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Cablegate: Media Reaction North Korea; Us-Latin America; Guantanamo;

VZCZCXYZ0006
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHBU #1389/01 1731911
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 221911Z JUN 06
FM AMEMBASSY BUENOS AIRES
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 4972
INFO RHMFISS/CDR USSOCOM MACDILL AFB FL//SCJ2//
RULGPUA/USCOMSOLANT

UNCLAS BUENOS AIRES 001389

SIPDIS

STATE FOR INR/R/MR, I/GWHA, WHA, WHA/PDA, WHA/BSC,
WHA/EPSC
CDR USSOCOM FOR J-2 IAD/LAMA

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KPAO OPRC KMDR PREL MEDIA REACTION
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION NORTH KOREA; US-LATIN AMERICA; GUANTANAMO;
FREE TRADE; LATIN AMERICAN POPULISM; GLOBAL WARMING 06/22/06; BUENOS
AIRES

1. SUMMARY STATEMENT

Today's papers lead with the current tension between the US and
North Korea; the US concern over Latin American democracy; the EU
pressuring US President Bush over the closure of Guantanamo prison;
US President Bush leading world trade negotiations; the nature of
Latin American populist movements; and the implications of global
warming.

2. OPINION PIECES AND KEY STORIES

- "Without any margin to run risks"

Hugo Alconada Mon, Washington-based correspondent for
daily-of-record "La Nacion," writes (06/22) "Yesterday, the White
House sent a message to North Korea - there will be neither a
pre-emptive attack nor bQteral talks. It also asked North Korea to
put an end to its missile and nuclear program, agree to
international rules, and join the five countries that wait for them
to find a way out together - China, Russia, Japan, South Korea and
the US.

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"Why has US President Bush dismissed a pre-emptive attack (just like
the one he approved against Iraq) except under extreme
circumstances?

"Why, if North Korea has said it does have WMD, which Saddam Hussein
denied? Because all variables are different. North Korea is not Iraq
- neither for its neighboring countries (China, Russia, South Korea
and Japan) nor for its military capabilities.

"Pyongyang's Communist regime is making progress every day on its
long-range war power, while Iraqi forces were reduced after the
First Gulf War and the following embargo. Times have changed also.
September 11 attacks changed the world dynamics and particularly
that of the US."

- "The US is concerned over Chavez and Nicaragua"

Ana Baron, Washington-based correspondent for leading "Clarin,"
comments (06/22) "Latin American democracy has not been a US
priority for a long time. In the framework of the Cold War, the USGs
justified (Latin American) military dictatorships in the name of the
struggle against Communism. Currently, the opposite happens. The
only thing Washington seems to be concerned about is the future of
our democratic systems. So much so that yesterday the US Lower
House's Foreign Relations Committee held a hearing that was entirely
devoted to this issue.

"Beyond this turn, the problem remains that the US lacks an
efficient strategy to help find a solution to poverty and
corruption, which partly explain the region's past and current
democratic weakness.

"... Both legislators and Thomas Shannon and other two attending USG
officials, USAID Assistant Director Adolfo Franco and Assistant
Secretary Paula Dobriansky, agreed to denounce Venezuela's

SIPDIS
interference in the elections of Bolivia, Peru and Nicaragua.

"However, Democratic Deputy Howard Berman said that not only has
Venezuela interfered in the elections of other countries. 'I have
been in Nicaragua during the latest presidential elections and it
seemed to me that the US Embassy was involved in guaranteeing Mr.
Ortega's defeat.'"

- "Bush is pressured over Guantanamo"

Daily-of-record "La Nacion" reports (06/22) "US President George W.
Bush faced new EU pressures over the controversial Guantanamo prison
during a summit with EU leaders in which the EU formally asked him
to close the prison.

"In response to this demand and in an attempt to reverse the
negative image he has in the EU, Bush reiterated he intends to close
the military prison in Cuba, but that he would not be able to do it
in the short term.

"The US-EU summit occurred at a time when bilateral ties have
improved after the disagreement over the war in Iraq, although the
relationship is still darkened due to Bush's bad reputation in
Europe based on the way he is carrying out the war on terrorism."

- "Bush leads free trade discussions"

Centrist newspaper "Perfil" reports (06/22) "One week away from WTO
member countries seeking to make progress in the Doha Round


negotiations, US President George W. Bush took the initiative in
multilateral negotiations by pointing out that 'the delayed world
trade deal is still possible,' in spite of the transatlantic
disagreement over who should take the first step.

"Following a meeting with European leaders in the framework of a
US-EU summit in Vienna, Bush said 'The US remains committed in
succeeding in WTO global negotiations.'"

- "Populists and left-wingers"

Liberal, English-language "Buenos Aires Herald" carries an opinion
piece by contributor James Neilson, who writes (06/23) "... What is
populism? To some, it is simply a nasty way of referring to
governments that favor the interests of the common man over those of
the well-heeled. On occasion, that may be true, but unfortunately
there is more to it than that.

"According to Cardoso, populism is a form of exercising power in
which the 'Leader' bypasses Congress, other institutions such as the
political parties and establishes a direct relationship with 'the
masses' largely by means of handouts. That is a fair description of
what has happened in Venezuela and, to a lesser extent, in
Argentina. Another characteristic of populism is the 'Leader's'
reluctance to do anything that might have an adverse effect on his
image...

"All populists are self-pitying nationalists who make out that their
country has for long been the innocent victim of foreign wickedness
but thanks to them is now determined to fight back. This is the main
theme of Chavez, Morales and Kirchner, all of whom have contrived to
pick quarrels with many of their neighbors...

"But while Chavez... blames the US for most of his country's woes,
Kirchner's approach is more eclectic. Even though some polls suggest
that Argentines are on the whole less inclined to like the US,
especially when its president is that dreadful George W. Bush, than
any other Latin Americans, Kirchner has not made a habit of
screaming insults at the superpower. The only time he got the people
in Washington worried was when his government helped Chavez and his
friends stage an anti-US jam-boree in Mar del Plata, but much to the
disappointment of local leftists he did not follow that up with a
full-scale rhetorical onslaught."

3. EDITORIALS

- "The polar year and a world threat"

Daily-of-record "La Nacion" editorializes (06/22) "Next year, one of
the most important scientific events of all times will begin. It is
the International Polar Year Program. Roughly 10,000 researchers
from 50 countries will use teQllion dollars to carry out over one
thousand works related to diverse specialties.

"... The most important question concerning everyone, which will be
the IPY-07 central issue, is where will global warming take us?

"David Carlson, prestigious international geologist and head of the
future IPY, maintained that that the Northern Pole will disappear in
fifty years due to at eight-percent-per-year ratio-ice melting, and
only the sea will remain.

"... The panorama that has been delineated is tragic for our planet
and its inhabitants...

"Global warming...is the outcome of gas emission, which should have
been put under control a long time ago. The steps of the Kyoto
Protocol should strongly be implemented but there are still some
countries that oppose it.

"... Therefore, the IPY/07 should then promote decisions that are
aimed at rescuing our world from a tangible danger that is
jeopardizing humanity."

To see more Buenos Aires reporting, visit our classified website
at:
http://www.state.sqov.gov/p/wha/buenosaires

GUTIERREZ

© Scoop Media

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