Cablegate: Media Reaction - Afghanistan Presidential Election; Sao
VZCZCXYZ0008
OO RUEHWEB
DE RUEHSO #0499 2311647
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 191647Z AUG 09
FM AMCONSUL SAO PAULO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 9520
INFO RHEHNSC/NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHDC IMMEDIATE
RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA PRIORITY 0654
RUEHRI/AMCONSUL RIO DE JANEIRO PRIORITY 9234
UNCLAS SAO PAULO 000499
SIPDIS
STATE INR/R/MR; IIP/R/MR; WHA/PD
DEPT PASS USTR
USDOC 4322/MAC/OLAC/JAFEE
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KMDR OPRC OIIP XM XR XF BR
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION - AFGHANISTAN PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION; SAO
PAULO
August 19, 2009
Title- The never ending war
Op-ed in liberal Folha de S.Paulo (8-19) by Washington's
correspondent Sergio Davila says:"...If there is one characteristic
that differentiates Barack Obama from his predecessor.....it is the
Democrat's healthy habit of telling the truth to the public - always
when possible..... [When Obama said the Afghan war would not be easy
or rapid] he should have also said that the second conflict [the
first being the one in Iraq] cannot be won. Fighting against Al
Qaeda is like fighting the law of gravity.....If everything goes as
the White House expects, [the current President Hamid] Karzai will
win the [elections].......This would push Al Qaeda even more into
neighboring Pakistan. And this would then be the new chapter in the
never ending war."
WHITE