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UNCLAS ISLAMABAD 000148 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KMDR KPAO OIIP OPRC PGOV PREL PK
SUBJECT: PAKISTAN MEDIA REACTION: January 22, 2010 
 
Summary: Coverage of U.S. Defense Secretary Gates' Islamabad visit 
dominated front-pages on Friday morning.  Headlines included:  "U.S. 
considering giving Pakistan drones: Gates" (Daily Times); 
"Blackwater, DynCorp operating in Pakistan: Gates" (The Statesman); 
and "Gates wants Pak operation extended to NWA" (The News).  All 
major dailies reported the Pakistan Army spokesperson's statement 
that the military has no plans to launch a new offensive against 
militants in the next 12 months.  Secretary Gates' statement, made 
during his visit to New Delhi, regarding the limits of India's 
patience with respect to another Mumbai-like attack was the subject 
of several editorials.  Dawn observed that "maybe (Mr. Gates) was 
playing to an Indian audience and saying what it wanted to hear." 
The Nation maintained that "Gates needs to realize that Pakistan's 
own patience with Indian games on that count is running out."  Urdu 
daily, Express, opined that "history shows that whenever American 
officials visit India, they issue statements in favor of Indians, 
and when they come to Pakistan; they always seek to please Pakistani 
audiences."  The mass-circulated Urdu daily, Jang, noted that Gates' 
remarks on the subject can be "interpreted as a warning, a 
prediction, or a piece of advice, but one cannot deny its severity." 
Commenting on the Secretary's remarks that "Al Qaeda can trigger a 
war between India and Pakistan," Daily Times called it a "frank 
admission of the role of spoilers can play in inherently difficult 
and intractable situations where peace is on the agenda."  President 
Zardari's request to "let Pak forces use drones," and Prime Minister 
Gilani's statement urging "steps to bridge Pak-U.S. trust deficit" 
also received wide coverage in today's papers.  Media also reported 
that the Supreme Court directed the government to furnish details of 
Pakistanis handed over to the United States during the Musharraf 
period.  Some papers reported that U.S. troops in Afghanistan and 
Iraq were given Bible coded gun sights.  End Summary. 
 
TOP STORIES 
 
News Story:  "Blackwater, Dyncorp Working In Pakistan': Us 
Considering Giving Pakistan Drones: Gates"  "Daily Times" "The 
Statesman" (01/22) 
 
"Visiting US Defence Secretary Robert Gates has said the US is 
considering giving Pakistan drones for intelligence and 
reconnaissance purposes, a private TV channel reported on Thursday." 
(Story also front paged in all newspapers) 
 
News Story:  Gates Wants Military Operation Extended To NWA - "The 
News" (01/22) 
 
"US Defence Secretary Robert Gates on Thursday said that he would 
explore a possible Pakistani plan to move against Afghan Taliban in 
North Waziristan later this year." 
 
News Story: Gates Warns Of Militant Havens Dangers - "The Nation" 
(01/22) 
 
"US Secretary of Defence Robert Gates visited General Headquarters 
and called on Chief of Army Staff General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani 
Thursday. The visiting dignitary remained with him for some time and 
discussed matters of mutual interest. . . Earlier talking to 
reporters on his flight from New Delhi, US Defence Secretary warned 
that Taliban safe havens along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border must 
be tackled or both nations would suffer 'more lethal and more 
brazen' attacks" 
 
News Story: No New Operation For Now, Says ISPR - "Dawn" (01/22) 
 
"The military said on Thursday during a visit by US Defence 
Secretary Robert Gates that it could not launch any new offensive 
against militants for six months to a year." 
 
News Story:  Zardari Asks U.S. To Let Pak Forces Use Drones - "The 
News" (01/22) 
 
"President Asif Ali Zardari yesterday said that drone attacks in 
Pakistan territory undermined the national consensus against the war 
on militancy and called for creating a mechanism whereby the drones 
were used by Pakistan's security forces rather than by foreign 
troops which raised question of sovereignty." 
 
News Story: No Guarantee Against Repeat Of Mumbai Like Attacks, 
Gates Told - "Dawn" (01/22) 
 
"The government said on Thursday it could not guarantee against 
repeat of 26/11 like attacks in India and the best safeguard against 
such strikes was de-linking of peace process from action against 
terrorism and the Kashmir and water disputes." 
 
News Story: US Troops In Afghanistan Were Given Bible Code Gun 
Sights - "Dawn" (01/22) 
 
"A US firm on Thursday sought to quiet a controversy over coded 
Biblical references inscribed on gun sights used by US troops in 
Iraq and Afghanistan, announcing it was providing the military with 
kits to remove them." 
 
TERRORISM/MILITARY ISSUES 
 
News Story: Pakistan Army Does Not Share Operational Plans: US 
Official - "Daily Times" (01/22) 
 
"The Pakistani military does not inform Washington of its plans 
before launching operations against the Taliban along its western 
border, a senior US military official said on Thursday." 
 
News Story: Islamabad Hands Over Shopping List To US - "The Nation" 
(01/22) 
 
"Pakistan while handing over a list of its defence and military 
needs to the US has demanded that latest weapon and helicopters 
should be provided for effective action against terrorists in tribal 
areas. According to sources, US Defence Secretary Robert Gates along 
with his delegation met Defence Minister Ch Ahmed Mukhtar at the 
Defence Ministry." 
 
News Story: Positive Steps Needed To Overcome Pak-US Trust Deficit: 
Gilani-"Daily Times" (01/22) 
 
"De-listing Pakistan from the group of countries whose nationals 
have been designated for special screening at US airports, 
uniformity in dealing with Pakistan and India, an end to 
counterproductive drone attacks and quick disbursements under the 
Coalition Support Fund (CSF) will help bridge the trust deficit in 
relations between Pakistan and the US, Prime Minister Yousaf Raza 
Gilani said on Friday." 
 
News Story:  SC seeks details of Pakistanis handed over to US 
-"Daily Times" (01/22) 
 
"The Supreme Court on Thursday directed the government to furnish 
complete details of Pakistanis handed over to the US during Pervez 
Musharraf's tenure and those detained in other countries." 
 
News Story: Senators Slam Robert Gates' Comments On Possible Indian 
Attack -"Daily Times" (01/22) 
 
"Senators from opposition benches on Thursday severely criticized a 
statement by US Defence Secretary Robert Gates that it would be 
difficult to stop India from attacking Pakistan in case of a 
Mumbai-like attack in the future." 
 
News Story: 'Gates' Statement Conspiracy Against Pakistan' - "The 
Nation" (01/22) 
 
"Opposition Senators Raja Zafarul Haq and Prof Khurshid on Thursday 
severely criticized the statement of US Secretary Defence Robert 
Gates that it would be difficult to stop India from attacking 
Pakistan if incident like that of Mumbai terror attack happened in 
the future." 
 
News Story: Pakistan's Response To Attack Will Be Intense, Says 
Report - "Dawn" (01/22) 
 
"Pakistan's response to a possible Indian attack could be 
disproportionate and Islamabad would retaliate to even the least 
invasive of India's military options, warns a US think-tank. 
 
News Story: Militants Warn Mehsuds Against Returning Home - "Dawn" 
(01/22) 
 
"Thousands of Mehsud people who have left their native towns because 
of the ongoing military operation have been warned by militants not 
to return to South Waziristan." 
 
News Story: Nine Terrorists Killed In Mohmand Clashes- "Daily Times" 
(01/22) 
 
"Clashes between the security forces and terrorists left at least 
nine terrorists dead in Mohmand Agency during the last 24 hours, an 
FC spokesman said on Thursday." 
 
News Story: Five Militants Killed In Swat Operation - "The News" 
(01/22) 
 
"Five militants, including a commander, were killed in a clash with 
security forces in Madyan in Swat district on Thursday. Official 
sources said security forces carried out search operations in Madyan 
area and killed five militants, including a commander, in an 
exchange of fire. Some of the militants were identified as Nadir 
Khan and commander Sultan Akbar." 
 
POLITICAL ISSUES 
 
News Story: Govt To Ensure Foolproof Security For Dr AQ Khan - 
"Daily Times" (01/22) 
 
"In view of serious threats to the physical security of Dr Abdul 
Qadeer Khan and other scientists and the recent incidents of 
abduction and killing of scientists in neighboring countries, the 
government on Thursday decided to ensure foolproof security for the 
nuclear scientist." 
 
News Story: India Wants Talks But Pakistan Must Probe 26/11: Krishna 
- "Daily Times" (01/22) 
 
"India wants to resume the peace dialogue with Pakistan but will 
only do so if Islamabad is serious about bringing the perpetrators 
of the Mumbai terror attacks to justice, Indian External Affairs 
Minister SM Krishna said on Thursday." 
 
News Story: US Must Push Pakistan To Act Against Terrorists: Antony 
- "Daily Times" (01/22) 
 
"India on Thursday asked the US to advise Islamabad to dismantle 
"the terror infrastructure" in Pakistan and stop the use of its soil 
by terrorist groups planning to mount attacks inside India. Defence 
Minister AK Antony told reporters that although India did not want 
any confrontation with neighboring countries, it would be difficult 
to progress unless Pakistan acted." 
 
News Story: 'Conspiracy Of The Pen' Will Be Foiled: Zardari - "Dawn" 
(01/22) 
 
"President Asif Ali Zardari has said he will not be deterred by what 
he called the "conspiracy of the pen" and the people will foil all 
plots." 
 
News Story: A Testing Time For The Judiciary: Justice Iftikhar - 
"The News" (01/22) 
 
"The Chief Justice of Pakistan, Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry 
on Thursday expressed his determination to deliver justice to the 
masses regardless of how heavy the price paid for it." 
 
News Story: Pakistan Not To Blame For Terror Acts In India: Malik  - 
"The News" (01/22) 
 
"Interior Minister Rehman Malik has said Pakistan could not be held 
responsible for any terrorist attack inside the Indian Territory, as 
members of the Senate on Thursday strongly criticized the statement 
of US Defence Secretary Robert Gates that it would be difficult to 
stop India if a Mumbai-type incident occurred again." 
 
MISCELLANEOUS 
 
News Story: US Intelligence Chief Meets Pak-Americans - "Daily 
Times" (01/22) 
 
"US National Intelligence Director Dennis Blair on Tuesday held a 
roundtable discussion with Pakistani-Americans as part of an effort 
to boost the recruitment and retention of Pakistani-Americans in US 
intelligence agencies." 
 
EDITORIALS/OPINIONS 
 
Editorial: Mutual Failure - an editorial in the Karachi-based 
center-left independent national English daily "Dawn" (cir. 55,000) 
(01/22) 
 
"Maybe he was playing to an Indian audience and saying what it 
wanted to hear. The true import of US Defence Secretary Robert 
Gates's recent statements in New Delhi will be known only after 
assessing the remarks he makes during the Pakistani leg of his 
ongoing South Asian tour. While in India he praised the government 
there for showing restraint in the wake of the Mumbai attacks. He 
also said it would 'not be unreasonable to assume that Indian 
patience would be limited were there to be further attacks'. This 
argument is flawed on two counts. One, even after the heat of the 
moment had subsided; India did not show restraint and went out of 
its way to conflate terrorist organizations based in Pakistan with 
the operations of the Pakistani state. . . . India seems hell-bent 
on isolating Pakistan in any way possible. This outlook is an 
invitation to disaster." 
 
Editorial: Nothing Much To Offer - an editorial in the center-right 
national English daily "The Nation" (cir. 20,000) (01/22) 
 
"Defence Secretary Gates has arrived in Pakistan with an 
inexplicably large delegation, after visiting India. Bringing 
nothing new, he has admitted to the presence of 'independent' 
operations by Blackwater and Dyncorps in Pakistan and hinted that 
the US is merely considering giving drone technology to Pakistan. . 
. . As for Mumbai, Gates needs to realize that Pakistan's own 
patience with Indian games on that count is running out. More 
disturbing has been the unconfirmed information that the US and UK 
are insistent upon India having a major military role in 
Afghanistan. . . .Gates seems to have come with the same "do more" 
mantra and brings no good news on the offensive discriminatory 
screening procedures for Pakistanis. . . An additional agenda seems 
to be to compel Pakistan to concede ground to India, especially in 
Afghanistan. But why should Pakistan continue to pay the price of 
following destructive US policies. . . ." 
 
Editorial: Conspiracy To Trigger War Between India And Pakistan - an 
editorial in liberal Urdu daily "Express" (cir. 25,000) (01/22) 
 
"It seems that the views expressed by the U.S. Defense Secretary 
Gates are impressed by Indian point of view, and it is an attempt to 
win New Delhi's support. Nevertheless, Mr. Gates has ignored the 
ground realities, and has forgotten what his own country and its 
allies have been doing in Afghanistan for the last eight years.  And 
what happened to its (American) tall claims of Pakistan's pivotal 
role, as a frontline state, in the war on terror. The history shows 
that whenever the American officials visit India, they issue 
statement in favor of the Indians, and when they come to Pakistan, 
they always seek to please Pakistani audiences. This approach, at 
the end of the day, creates misunderstanding between Islamabad and 
New Delhi." 
 
Editorial: What Message U.S. Defense Secretary Is Delivering To 
Pakistan - an editorial in the leading mass circulation populist, 
often sensational Urdu daily "Jang" (cir. 300,000) (01/22) 
 
"U.S. Defense Secretary Gates' recent statement, made at a press 
conference in New Delhi, that India's patience will be limited if 
there is a repeat of 26/11, can be interpreted as a warning, a 
prediction, or a piece of advice, but one cannot deny its severity. 
This statement is akin to the statements of New Delhi which it 
issued immediately after the Mumbai attacks.  Now people of Pakistan 
are bound to think that if Pakistan committed a mistake by joining 
the U.S. bloc during the cold war?  And if it was a mistake, it must 
be corrected now." 
 
Editorial: The Spoilers' Game - an editorial in the Lahore-based 
liberal English language daily "Daily Times" (cir. 10,000) (01/22) 
 
"US Defence Secretary Robert Gates' statement that al Qaeda can 
trigger a war between India and Pakistan is a frank admission of the 
role spoilers can play in inherently difficult and intractable 
situations where peace is on the agenda. Mr. Gates said that 
terrorists in al Qaeda's syndicate - which includes Tehrik-i-Taliban 
Pakistan, the Afghan Taliban as well as Lashkar-e-Tayyaba - are 
trying "to destabilize not just Afghanistan and Pakistan, but 
potentially the whole region, by provoking a conflict perhaps 
between India and Pakistan." The question is whether the two 
neighbors are ready to resist these spoilers' machinations. . . ." 
Editorial: U.S. Defense Secretary's Warning To Us In Indian Tone: 
You Are Paving The Way For Indo-Pak War Yourself, an editorial in 
the second-largest, nationalist Urdu daily "Nawa-i-Waqt" (cir. 
150,000) (01/22) 
 
"U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates has warned that militant groups 
in South Asia possibly want to push Pakistan and India towards war 
in order to destabilize the region and India would not be patient if 
a Mumbai like attack happened again....  During his press conference 
in New Delhi the Defense Secretary looked to be Indian Defense 
Minister....  Who gave Robert Gates the authority to advocate 
India's nefarious designs against Pakistan's security...?  Staging 
of a Mumbai like attack itself or with the help of America is not 
beyond India to have a justification for aggression against 
Pakistan....  President Asif Zardari, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza 
Gilani and the Army Chief General Ashfaq Kayani should not be 
apologetic in their meetings with the U.S. Defense Secretary and 
should tell him that it is America that is responsible for upheaval 
in the region." 
 
Editorial: American Interference: Region's Future Will Not Be Better 
Than Its Present, an editorial in the Karachi-based, pro-Taliban 
Jihadi Urdu daily "Islam" (cir. 15,000) (01/22) 
 
"U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates has said that Muslim militant 
groups are planning to trigger a Pak-India war and that the Indians 
will be exhausted of their patience in case another Mumbai-like 
attack happens in their country. This statement of Mr. Gates is not 
only a clear manifestation of the contradiction in the U.S. policy 
but also a new tactic to put more pressure on Pakistan. Extremism is 
also rife in India but it seems that U.S. Defense Secretary 
intentionally winked at this reality. We think that the entire world 
has fully understood the element of hypocrisy in the U.S. policies." 
 
 
Editorial: Robert Gates Utterances, an editorial in the center-right 
Urdu daily "Pakistan" (cir. 10,000) (01/22) 
 
The impression of Defense Secretary Robert Gates utterances seems 
right that al-Qaeda is trying to create a conflict between Pakistan 
and India.  Gates' warning is worth noting and Pakistan and India 
should be vigilant about it.  It is imprudent to extend attack 
threats in reaction to a possible Mumbai like act of sabotage. 
India should be told that it should desist from immediate action in 
the wake of any provocation in order to thwart terrorists' 
conspiracy." 
 
Editorial: Pak-India Ties Are Threatened By The U.S., Not Al Qaeda, 
an editorial in the Lahore-based populist center-right Urdu daily 
"Khabrain" (cir. 50,000) (01/22) 
 
"It is not clear from the U.S. Defense Secretary's statement -- who 
adopted an Indian tone while speaking in India - whether this was a 
warning to Pakistan or a demand to 'do more?' Whatever the case, the 
Pakistan government must take strong note of his remarks. Robert 
Gates is in Pakistan today; has any senior official protested to him 
about his remarks? No one would dare make such statements in the 
future if our leadership boycotts foreign dignitaries making 
controversial statements... American leaders and politicians must 
avoid making provocative statements which might create fissures 
between the two countries and increase anti-U.S. sentiment in 
Pakistan." 
 
Editorial: U.S.-India Nexus And Conspiracies Against Pakistan, an 
editorial in the popular rightist Urdu-language daily "Ausaf" (cir. 
10,000) (01/22) 
 
"Addressing a press conference in New Delhi on Wednesday, U.S. 
Defense Secretary Gates said that India's patience will be limited 
if there is a repeat of 26/11. It seems that the real objective of 
Washington's continuous wooing of New Delhi, especially after the 
9/11 attacks, is to assign India the role of regional policeman. In 
fact, the U.S. wants to use India against Pakistan and China in 
order to safeguard its own interests. But any misadventure against 
Pakistan will be grave miscalculation on the part of the Indians." 
 
(All circulation figures are based on estimation) 
 
Patterson