24 to help Islamabad in meeting its urgent needs for 
adequate military equipment to continue with counter-terrorism 
campaign." 
 
"Over 700 Khasadars Sacked In Khyber" "Dawn" (09/14) 
 
"Authorities have sacked 715 personnel of the paramilitary Khasadar 
force for deserting their posts after receiving threats from 
Lashkar-i-Islam chief Mangal Bagh.  Political Agent of Khyber Agency 
Tariq Hayat said on Sunday the process of recruiting fresh personnel 
would commence on Monday in accordance with the new policy of the 
force." 
 
"Troops Avert Suicide Attack; Kill Bomber" "Dawn" (09/14) 
 
"A suicide bomber tried to attack a security check-post near a 
petrol pump in the Thana area in Malakand on Sunday morning. 
Personnel guarding the post fired at the explosives-packed vehicle 
which exploded, killing the bomber.  Three civilians and a security 
man were injured." 
 
"Taliban Commander Killed In Dir Clash" "Dawn" (09/14) 
 
"A local Taliban commander was killed during a clash with security 
forces in Shagai area of Maidan on Sunday, locals and official 
sources said." 
 
"Drone Attack Kills Four In North Waziristan: officials" "Dawn" 
(09/14) 
 
"A suspected U.S. drone missile attack on Monday killed four 
militants in a remote tribal town bordering in North Waziristan, 
officials said.  The missile targeted a militant vehicle in Toori 
Khel village in North Waziristan region, they said." 
 
"U.S. To Engage Militants Near Pakistan Border" "Dawn" (09/14) 
 
"The United States may shift the focus of its military operations 
close to the Pakistani border in eastern Afghanistan, U.S. experts 
say.  Diplomatic sources in Washington say that General Stanley 
McChrystal, the U.S. and NATO commander in Afghanistan, has 
recommended a change of focus in a report he submitted to the Obama 
administration last week." 
 
"USAID To Recruit 100,000 Pakistanis" "The Nation" (09/14) 
 
"USAID Pakistan (Jobs) has signed a memorandum of understanding 
(MoU) with Brightspyre and Institute of Business Administration 
(IBA) Sukkur to join hands for the placement of approximately 
100,000 Pakistanis on highly skilled jobs.  'This MOU will open 
doors to a world of opportunities for the youth and women job 
seekers of Pakistan,' said Amy Ramm, Chief of Party, USAID (Jobs), 
according to a press release issued in Islamabad the other day." 
 
"U.S. Distrust Of Government Comes To The Fore" "Dawn" (09/14) 
 
"Jamaat-i-Islami Chief Syed Munawar Hasan has said on Sunday,the 
provision of U.S. aid under the Kerry-Lugar Bill directly to the 
ministries and NGOs instead of the PPP government is an indication 
that the rulers have lost Washington's confidence due to widespread 
tales of corruption." 
 
"No Change In Aid Bill Status: Taseer" "Dawn" (09/14) 
 
"Governor Salman Taseer has said in Lahore on Sunday, the aid coming 
through the Kerry-Lugar bill is being allocated under an agreed plan 
and the impression that the U.S. is bypassing the government in this 
regard is 'totally false and baseless.'  'The bill is a commitment 
to a democratic Pakistan,' the governor clarified." 
 
"PTI For Moot On Black-Water" "Dawn" (09/14) 
 
"The Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaaf has demanded a national conference to 
discuss the issue of Blackwater, a private security force of the 
United States, PTI Information Secretary Omar Sarfraz Cheema said in 
Lahore on Sunday." 
 
"FM Hopes For Progress In Peace Process" "Dawn" (09/14) 
 
"Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said on Sunday that 
differences between Pakistan and India could be resolved only 
through dialogue.  Talking to reporters in Multan, he said that the 
Mumbai attack was an abominable crime, but the two countries needed 
to move forward, instead of remaining preoccupied with that." 
 
--------------------- 
Editorials/Op-eds 
--------------------- 
 
"[Musharraf's] Claim Of 'Double-Crossing' America," an editorial in 
the liberal Urdu daily "Express" (cir. 50,000) (09/14) 
 
"Now in a startling revelation in a program on a local television 
network, former President Musharraf has said that he double-crossed 
the U.S. and strengthened Pakistan's defense against India through 
weapons provided by the U.S. for the war on terror. The former 
president has said that he double crossed the U.S. in Pakistan's 
national interests and hence did not care whether this action 
annoyed the U.S....  About supporting the U.S. post 9/11, former 
President Musharraf said that U.S. troops might have entered 
Pakistan and taken control of Pakistan's nuclear weapons had it not 
agreed to support the U.S....  He should not have talked about 
double crossing the U.S. because even domestically many people may 
accuse him of doing the same [to Pakistan]." 
 
"Legitimate Concern," an editorial in the center-right national 
English daily "The Nation" (cir. 20,000) (09/14) 
 
"The unbridled leeway that the government has given to the Americans 
to acquire land in Islamabad for an extensive expansion of their 
embassy has roused strong apprehensions among the people about the 
real U.S. designs and compelled some of the concerned citizenry to 
approach the Supreme Court to seek a legal injunction to forestall 
the move....  One wonders how a popularly elected government could 
overlook these glaring factors.  It seems not to have bothered about 
even the plight of the Prime Minister's Secretariat staff who have 
been deprived of their houses to meet the needs of the embassy.  The 
U.S. nationals' insulting behavior towards Pakistani citizens in the 
streets of Islamabad gives a foretaste of the things to come.  The 
sooner the government reviews the decision to let the U.S. do such a 
large-scale expansion the better. 
 
"U.S. Activities In Islamabad And National Interests," an editorial 
in the second-largest, nationalist Urdu daily "Nawa-i-Waqt" (cir. 
150,000) (09/14) 
 
"The government decision's to lease 18 acres of land to the American 
Embassy and 7,000 acres of land to Arab and Gulf states has been 
challenged in the Supreme Court of Pakistan.  The entire nation has 
concerns over notorious Blackwater's illegal activities in Islamabad 
and Peshawar, construction of an American military base on the 
pretext of Embassy expansion, American attempts to acquire houses 
near Dr. A.Q. Khan's residence and other sensitive  installations, 
and the desire to buy a Peshawar hotel.  The nation describes the 
events as the manifestation of U.S. designs to control Pakistan 
sensitive assets in order to prevent it from using nuclear and 
missile capability for its defense....  Instead of putting the 
Supreme Court in a difficult position the Government should 
reconsider its decision to lease out 18 acres of land to America and 
hundreds of thousands of acres to some Arab and Gulf states.  The 
Pakistan army has carried out a military operation and overpowered 
terrorists to a great extent.  Why does America need to expand its 
Embassy and rent 200 residences? 
 
"Country For Sale?," an editorial in the Karachi-based center-left 
independent national English daily "Dawn" (cir. 55,000) (09/14) 
"American drone attacks against the Taliban are routinely condemned 
as violations of national sovereignty.  But there is little 
criticism of how our own government is threatening the country's 
territorial integrity by engineering the lease of millions of acres 
to foreign investors....  All this has been decided without tabling 
the move in parliament.  This is a gross injustice to the people of 
Pakistan and stands in clear violation of the UN General Assembly 
resolution on Permanent Sovereignty over Natural Resources." 
 
"Kerry-Lugar Bill And Responsibilities Of Government," an editorial 
in the leading mass circulation populist, often sensational Urdu 
daily "Jang" (cir. 300,000) (09/14) 
 
"The decision by the U.S. government that it would provide financial 
assistance to the ministries concerned, provinces and NGOs rather 
than the PPP government, highlights the fact that hefty chunks of 
development funds provided by the donor countries are not properly 
utilized for public welfare and often misappropriated.  The 
usefulness of this decision of the U.S. government cannot be denied 
because the utilization of international aid for third world 
countries needs strict monitoring to avoid any misappropriation in 
order to maintain its inflow." 
 
"Fazlullah Nearing His End?," an editorial in the Lahore-based 
liberal English language daily "Daily Times" (cir. 10,000) (09/14) 
 
"Briefing a Senate committee, FATA Additional Chief Secretary 
Habibullah Khan has said something that must upset a lot of people. 
He said: 'There is evidence that the U.S., Israel and India are 
involved in nurturing the insurgency in FATA.'  Like the evidence 
against India - which was never handed over to the Indians or shown 
in Pakistan - this evidence too has to be treated as 'emotional' 
unless it is made public.  Why should America kill Baitullah Mehsud, 
thus breaking the back of the Taliban insurgency, and yet join India 
and Israel to conspire against the very country it wants not to 
succumb to terror?  If America is following a strategy of dividing 
the Taliban in FATA then that should be differentiated from what the 
FATA officer thinks are acts against Pakistan.  The Interior 
Ministry should seriously be worried about why people think that 
Pakistan will fail to punish its terrorists." 
 
"Negative Side Of Hating America," an editorial in the Lahore-based 
liberal English language daily "Daily Times" (cir. 10,000) (09/14) 
 
"The Pakistani media is boiling over with anti-American opinion as 
the Pakistan Army finally succeeds in pushing back the Taliban to 
applause from a worried international community.  The government 
denies in vain the claims made in the media that America is 
inducting mercenary soldiers into Islamabad and is unfairly 
acquiring land for their housing.  Also, that armored cars are being 
brought in through Karachi so that a bullet-proof caravan of these 
hired men may attack Kahuta and steal Pakistan's nuclear program.... 
 That is why most TV channels ended up producing a patently false 
picture of what happened after 9/11 on the anniversary of the 
shocking event." 
 
"The Aftermath of 9/11," an op-ed by Talat Masood in the populist, 
often sensational national English daily "The News" (cir. 55,000) 
(09/14) 
 
"When events of 9/11 occurred it (Pakistan) suffered the most as it 
acted as a buffer and cushioned the shock and awe of the U.S. 
invasion for Afghanistan.  In the process the Pakistani state that 
always had a weak control over FATA lost its writ in many parts 
paving the way for the influx of Al Qaeda and Taliban....  With a 
fast growing population gross neglect of education has produced a 
generation with hardly any skills to relate to either national or 
global economy.  The collapse and absence of the public education 
system with 2 per cent annual growth rate in population thus became 
a serious threat to the nation state.  No wonder then that militancy 
has become the most lucrative occupation for the youth who find it 
as a means of livelihood and a vehicle for empowerment in these 
areas." 
 
"U.S. Interest In An Unstable Pakistan," an op-ed by Syed M. Tariq 
Pirzada in the Islamabad-based rightist English daily "Pakistan 
Observer" (cir. 5,000) (09/14) 
 
"The occupation of Afghanistan offers a wide array of strategic 
opportunities to the U.S., which include, but, are not limited to, 
the following: With its growing military might, and operations along 
the Pak- Afghan border, the U.S. remains ideally located to exercise 
maximum containment-pressure over any further weaponization, or 
needed expansion within Pakistan's limited nuclear program.  Also, 
based on the alleged possibility that somehow Pakistan's nuclear 
weapons, or, materials, could one day fall in to the hands of Al 
Qaeda, or, the extremists, any U.S. contingency plans, to, 
preemptively, seize or destroy, small Pak-nuclear arsenal, despite 
the difficulties involved, may never be ruled out." 
 
"Trade Train Service," an editorial in the Lahore-based populist 
Urdu daily "Khabrain" (cir.  25,000) (09/14) 
 
"India has once again proposed a trade train service between India, 
Pakistan and Bangladesh....  This proposal seems to carry more 
benefits for India than the other countries....  We feel that if 
such a service is initiated, the trade of goods should remain 
between these three states, and no country should be used merely as 
a transit route to countries beyond.  If Indian goods start arriving 
in the Central Asian states, it would have a negative impact on the 
Chinese market, resulting in China's annoyance with Pakistan.... 
Hence there is a need for high-level review of this issue." 
 
"Down to The Wire," an editorial in the populist, often sensational 
national English daily "The News" (cir. 55,000) (09/14) 
 
"This election was not just flawed, Messrs Holbrooke and Miliband, 
its goose was well and truly cooked. Holbrooke has drawn the line in 
the sand that is a virtual guarantee of a Karzai victory no matter 
what the election commission eventually reports - and investigations 
into irregularities are going to take several months.  Whoever the 
Americans and the British and the other sponsors of this exercise in 
how-not-to-run-an-election decide has won when the dust has settled, 
we may be certain that the people of Afghanistan lost it." 
 
"Blow To Middle East Peace," an editorial in the Karachi-based 
center-left independent national English daily "Dawn" (cir. 55,000) 
(09/14) 
 
"The Obama administration has done little that is practical to make 
Israel behave.  All that the White House said was that the decision 
to build more houses was harmful to peace efforts, and America did 
not accept its 'legitimacy.'  In other words, Israel seems to be 
getting away with something against which President Obama spoke so 
forcefully in his June 4 address to the Muslim world.  The fate of 
the Oslo accords (1993), the roadmap (2003) and the Annapolis 
agreement (2007) is before us.  Israel scuttled these with full help 
from the Clinton and Bush administrations.  President Obama has yet 
to prove that he cannot be trifled with." 
 
(All circulation figures are based on estimation) 
Patterson