VZCZCXRO8261
RR RUEHAG RUEHDF RUEHLZ
DE RUEHRL #1327/01 2961243
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 231243Z OCT 09
FM AMEMBASSY BERLIN
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 5559
INFO RHEHAAA/WHITE HOUSE WASHINGTON DC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHINGTON DC
RUCNFRG/FRG COLLECTIVE
RUEHBS/AMEMBASSY BRUSSELS 1665
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 0376
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 0894
RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME 2406
RUEHNO/USMISSION USNATO 1419
RUEHVEN/USMISSION USOSCE 0598
RHMFIUU/HQ USAFE RAMSTEIN AB GE
RHMFISS/HQ USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE//J5 DIRECTORATE (MC)//
RHMFISS/CDRUSAREUR HEIDELBERG GE
RUKAAKC/UDITDUSAREUR HEIDELBERG GE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 BERLIN 001327 
 
STATE FOR INR/R/MR, EUR/PAPD, EUR/PPA, EUR/CE, INR/EUC, INR/P, 
SECDEF FOR USDP/ISA/DSAA, DIA FOR DC-4A 
 
VIENNA FOR CSBM, CSCE, PAA 
 
"PERISHABLE INFORMATION -- DO NOT SERVICE" 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.0. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OPRC KMDR KPAO PK AK IR IS GM RO EZ PL
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION: PAKISTAN, IRAN-ISRAEL, NATO MINISTERIAL, VP 
 
BIDEN IN EUROPE;BERLIN 
 
¶1.   Lead Stories Summary 
¶2.   Secret Meeting between Iran and Israel 
¶3.   Afghanistan/NATO Ministerial 
¶4.   Taliban in Pakistan 
¶5.   Biden in Europe 
 
¶1. Lead Stories 
 
Primetime newscasts and all major newspapers opened with stories 
that 
the future coalition has abandoned its plan to create a "shadow 
budget."  Frankfurter Rundschau headlined: "Shadow over the budget," 
 
and Sueddeutsche highlighted: "Serious setback for CDU/CSU and 
FDP-- 
Coalition got stuck in financial tricks."  Editorials focused on the 
 
coalition talks. 
 
¶2. Secret Meeting between Iran and Israel 
 
Frankfurter Rundschau headlined: "Diplomatic Sensation," noting that 
 
there was "indirect contact between Israel and Iran during a secret 
 
nuclear conference in Cairo."  Sueddeutsche headlined on its front 
page "Israel and Iran break taboo," adding "enemy countries talk 
about 
nuclear disarmament in the Middle East.  Israel and Iran have for 
the 
first time in 30 years participated in talks over a Middle East free 
 
of nuclear weapons." 
 
Frankfurter Allgemeine remarked in a front page report: "Israel and 
 
Iran have made contact for the first time in 30 years.  The Israeli 
 
nuclear authority confirmed the secret meeting...  In Tehran, the 
report 
was denied as a 'pure lie.'"  Inside the paper, Frankfurter 
Allgemeine 
added: "The rejection of Israel is part of Iran's ideology.  Verbal 
 
attacks do not rule out secret meetings; however, if they did take 
place, making them publically known has most likely undermined 
Iran's 
willingness to hold further meetings.  The visit of the Israeli 
representative to Cairo is important for another reason: In the 
course 
of the summer, there were increasing calls in Egypt to boycott 
Israel 
and to ban meetings with Israelis." 
 
Tageszeitung editorialized: "Be warned against euphoria.  The first 
 
contact between Iran and Israel could have been the last for a 
considerable time.  This would be sad, because there is no reason 
why 
there should not be contact between the two countries, who have 
never 
fought a war against each other, do not need to settle accounts, and 
 
do not argue over land....  The nuclear missiles aiming at Tel Aviv 
and 
Dimona are not the only reason why politicians in Jerusalem are 
repeatedly considering a preemptive attack.  The changing power 
 
BERLIN 00001327  002 OF 003 
 
 
balance in the Middle East is similarly dramatic.  If Iran becomes a 
 
nuclear power, the moderate Islamic countries would no longer set 
the 
tone, but instead a country that puts a great part of its limited 
resources into the promotion of terror organizations abroad.  The 
relationship between Israel and Iran will not improve, because this 
 
would be the end of the 'axis of evil'....  For dtente, the people 
in 
Iran who desire more democracy and human rights must assume power." 
 
 
¶3. Afghanistan/NATO Ministerial 
 
Some German media carried relatively short and factual reports on 
the 
NATO ministerial in Bratislava, noting that "NATO Secretary General 
 
Rasmussen called on NATO members to increase their military and 
political engagement in Afghanistan" (Frankfurter Rundschau). 
ZDF- 
TV's Heute reported: "Rasmussen warned against the failure of the 
mission, saying that it would only be a matter of time until Europe 
 
reaps the consequences.  Defense ministers are therefore 
particularly 
struggling with the question of whether to deploy more soldiers to 
Afghanistan."  Tagesspiegel noted: "However, the uncertain political 
 
situation after the manipulated presidential election will make a 
decision difficult." 
 
Under the headline "The German Holbrooke," Tagesspiegel commented on 
 
the creation of the post of German envoy for Afghanistan.  "The news 
 
sounds good: the new government wants to nominate an envoy for 
Afghanistan who is responsible for the country in a 
cross-departmental 
way.  This would meet an old demand of international and national 
experts, if the person is taken seriously....  All ministries 
involved 
fear that they would lose something.  It is therefore important to 
nominate somebody who is well-known internationally and well plugged 
 
into the government parties.  The person must also focus on 
Pakistan, 
otherwise the job would be deprived of practical significance. This 
 
person would be the counterpart of U.S. envoy Richard Holbrooke, but 
 
should certainly not present himself so ruthlessly.  Particularly 
now, 
as the countries engaged in Afghanistan have come to a turning 
point, 
considerable work awaits such an envoy." 
 
¶4. Taliban in Pakistan 
 
Sueddeutsche's editorial highlighted (in a subheadline) that "in 
Pakistan, the fear of the Taliban has become bigger than the hatred 
 
against the United States."  The paper opined: "Militant extremists 
 
are only spreading terror, with which they have made themselves the 
 
enemy of Pakistanis.  For the time being, the people therefore stand 
 
 
BERLIN 00001327  003 OF 003 
 
 
by the army and its war against the extremists.  This sounds trite, 
 
but it has not always been like this.   For a long time, people 
believed that their government was participating in the war against 
 
terrorism only as America's lapdog.  Anti-Americanism continues to 
be 
widespread within society...  However, the extremists are no longer 
 
controllable and they are attacking Pakistan.  It is therefore 
becoming increasingly clear who Pakistan's enemy is: the Taliban.... 
The 
people in Pakistan have realized that the Taliban will not resolve 
their existential problems.  However, neither are they hearing 
anything progressive from their elected leaders.  The offensive in 
Waziristan would be the right time for a reorientation." 
 
¶5. Biden in Europe 
 
Under the headline "Biden acknowledges Romania's mission in Iraq and 
 
Afghanistan," Frankfurter Allgemeine reported: "Vice President Biden 
 
emphasized the 'strong strategic partnership' the U.S. has with 
Romania and spoke up in favor of integrating the Republic of Moldova 
 
into euro-Atlantic structures.  After talks with Romanian President 
 
Basescu, Biden underscored that Romania supports the new American 
missile defense system....  On Thursday, Biden was expected in 
Prague... 
Unlike in Warsaw, the irritation over the cancellation of former 
President Bush's project to deploy a missile defense shield has not 
 
yet subsided....  Biden is not expected to make a specific proposal 
for 
the Czech Republic's participation in a mobile missile defense 
shield." 
 
Berliner Zeitung analyzed: "Biden assures partners during his visit 
 
that the new beginning of U.S.-Russian relations will not be at the 
 
expense of Poland and the Czech Republic.  Both countries still do 
not 
believe this, however, and assume that renewed U.S.-Russian 
relations 
will be a zero-sum game: if Washington gets closer to Moscow, it 
will 
pull further away from Warsaw and Prague-and vice versa.  Obama has 
 
decided that he needs Russia as a partner, not an opponent, to meet 
 
the current challenges.  This will be the starting point for other 
foreign political decisions." 
 
 MURPHY