Cablegate: Us-Mexican Border Fence; Us Legislative Elections;

VZCZCXYZ0005
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHBU #2488/01 3100906
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 060906Z NOV 06
FM AMEMBASSY BUENOS AIRES
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 6395
INFO RHMFISS/CDR USSOCOM MACDILL AFB FL//SCJ2//
RULGPUA/USCOMSOLANT

UNCLAS BUENOS AIRES 002488

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: US-MEXICAN BORDER FENCE; US LEGISLATIVE ELECTIONS;
NICARAGUA ELECTIONS; AMIA BOMBING CASE; 11/03/06; BUENOS AIRES

1. SUMMARY STATEMENT

Leading international stories include the US-Mexican fence; the
upcoming US legislative elections; the implications of Ortega's
potential victory in Nicaraguan elections; and the investigation
into the AMIA bombing case.

2. OPINION PIECES

- "Argentina supports Ibero-American resolution against the
US-Mexican border fence"

Natasha Niebieskikwiat, political columnist of leading "Clarin,"
writes (11/03) "According to diplomatic sources, Argentina will
adhere to a resolution by the Ibero-American summit questioning the
US-Mexican border fence.

"... According to the (Argentine) Government, this text is a
'mixture of the original draft with the statement' approved by 28 of
the 34 OAS countries last October 25.

"This statement had showed 'deep concern' about a 'unilateral'
measure that goes against the spirit of understanding, it stated
that fences will not solve the problem posed by illegal immigration
and urged the USG to re-consider its position regarding this
issue."

- "The need to tackle the causes of immigration"

Leading "Clarin" carries an opinion piece by Oscar Arias Sanchez,
Nobel Peace Laureate and president of Costa Rica, who writes (11/03)
"Latin America has followed with interest the recent US debate on
immigration. Unfortunately, debate has demonstrated that the reasons
for immigration raise less attention than its consequences.

"... The challenges posed by international immigration can only be
faced through international cooperation, which should begin with the
economic integration among Southern countries and between Southern
and Northern countries.

"... If we really wish to eradicate poverty in Latin America, we
need (to promote) an active participation of developed countries -
the first policy change they should make to favor the growth of
least favored nations is obviously the reduction of farm
subsidies..."

- "One of the main challenges of the 21st century"

Nestor Restivo, columnist of leading "Clarin," comments (11/03) "...
There are more than 20 countries with border fences, such as the one
the US is building on its border with Mexico. Thousands of people
die there. The infamous Berlin Wall is almost a dwarf compared to
the fences of globalization.

"According to CEPAL, 13 percent of the migrants of the world come
from Latin America. Immigration, climate change and the struggle for
natural resources are the three crucial reasons for confrontation in
the 21st century and the focus of the new Ibero-American summit.

"... It is clear that the North has a problem... And, with respect
to the challenge posed by immigration, it merely decides to build
fences and establish complex espionage networks that are ready to be
violated by 'waves' of people that have been expelled from their own
land."

- "Schwarzenegger distances himself from Bush and is now the
front-runner in California"

Ana Baron, Washington-based correspondent for leading "Clarin,"
writes (11/03) "... In 2003, Arnold 'Terminator' Schwarzenegger was
elected as California governor walking hand in hand with Bush. Now,
however, he does not want to be related to him. When the head of the
White House visited California recently, the governor asked that
Bush did not even come close to his election campaign.

"Schwarzenegger replaced his Republican Cabinet chief for a
Democrat, Susan Kennedy, and started to create bipartisan ties in
the Legislature... He joined Democrats in submitting a proposal for
a 37.3 billion dollar loan to carry out public work... And he even
opposed the construction of a US-Mexican border fence.

"... Altough many right wingers are furious with Schwarzenegger,
they have no choice but to vote for him. And, who knows, perhaps
during his second term in office 'Terminator' will switch again to
the right."

- "Washington between two specters"

Hugo Alconada Mon, Washington-based correspondent for
daily-of-record "La Nacion," comments (11/03) "It is too early to
say but perhaps Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez's good times are
gone. That is, at least, the prevailing feeling in this capital,
regardless of the fact that the worst scenario for the US could
materialize the day after tomorrow in Nicaragua with the return of
Sandinista icon Daniel Ortega.

"This mere possibility distresses the Bush administration, which
believes that Ortega is a leader that will worsen the social and
economic conditions of Nicaragua, the second poorest country in
Latin America after Haiti. However, it wants neither to repeat its
strategies of the '80s (those of the Iran-contra scandal) nor to
implement the more ideology-driven policy in the region that
prevailed under the command of Otto Reich, and even more under Roger
Noriega.

"... Chavez is now seeking revenge and Ortega might as well deliver
it in Nicaragua...

"Riordan Roett, head of the Latin American Department at the Johns
Hopkins University, said 'If Ortega wins, the media will say that
Sandinismo is returning and that Nicaragua will join the regional
'axis of evil' along with Cuba, Venezuela and Bolivia...'"

- "Rafsanjani and Hezbollah"

Daily-of-record "La Nacion" carries an op-ed story by Albino Gomez,
a journalist, writer and diplomat who writes (11/03) "The prosecutor
investigating the AMIA bombing case has recently charged the (then)
Iranian government of having planned the attack and said Hezbollah
was the organization that conducted it.

"... I think it would be of interest to point out that, while I was
in Cairo as (Argentine) Ambassador to Egypt, I started to tackle
this issue on January 20, 1994 (seven months before the attack on
the AMIA). I then sent a cable to express that I fully agreed with
the Egyptian Ambassador to Argentina, who believed that Iran
provided the largest financial aid for fundamentalist terrorism...
My full agreement (with this belief) was based on the information I
received from some sector of Egyptian intelligence services but also
due to my own follow-up on the information when I worked as a US
correspondent for an Argentine newspaper.

"... In 1980, I interviewed Rafsanjani when I was the only Western
journalist based in Tehran...

"... Rafsanjani said that Iran was part of the Third World, which
was oppressed by imperialism, but that the revolution was going to
free Iran from superpowers and from all those countries that only
wanted to use it... He also said that Iran did not want to be
isolated from the international community but to have the best
relations with the largest possible number of countries, although
the US wanted to prevent it from doing so.

"... Rafsanjani added 'I was arrested in the Sha's prisons and was
tortured by Savak's agents, who were monitored by US experts... Is
this what the West calls international law?'

"All the other senior Iranian government officials I interviewed in
August 1980, including the president of the Court and the Foreign
Minister are dead. They were killed by the revolution. Rafsanjani is
the only survivor."

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

MATERA

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