VZCZCXYZ0013
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHBU #2435/01 3001841
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 271841Z OCT 06
FM AMEMBASSY BUENOS AIRES
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 6336
INFO RHMFISS/CDR USSOCOM MACDILL AFB FL//SCJ2//
RULGPUA/USCOMSOLANT

UNCLAS BUENOS AIRES 002435 
 
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: US FENCE BILL; THE AMIA CASE; AMBASSADOR EARL ANTHONY 
WAYNE; US ELECTIONS; 10/27/06; BUENOS AIRES 
 
 
1.SUMMARY STATEMENT 
 
Key international stories today include the US fence bill; 
Argentina's judicial investigation into the AMIA case; and the 
arrival of US Ambassador Wayne to Argentina in November. 
 
Business-financial, center-right "InfoBae" reports on October 25 
press encounter with INL DAS Christy McCampbell, at the US Embassy 
in Buenos Aires. The paper highlights that she "praised cooperation 
between the US and Argentina in the struggle against drug 
trafficking." 
 
¶2. OPINION PIECES 
 
- "Bush approves legislation authorizing to build a wall between the 
US and Mexico" 
 
Hinde Pomeraniec, on special assignment in Miami for leading 
"Clarin," writes (10/27) "Only eleven days away from US legislative 
elections, which could deprive the G.O.P. from its legislative 
control, US President George W. Bush approved legislation 
authorizing to build a wall on the US-Mexican border... 
 
"In this way, Bush approved legislation setting forth that by the 
end of 2008 the third part of the huge border between the US and 
Mexico will have high fences, in an attempt to prevent illegal 
immigrants from entering the US in search of the 'American dream.' 
 
"As Paul Krugman sardonically wrote for 'The New York Times', 
'Republicans have two positions about immigrants - those who want to 
expel them and those who want to exploit them.' You choose which 
side the man in the White House favors." 
 
- "The (Argentine) Government is reported to back sanctions against 
the Iranian nuclear program" 
 
Daniel Santoro, political columnist of leading "Clarin," writes 
(10/27) "The Argentine Foreign Ministry is waiting for Federal Judge 
Rodolfo Canicoba Corral to decide whether he accepts or not 
Prosecutor Alberto Nisman's charges against Iran for the criminal 
attack against the AMIA headquarters before assuming a position. The 
Argentine FM is concerned about the Iranian nuclear program. 
 
"... Argentina, which will be a non permanent member of the UN 
Security Council until December 31, will back the search for a 
diplomatic solution until the last minute. However, if this fails, 
it could end up voting in favor of imposing sanctions against Iran 
until the country lets IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) 
inspectors check its facilities in order to verify that it is not 
manufacturing a bomb. 
 
"Vice FM Roberto Garcia Moritan told 'Clarin' that the Foreign 
Ministry is 'concerned' about Iran's refusal to allow IAEA checkups. 
He added that 'all the countries have to let IAEA inspectors visit 
our nuclear facilities and, therefore, honor the Non Proliferation 
Treaty.'" 
 
- "Return to the departure point" 
 
Ricardo Kirschbaum, leading "Clarin's" general editor, writes 
(10/27) "The return to the 'Iranian track' in the investigation of 
the ferocious attack against AMIA is a return to what dismissed 
Judge Galeano was investigating with the support from most of the 
Jewish community and Israeli and US secret services. 
 
"The information is not of lesser importance and neither is the fact 
that the 'Syrian track,' which was encouraged by Senator Kirchner 
and others, has been abandoned. 
 
"... The Bush administration made statements in support of this new 
accusation against Iran and it also praised Argentina's efforts to 
clarify and bring to justice those who are responsible for what it 
labeled 'the deadliest anti-Semitic action since the end of the 
Second World War.'" 
 
- "US: the new Ambassador arrives" 
 
Daily-of-record "La Nacion" reports (10/27) "Earl Anthony Wayne, the 
new US Ambassador to Argentina, will arrive in Buenos Aires within 
ten days to take charge of the US-Argentine bilateral relationship, 
which is vascillating between cordiality and coldness. 
 
"According to diplomatic sources, Ambassador Wayne will arrive in 
Buenos Aires on November 6. According to Foreign Ministry sources, 
FM Jorge Taiana is expected to welcome him at the credentials 
submission ceremony. 
 
"Wayne's nomination was approved by the US Senate last June after a 
long political battle set off by the opposition of powerful US Cuban 
lobbyists. 
 
"Wayne's arrival coincides with US Assistant Secretary of State for 
Latin America Tom Shannon's attempt to improve diplomatic ties 
between the US and Argentina in the aftermath of the strong public 
disagreement between Presidents Nestor Kirchner and George W. Bush 
at the Mar del Plata Summit last year. 
 
"... Wayne is a career government official, who served as US 
Assistant Secretary for Economic and Business Affairs. 
 
"He is an expert in international finances, energy resources and 
trade policy, with no previous experience in Latin America. He still 
does not speak fluent Spanish - however, he studies the language 
several hours a day and expects to arrive at the post having the 
greatest possible command of the language." 
 
- "Wayne is getting ready" 
 
Left-of-center "Pagina 12" reports (10/27) "After considerable back 
and forth movement, Earl Anthony Wayne will arrive in Buenos Aires 
next November 5 to assume his role as US Ambassador to Argentina. 
Wayne was nominated by George W. Bush last February and the 
Argentine Government granted him its 'agrement' on the following 
day, but a difficult negotiation on Capitol Hill has detained him 
until now... 
 
"In spite of the extra months he had, Wayne has not managed to make 
much progress with his Spanish language, as Nestor Kirchner himself 
was able to verify when they greeted each other last month at the 
Council of the Americas dinner, in New York. 
 
"Instead, he informed himself on political issues and turned his 
discourse to the Argentine Government's desires - he promised that 
his priorities will include enhancing the investment climate and 
expanding bilateral trade. 
 
"... From the meetings Wayne has held with Argentine Government 
officials so far, he does not seem to have a conflictive agenda once 
he is in his position. Just like Bush's expert in the region, Tom 
Shannon, (Wayne) asserted that he does not see a difficult horizon 
in the bilateral relationship between the US and Argentina. However, 
the Kirchner administration's relationship with Venezuelan Hugo 
Chavez will surely be one of his concerns. In addition to this, 
Wayne has said that the (revival and) expansion of 'buried' FTAA 
will appear among his priorities." 
 
¶3. EDITORIALS 
 
- "An important step forward in the AMIA case" 
 
Daily-of-record "La Nacion" editorializes (10/27) "... An important 
step forward has been made in the clarification of the AMIA case... 
 
 
"Nevertheless, one should acknowledge that there is still a lot to 
be done to clarify this attack... 
 
"... When assigning responsibility for the delays in  clarifying 
this terrorist attack, one should point out that the USG and its 
intelligence services, as well as those of Israel, have not always 
granted as much support to our authorities as they provided in the 
last three years. Geopolitical reasons should not justify this 
fact... 
 
"It seems clear that the relationship between Argentina and Iran 
cannot remain unchanged and also that the Argentine Government 
should handle this situation carefully." 
 
- "US elections" 
 
Weekly "El Economista" editorializes (10/27) "US legislative 
elections will be held in November. 
 
"The world is neither a better nor a safer place ever since Bush 
took office although we should also acknowledge that the September 
11 attacks changed the entire scenario. 
 
"From the economic perspective, fiscal and foreign disequilibria are 
still worrisome and FTAs with countries having small economies 
cannot hide the lack of leadership to carry out multilateral 
negotiations in the framework of the WTO Doha Round. 
 
"The world's image of the US has declined. And this is not good news 
because, regardless of the questioning that democratic leaders can 
 
make about Bush's several policies, the worst remaining dictators in 
the world are nurtured of an anti-US feeling. 
 
"In this scenario, a political change in the US (although limited) 
seems necessary to open a debate on new roads and alternatives in 
domestic policy. It will also be refreshing for the world because it 
will lead the only superpower to open itself to the possibility of 
changing its view about some central aspects of its global agenda." 
 
To see more Buenos Aires reporting, visit our 
classified website at: 
http://www.state.sqov.gov/p/wha/buenosaires 
 
MATERA