VZCZCXYZ0036
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHBU #2091/01 2562021
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 132021Z SEP 06
FM AMEMBASSY BUENOS AIRES
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 5897
INFO RHMFISS/CDR USSOCOM MACDILL AFB FL//SCJ2//
RULGPUA/USCOMSOLANT

UNCLAS BUENOS AIRES 002091 
 
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: ATTACK ON US EMBASSY IN SYRIA; THE US AND THE WAR IN IRAQ; 
US-BOLIVIA; VENEZUELA'S STATEMENTS ON LATIN AMERICA AND PRESIDENT 
KIRCHNER; NON-ALIGNED MOVEMENT; 09/13/06;BUENOS AIRES 
 
 
¶1. SUMMARY STATEMENT 
 
All local newspapers report on the criminal attack on the US Embassy 
in Damascus. Other international stories include Democrats' 
assertions that US President Bush used a day of mourning to defend 
the war in Iraq; Bolivian Vice President Alvaro Garcia Linera's 
negotiations in Washington to extend the Andean Trade Promotion and 
Drug Eradication Act; Arturo Valenzuela's statements about Latin 
America and President Kirchner; and the Non-Aligned Countries' 
varied positions on US policies. 
 
¶2. OPINION PIECES AND KEY STORIES 
 
- "Foiled attack on US Embassy in Syria" 
 
Liberal, English-language "Buenos Aires Herald" front-pages (09/13) 
"Suspected al Qaeda-linked militants yesterday tried to blow up the 
US Embassy in Damascus and storm it with automatic weapons and hand 
grenades, but they were repulsed outside the walls by Syrian guards 
in a fierce gun battle. 
 
"The brazen, midmorning attack came amid high tension between the US 
and Damascus and could highlight the Syrian regime's weakening grip 
on militants, who have battled Syrian security forces several times 
in recent years. 
 
"Three attackers and a Syrian guard were killed in the attempted 
bombing in a heavily guarded neighborhood of Damascus where several 
foreign embassies and President Bashar Assad's office and residence 
are located. No US citizens were hurt. 
 
"... 'I do think that the Syrians reacted to this attack in a way 
that helped to secure our people, and we very much appreciate that,' 
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said. 
 
SIPDIS 
 
"... But Syria responded with a sharp criticism of the US, blaming 
its policies in Lebanon, Iraq and the Palestinian territories for 
increasing Islamic militancy. 
 
"'It is regrettable that US policies in the Middle East have fuelled 
extremism, terrorism and anti-US sentiment,' the Syrian Embassy in 
Washington said in a statement. 'The US should... start looking at 
the root causes of terrorism and broker a comprehensive peace in the 
Middle East.'" 
 
- "Warnings" 
 
Marcelo Cantelmi, international editor of leading "Clarin," opines 
(09/13) "The precarious nature of the criminal attack on Syria seems 
to point to an isolated group in spite of Damascus' interest to 
blame Al Qaeda... These isolated groups are perhaps the most 
disturbing feature of the chaos of violence, which is fed by the 
rage over the crisis in the Middle East. 
 
"In early 2005, Jordan King Abdallah II, a clear ally of Washington, 
warned that the characteristic Muslim animosity against the US was 
turning into hatred of the US people because of big mistakes made by 
the US in the region. The risk is that these kinds of warnings 
remain neglected." 
 
- "Bush is criticized for defending the war in Iraq" 
 
Daily-of-record "La Nacion" reports (09/13) "US President George W. 
Bush's speech on the fifth anniversary of the September 11 attacks 
unleashed controversy in Washington. The Democratic opposition 
accused the US President of having used a day of mourning for 
political purposes to defend the  decreasingly popular war in Iraq. 
 
"According to opponents, Bush invoked the memory of casualties to 
justify keeping US troops in the Arab country. The White House 
rejected these charges and said that Bush avoided partisan 
statements in his speech although he could not help making some 
reference to Iraq. 
 
"The fifth anniversary of 9/11 took place two months before November 
legislative elections now that Bush has embarked on an aggressive 
campaign to defend his administration, and particularly the global 
war on terrorism, which is being criticized by the Democratic 
opposition. 
 
"For its part, the opposition, which wants to remove Republican 
control of both chambers of Congress, is also in a full steam 
campaign and has used the war in Iraq to state that a change on 
Capitol Hill is badly needed." 
 
- "Evo seeks to retain US trade preferential rates" 
 
 
 
Business-financial "El Cronista" (09/13) reports "Bolivian Vice 
President Alvaro Garcia Linera continued his attempts in Washington 
to obtain the extension of the trade preferential program whereby 
Bolivia exports 200 million dollars, more than half of its annual 
exports to the US. What is at stake is 80,000 jobs plus another 90 
million dollars per year, which Washington provides Bolivia to help 
it eradicate coca crops. The name of the program is the Andean Trade 
Promotion and Drug Eradication Act... 
 
"Yesterday, Garcia Linera met with DUSTR Everett Eissenstat and IDB 
head, Colombian Luis Alberto Moreno. Garcia Linera said he was 
'moderately optimistic' that the US would renew preferential rates 
for Bolivia because the country is making efforts to stop being the 
third largest coca producer in the world." 
 
- "'The fact that Kirchner implements the policy of a 'caudillo' is 
dangerous'" 
 
Daily-of-record "La Nacion" front-pages (09/13) "... Arturo 
Valenzuela, Deputy Assistant Secretary at the US Department of State 
during the first Clinton administration, special consultant to the 
White House on National Security Issues, and Director of the Western 
Hemisphere Section at the National Security Council during the 
second Clinton administration, said 'The ideal thing would be 
democracy according to Abraham Lincoln's view - the government of 
the people, by the people and for the people... The majority often 
does not respect minorities and sometimes is determined to change 
the rules of the game. It is determined, according to Evo Morales 
and Hugo Chavez's statements, to 're-establish' countries. 'In these 
cases, we are not speaking of democracy but aberration.' 
 
"... Valenzuela added that 'Nestor Kirchner's 'caudillo policy' is 
risky.' 
 
"... Regarding Chavez, Valenzuela said 'Chavez distorts Mercosur's 
potential a lot. I believe he represents a move backwards for 
(Mercosur) interests...' 
 
"On Latin America's low importance for the US agenda, Valenzuela 
answered 'The US does not see Latin America strategically. Right 
now, the international agenda is dominated by Iraq, Iran and the 
Middle East. Mistakes were made in handling the OAS, Venezuela, 
Argentina... Neglect contributed to this disorder.'" 
 
- "Non Aligned countries are divided on their position about Bush" 
 
Business-financial "Ambito Financiero" reports (09/13)d "Yesterday, 
the Non-Aligned Movement, which Cuba seeks to re-launch in order to 
confront the US, tried to downplay the critical tone of its final 
statement in order to prevent its members from being intimidated. 
 
"Government representatives from the 116 countries making up the 
bloc have issued a draft document, which was promoted by Cuba, in 
which they criticized the policies implemented by the US and its 
allies. 
 
"According to one of the points of the draft statement, 'the heads 
of State strongly rejected Israel's ruthless attack on Lebanon.' 
 
"Nonetheless, the group is made up of countries having different 
positions vis-`-vis Washington. On the one hand, there are strong 
critics, such as Cuba, Venezuela, Bolivia, Iran and Syria. On the 
other hand, countries like India, Pakistan or Colombia, which have 
good ties with the US, do not want too strong a statement. 
 
"... According to the draft statement, countries reject the 
toughening of the US embargo on Cuba and are concerned about its 
'aggressive policies' against Cuba." 
 
To see more Buenos Aires reporting, visit our 
classified website at: 
http://www.state.sqov.gov/p/wha/buenosaires 
 
MATERA