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RR RUEHAG RUEHLZ
DE RUEHRL #0190/01 0491324
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 181324Z FEB 10
FM AMEMBASSY BERLIN
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 6569
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 2030
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RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 1278
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RUEHNO/USMISSION USNATO 1795
RUEHVEN/USMISSION USOSCE 0953
RHMFIUU/HQ USAFE RAMSTEIN AB GE
RHMFISS/HQ USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE//J5 DIRECTORATE (MC)//
RHMFISS/CDRUSAREUR HEIDELBERG GE
RUZEADH/UDITDUSAREUR HEIDELBERG GE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 05 BERLIN 000190 
 
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 CH SY XF UP ENRG EMS
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION: U.S.-IRAN, U.S.-SYRIA, DUBAI-MOSSAD, 
UKRAINE, U.S.-NUCLEAR ENERGY, EU-GREECE;BERLIN 
 
¶1.   Lead Stories Summary 
¶2.   (U.S.-China)   Relations, Dalai Lama 
¶3.   (U.S.-Syria)   Washington Sends New Ambassador 
¶4.   (Dubai)   Killing Of Hamas Arms Dealer 
¶5.   (Ukraine)   Aftermath of Elections 
¶6.   (U.S.)   New Nuclear Power Plants 
¶7.   (EU-Greece)   Euro 
 
 
¶1.   Lead Stories Summary 
 
Print media carried a variety of lead stories this morning.  While 
Sueddeutsche Zeitung centered on the upcoming strike of Lufthansa 
pilots, FAZ led with a report on the traditional Ash Wednesday 
speeches by political party leaders.  Berliner Zeitung and 
Tagesspiegel led with reports on poverty in Germany, and Die Welt 
with an opinion poll on the reputation of politicians.   Editorials 
focused on the upcoming strike of Lufthansa pilots and the Ash 
Wednesday speeches of leading German politicians.  ZDF-TV's early 
evening newscast heute and ARD-TV's early evening newscast 
Tagesschau also led with reports on the Ash Wednesday speeches by 
Chancellor Merkel and Foreign Minister Westerwelle. 
 
¶2.   (U.S.-China)   Relations, Dalai Lama 
 
Weekly Die Zeit (2/18) carried a full-page report on U.S.-Chinese 
relations under the headline: "Rivalry - To the Extreme?" and wrote: 
"Unlike the Soviet Union, China has built its rise not on its 
military but on its economic power. That is why the United States 
and China live in a kind of symbiotic relationship that history has 
never seen before: exporter and importer, creditor and debtor, and 
that is why both sides would lose in a conflict.  Nevertheless, 
there is one possible trouble spot for which detailed U.S. and 
Chinese war games exist:  Taiwan.  In Taiwan, China could see its 
interests threatened; or in North Korea, or in Pakistan; a U.S. act 
of despair out of fear of being thrown from the global throne is 
also thinkable.  But China and the United States are nuclear powers. 
 This makes, according to previous experience, a war between them 
unlikely.  Never before have two nuclear states fought full power 
against each other.  We can also hope for this last fuse, the fear 
of the last great disaster, in U.S.-Chinese relations.  But all 
possible rivalries give each conflict and each crisis between those 
two powers a dangerous undertone." 
 
Under the headline: "A Special Relationship, Frankfurter Allgemeine 
Zeitung (2/18) argued on its front page: "Following his visit to 
China, the U.S. President realized that [U.S.-Chinese] relations 
must change but not in China's interest: Obama's gestures of 
friendliness and Obama doing without any appeals to respect human 
rights has been interpreted by the Chinese as a sign of weakness. 
The leadership in Beijing did not see any reason to change its 
extreme policies.  Obama did not get anything in return for his 
advances but he was also humiliated.  That is one more reason why he 
came to the conclusion to receive the Dalai Lama.  The U.S. 
government has now finally left the phase of idealism towards China. 
 According to Henry Kissinger, U.S.-Chinese relations are the most 
important ones in the 21st century.  The old superpower is meeting 
the new emerging major power.  No one can be interested in this 
meeting turning into a clash.  But it is naQve to cheer at China's 
rise and link it solely to the hope that China will now assume 
greater international responsibility.  China's relationship with the 
United Stats is complex and will remain complex: cooperation here, a 
divergence of interests, rivalry, even confrontation there.  If 
China demands respect, then this is also true vice versa.  Obama 
should receive the Dalai Lama - not to provoke China but because it 
is an expression of his own convictions." 
 
Under the headline: "Transpacific Expert - Barack Obama's Policy is 
 
BERLIN 00000190  002 OF 005 
 
 
a Mixture of Standstill and Progress," Tagesspiegel (2/18) argued: 
"President Obama does not dodge the conflict with China.  Taiwan 
will receive military hardware worth 6.4 billion dollars.  He 
supports Google's threat to withdraw from China if Beijing does not 
stop its censorship efforts.  At the same time, he is seeking 
Beijing's support for sanctions against Iran and in the nuclear 
talks with North Korea.  The White House is also watching the talks 
between China and the envoys of the Dalai Lama about Tibet's future. 
 And it is by no means clear whether Obama's policy towards China is 
the expression of a lasting shift of power, or whether we owe it to 
the current global situation and U.S. policy in general will become 
more self confident again as soon as it has overcome the financial 
and economic crisis and no longer feels internationally dependent." 
 
¶3.   (U.S.-Syria)   Washington Sends New Ambassador 
 
Frankfurter Allgemeine (2/18) editorialized: "Despite Special Envoy 
Mitchell's diligent efforts, nothing is moving forward between the 
Israelis and the Palestinians.  It might therefore be more promising 
to go to Syria after five years of diplomatic silence between 
Washington and Syria.  Washington is about to send Robert Stephen 
Ford as Ambassador to the Syrian capital.  Undersecretary Burns' 
recent talks with President Assad made clear that both sides want to 
resume their relations, which were broken up under George W. Bush. 
Syria is playing a key role in the Mideast process and in Lebanon. 
Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri approves of America's 
rapprochement with Damascus, although Syrians probably masterminded 
the assassination of his father Rafik.  Syria, as a strategic (not 
ideological) ally of Iran might also be helpful in the conflict over 
Islamic Republic's nuclear armament. 
 
Sddeutsche (2/18) headlined: "U.S. sends Ambassador to Syrian 
again," and reported: "This step had been in the air since the 
middle of last year....  For President Obama, Ford's appointment is 
another step towards rapprochement with the former enemy.  His 
predecessor George W. Bush recalled Ambassador Scobey in February 
2005 to protest against Syria's alleged involvement in the 
assassination of former Lebanese PM Hariri.  In addition, Bush 
wanted to exert pressure on Damascus to get Syria to renounce its 
connections with Iran and the Shiite Hezbollah militia.  This policy 
has failed.  Obama showed great determination when he extended the 
sanctions against Damascus in May 2009.  However, he has now pursued 
a symbolic change - and quickly met with criticism.  Given that his 
efforts to reach to Iran and to resume Israeli-Palestinian peace 
talks have been unsuccessful, Republicans now see the opportunity to 
accuse him of failure in the region." 
 
Tagesspiegel's (2/18) intro noted: "President Obama wants to 
overcome the political ice age in relations with Syria and appointed 
career diplomat Robert Ford as new ambassador to Damascus....  The 
German government said it is pleased with the prospect of a 
diplomatic rapprochement between Washington and Damascus." 
 
¶4.   (Dubai)   Killing Of Hamas Arms Dealer 
 
Under the headline: "The Handwriting of Mossad," Tagesspiegel (2/18) 
reported: "Apart from the hard facts, a maze of rumors, mysteries 
and suspicions of the origin the attack and the real identities of 
the assailants is going rampant.  The professionalism of the attack 
has focused suspicion among international experts...on Mossad.  Of 
course, Jerusalem is silent about the suspicions, but Israeli media 
in their majority tend to make Mossad responsible for the killing of 
Mahmud al-Mabhuh, one of the most important commanders of the 
military wing of the radical Hamas movement....  German security 
agencies also consider it likely that Mossad was responsible for the 
attack, but unnamed sources said that there is no certainty because 
Israel has thus far not answered German requests.  But it is clear 
that the Americans would have nothing to do with the operation, 
 
BERLIN 00000190  003 OF 005 
 
 
these sources said.  They added that it is very likely that Mossad 
planned the operation on its own and that at best 'subordinated 
logistical support from another intelligence service,' for instance, 
from Jordan would be thinkable....  In the case of the alleged 
perpetrator with a German passport, the man is in reality an 
orthodox American Jew...who attends a religious school in a suburb 
of Tel Aviv." 
 
Frankfurter Allgemeine (2/18)  noted under the headline: "Odd 
Careers As Agent," that: "There are growing concerns that  Israel's 
reputation could now be damaged as a consequence of the use of 
passports from friendly nations  Similar developments happened in 
the past and burdened Israel's relations with states such as Canada 
and New Zealand."  Die Welt (2/18) carried a similar report, 
headlined: "All Trails Lead to Israel." 
 
In an editorial Die Welt (2/18) judged under the headline; "Mossad's 
Trail," that "when somewhere in the world, an arch enemy of the 
Jewish state falls victim to an assassination attempt, Israeli 
politicians are silent....  That is why it is all the more 
surprising that Foreign Minister Liebermann said that it would be 
unfair to make Israel responsible for the killing of Mahmoud 
al-Mabhuh; former Mossad agents gave assurances that the Israeli 
intelligence service would never do such a botched-up job and that a 
foreign intelligence service wanted to make Israel responsible.  But 
apart from the fact that Mossad carried out some past operations in 
a botched-up way, it cannot be ruled out that Mossad is responsible. 
Nevertheless, one reason for the sudden denial seems to be that too 
many trails lead to Israel.  It is one matter to eliminate a 
dangerous terrorist, but it is a different matter to use falsified 
passports of friendly nations, thus jeopardizing diplomatic 
contacts." 
 
Berliner Zeitung (2/18) commented: "Mossad is in the news, which 
would be very difficult for any intelligence service.  If the 
Israeli Mossad indeed killed the senior Hamas official by a hit 
squad in Dubai, it will face outrage at home and abroad.  Anyway, 
the incident in Dubai would not be the first state-run assassination 
Mossad has pursued against militant Palestinians.  Mossad has killed 
many times before and without any respect for state borders.  Let 
there be no doubt: some of those killed had the blood of Israelis in 
their hands.  However, like any other country, Israel must respect 
international rules.  Suspects must be taken to court and sentenced 
before they can be punished.  Mossad apparently did not just work in 
Dubai but was allegedly involved in a mysterious incident in Syria, 
where a bus with Iranian officials and Hamas members exploded. 
There was also speculation that Mossad was involved in an attack on 
Hezbollah and Hamas in southern Lebanon.  Hamas and Hezbollah are 
seen as allies of Iran.  Experts therefore assume that Israel is 
already fighting a small war against Tehran by killing officials of 
organizations that are linked to Iran." 
 
¶5.   (Ukraine)   Aftermath of Elections 
 
"Deferment in Kiev," was the headline of an editorial in 
Sueddeutsche Zeitung (2/18)  which opined: "At first inspection, the 
decision by Ukraine's supreme administrative court means a success 
for Prime Minister Tymochenko...but at second inspection, it is a 
mere formality.  That is why it is very likely that Yanukovich will 
take over his office as soon as the judges rule that the 
irregularities were not decisive for the elections.  It is not very 
audacious to assume that Tymochenko's fight against the recognition 
of the election results will not likely succeed.  For her, it would 
not be tragic because it is currently everything but a pleasure to 
take over Ukraine's highest position.  With a 15-percent decline in 
economic output, Ukraine is the European country worst hit by the 
financial crisis." 
 
 
BERLIN 00000190  004 OF 005 
 
 
¶6.   (U.S.)   New Nuclear Power Plants 
 
German media have been reporting for days on President Obama's plans 
to build nuclear power plants to develop green energy.  Frankfurter 
Allgemeine (2/18) headlined a report: "America is planning a nuclear 
renaissance" and highlighted: "Obama wants to allow the building of 
nuclear plants again.  They are supposed to make American energy 
supplies greener." Die Welt (2/15) opined:  "President Obama's 
government guarantees to resolve the energy question can be called 
pragmatism or a deal with the devil.  He believes he does not have a 
choice."  die tageszeitung (2/18) editorialized: "Even if the U.S. 
starts to build new plants, it would not mean that market economies 
are about to see a nuclear boom...  To make nuclear plants 
profitable, the kilowatt hour would have to be sold for eight cents. 
 For this price, wind turbines and solar plants will be able to 
produce energy.  Nuclear energy might be shortly reanimated by being 
on the government's drip." 
 
Sddeutsche (2/18) editorialized: "Has he broken a taboo?  Speaking 
to unionists, Obama announced government guarantees for building a 
nuclear plant in Georgia....  It would be the first new nuclear 
plant in the U.S. after the moratorium 30 years ago....  Is the U.S. 
now starting a renaissance of nuclear power?  Will this lead to a 
new victory of nuclear energy around the globe?  Nobody should now 
be too agitated over America's apparent folly because this is only 
about the building of one plant....  Twenty-eight plants are 
registered as new projects; half of them are behind schedule and are 
confronting an explosion of costs.  There are only 13 applications 
for construction permits.  This is far below the rate that would be 
necessary to keep America's nuclear energy at a level of 20 
percent...  The U.S. is therefore far away from a renaissance of 
nuclear energy....  Obama has never experienced the anti-nuclear 
energy movement like many left-wing politicians of his generation in 
Europe.  He believes the emission-free production of energy by 
nuclear plants is a possible way to lower U.S. carbon dioxide 
emissions.  He believes the risks are manageable.  Like many of 
Obama's decisions, his engagement in favor of nuclear energy is 
domestic reasons.  For years, Republicans have advocated a return to 
nuclear energy...  By reaching out to them on nuclear energy, the 
President hopes they will make concessions on his climate protection 
bill.  However, this will not work.  Like in the health reform, 
Obama has been hesitating for too long....  There will be no climate 
protection law with a European model of trading emissions in the 
U.S.   However, there might be more nuclear plants in ten years 
time." 
 
¶7.   (EU-Greece)   Euro 
 
Under the headline: "Greek Tragedy," weekly Die Zeit (2/18) had this 
to say: "The Greek debt crisis is more than an economic policy 
accident.  What we are witnessing right now goes beyond mere crisis 
management.  Basically all governments of the euro zone, including 
the German, are faced with a similar challenge to rescuing the banks 
in the fall of 2008.  Those who want to save Greece now and prevent 
the next state bankruptcy must change the basic rules of the 
Monetary Union. Europe is forced to re-invent itself.  In the long 
run, a monetary union can only function if its members pursue a 
policy of cooperation.  A Monetary Union requires competition for 
the best industrial sites but also a closely coordinated spending, 
tax and labor market policy.  Those who give such different 
countries as Greece, Germany, Portugal and France a common currency, 
should not set up political barriers between them.  And this is the 
economic decision before all euro-zone governments right now:  they 
either sacrifice part of their national policies to keep the euro, 
or they sacrifice the euro and reduce the currency zone to the five 
or six nations which are economically similar.  The first would be 
painful, the latter a disaster.  The 27 countries talked for seven 
years before the Lisbon Treaty entered into force, but the 16 euro 
 
BERLIN 00000190  005 OF 005 
 
 
countries will not have so much time to adopt new rules.  It is 
likely that they won't even have seven months." 
 
Regional daily Die Tagespost of Wrzburg (2/18) had this to say: 
"Despite the understanding of the decade-long mismanagement and the 
cheating of the Greeks coming to an end now, the things the EU 
finance ministers under the leadership of Jean-Claude Juncker are 
now presenting are strikingly reminding us of the crook who wants to 
distract attention from his own offenses by loudly calling 'stop the 
thief.'  In the ten years since the introduction of the euro, Greece 
has never abided by the criteria of the Stability Pact, and the EU 
has never done a single thing about it.  Why not? And why now of all 
times?" 
 
Handelsblatt (2/18) dealt with the possible accession of a few 
eastern European states to the euro-zone and argued: "The accession 
of Poland, the Czech Republic, Estonia, and Bulgaria to the euro 
zone would strengthen the uniform European currency.  In the 
meantime, even German government officials consider the neighbors in 
the East less a risk for the euro because they would strengthen the 
market economy forces in the euro zone--which is becoming 
increasingly significant.  These countries in the East have directed 
their economic policies much more to economic growth and budgetary 
discipline than Europe's southern states.  It must be a basic 
condition that any new countries fully meet the euro criteria.  But 
one thing is also clear: the potential euro countries should not pay 
the fine for Greek or Spanish sins." 
 
DELAWIE