VZCZCXYZ0011
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHSO #1169 3101114
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 061114Z NOV 06
FM AMCONSUL SAO PAULO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 6024
INFO RHEHNSC/NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHDC IMMEDIATE
RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA PRIORITY 7085
RUEHRI/AMCONSUL RIO DE JANEIRO PRIORITY 7566
RUCPDOC/USDOC WASHDC 2609

UNCLAS SAO PAULO 001169 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE INR/R/MR; IIP/R/MR; WHA/PD 
 
DEPT PASS USTR 
 
USDOC 4322/MAC/OLAC/JAFEE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KMDR OPRC OIIP ETRD BR
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION: IRAQ: SADDAM'S CONDEMNATION, US MIDTERM 
ELECTIONS; SAO PAULO 
 
 
"Parties Try To Take Advantage Of Condemnation" 
 
Washington correspondent Sergio Davila reported (11/6) in liberal, 
largest national circulation daily Folha de S. Paulo: "Planned or 
not, coincidence or not, the fact is that Saddam Hussein was 
condemned to be hung by the Iraqi justice exactly 72 hours before 
the midterm elections that will renew part of the US Congress. The 
verdict was issued three days before the elections, in a trial that 
was stuck for months and seemed as if would continue stuck for a 
long time. It will not be a regular election, but an election that 
may, for the first time since 1992, give control of the Congress to 
the Democratic opposition and, according to the most recent opinion 
polls, has the war in Iraq as the main issue.... CNN correspondent 
in Baghdad reported that the population went to the streets to 
celebrate the verdict (would they be the same people who in 2003 
welcomed the invaders with 'flowers and hugs'?). Since yesterday, 
the White House can already say: 'Mission accomplished.' And leave 
Iraq immediately." 
McMullen