VZCZCXYZ0000
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHBU #1188/01 1441947
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 241947Z MAY 06
FM AMEMBASSY BUENOS AIRES
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 4664
INFO RHMFISS/CDR USSOCOM MACDILL AFB FL//SCJ2//
RULGPUA/USCOMSOLANT

UNCLAS BUENOS AIRES 001188 
 
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 EUROPEAN ANTI-MISSILE SHIELD; 
US PRESIDENT BUSH EXPRESSING CONCERN ABOUT VENEZUELA 
AND BOLIVIA; US WAR TECHNOLOGY AGAINST ILLEGAL 
IMMIGRANTS; MERCOSUR SIGNING A DEAL WITH ISRAEL; 
VENEZUELA AND MERCOSUR; CASTRO 05/23/06 
 
 
¶1. SUMMARY STATEMENT 
 
Today's most important international stories include 
the USG planning a European anti-missile 'shield;' US 
President Bush expressing public concern about 'eroded 
democracies' in Venezuela and Bolivia; the USG's 
skepticism of the Argentine projected conciliation 
policy; the USG planning to use war technology against 
illegal immigrants; Mercosur signing a deal with 
Israel; Venezuela closer to enter Mercosur; and Cuban 
dictator Castro's public exposure of his fortune. 
 
¶2. OPINION PIECES AND KEY STORIES 
 
- "The US is planning a European 'shield'" 
 
Daily-of-record "La Nacion" reports (05/23) "Amid 
increasing fears of an eventual attack from Iran, the 
USG proposed its Eastern European allies to establish 
an anti-missile 'shield' in Europe for a cost of over 
1.6 billion dollars. 
 
"In its edition from yesterday, the New York Times 
revealed the White House's purpose of establishing ten 
bases for missile interception in a European location 
by 2011 with the purpose of protecting Europe and the 
US from eventual attacks from Middle East countries, 
particularly Iran. 
 
"However, analysts agree that Washington's real 
purpose is to broaden its presence in the old area of 
influence of the Soviet Union. Actually, the 'shield' 
could have huge political impact because, if 
established in Poland, for example, it would be the 
first permanent US military base in that country." 
 
- "Bush is disturbed by Bolivia and Venezuela" 
 
Daily-of-record "La Nacion" reports (05/23) "In an 
unusual statement, US President George W. Bush 
expressed yesterday his concern about the 'eroded 
democracy' in Venezuela and Bolivia, and he criticized 
President Chavez's intervention in Latin American 
countries' election processes. 
 
"This is the first time Bush publicly denounces 
Chavez's interference in the elections of the region - 
although without naming the Venezuelan president in an 
explicit way - and it is the first time he refers to 
Bolivia since President Evo Morales took over last 
January. 
 
"... Without mentioning any country, Bush pleaded for 
the right to private property and free trade following 
the Bolivian government's announced nationalization of 
hydrocarbons and Ecuador's cancellation of an 
agreement with US oil company Oxy. 
 
"Secretary General to the OAS Jose Miguel Insulza 
harshly criticized this retaliation from Washington." 
 
- "US skepticism about Argentina's projected political 
conciliation" 
 
Ana Baron, Washington-based correspondent for leading 
"Clarin," writes (05/23) "Washington reacted with 
skepticism to Argentine President Nestor Kirchner's 
proposal of pluralism and conciliation with different 
political and social forces vis--vis 2007 elections. 
 
"A USG official told this newspaper 'let's wait and 
see.' And he added that for real pluralism and 
conciliation to take place, Kirchner should first 
change his typical style. And he suggested 'to reverse 
the concentration of power' at the Argentine 
Government House and 'accept criticism.' On the 
contrary, conciliation would only be a 'formality,' or 
worse than this, 'it would be at the service of 
concentration of power.' 
 
"Several analysts and former government officials 
consulted by 'Clarin' agreed with the first source in 
one way or another. Everyone believes that Kirchner 
will run for re-election." 
 
 
 
 
 
- "War technology against illegal immigrants" 
 
Hugo Alconada Mon, Washington-based correspondent for 
daily-of-record "La Nacion," comments (05/23) "With 
the same military strategic view and the same 
technology it applies to its 'global war on 
terrorism,' the Bush administration is preparing a 
'virtual border' to stop the thousands of undocumented 
immigrants that cross the US-Mexican border every 
single day. 
 
"According to USG officials, the US Department of 
Homeland Security wants to deploy the technology used 
in Afghanistan and Iraq in the desert, which ranges 
from satellites and manned and unmanned aircraft to 
sensors and night cameras connected to computerized 
network systems." 
 
- "Latin America's potential physician" 
 
Daily-of-record "La Nacion" carries an opinion piece 
by Andres Oppenheimer, who writes (05/23) "... As 
proposed by Walter Russell Mead in his recent book 
"Power, terror, peace and war,' the US should 
negotiate preferential agreements with Latin American 
countries willing to do it in order to let US citizens 
who want to move to the Southern border use their U.S. 
Medicare in those countries. 
 
"... If the wall proposed by Bush is built, the only 
thing he will get is that immigrants search for new 
sites to cross the border or that they dig tunnels or 
come through Canada. 
 
"And if 6,000 additional troops are sent to the 
border, the measure will be useless all the same. The 
number of US border patrol agents has been increased 
from 3,700 to 12,000 agents during the last 15 years, 
and the immigration of undocumented immigrants has 
doubled over the same period all the same." 
 
- "The region will sign a deal with Israel" 
 
Business-financial, center-right "InfoBae" reports 
(05/23) "Before the end of an agitated semester in 
regional affairs, Argentina needs to end its pro 
tempore presidency of Mercosur with dignity. 
 
"Its main bet consists of reaching an FTA with Israel, 
which would be the first big deal of the bloc because 
the deals in force up to now are limited to fixed 
preferences. 
 
"Last December the two parties signed a macro deal in 
Montevideo which included a schedule of negotiations. 
The final purpose was to sign an FTA in the upcoming 
Mercosur presidential summit, which will be held in 
Cordoba on July 21." 
 
- "Venezuela is closer to enter Mercosur" 
 
Gabriel Buttazzoni, columnist of business-financial, 
center-right "InfoBae," writes (05/23) "Argentina will 
make public today its strong support for Venezuela's 
formal entry into Mercosur, in the framework of 
negotiations to be held among the five countries of 
the bloc. 
 
"... A political and strategic ally, Chavez purchased 
and still purchases Argentine bonds, and offers oil 
whenever there is a shortfall of oil. However, his 
influence irritates even his allies, who admit that 
giving a hand to him may mean to be subject to his 
dictates and initiatives." 
 
- "Decoding Castro's cash" 
 
James Scott, contributor to liberal, English-language 
"Buenos Aires Herald," writes (05/23) "Cuban President 
Fidel Castro's retirement account is looking a bit 
healthier than the revolutionary dictator these days, 
if you believe a recent Forbes magazine ranking of the 
79-year-old as the seven wealthiest world leader. 
 
 
 
 
 
"The US financial magazine that charts the wealth of 
leaders in its annual 'Kings, Queens & Dictators' 
survey, estimated this month that Castro is worth 
about 900 million dollars. He tops the queen of 
England... and the queen of the Netherlands... 
 
"The Forbes article prompted an angry response from 
Castro, who went on TV with the head of the Cuba's 
Central Bank at his side and said he would resign if 
the magazine's assertions could be proven true. 
 
"Even more interesting is how the ranking comes at a 
time when the Bush administration has made cracking 
down on Cuba a much bigger priority than any previous 
president in recent memory." 
 
To see more Buenos Aires reporting, visit our 
classified website at: 
http://www.state.sqov.gov/p/wha/buenosaires 
 
GUTIERREZ