VZCZCXYZ0005
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHBU #2567/01 3202005
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 162005Z NOV 06
FM AMEMBASSY BUENOS AIRES
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 6489
INFO RHMFISS/CDR USSOCOM MACDILL AFB FL//SCJ2//
RULGPUA/USCOMSOLANT

UNCLAS BUENOS AIRES 002567 
 
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 DEMOCRATIC PARTY; US-MEXICAN BORDER FENCE; US-ARGENTINE 
TIES; CHINA; US-PERUVIAN FTA; US AMBASSADOR WAYNE'S MEETING WITH 
ARGENTINE DEFENSE MINISTER NILDA GARRE; 11/16/06 
 
¶1. SUMMARY STATEMENT 
 
Leading international stories today include the alleged profound 
disagreement within the US Democratic Party about how to handle 
sensitive issues such as the war in Iraq; the Church's opinion about 
the US-Mexican border fence; the Kirchner administration's alleged 
closer ties with the USG; the prospect of China as an emerging 
global power; negotiations on a US-Peruvian FTA; and US Ambassador 
Wayne's meeting with Argentine Defense Minister Nilda Garre. 
 
Liberal, English-language "Buenos Aires Herald" carries an opinion 
piece by UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan ("Climate change is 
fixable"), in which he urges action on global warming. 
 
¶2. OPINION PIECES 
 
- "Democrats confront each other" 
 
Hugo Alconada Mon, Washington-based correspondent for 
daily-of-record "La Nacion," comments (11/16) "Democrats do not have 
control of the US Congress yet, which will happen in January, but 
they have already revealed profound disagreement about how to 
distribute power, how to handle the war in Iraq, and on sensitive 
issues, such as abortion, the struggle against corruption and 
homosexual marriage. 
 
"... The debate, which should have occurred before the elections, 
was only apparent in recent days. High-ranking Democratic leaders 
did not want to show disagreement in front of an electorate that had 
to choose between them and the program of President George W. 
Bush." 
 
- "According to the Church, the US-Mexican border fence is 
'inhuman'" 
 
Julio Algaaraz, Vatican-based correspondent for leading "Clarin," 
writes (11/16) "One of the Pope's ministers, Cardinal Renato 
Martino, labeled US President Bush's decision to build a fence on 
the US-Mexican border... as 'inhuman.' Martino added that Bush's 
fence recalls the Berlin wall and that it is a violation of human 
rights. 
 
"... Martino expressed his hope that the new Democratic majority in 
both houses of the US Congress will help rectify this 'inhuman' 
operation." 
 
- "A new Darwin" 
 
Hinde Pomeraniec, leading "Clarin's" international columnist, opines 
(11/16) "... One can predict that no fence can deter those who have 
nothing, because for them Heaven will always be on the other side of 
the fence. 
 
"In this way, a US ruled by repressive legislation and paranoia will 
strangle the future of many and promote the benefit of just a few. 
Those are the ones who profit from the traffic of persons... New 
smugglers and new slaves in the name of long-standing differences." 
 
- "The (Argentine) Government is believed to have shifted in favor 
of Washington" 
 
Mariano Obarrio, political columnist of daily-of-record "La Nacion," 
writes (11/16) "Luis D'Elia's support for Iran on Monday, which was 
previously agreed to by Venezuela, implied a challenge to President 
Kirchner's foreign policy. D'Elia had said in private meetings that 
'the US and Israel are pressuring Argentina to confront Iran over 
the AMIA case. They want to invade Iran, and after that, Venezuela. 
We cannot let this happen.' 
 
"They perceive in D'Elia's entourage that ever since Kirchner 
traveled to New York, there was a tilt in his foreign policy. He is 
closer to the US and has demonstrated he is more open to claims from 
the Jewish community. 
 
"... According to high-ranking official sources, Kirchner is closer 
to Washington. He fosters progress in the AMIA bombing probe and 
supports the request for the capture of former Iranian government 
officials. He has even frozen his signs of sympathy for Chavez. 
Kirchner is attempting now to appear as a popular, although 
moderate, president that can keep Bolivian President Evo Morales at 
bay (Morales is a US main concern), and avoid Chavez's 
omnipresence." 
 
- "China is not that far away" 
 
Leading "Clarin" carries an op-ed piece by Sergio Cesarin, political 
 
 
analyst, and researcher at CONICET (Consejo Nacional de 
Investigaciones Cientificas y Tecnicas/National Council on 
Scientific and Technical Research), who writes (11/16) "Vis-`-vis FM 
Taiana's upcoming visit to China, we should analyze China's reality, 
which is very similar to that of Latin America in terms of increased 
poverty and inequality... 
 
"... The negative consequences of pro-market policies have brought 
China and Latin America's realities closer... 
 
"Chinese President Hu Jintao's goal of creating a 'harmonious 
society' expressed the political urgency to alleviate the increasing 
social conflictive potential, which is hard to tame in the rural 
areas. 
 
"Changing the subject, the recent China-Africa summit demonstrated 
China's aspirations as an emerging global power, its increasing 
influence on developing countries, its greed for natural resources 
and raw materials... It is a scenario that only Latin America and 
Africa can guarantee." 
 
- "Alan is desperate to save the FTA" 
 
Carlos Noriega, Lima-based correspondent for left-of-center "Pagina 
12," comments (11/16) "The Democrats' victory in US legislative 
elections has gone down badly in the Peruvian government. This 
victory scares the Garcia administration's hopes that the US 
Congress will ratify an FTA with Peru, which Garcia questioned as a 
candidate but now fervently supports as the President of Peru. 
 
"In a final, almost desperate, attempt to reverse this situation, 
Garcia decided to send half of his ministerial cabinet to Washington 
to hold last-minute negotiations with the White House. 
 
"They want to convince Bush to include an FTA with Peru in the list 
of priority issues to be dealt with by the US Congress before the 
end of the year, when Republicans will lose control of the two 
houses of Congress as a consequence of their defeat ten days ago." 
 
- "Garre meets with the new US Ambassador" 
 
Conservative "La Prensa" reports (11/16) "(Argentine) Defense 
Minister Nilda Garre met yesterday with the new US Ambassador, Earl 
Wayne. They discussed issues such as the UN peacekeeping forces. 
Garre set out the (Argentine) Government's position regarding the 
so-called 'new threats.' 
 
"... Both Garre and Wayne praised the cooperation between the 
defense establishments of both countries, and labeled the meeting as 
'very positive.' 
 
"... On the 'new threats' invoked by the US security doctrine, Garre 
said that 'the tragic history of military coups in Argentina raises 
caution about strategies that could contribute to repeating gloomy 
cycles of our history.' The US diplomat said that 'the countries are 
sovereign and can decide the direction of their policies.'" 
 
- "Wayne gains friends" 
 
Left-of-center "Pagina 12" highlights (11/16) "In his conciliating 
style, US Ambassador Wayne labeled as 'excellent' the US-Argentine 
military cooperation... In a communiqu Wayne said he had a 'very 
friendly and informative exchange' with Garre on bilateral military 
issues...'" 
 
- "Security forces on alert due to tension with Iran" 
 
Leading "Clarin" reports (11/16) "The (Argentine) Government ordered 
that all security forces and the SIDE (Argentine intelligence 
central unit) are on a state of alert due to the diplomatic incident 
with Iran over the AMIA bombing case. 
 
"... In parallel, Interior Minister Anibal Fernandez will meet today 
with US Ambassador Earl Anthony Wayne, with whom he will speak about 
the struggle against narco-trafficking and international crime. They 
might also analyze the status of the AMIA bombing probe." 
 
To see more Buenos Aires reporting, visit our 
classified website at: 
http://www.state.sqov.gov/p/wha/buenosaires 
 
WAYNE