VZCZCXYZ0015
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHBU #0278/01 0381055
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 071055Z FEB 06
FM AMEMBASSY BUENOS AIRES
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 3325
INFO RHMFIUU/CDR USSOCOM MACDILL AFB FL//SCJ2//
RULGPUA/USCOMSOLANT

UNCLAS BUENOS AIRES 000278 
 
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: MEDIA REACTION HAMAS-ARGENTINA, IRAN-IAEA, 
GLOBAL OUTRAGE OVER MUHAMMAD CARTOONS, CHAVEZ-U.S.; 
BUENOS AIRES 02/03/06 
 
¶1. SUMMARY STATEMENT 
 
Main stories today refer to Hamas' declarations to a 
Brazilian daily announcing its trip to South American 
countries in search of political and financial 
support, with the FMA saying they haven't received any 
request for a visit or interviews; Argentina's 
possible vote on the Iran case today, siding with the 
U.S. and not with Cuba and Venezuela; Secretary 
Rumsfeld and Negroponte's tough declarations against 
Chavez, which seem to go in the opposite direction  of 
A/S Shannon's more moderate expressions on the 
region's leftist trend to populism, and the global 
outrage over cartoons mocking Muhammad, which sparked 
criticism in the Muslim world and kindled a debate on 
the limits to freedom of expression. 
 
¶2. OPINION PIECES AND KEY STORIES 
 
- "Hamas, In Search of Argentine Back-up" 
 
Center right, daily-of-record "La Nacion" says (02/03) 
"Hamas... plans to send envoys to Argentina, Brazil, 
Bolivia and Venezuela in search of financial and 
political support, according to Brazilian daily 'O 
Estado de Sao Paulo.' 
 
"The movement's spokesman, Sami Abu Khuri, declared 
that Hamas wants to maintain contact with the 
Presidents of those countries 'to eliminate the idea 
that we're terrorists and show that the problem is 
Israel's occupation. We will make our position clear. 
Those countries need to support Palestine,' he said. 
 
".... Brazilian Foreign Minister Amorim said yesterday 
that his country will only collaborate with 
Palestinian authorities if they recognize the State of 
Israel. 
 
".... However, Amorim pointed out that the Brazilian 
administration hadn't received so far 'a formal 
request from Hamas to visit Brazil.'..." 
 
- "Government House Denies Request for Visit or 
Interview" 
 
Center-right, daily-of-record "La Nacion" says (02/03) 
"'Hamas is a political party and the GOA only has 
relations with the NPA.' The FMA official added 'We 
haven't received any request for an interview.' 
 
"Yesterday's declarations by Hamas spokesman which 
appeared in a Brazilian daily sparked a wave of 
consultations. 
 
".... The reaction of the Kirchner administration was 
similar to President Lula's, with whom he had recently 
tried to harmonize foreign policy positions. The main 
difference, however, is the way in which each country 
explained its position. 
 
"While in Buenos Aires repeated requests of Government 
House spokespersons received no reply and the position 
of the local administration was summarized in a brief 
declaration from an MFA official, in Brasilia, Foreign 
Minister Amorim gave details of Brazil's position. 
 
"MFA sources said they know nothing about any 
communication made by Hamas..., seeking financial and 
political support from Kirchner, Lula, Morales and 
Chavez, as declared by the Islamic organization's 
spokesman. 
 
".... The Palestinian Ambassador to Argentina, Suhail 
Akel, said that, so far, he hasn't received official 
information on a possible visit by representatives of 
the fundamentalist organization to South American 
countries...." 
 
- "Hamas: Possible Trip to Argentina and Brazil in 
Search of Money and Political Support" 
 
Eleonora Gosman, centrist, leading "Clarin" Brazil- 
based correspondent, writes (02/03) ".... Hamas 
spokesman Khuri said it's most likely that Palestine's 
future Prime Minister Haniye will head the mission to 
 
 
South America. 
 
"According to Brazilian daily 'O Estado de Sao Paulo', 
the first one to report on the issue, Hamas' key 
interest is to seduce in those places where there are 
progressive administrations. 
 
".... Hamas' tactic seems to be a high-level political 
operation in search of meetings with Presidents Lula, 
Kirchner and Chavez. 
 
".... This diplomatic offensive is the result of a 
verified issue: several regional presidents, in their 
speeches, expressed their differences with the U.S. 
and even criticized the Bush administration. 
 
".... Hamas seems to have understood that ruling is 
trying to find communication links with the rest of 
the world. According to Abu Kuhri, in addition to 
looking for political empathy, Hamas envoys traveling 
to South America will try to convince major public and 
private companies to invest in the Gaza Strip...." 
 
- "IAEA Decision Today on Iran Case to UNSC" 
 
Maria Laura Avignolo, centrist, leading "Clarin" Paris- 
based correspondent, says (02/03) "Iran bought more 
time - a month- in its efforts to downplay an 
international crisis of unpredictable results and 
avoid resuming its uranium enrichment program in the 
next few days. The IAEA, gathered in Vienna, offered a 
tactic truce until March, but the U.S. and the EU 
expect to obtain today a majority of votes against 
Tehran, in order to take the Iran case to the UNSC. 
 
"IAEA chief, Baradei, said Iran 'isn't an imminent 
threat' and offered Tehran a 'diplomatic window of 
opportunity.' 
 
".... The vote on the project of the P-5 to take the 
Iran case to the UNSC, will take place tonight. 
 
"In the meantime, Moscow's negotiations with Iran to 
carry out its uranium enrichment program in Russia are 
still going on. 
 
"But Tehran maintains its defiant position, and said 
yesterday it will ban IAEA surprise inspections after 
negotiations with the European troika failed and 
assured that China and Russia won't allow this 
offensive against the Islamic regime...." 
 
- "Argentina, Closer to U.S. Position" 
 
Florencia Carbone, center-right, daily-of-record "La 
Nacion" columnist on diplomatic issues, says (02/03) 
"Although so far nobody publicly risked saying how 
Argentina will vote, today our country will be closer 
to supporting U.S. position than aligning itself with 
Cuba or Venezuela in their rejection to send the Iran 
case to the UNSC. 
 
"When asked about Argentina's vote, the Foreign Policy 
Director at the MFA, Luis Cappagli, said 'Argentina 
has a very clear position vis--vis the benefits of 
nuclear energy for peaceful purposes, but is also 
strongly committed to nuclear non-proliferation. 
 
"Some Argentine officials concede that the resolution 
'isn't the one the country likes most.' Nevertheless, 
unlike Brazil, India and South Africa, Argentina 
hasn't presented amendments to the original text. 
 
"Local officials would be happier with a resolution 
that allows developing countries that want to begin or 
continue their research of the peaceful use of nuclear 
energy, to do so. 'There's some reluctance among the 
most developed countries to shut down this possibility 
to smaller countries,' said someone who deals with 
these issues...." 
 
- "U.S. Toughens Stance with Chavez: Rumsfeld Compares 
Him with Hitler" 
 
 
Ana Baron, centrist, leading "Clarin" Washington-based 
 
 
correspondent opines (02/03) "By comparing Chavez with 
Hitler, Secretary Rumsfeld clearly showed his game. 
Never before had an official of the Bush 
administration gone so far. 
 
"'One has a Chavez in Venezuela, with an enormous 
amount of petrodollars. He's a person who was legally 
elected, like Hitler. Then he consolidated his 
power... Now, of course, he's working closely with 
Castro and Morales,' said Rumsfeld during a meeting at 
the National Press Club in Washington. 
 
"Almost simultaneously, U.S. intelligence czar John 
Negroponte went even further on Rumsfeld's idea of 
Chavez. During a Senate hearing he accused Chavez of 
using democratic legislation to topple democratic 
institutions and of wanting to export his Bolivarian 
revolution to his neighbors via his 'petrodollar' 
diplomacy. 
 
".... Rumsfeld and Negroponte's declarations seem to 
go in the opposite direction of Secretary Rice and A/S 
Shannon's policy aimed at seeking less public 
confrontation and more silent pressure. 
 
"Yesterday, both Rumsfeld and Negroponte expressed 
their deep concern for the region, specifically 
because of what Senator Pat Roberts mentioned: the 
trend towards 'socialist and anti-U.S.' 
administrations. 
 
".... Negroponte mentioned Brazil and Chile as two 
good examples of countries committed to democracy that 
are promoting economic growth, while trying to solve 
the issue of poverty. He also praised Colombia... for 
not abandoning the path to democracy. 
 
"Negroponte didn't mention a single word about 
Argentina, which is, undoubtedly, good rather than bad 
news." 
 
- "Relations" 
 
Pablo Biffi, leading "Clarin" international columnist, 
opines (02/03) "Only 15 days ago, Tom Shannon... said 
'the populist wave in the region' wasn't 'necessarily 
bad.' If this analysis were valid, we might suppose 
that Washington is seeking new ways to understand what 
goes on with its Southern neighbors. The chief of 
spies, Negroponte, and the Senate went back to zero 
when, using Cold War terms, he referred to the 
regional trend 'towards socialism.' Rumsfeld's 
declarations, instead, are violent words that help 
very little in stopping U.S. discredit in the region." 
 
- "Debating Supreme Values" 
 
Ricardo Kirschbaum, centrist, leading "Clarin" 
managing editor, opines (02/03) ".... The case has 
complicated aspects. There are direct threats against 
newspapers and an anti-European reaction, in sync with 
the blocking of Palestinian funds after Hamas' 
election victory. 
 
".... The issue is the contradiction between freedom 
of expression, responsibility and religion. 
Intolerance is the worst solution to solve extreme 
tension in which coercion and threat replace dialogue 
and understanding." 
 
- "The Responsibility of Respecting Man's Dignity" 
 
Bartolome De Vedia, center-right, daily-of-record "La 
Nacion" chief editorialist, writes (02/03) ".... 
Muhammad's cartoons... have deeply offended the 
conscience of millions of Muslims. 
 
".... This is a signal we must pay careful attention 
to. Freedom of expression mustn't be exercised in ways 
that can offend the dear and beloved symbols that 
express or summarize the identity of a religion, 
regardless of the geographic or historic roots of the 
people that preach it. 
 
"Of course, nobody must ask for mechanisms or 
censorship instances that may jeopardize the 
 
 
extraordinary legacy of the XVIII century, which 
proclaimed freedom of expression as a supreme value of 
human societies. The simple issue is that this supreme 
gift to man not be exercised against the values which 
other men - or peoples - incorporated into their lives 
as the highest expression of their faith and culture. 
 
".... Freedom of expression was born, historically, as 
the supreme expression of Man's dignity. It doesn't 
seem legitimate to use it to damage other men's 
dignity." 
 
¶3. To see more Buenos Aires reporting, visit our 
classified website at: 
http://www.state.sqov.gov/p/wha/buenosaires 
 
The Media Reaction Report reflects articles and 
opinions by the cited news media and do not 
necessarily reflect U.S. Embassy policy or views.  The 
Public Affairs Section does not independently verify 
information.  The report is intended for internal U.S. 
Government use only. 
 
GUTIERREZ