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SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KMDR KPAO OIIP OPRC PGOV PREL PK
SUBJECT:  PAKISTAN MEDIA REACTION: JANUARY 11, 2010 
 
Summary:  Coverage of the visiting Congressional delegation led by 
Senator John McCain with senior Pakistani officials was front page 
news in all major weekend editions. Major English dailies 
highlighted Senator McCain's vow to "continue drone attacks" amidst 
reports of yet another drone strike in North Waziristan. Reaction to 
new U.S. airport screening regulations continued to receive 
extensive coverage. Newspapers reported Senator Lieberman's 
skepticism at the usefulness of the new security measures.  Nearly 
all major dailies front-paged Prime Minister Gilani's statement that 
the new measures could negatively impact bilateral ties.  Several 
papers reported that police registered a case against two U.S. 
Consulate Karachi employees currently held in a Gwadar jail on 
accusations of using false vehicle license plates.  "Dawn," 
front-paged a story quoting an unnamed official as claiming that the 
U.S. has vacated all airbases in Pakistan except the Shamsi airbase 
in Baluchistan.  U.S. Special Representative Holbrooke's remarks 
that the "U.S. can help stabilize the current political situation in 
Pakistan" also received prominent display.  On Sunday, "The Nation" 
front-paged a report that Americans have intensified their "PR 
campaign" as a confidence building measure.  The daily reported that 
"senior [Pakistani] government officials have been tasked to act as 
'negotiators' between the U.S. and 'anti-American sections' of the 
press."  On Monday morning, U.S. CENTCOM Commander, General 
Petraeus' remarks that "Iran's nuclear facilities can be bombed" 
dominated headlines in several major newspapers.  Nearly all major 
dailies highlighted Senator Lieberman and Senator McCain's comments 
to CNN that Pakistan may take action in North Waziristan in the near 
future.  Media also covered Senator Feinstein's statement claiming 
that "many Guantanamo inmates are "back on battlefield." Several 
dailies reported Pakistani nuclear scientist Dr. AQ Khan's offer to 
help "overcome energy crisis" during an address to a gathering of 
lawyers in Rawalpindi.    End Summary. 
 
TOP STORIES 
 
News Story: U.S. Senators Defend Drone Attacks  - "Dawn" (01/09) 
 
"Senior U.S. lawmakers defended on Friday the use of drones to 
attack terrorist targets inside Pakistan and indicated that there 
would be no let-up in the strikes but efforts would be made to 
reduce collateral damage. 'We have to do everything we can, that we 
feel is necessary to protect Americans from the attacks of 
terrorists who may be based here and operate out of Pakistan, 
Senator John McCain, who is leading a bipartisan delegation of U.S. 
senators visiting Pakistan, said at a news conference." 
 
News Story: Gilani Assails New U.S. Security Checks For  - "Dawn" 
(01/09) 
 
"Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani expressed serious reservations on 
Friday over U.S. government's new measures for screening Pakistani 
travelers and termed the move discriminatory... Senator Joseph 
Lieberman agreed with the Prime Minister about the negative fallout 
of the new airport security checks and said he himself was skeptical 
about the usefulness of the measures." 
 
News Story: Pak Interests Should Be Protected: Kayani - "The Nation" 
(01/09) 
 
"Pakistani military leadership has emphasized that protection of 
Pakistan's interest in the new U.S. Afghan policy should be ensured 
and the U.S. should realize that the drone attacks in Pakistan are 
creating a negative impact, according to ISPR." 
 
News Story: U.S. To Back Afghan Reconciliation With Taliban: 
Holbrooke - "Dawn" (01/09) 
 
"The United States intends to increase its focus on promoting 
reconciliation between the Afghan government and relatively moderate 
Taliban elements, says Richard Holbrooke, the U.S. special 
representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan. In a speech at 
Washington's Brookings Institution on Thursday, Mr. Holbrooke said 
that his office viewed the process of reconciliation between the 
Afghan government and the Taliban as 'high on our personal priority 
list.'" 
 
News Story: U.S. Can Help Stabilize Political Situation: Holbrooke - 
"Dawn" (01/09) 
 
"The United States can help stabilize the current political 
situation in Pakistan if it is asked by all parties to do so, U.S. 
special envoy Richard Holbrooke said on Friday. Mr. Holbrooke, who 
is scheduled to visit Pakistan next week, held a special briefing 
for Pakistani journalists at the State Department where he spoke on 
the country's unsettling political situation and its possible impact 
on the war against terrorists." 
 
News Story: Case Registered Against Held U.S. Consulate Employees - 
"Dawn" (01/09) 
 
"Police have refused to release employees of the U.S. Consulate in 
Karachi till completion of investigation and determining the motive 
of their visit to Turbat and Gwadar. The consulate's deputy security 
officer Ghulam Gilani, driver Muzaffar Ali Shah and their guard were 
arrested on Wednesday night when they were travelling in a vehicle 
with a fake number plate.  'The three employees are still in police 
custody for interrogation,' a senior official of the provincial 
government told 'Dawn' on Friday." 
 
News Story: U.S. Policies Can Hurt Bilateral Ties: Gilani - "Daily 
Times" (01/10) 
 
"Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani on Friday described as 
'discriminatory' new security measures introduced by the U.S. 
government to screen Pakistani nationals in America, and said 
persistence with such policies - which lead to 'consternation and 
anxiety among Pakistanis' - could affect the bilateral ties." 
 
News Story: Americans Intensify their 'PR' Campaign - "The Nation" 
(01/10) 
 
"Americans are out for a mega 'PR campaign' as part of their 
'confidence building measures' in the region under the growing 
demand of international community to trial notorious Blackwater for 
gross human rights violations in Iraq and Afghanistan." 
 
News Story: Holbrooke To Discuss Indian Threat In Islamabad - "Dawn" 
(01/10) 
 
"U.S. special envoy Richard Holbrooke has said that he would like to 
hear directly from Pakistani leaders how they viewed a threatening 
statement from the Indian military chief when he visits Islamabad 
next week. Briefing Pakistani journalists on Friday, Mr. Holbrooke 
said he too had read reports about this issue, but he would not like 
to base his comments on media reports alone." 
 
News Story: Action Likely In N. Waziristan, Say U.S. Senators  - 
"Dawn" (01/11) 
 
"There's a possibility that Pakistan may take some action in North 
Waziristan in the near future, two U.S. Senators who visited 
Islamabad last week told a television channel on Sunday. Senator Joe 
Lieberman, chairman of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security, 
and Senator John McCain, a former Republican presidential candidate, 
also said that they left Islamabad convinced that Pakistan was fully 
committed to the war against terrorists." 
 
News Story: U.S. Will Try To Convert Taliban Militants: Holbrooke - 
"Pakistan Observer" (01/11) 
 
"The United States is planning to focus more on promoting 
reconciliation between the Afghan government and relatively moderate 
Taliban elements, Richard Holbrooke, the U.S. special representative 
for Afghanistan and Pakistan, said." 
 
TERRORISM/MILITARY ISSUES 
 
News Story: All But Shamsi Airbase Vacated By U.S.: Official  - 
"Dawn" (01/09) 
 
"The United States has vacated all airbases in Pakistan - except the 
one in Balochistan - which its forces had been using since the 
beginning of the war in Afghanistan. 'The Shamsi airbase in 
Balochistan is still being used by U.S. forces,' an official told 
'Dawn' on Friday." 
 
News Story: Body to Challenge Detained Americans Deportation - "The 
Frontier Post" (01/09) 
 
"Chairman of Senate Standing Committee on Interior Senator Talha 
Mehmood, on Friday vowed a submit a privilege motion in the House if 
the Ministry of Interior despite instructions from Senate Standing 
Committee tried to repatriate American nationals alleging that 
Ministry of Interior has completed all arrangements for their 
deportation. Senator Talha Mehmood while addressing a news 
conference said U.S. citizens were freely moving across the country 
using private vehicles violating diplomatic codes adding that he had 
asked the government to provide him with facts and figures regarding 
U.S. citizens, their properties and vehicles.... Criticizing the new 
U.S. visa restrictions and strict screening of Pakistanis he urged 
the government for strict screening of U.S. citizens visiting 
Pakistan.  Hundreds of U.S. and NATO containers, used the Pakistani 
soil daily for transportation to Afghanistan resulting in immense 
loss of civilian lives as well as property in wake of terrorism and 
still Pakistan was playing a frontline state in the war against 
terrorism while on the other hand U.S. has imposed strict screening 
for the citizens of its allied state which was unjust." 
 
News Story: Drone Strike Kills Four In North Waziristan - "Dawn" 
(01/09) 
 
"A U.S. missile strike on Saturday killed at least four militants in 
Pakistan's lawless tribal belt, Pakistani security and intelligence 
officials said." 
 
News Story: Malik Says Killings Aimed At Destabilizing Coalition  - 
"Dawn" (01/09) 
 
"Federal Interior Minister Rehman Malik on Friday declared that the 
current spate of killings in the city was the handiwork of those who 
wanted to undermine the PPP-MQM coalition in Sindh and also wished 
to destabilize Pakistan. He said no political party was involved in 
the target killings. The minister asked illegal immigrants to get 
their names registered with authorities or leave the country within 
30 days, adding that strict action would be taken against all 
immigrants who did not obey the order." 
 
News Story: Fazlullah Will Not Surrender Until Sharia Implemented - 
"Dawn" (01/09) 
 
"The mother of militant leader Fazlullah said on Saturday that her 
son will not surrender until Sharia is implemented. Fazlullah's 
mother and teacher were presented before the media in Swat." 
 
News Story: Airline Plot 'Buck Stops With Me': Obama - "Dawn" 
(01/09) 
 
"President Barack Obama declared on Thursday 'the buck stops with 
me' over major intelligence flaws exposed by an Al Qaeda attack on a 
U.S. passenger jet and ordered a sweeping homeland security 
overhaul. Releasing two reports on the thwarted Christmas Day 
bombing, Mr. Obama said spy agencies did not properly "connect and 
understand" disparate data that could have busted the plot as it was 
planned by an Al Qaeda affiliate in Yemen." 
 
News Story: Rebuilding Trust To Take Time: Mullen - "The Nation" 
(01/10) 
 
"The U.S. had dev eloped significant trust deficit with Pakistan 
over the period between 1990 and 2002 because of the sanctions 
placed on that country and achievement of results on bilateral 
relationship front would take some time,  a top U.S. military 
official has said.  'We are just starting to rebuild that trust, 
quite frankly.  And it's going to take a while,' Admiral Mike 
Mullen, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said at the Naval War 
College in Rhode Island." 
 
News Story: OIC must take up screening issue with U.S.: Mushahid - 
"The News" (01/10) 
 
"Secretary General Pakistan Muslim League -Q Saturday demanded of 
the Organization of Islamic Countries (OIC)to send its delegation to 
convey to U.S. President Barrack Obama to take up the issue of 
Washington new immigration policy of screening of nationals of 
Islamic Countries. 'The OIC should take this matter seriously as it 
is insulting and not acceptable as it would start new wave of cold 
war between the West and Islamic world,' he said in an interview 
with 'The News' and 'Jang' in Islamabad on Saturday." 
 
News Story: Pak-Afghan Border Most Important War Locale  - "Dawn" 
(01/10) 
 
"U.S. head of Central Command, General David Petraeus dispelled 
reports of a possible ground assault in Yemen saying that American 
forces and resources will remain focused on the Pakistan-Afghanistan 
border as it battles Al-Qaeda.  Petraeus believes Al-Qaeda is under 
pressure in Iraq, Pakistan and Afghanistan and the organisation is 
now seeking refuge in Yemen." 
 
News Story: Over 12,800 Militants Caught In 2009' - "Dawn" (01/11) 
 
"Over 12,800 suspected militants, 75 of them belonging to Al Qaeda 
and 9,739 local Taliban or members of other banned groups, were 
arrested during operations conducted by law-enforcement agencies and 
armed forces across the country in 2009, says a report issued in 
Islamabad on Sunday." 
 
POLITICAL ISSUES 
 
News Story: World Support Must For Peaceful Pakistan: Qureshi - 
"Daily Times" (01/10) 
 
"The international community should continue supporting Pakistan's 
efforts to build itself into a peaceful, modern state, Foreign 
Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said on Friday. Briefing the heads and 
representatives of missions from European countries, Canada and the 
U.S., Qureshi said the government was committed to making Pakistan a 
peaceful country and required developed countries' continuous 
support for the purpose." 
 
ECONOMY/ENVIRONMENT 
 
News Story: Delay In Aid Could Lead To Setback In War Against 
Terrorism: Zardari  - "Daily Times" (01/10) 
 
"Delay in the dispensation of pledges made by the international 
community could force Pakistan to cut development spending and the 
provision of critical social services, which in turn could be a 
'setback for the war on terror,' President Asif Ali Zardari has 
said. 'Given the severity of the internal security challenge - it is 
critical that the economy is provided a strong stimulus as quickly 
as possible,' Zardari emphasizes in an article in the Foreign 
Affairs magazine." 
 
News Story: Dr. A.Q. Khan Offers Help To Overcome Energy Crisis - 
The Nation" (01/10) 
 
"Renowned nuclear scientist Dr. Abdul Qadeer Khan has said that now 
judges would not give any wrong verdict against the interests of 
country and nation since they realize that people stand behind them 
in right decision. Dr. Khan expressed these views in his first 
public appearance after restrictions were imposed on his movement in 
2004, at District Courts Rawalpindi.... Expressing his concerns over 
the current situation of the country, he also expressed his grief 
over the ongoing energy crisis and said that he was ready to help 
the government in overcoming the electricity problem but the issue 
was that nobody was ready to listen to him." 
 
News Story: IMF Recipe to Overcome Pak Economic Woes - "The News" 
(01/11) 
 
"The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has underlined the need for 
putting in place a credible fiscal consolidation, strengthened 
competitiveness and 'improved governance' as indispensable 
ingredients for reducing the vulnerabilities being faced by 
Pakistan's economy, IMF point out." (Story not available online) 
 
News Story: USAID To Finance Govt. For Livestock Uplift - "The 
Nation" (01/11) 
 
"Secretary Livestock Laiq Ahmed Memon informed the meeting that 
USAID has showed keen interest in collaborating with the Sindh 
government for extending support to dairy and meat sector in Sindh, 
while a scheme for raising productivity and income of the farmers at 
the cost of Rs500 million will be started very soon. He said that 
USAID was launching the Empower Pakistan Livestock Development 
Project (EPLDP) with $75 million investment under empower Pakistan 
agriculture program (EPAG) which aimed to gear up a broad based 
effort to promote economic growth in order to alleviate poverty in 
rural areas of Pakistan." 
 
MISCELLANEOUS 
 
News Story: CDA Yet to Get Damages From U.S. Embassy - "The Nation" 
(01/10) 
 
"Slackness on the part of the officials of Law Directorate of the 
CDA has delayed the procedure to get compensation amount of 
approximately Rs 22 million from U.S. Embassy against CDA's damaged 
vehicle. It is pertinent to note here that on October 265 last year, 
a U.S. diplomat, allegedly drunk and ignoring red traffic signal, 
had rammed his Prado jeep (LG-1) into the CDA fire-brigade vehicle 
near Radio Pakistan Chowk, causing approximately Rs 25 million loss 
to CDA." (Link not available) 
 
News Story: U.S. Has Contingency Plan For Iran Nukes: Petraeus - 
"Dawn" (01/11) 
 
"The United States has developed contingency plans to address Iran's 
nuclear ambitions if negotiations falter between the Islamic 
republic and Western nations, a top U.S. General said on Sunday. 'It 
would be almost literally irresponsible if CENTCOM were not to have 
been thinking about the various 'what ifs' and to make plans for a 
whole variety of different contingencies,' said General David 
Petraeus, who heads the U.S. Central Command that oversees the 
Middle East, the Gulf region and Central Asia, AFP reports." 
 
EDITORIALS/OPINIONS 
 
Editorial: U.S. Mixed Signals, an editorial in the center-right 
national English daily "The Nation" (cir. 20,000) (01/09) 
 
"While the Clinton remarks should be welcomed, overall the U.S. 
continues to adopt an arrogant and irrational approach towards 
Pakistan. For instance, they want to get the privileges of an 
Occupying power, which they are clearly not in Pakistan, and 
therefore get miffed if we enforce our security stringently. Given 
how Pakistani officialdom is strip searched sometimes by U.S. 
authorities at U.S. airports, and the problems Pakistanis are having 
getting U.S. visas, it hardly becomes the U.S. to complain if their 
'diplomats' are subjected to minimal security searches or that U.S. 
citizens are having to undergo normal reciprocal visa procedures. It 
is time Pakistani evolved greater clarity on its cooperation with 
the U.S., including on the issue of drones. Economic assistance 
cannot come at a political and strategic price that jeopardizes the 
country's security." 
 
Editorial: Pak-U.S. Relations, an editorial in the Lahore-based 
liberal English language daily "Daily Times" (cir. 10,000) (01/10) 
 
"The recent military operations against the Taliban have not only 
been strategically difficult but have also left a dent in the 
treasury. The delay in payments from the U.S. has affected the drive 
against terrorism and if not paid promptly, could make Pakistan lose 
the advantage over the Taliban that it has recently gained due to 
the military offensives. Pakistan is a frontline state and ally of 
the U.S. in the war on terror, yet the Americans have not fulfilled 
their part of the bargain. Though we consider it our war and not 
just the United States' war, its ramifications have been the most 
intense for Pakistan." 
 
Editorial: U.S. Adamancy, an editorial in the Peshawar-based, 
independent regional daily "The Frontier Post" (cir. 7,000) (01/10) 
 
"From the visiting U.S. Senators' public discourse, it is more than 
evident, if at all any evidence was needed, that Islamabad may 
protest and demand but American drone incursions in Pakistan will 
not cease. Nothing doing, was their curt bland reply to whoever 
Pakistani interlocutor raised this issue with them. For our own 
rulers' calculatedly ambiguous pronouncements on this score, a 
public impression has though gained wide currency domestically that 
these CIA drone incursions in fact carry our Islamabad top echelons' 
tacit acquiescence, an impression corroborated substantially no 
lesser by U.S. officials' leaks in their media and authoritative 
assertions to this effect pouring out from the U.S. Congress as 
well. But even if this isn't true, the hierarchy is living in a 
pipedream if Americans will ever listen to it, unless and until it 
asserts its sovereignty assertively and puts punch in its voice and 
act. The reason is simple. The Americans are stuck up miserably in 
Afghanistan like they were in Vietnam after their war there too went 
terribly awry." 
 
Editorial: Costly Arms Sale, an editorial in the center-right 
national English daily "The Nation" (cir. 20,000) (01/11) 
"Foreign Minister Qureshi has made a dangerous statement that 
Pakistan would be supplying arms and ammunition to the Allied Forces 
in Afghanistan. This revelation was made at the joint press 
conference he had with British Foreign Secretary Miliband in 
Islamabad. It is not that the Pakistani arms industry should not get 
a sales boost, especially in terms of selling to NATO powers. But 
the sale seems to be restricted to Afghanistan which itself raises 
serious questions." 
 
Editorial: Khost Bomber, an editorial in the Karachi-based 
center-left independent national English daily "Dawn" (cir. 55,000) 
(01/11) 
 
"While the CIA's forward operating base in Khost was almost 
certainly being used to direct operations against the Haqqani 
network on both sides of the Pak-Afghan border.) So does the attack 
signal a new phase of heightened cooperation between the various 
militant groups straddling the Pak-Afghan border? We must recall 
that Waliur Rehman, a South Waziristan TTP kingpin, recently boasted 
that the TTP has sent "thousands" of its men to fight the 
American-led forces in Afghanistan - a claim that has largely been 
dismissed as propaganda, but which indicates the keenness of the TTP 
to drum up its role in Afghanistan." 
 
Editorial: They Should Be Responded In The Same Coin, an editorial 
in the second-largest, nationalist Urdu daily "Nawa-i-Waqt" (cir. 
150,000) (01/11) 
 
"In a meeting with U.S. Special Representative Richard Holbrooke the 
Pakistani Ambassador to the U.S. Hussein Haqqani expressed 
Pakistan's concern over additional screening of Pakistanis visiting 
America and demanded a review of the decision.  According to him 
(Haqqani), what was the fault on the part of Pakistanis if a 
Nigerian tried to destroy an American plane?...  In fact the issue 
of Nigerians is just an excuse as America and Britain had given 
status of untouchables to visiting Pakistanis right after the 9/11. 
Even our ministers and high officials could not escape the 
humiliation....  The better course for Pakistan is that it should 
start shooting down American drones and subject all Americans and 
Britons coming to Pakistan to the same humiliating screening 
processes at the country's airports." 
 
Editorial: Dialogue With Taliban Key to Peace In Afghanistan, an 
editorial in the Karachi-based, pro-Taliban Jihadi Urdu daily 
"Islam" (cir. 15,000) (01/11) 
 
"Taliban's relentless attacks on foreign forces in Afghanistan 
indicate that the U.S. troop surge will fail to achieve its intended 
objectives. In this scenario, it is high time for the U.S. and its 
allies to give up the idea of conquering Afghanistan by military 
means, and find out a peaceful solution of this issue. Taliban 
leader Mullah Omer holds the key to pacify Afghanistan, while 
Pakistan and other Muslim countries can also play a very important 
role in this regard." 
 
Editorial: Dr. Khan On Energy Crisis, an editorial in the 
Islamabad-based rightist English daily "Pakistan Observer" (cir. 
5,000) (01/11) 
 
"We strongly believe that the country needs his services and 
expertise in the field of energy and one is confident that he would 
not fail us if given the task.... With his innovative ideas, command 
over technology and as a knowndoer, he could certainly help the 
government to address the challenge of energy shortfall. There could 
be some objections by some foreign powers that do not want to see 
Pakistan to stand on its feet yet we have to keep the national 
interests upper most." 
 
Editorial: Indian Presence a Threat to Peace in Afghanistan, an 
editorial in the popular rightist Urdu-language daily "Ausaf" (cir. 
10,000) (01/11) 
 
"Owing to the sacrifices it had rendered in the war on terror and 
also due to its social, geographical and political proximity with 
Afghanistan, Islamabad was expecting that Washington would assign it 
a very important role in Kabul. But, paradoxically, the U.S. gave 
India a freehand to take a foothold in Afghanistan from where it 
could hatch conspiracies to destabilize Pakistan. The silence of the 
U.S., Britain and their allies is a clear manifestation of the fact 
that these powers are promoting their own interests in the garb of 
the war on terrorism." 
 
Editorial: Pak-China Friendship, an editorial in the Lahore-based 
populist center-right Urdu daily "Khabrain" (cir. 50,000) (01/11) 
 
"The Deputy Chief of Staff of China's People's Liberation Army has 
said that all of Pakistan's defense requirements will be fulfilled 
and China will stand by Pakistan at all times.... Actually, India 
wants to extract aid from the world under the pretext of threat from 
Pakistan and China. By using China's name, it wants the major powers 
to provide it with heavy weapons so that it can fulfill its dream of 
becoming a regional superpower. We hope that the Chinese and 
Pakistani leaderships would take timely note of Indian designs and 
respond effectively." 
 
Editorial: Peace efforts in Karachi, an editorial in the liberal 
Urdu daily "Express" (cir 25, 000) (01/11) 
 
"Keeping peace in Karachi is the responsibility of both the PPP and 
the MQM.... To normalize the situation, it is imperative upon all 
the political parties to cooperate with each other and maintain 
harmony. Only sincere, joint efforts can bring peace in the 
provincial capital." 
 
Editorial: Not Terrorist Killings, an editorial in the center-right 
national English daily "The Nation" (cir. 20,000) (01/11) 
 
"The country is a tragic victim of terrorist acts that have assumed 
dangerous dimensions and spread like wildfire since the authorities 
initiated the ill-advised South Waziristan operation. The trouble in 
the sprawling metropolis is not new; it is home to various ethnic 
groups; the local Sindhis, the Memons, the Urdu speaking, the 
Pathans, the Punjabis and several others (including legal and 
illegal immigrants), all of whom want to guard their turf. The 
impression that anyone is losing ground is likely to spark unrest. 
The government should form a commission, preferably judicial, to go 
into the causes of endemic trouble in the city and come up with a 
viable solution." 
 
Opinion: The New Decade Of Doom, by Ghulam Asghar Khan in the 
Peshawar-based, independent regional daily "The Frontier Post" (cir. 
7,000) (01/10) 
 
"Bertrand Russell had said that human race might well become extinct 
before the end of the century. A philosophical prediction is not 
subject to the circumscriptions of time, but is invariably true. 
Earlier, in Sept. 1945 on Japan's surrender, U.S. Gen. Douglas 
Macarthur said in a radio broadcast: "A great victory has been won. 
A new era is upon us, we have had our last chance. If we do not 
devise some greater and more equitable system, Armageddon will be at 
our door.... In 2010, the ugly apocalypse of Af-Pak war will 
bedevil, befuddle and consume the Obama White House that so unwisely 
and rashly ignored Gen. Douglas Macarthur's wise warning to avoid 
land wars in Asia." 
 
Opinion: Patting Down Pakistanis, A Letter to the Editor by Ijaz 
Kumar in the Karachi-based center-left independent national English 
daily "Dawn" (cir. 55,000) (01/10) 
 
"Air travel security is very important to me because my family and I 
travel to Pakistan, though not as often as we would like to. What 
struck me the most was the assertion that tighter security means 
that while the U.S. 'can trust the Pakistani military to fight a war 
for it, it cannot trust a Pakistani entering the country.' I do not 
see how the writer arrived at this conclusion. There is no denying 
the fact that profiling does not work in averting crimes. But in 
this war against terror security agencies have to focus on some 
countries more sharply than on others." 
 
Opinion: National Solidarity Requirements, an op-ed by Ali Ashraf 
Khan in the Islamabad-based rightist English daily "Pakistan 
Observer" (cir. 5,000) (01/11) 
 
"It should be clear by now that the alignment with the U.S. of this 
and the previous government is destroying this country and is mainly 
responsible for the worsening law and order situation and collapse 
of institutions. If we want to keep Pakistan intact and progressing 
we have to disengage from the so-called 'war on terror' of the U.S. 
and shun their advice to shift our forces from Eastern borders to 
Western borders.... It is indeed the need of the time that consensus 
is arrived on our national unity and solidarity requirements without 
looking towards foreign aid packages, which can be achieved without 
dividing the nation into different factions to play the game of 
musical chairs to benefit their foreign masters." 
 
Opinion: How U.S., U.K. lost Iraq, Afghan War?, an op-ed by Dr. 
Mahboob a. Khawaja in the Islamabad-based rightist English daily 
"Pakistan Observer" (cir. 5,000) (01/11) 
 
"America and Britain appear lost, not knowing how to come out of the 
self-engineered defeat in wars against Islam. Both superpowers are 
led by ignorant and arrogant elite not having any knowledge to fight 
the wars except thinking big and jumping here and there to 
demonstrate their material possessions and transitory power. They 
even do not know the enemy and do not have one, well defined in 
their plans to fight against.... American, British and Russian 
business establishments know well how to trade in global arms 
market. America and Britain lost the wars, the day they invaded Iraq 
and Afghanistan." 
 
Opinion: Alice In Wonderland, an op-ed by Khalid Iqbal in the 
center-right national English daily "The Nation" (cir. 20,000) 
(01/11) 
 
"Indeed it is time for a healing touch; time to calm anti-America 
sentiment through purpose-oriented talks. There is a need to reach 
out to the people of Afghanistan who hold the key to solution. 
Military ventures in Afghanistan and Iraq, have set the Americans on 
a collision course with the two communities viz Pashtuns and Shias. 
Anti-American sentiment is fast becoming a common relaying point for 
them. They have a culture to reach out to their perceived enemies 
and settle their score.... President Obama needs to seize the 
opportunity and make a paradigm departure from the Bush script. 
However, time at his disposal is not unlimited; he is fast loosing 
the once overwhelming goodwill that he enjoyed in this region. 
Well-wishers of America and this region hope that Obama does not 
lose the leverage and credibility in South Asia. He needs to revamp 
the script to emerge as an honest broker of peace in South Asia." 
 
Opinion: Energizing The Peace Process, an op-ed by Talat Masood in 
the populist, often sensational national English daily "The News" 
(cir. 55,000) (01/11) 
 
"The recent bold initiative of two leading media groups to launch a 
comprehensive drive at bringing peace between the two nuclear armed 
antagonists of South Asia should be welcomed as a positive 
development. It will be a Herculean undertaking considering the 
complex nature of India- Pakistan relations, but is undoubtedly 
worth the cause.... We tend to forget that India and Pakistan not 
only 'share boundaries but a shared civilization.' The urgent need 
of today is that they work together in facing the challenge of 
eliminating poverty and combating terrorism and place themselves to 
adjust to the forces of globalization and modernization. This is 
also the only way forward for creating an amiable environment for 
addressing Kashmir and other complex issues that have bedeviled 
their relationship." 
 
(All circulation figures are based on estimation) 
Patterson