VZCZCXYZ0026
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHBU #1229/01 1531150
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 021150Z JUN 06
FM AMEMBASSY BUENOS AIRES
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 4741
INFO RHMFISS/CDR USSOCOM MACDILL AFB FL//SCJ2//
RULGPUA/USCOMSOLANT

UNCLAS BUENOS AIRES 001229 
 
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 HADITHA INVESTIGATION; US 
POLICY SHIFT ON IRAN; ARGENTINE AMBASSADOR TO US ON 
BILATERAL RELATIONS 06/01/06; BUENOS AIRES 
 
¶1. SUMMARY STATEMENT 
 
Today's stories include the current status of Haditha 
Investigation; the shift in US policy in Iran; and the 
opinion of Argentina's ambassador to the US on the 
bilateral relationship. 
 
 
¶2. OPINION PIECES AND KEY STORIES 
 
"... Bush promises a punishment for the 24 civilian 
massacred in Iraq" 
 
"Clarin", writes (06/01) "...George Bush promised to 
punish the guilty 'if laws were violated.'  "Until 
now, little to nothing has come from the 
investigations.  There are no photos of the incident 
either. But if they are able to verify the witnesses' 
denunciations, the Washington scandal will be equal to 
or worse than the one generated by the abuses 
perpetrated against the Iraqi prisoners in Abu Ghraib. 
 
"Bush seems to be worried about the events of Haditha, 
but has maintained that the investigation involves 
just a few soldiers, versus a great majority that 
behave honorably." 
 
"Scandal in U.S. grows from the slaughter of 24 
civilians in Iraq" 
 
Daily-of-record "La Nacion", writes (06/01/06), "The 
image of the United States in the North American press 
and in the rest of the world is still eroding. 
 
"Yesterday, official sources in Washington said there 
is evidence that after an attack with explosives 
against marines (on November 19th, in which Miguel 
Terrazas died), there was an attack on Iraqis. 
Several women and children who lived near there died. 
 
"The Third Battalion of the First Navy Infantry then 
reported that all the civilians had died alongside 
Terrazas in the attack. 
 
"As a result of increasing public pressure, Bush 
broached the subject for the first time.  He indicated 
that "he is disturbed" by the story going around that 
he is waiting for the results of two investigations in 
March: one on the deaths and another one on the cover- 
up. "If laws were broken there will be punishment", he 
promised. 
 
"The United States now proposes to sit down and 
negotiate with Iran" 
 
Leading "Clarin" writes (06/01/06),"In a true 
political twist, the U.S. announced yesterday that it 
has arranged to negotiate with Iran, if the government 
of Teheran suspends its nuclear enrichment program 
before-hand... 
 
"Until now, the U.S. has left the nuclear negotiations 
with Iran in the hands of the Europeans, the group 
known as UE3... 
 
"...Tony Blair convinced Bush of the need for U.S. 
intervention.  Henry Kissinger, Bill Clinton's former 
Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, and the 
 
SIPDIS 
Republican Senator from Nebraska Chuck Hagel also 
pressured the White House to change its policy. 
 
"The decision may cost Bush politically.  The 
conservative right wing of the Republican Party is 
against all official contact with Tehran...it believes 
Iran is one of the regimes that most supports 
terrorists and that to negotiate with them is to 
accept the idea that it is all right to negotiate with 
terrorists. 
 
"...According to Rice, Iran now has two options. 
Either accept to negotiate seriously or be sanctioned. 
When asked what type of sanctions, she said: 
political, economic or financial. And she said no 
options should be discarded, including using the 
military. 
 
 
"Rice said that at this moment the White House is 
committed to the diplomatic route. 
 
"Bordon and Wayne and the Bilateral Relation" 
 
Independent "La Prensa", informs that Argentine 
ambassador to the U.S., Jose Bordon, talked yesterday 
with members of the External Relations Commission of 
the Senate, forecasting that there will be "no 
political change in bilateral relations when 
Ambassador Anthony Wayne replaces Lino Gutirrez, but 
that if any change takes place 'I will inform you'. 
Also, Bordon conveyed that to the U.S., Argentina's 
position on economic matters appears to have strong 
sustainability, recognition of the 'abilities of 
Argentina and Kirchner's government '. He added that 
last December he `closed a stage of bilateral work' in 
which the priority was to obtain the support of the G- 
7 and the IMF regarding Argentina's debt. 'Today's 
objectives are foreign direct investment, market 
access, and mutual cooperation', said Bordon, for whom 
the purpose of the new stage is to achieve 'a balance 
of interests'. - 
 
"Cronica" (p. 3) adds that for Bordon, the bilateral 
agenda is 'independent, respectful and positive' and 
that it was crucial in the bilateral relation for the 
cancellation of the debt with the IMF. Other important 
policies for good relations were the approval of the 
Non Proliferation Treaty, measures taken against 
terrorism and in favor of promoting democracy and 
human rights. When the radical Rodolfo Terragno asked 
him if Argentina 'was one of Washington's allies,' the 
ambassador answered 'neither yes, nor no'." 
Gutierrez