VZCZCXYZ0003
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHBU #1131/01 1371816
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 171816Z MAY 06
FM AMEMBASSY BUENOS AIRES
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 4579
INFO RHMFISS/CDR USSOCOM MACDILL AFB FL//SCJ2//
RULGPUA/USCOMSOLANT

UNCLAS BUENOS AIRES 001131 
 
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 US MILITARIZATION OF US- 
MEXICAN BORDER; VENEZUELA'S REACTION TO US BAN ON ARMS 
SALES; THE KIRCHNER ADMINISTRATION 05/17/06;BUENOS 
AIRES 
 
 
¶1. SUMMARY STATEMENT 
 
Key international stories today include the US and 
Mexican reaction to the USG decision to send troops to 
the US-Mexican border; Venezuela's reaction to the US 
ban on arms sales to the country; and the Kirchner 
administration's handling of Argentine economic 
affairs. 
 
Leading "Clarin," conservative "La Prensa," business- 
financials "Ambito Financiero" and "El Cronista," and 
liberal, English-language "Buenos Aires Herald" 
publish information from a PAS press release on a 
meeting between US Ambassador Lino Gutierrez and 
Argentine Environment Secretary Atilio Savino to 
review environmental cooperation programs between the 
US and Argentina. 
 
¶2. OPINION PIECES AND KEY STORIES 
 
- "Criticism of Bush due to the military control of 
the US-Mexican border" 
 
Ana Baron, Washington-based correspondent for leading 
"Clarin," comments (05/17) "George W. Bush announced 
the militarization of the US/Mexican border and 
proposed to legalize millions of undocumented 
immigrants through temporary work permits that will 
eventually lead to citizenry. 67% of Americans 
approved of this idea, but not everyone believes it 
can work in practice. 
 
"For those who think that the best way to put an end 
to the problem posed by immigration to the US is to 
militarily seal the border, the idea of sending 6,000 
National Guard troops... will be useless... 
 
"Furthermore, legislators who think that illegally 
crossing the border is a crime, temporary work permits 
are the same as an amnesty. 
 
"... Bush promised he would not militarize the border, 
but Mexico believes that sending 6,000 troops to the 
border is precisely that. And yesterday, the Mexican 
government said that if soldiers arrest those 
attempting to cross the border, it will file lawsuits 
at US courts." 
 
- "Bush's announcement worsens controversy on 
immigration" 
 
Hugo Alconada Mon, Washington-based correspondent for 
daily-of-record "La Nacion," comments (05/17) "The 
announced troop deployment on the US-Mexican border 
obtained strong public support in the US, but it 
deepened even further the profound disagreement within 
the political sector and within society on what to do 
with the 12 million undocumented immigrants living in 
the country and the 500,000 that join them every year. 
 
"The initial reaction vis--vis the measures announced 
by US President George W. Bush turned out to be 
contradictory - deep disagreement between Republicans 
and Democrats, governors of bordering states and 
legislators. Disagreement will pave the way for a 
contentious political and emotional debate in the 
period running up to November elections. 
 
"Both conservative and liberal analysts believed the 
presidential address was 'inadequate' or 
'insufficient,' because it was exclusively intended to 
build consensus. And, while the response among 
Americans was positive (according to a CNN opinion 
survey, 79% approved of President Bush's conciliatory 
vision), the House of Representatives' reaction was 
negative." 
 
- "Venezuela is planning to sell its F-16 airplanes to 
Iran" 
 
Conservative "La Prensa" reports (05/17) "According to 
a high-ranking Venezuelan military official, in 
reaction to the US ban on arms sales to Venezuela, the 
government is assessing whether to sell their F-16 
airplanes to a third country, and it could be Iran. 
 
 
 
 
"... The US State Department spokesperson, Sean 
McCormack, made clear that the sale is not permitted 
because the US security aircraft is sold only under a 
specific clause which bans onward sales to third 
countries without Washington's green light." 
 
- "Venezuela, tough with the US" 
 
Business-financial "Ambito Financiero" reports (05/17) 
"The Venezuelan government denounced the US yesterday 
for wanting to destabilize Hugo Chavez and asserted 
that, through its decision to ban arms sales, it 'is 
paving the way for an attack.' 
 
"According to a Foreign Relations Ministry communiqu, 
'the bottom line is not the global war on terrorism,' 
in which Venezuela 'is not providing enough 
cooperation,' which is Washington's reason for 
justifying the measure, but that Washington wants to 
'isolate' Venezuela and 'destabilize its democratic 
government paving the way for a US military attack.'" 
 
- A world of good?" 
 
Michael Soltys, executive editor of liberal, English- 
language "Buenos Aires Herald," writes (05/17) "... 
The EU-LatAm summit in Vienna gathered more countries 
than next month's World Cup in Germany but an 
autistically parochial Argentine performance was 
woefully unworthy of that international stage - with a 
vibrant economy to boast President Nestor Kirchner 
insistently harped on the environment... 
 
"... Even if the current benevolent world economic 
climate continues to smile on President Kirchner's 
misguided economic model, it brings with it some built- 
in problems." 
 
To see more Buenos Aires reporting, visit our 
classified website at: 
http://www.state.sqov.gov/p/wha/buenosaires 
 
GUTIERREZ