VZCZCXYZ0018
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHBU #1969/01 2431939
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 311939Z AUG 06
FM AMEMBASSY BUENOS AIRES
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 5736
INFO RHMFISS/CDR USSOCOM MACDILL AFB FL//SCJ2//
RULGPUA/USCOMSOLANT

UNCLAS BUENOS AIRES 001969 
 
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: FIRST ANNIVERSARY OF HURRICANE KATRINA; U.S. SUPPORT OF 
ARGENTINA'S CLAIM AGAINST TWO VENTURE CAPITAL FUNDS; HURRICANE 
ERNESTO; ARGENTINA'S DECISION NOT TO SEND TROOPS TO LEBANON; 
08/30/06; 
 
 
¶1. SUMMARY STATEMENT 
 
Today's local dailies lead with the first anniversary of Hurricane 
Katrina; Hurricane Ernesto; the US Government's amicus curiae filing 
supporting Argentina's claim against two venture capital funds 
seeking to opt out of the terms under the GOA's debt swap deal; and 
Argentina's decision not to send troops to Lebanon (daily-of-record 
"La Nacion's" editorial forcefully criticizes the GOA decision not 
to send peacekeeping troops to Lebanon). 
 
¶2. OPINION PIECES AND KEY STORIES 
 
- "One year after Katrina (hurricane), Bush promises help in New 
Orleans" 
 
Ana Baron, Washington-based correspondent for leading "Clarin," 
writes (08/30) "... (With respect to the USG's response to Hurricane 
Katrina), US President George W. Bush acknowledged that authorities 
'fell short of accomplishing their duties', and he promised 'we are 
dealing with what did not work.' 
 
"... Aware of the fact that legislative elections are getting closer 
and that this first anniversary of the hurricane is not good for him 
or the G.O.P. candidate, US President Bush's tone started to change 
during a mass at Saint Louis de Jackson Square church, during which 
he said 'a lot has been done, but there is still a lot to be 
done.'" 
 
- "Possible favorable ruling for Argentina in the case of embargoed 
reserves" 
 
Ana Baron, Washington-based correspondent for leading "Clarin," 
comments (08/30) "After the hearing in New York, the Argentine 
Government expects the Federal Court of Appeals to decide that the 
embargo of 105-million-dollar Argentine Central Bank reserves 
(obtained by two venture capital funds last January) is not valid... 
As a matter of fact, yesterday Argentina received the support of the 
US Federal Reserve and the US Department of Justice. 
 
"... What is in question is whether the 105 million dollars the 
Argentine Government had deposited in the New York Reserve... 
belonged to the Central Bank reserves or whether those funds were 
transferred to the Argentine Treasury when the country's debt to the 
IMF was paid back. In the first case, the reserves cannot be 
embargoed... But, in the event the Government was in possession of 
the funds when making the payment of its debt to the IMF, reserves 
can be embargoed. 
 
"... The US Federal Reserve argued that, according to its records, 
the funds were deposited in the Central Bank account and, therefore, 
they belonged to the Central Bank and not to the Argentine Treasury. 
Thus, these reserves cannot be embargoed. 
 
"For its part, Attorney Serrin Turner, from the US Department of 
Justice, said that for the USG, the IMF is so important that its 
loans have to be treated differently from other kinds of loans." 
 
- "US on alert vis-`-vis the arrival of Hurricane Ernesto" 
 
Hugo Alconada Mon, Washington-based correspondent for 
daily-of-record "La Nacion," writes (08/30) "Last night, one year 
after Hurricane Katrina, the US was getting ready to receive its 
first 2006 weather challenge with tropical storm Ernesto... 
 
"The Governor of Florida, Jeb Bush, asked residents in the area of 
the hurricane to take precautions because, according to the National 
Hurricane Center (NHC), the storm could get stronger before reaching 
shore. 
 
"The authorities of Miami and Fort Lauderdale, among other cities, 
preventively ordered the opening of refuges, the closing of schools 
and the immediate evacuation of those living in houses that are 
still being repaired due to the damage caused by the last hurricane 
season. 
 
"... Bush took responsibility for the mistakes made during the slow 
and incomplete reconstruction of the last twelve months and he added 
that his administration is 'solving what was wrong,' although most 
Americans fear that this effort could also take a long time. 
 
"According to a Rasmussen Reports opinion survey, only 36 per cent 
of Americans believe that emergency services are better prepared to 
face these kinds of disasters than they were last year." 
 
¶3. EDITORIALS 
 
 
 
 
- "Lebanon will not have Argentine peacekeeping forces" 
 
An editorial in daily-of-record "La Nacion" reads (08/30) "The 
Nestor Kirchner administration's decision not to send troops to the 
UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon is a clear step backward for 
Argentina, which contradicts the decade-long active participation of 
Argentine military in international peacekeeping forces. 
 
"Argentina has always reacted positively to UN requests for members 
of the Armed forces to join multinational troops stationed in areas 
of conflict. 
 
"... UN peacekeeping forces cannot be taken as an issue of 
convenience or selfishness. The participation of a country is a 
clear sign of its honest commitment... 
 
"The Argentine decision is a mistake, and it is aggravated by the 
country's affinity with regimes of the region that are at odds with 
the defense of peace, such as the Chavez administration." 
 
To see more Buenos Aires reporting, visit our 
classified website at: 
http://www.state.sqov.gov/p/wha/buenosaires 
 
MATERA