Cablegate: Media Reaction: Week of November 2-9; 11/10/09; Buenos

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

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TAGS: KPAO OPRC KMDR PREL
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION: WEEK OF NOVEMBER 2-9; 11/10/09; BUENOS
AIRES

1. SUMMARY STATEMENT
Leading international stories last week were related to the impact
of Virginia and New Jersey governor elections on President Obama;
the UN-sponsored climate talks in Barcelona; the outcome of Afghan
elections; and Argentina's approach towards the IMF.

2. PRESIDENT OBAMA

Leading "Clarin's" international editor, Marcelo Cantelmi, opines
(11/07), "It is the first anniversary of Barack Obama's historic
presidential election and time seems to be running against him. The
Democrats' defeats in Virginia and New Jersey are ominous signs that
can negatively focus on the outcome of 2010 mid-term elections. By
then, Republicans expect to have rebuilt their image as well as
downgraded to a 'toy' rebellion the huge meaning of a multicultural
man such as Obama taking office after the decadent experience of
George W. Bush. The battle is not over yet." Leading "Clarin" also
carries an opinion piece by Jorge Castro, political analyst, who
headlines (11/08), "Obama's power is tied to the recovery of the US
domestic economy," and writes, "The US power in the world after the
crisis largely depends on the increase of the US economic
productivity. If this is 2-4% per year in the next decade (as has
been during the last 15 years), then the US will continue leading
the world."

3. BARCELONA'S PRE COP-15 CLIMATE TALKS

Left-of-center "Pagina 12" (11/03) carries an opinion by Cledis
Candelaresi, on special assignment in Barcelona, who writes, "The
negotiators of more than 50 countries know that they will draft a
new world environmental agreement or extend the Kyoto Protocol.
Nonetheless, they have a new motto - many of the underdeveloped
countries will have to make a contribution and not only expect the
wealthy countries' aid to face the climate change."

4. AFGHANISTAN

Business-financial "Buenos Aires Economico" carries an opinion piece
by political analyst Alejandro Di Giacomo, who writes (11/04) "...
The international community has acknowledged Hamid Karzai as the
winner of Afghan elections. The west has invested over three billion
dollars per year in a conflict that killed 1,500 soldiers and went
back to its departure point with the Taliban new armed
initiatives... Afghanistan harassed the UK's power during the 19th
century, that of France in the early 20th century. There was even
talk of the 'Soviet Vietnam,' when the Kremlin troops had to leave
in 1989 after one decade of unsuccessful occupation. Next year, the
US Afghan war will become the longest US war, even longer than that
of Vietnam, and this is a sign for the US."

5. ARGENTINA'S APPROACH TO THE IMF

On Argentina's approach to the IMF, liberal, English-language
"Buenos Aires Herald" (11/09) carries an editorial highlighting that
Argentina's approach to the IMF "is another example of Kirchner
presidency wishes to have it both ways - to regain access to
international credit while avoiding any IMF audit which might expose
its creative accounting practices" and that, in any case, "an
agreement with the IMF is not an immediate priority with the
government - first comes there launch of the debt bond swap with the
holdouts from the 2003-5 haircut... and then proposals to
renegotiate Paris Club debt while bypassing the IMF."

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

MARTINEZ

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