VZCZCXYZ0002
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHBU #2293/01 2851126
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 121126Z OCT 06
FM AMEMBASSY BUENOS AIRES
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 6171
INFO RHMFISS/CDR USSOCOM MACDILL AFB FL//SCJ2//
RULGPUA/USCOMSOLANT

UNCLAS BUENOS AIRES 002293 
 
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: NORTH KOREA; ALAN GARCIA IN THE US; 10/11/06;BUENOS AIRES 
 
 
¶1. SUMMARY STATEMENT 
 
Today's local dailies report on the world's reaction to North 
Korea's nuclear challenge. 
 
¶2. OPINION PIECES 
 
- "New North Korean challenge" 
 
Daily-of-record "La Nacion" reports (10/11) "One day after the North 
Korean nuclear test, which shocked the world, a North Korean 
government official went even further and threatened the US to 
launch a nuclear missile unless Washington holds direct negotiations 
with Pyongyang. 
 
"The North Korean government official's statement raised the White 
House's immediate rejection while the UN Security Council continued 
discussing a resolution to impose sanctions on North Korea and the 
Japanese government declared that Pyongyang may have performed a 
second nuclear 
test, which was denied by South Korean authorities." 
 
- "North Korea asks the US to hold talks in order to avoid 'a 
nuclear war'" 
 
Leading "Clarin" reports (10/11) "One day after having shocked the 
world when it announced it had performed an underground nuclear 
test, North Korea asked the US to hold bilateral talks in order to 
avoid a future nuclear confrontation. However, Washington, which has 
refused to hold this dialogue since some time ago, submitted a draft 
resolution to the UN Security Council seeking to impose tough 
sanctions on the defying Communist regime, and it has not dismissed 
the military option. 
 
"Even China, the main ally of Pyongyang, called to adopt 'punitive 
sanctions,' although it made clear that it conclusively opposed 'any 
kind of military violence against North Korea.' 
 
"North Korea's Communist regime reiterated its threats and asked to 
hold direct talks with Washington in order to obtain the USG's 
commitment that it will not attempt to overthrow the regime of 
enigmatic Kim Jong Il." 
 
- "Listen to Blix" 
 
Hinde Pomeraniec, columnist of leading "Clarin," writes (10/11) 
"Just like with Greek Casandra, who cried out the truth, Swedish 
Hans Blix was ignored when he said that there were no WMD in Iraq 
that could justify a war. 
 
"Now, the major UN inspector has just warned that a nuclear 
catastrophe is on the immediate geopolitical horizon. 
 
"Bush's nuclear policy has unleashed new nuclear programs in Russia 
and China, which, in their turn triggered new steps in India and 
Pakistan, in a dramatic 'socialization' of massive destruction. 
 
"One month ago, a 'think tank' led by former PM Yasuhiro Nakasone 
published a study urging the nation to 'consider the nuclear 
option.' The North Korea test can only fuel those temptations even 
further. The time has come to listen to Blix." 
 
- "The US has suggested that the UN impose tough restrictions on 
North Korea" 
 
Business-financial, center-right "InfoBae" reports (10/11) 
"According to yesterday's UN draft resolution, the US has suggested 
to impose tough sanctions on North Korea based on its lack of 
interest in honoring the UN Security Council's requirements 
following the nuclear test it performed. 
 
"The draft resolution promotes severe sanctions on North Korea and 
it also includes an explicit request from Japan to prevent other 
countries from authorizing the arrival of North Korean ships or 
airplanes to their ports and air stations. 
 
"The US has also proposed to impose a compulsory review of all 
loadings coming from or going to North Korea in order to guarantee 
that no WMD or elements to manufacture them are included. 
 
"The US is seeking to prohibit trade of this stuff, which could be 
used for the manufacture or transportation of WMD. 
 
"For its part, the Chinese government, the main North Korean ally, 
asserted that the nuclear test will 'obviously' damage the bilateral 
relationship between China and North Korea, in an apparent sign that 
Beijing has started to lose patience with its Communist ally." 
- "Swaying between failed talks and sanctions" 
 
Daily-of-record "La Nacion" reprints an AFP story (10/11) "For more 
than one decade, US diplomatic negotiations have not managed to put 
an end to North Korea's nuclear program and immediate prospects of 
establishing new talks after the Communist regime's firm decision to 
perform a nuclear test seem remote. 
 
"Pyongyang's first nuclear test occurred the day before yesterday in 
spite of an agreement reached after three years of multilateral 
negotiations during the current Bush administration and direct talks 
held during the Clinton administration, which led to a temporary 
stagnation of North Korea's nuclear program. 
 
"However, the deals failed due to disagreement among the nations 
negotiating with North Korea, Pyongyang's lack of commitment, and 
the intransigency of the Bush administration's hawks." 
 
- "Alan Garcia tells Bush: 'We are waging another Cold War'" 
 
Conservative "La Prensa" reports (10/11) "When Peruvian President 
Alan Garcia met with his US counterpart, George W. Bush, Garcia 
warned on the birth of an 'Andean fundamentalism, which grows coca 
and jeopardizes stability there and in the entire hemisphere,' and 
he opined that a 'Cold War' is being waged in South America between 
those who defend democracy and their opponents, in obvious reference 
to Presidents Hugo Chavez and Evo Morales. 
 
"During his first visit to Washington, Garcia highlighted that 
'because of this, we will side with the US in strengthening regional 
democracy.' 
 
"... The main purpose of Garcia's trip is to promote the Bilateral 
Agreement for Trade Promotion. The US president committed himself to 
'convincing Capitol Hill to approve it as soon as possible.'" 
 
To see more Buenos Aires reporting, visit our 
classified website at: 
http://www.state.sqov.gov/p/wha/buenosaires 
 
MATERA