VZCZCXYZ0034
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHBU #1340/01 1642010
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 132010Z JUN 06
FM AMEMBASSY BUENOS AIRES
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 4889
INFO RHMFISS/CDR USSOCOM MACDILL AFB FL//SCJ2//
RULGPUA/USCOMSOLANT

UNCLAS BUENOS AIRES 001340 
 
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 AL ZARQAWI'S DEATH US-CUBAN TIES FARM 
SUBSIDIES ICC ARMAMENT EXPORTS TIP REPORT 06/13/06 
 
 
¶1. SUMMARY STATEMENT 
 
Today's most important international stories include the 
implications of Al Zarqawi's death; an escalation in the US-Cuban 
confrontation; agricultural liberalization as the main demand of 
developing countries; the progress made by the International 
Criminal Court; international arms exports; and the implications of 
the TIP report on Argentina. 
 
¶2. OPINION PIECES AND KEY STORIES 
 
- "Bush and a delayed 'victory'" 
 
Oscar Raul Cardoso, international analyst of leading "Clarin," 
opines (06/13) "Perhaps, George W. Bush should accept that the 
seeming victory brought by the death of Al Zarqawi arrived too late 
to substantially improve things in Iraq, or, at least, the world's 
perception of the US commitment in the Persian Gulf. It is 
interesting to note that the murder of the second most powerful 
terrorist, after Osama bin Laden, has not provided Bush with any 
margin to validate his policy on 'maintaining' an increasingly 
unpopular war. 
 
"... The idea that Al Zarqawi was coldly executed has clouded the 
achievement. 
 
"... It is useful to observe the overall disbelief in Bush's account 
of the events... And we have not even considered Wall Street's 
increasingly hostile attitude toward Bush's economy. According to 
banker Ken Miller, if they ever loved this war, 'markets no longer 
do it.'" 
 
- "The US denounces 'harassment' against its Embassy in Cuba" 
 
Hugo Alconada Mon, Washington-based correspondent for 
daily-of-record "La Nacion," writes (06/13) "The USG and the Cuban 
Government have escalated the confrontation that has occurred for 
decades between them, which currently includes an exchange of 
accusations of interference and restrictions on the activities of US 
diplomats posted on the island... 
 
"Last week, there was a power outage at the Office of US Interests 
in Havana. 
 
"The Castro regime denied performing 'intimidating practices,' as 
termed by the US State Department spokesperson, Sean McCormack..., 
he dismissed the possibility of the US taking similar steps with the 
Office of Cuban Interests in Washington." 
 
- "World farm subsidies and hope" 
 
Daily-of-record "La Nacion" carries an opinion piece by contributor 
Alieto Guadagni, who writes (06/13) "... Agricultural liberalization 
today, is the main demand of developing countries. It requires 
political leaders from wealthy countries to confront protectionist 
interests, while also calling for strong multilateral leadership. 
 
"The last opportunity for this seems to be the G8 meeting to be held 
in July... Now it is time to strengthen the Transatlantic Dialogue 
on liberalization at the 'top brass' level of big European countries 
and the US, however none of the administrations seem enthusiastic 
due to their own domestic and geopolitical problems." 
 
- "A world justice system" 
 
Daily-of-record "La Nacion" carries an op-ed piece by Luis Moreno 
Ocampo, attorney of the International 
Criminal Court at The Hague, who writes (06/13) "... The impact of 
the Statute of Rome is becoming more apparent all over the world. 
 
"The Colombian paramilitary forces have mentioned that the ICC is 
the basis of its decision to demobilize... The Netherlands' 
attorneys, who prosecuted a Dutch businessman for having revived the 
conflict in Liberia, mentioned the ICC as inspiration for their 
decision as well... 
 
"The system created in Rome three years ago has been put to work." 
 
- "The aspects of an increasingly contradicting world" 
 
Jorge Rosales, international columnist of daily-of-record "La 
Nacion," comments (06/13) "Contradictions continue troubling the 
world at the beginning of the 21st century. 
 
"In a scenario with the lowest number of wars since the end of the 
Cold War, developed countries have responded to the challenges posed 
by a world with mobile borders and hundreds of millions of people 
 
trying to flee from poverty and hunger through an increase in 
military expenditures. 
 
"... In this scenario, the increases in defense and homeland 
security expenditures seem to be a logical outcome. However, the 
countries increasing their defense expenditures are the same 
countries that export armaments, which many times end up in the 
hands of the terrorist groups they are fighting. 
 
"Russia and the US, which struggle against Chechen terrorists and Al 
Qaeda respectively, are the two main suppliers - they placed weapons 
in the world for 57 billion dollars in 2005." 
 
¶3. EDITORIALS 
 
- "Struggle against trafficking of persons" 
 
Leading "Clarin" editorializes (06/13) "The trafficking of persons 
is an abhorring crime based on socio-economic causes, like poverty 
and the decadence of some regions in the interior of Argentina and 
neighboring countries, and on the inefficiency of our institutions. 
 
"The US State Department's report on this crime placed Argentina 
among the countries that were included in a watch list... 
 
"Police corruption, judicial inefficiency and the disarticulate 
functioning of the several jurisdictions facilitate this crime and 
the impunity of organized gangs. 
 
"In view of this, the (Argentine) Government should promote the 
enactment of the draft bill against TIP, which is now in Congress... 
as well as take the struggle against the TIP seriously." 
 
To see more Buenos Aires reporting, visit our classified website 
at: 
http://www.state.sqov.gov/p/wha/buenosaires 
 
GUTIERREZ