VZCZCXYZ0012
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHBU #2842/01 3631645
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 291645Z DEC 06
FM AMEMBASSY BUENOS AIRES
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 6882
INFO RHMFISS/CDR USSOCOM MACDILL AFB FL//SCJ2//
RULGPUA/USCOMSOLANT

UNCLAS BUENOS AIRES 002842 
 
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: SADDAM HUSSEIN; CUBA AND CHINA; ISRAEL; MERKEL; CRIMES 
AGAINST HUMANITY; 12/28/06 
 
 
¶1. SUMMARY STATEMENT 
 
Key international stories today include the upcoming execution of 
Saddam Hussein; Cuba looking to the 'Chinese model;' the US 
Department of State criticizing Israel's plans to establish a new 
settlement in the West Bank; a new declassification of USG 
documents; Angela Merkel taking over the presidency of the G8 and 
the EU; and Argentine Federal Judge Norberto Oyarbide's ruling to 
consider the barbarities of the rightwing terrorist organization 
Triple A as crimes against humanity and its connection with the 1994 
attack against the AMIA Jewish community center. 
 
All local papers report that the FBI was due to join the 
investigation into the murder of Nora Dalmasso in Rio Cuarto, 
Cordoba, highlighting that samples of semen will be taken to the US 
Embassy in Buenos Aires for DNA testing, and that Washington said 
that the FBI would charge no fee for the tests aimed at identifying 
the killer. 
 
¶2. OPINION PIECES 
 
- "A milestone" 
 
Marcelo Cantelmi, international editor of leading "Clarin," comments 
(12/28) "The life sentence against Saddam is certainly a milestone, 
as the US has haughtily voiced, but a milestone within the series of 
mistakes that Washington continues to make in Iraq. 
 
"Saddam's barbarian style is not under debate... We in the region 
have had clear examples of the same kind of dictators - Saddam was a 
mixture of Pinochet, Videla and Stroessner, who were staunch allies 
of the US when in power. It could be said that Iraqi justice made 
the decision, although it is right to doubt the independent nature 
of such power. 
 
"We should recall that (Saddam's) life sentence, which has now been 
confirmed, was announced two days before legislative elections in 
the US, which were crucial for George Bush. Hussein's death was 
presented as a symbol of justice administration. The sign was not 
enough to twist the will of exhausted voters, but will certainly 
have a frightening effect on Iraq and the Islamic world. The beast 
will turn from tyrant into martyr, another milestone in the 
swamp.'" 
 
- "Cuba looks to China" 
 
Daily-of-record "La Nacion" carries an opinion piece by Alberto 
Benegas Lynch junior, writer, stating (12/28) "... The group rooted 
in power in Cuba is discussing whether it is advisable or not to 
follow the 'Chinese model.' 
 
"... Opinions on how China's history will end are controversial in 
view of prevailing tensions and limitations on basic freedoms like 
freedom of speech: however, it is interesting to emphasize Lao-Tse's 
tradition dating back to six hundred years BC. 
 
"In an essay on the importance of civil freedoms in China, the 
founder of Taoism advised political leaders that 'whenever taxes are 
too high, there is hunger; when the government interferes too much, 
the people are disheartened. We should trust people and leave them 
alone.' 
 
"... The whole socialist and state-driven approach tramples on 
individual freedoms through the maniacal regulation of legal 
activities. 
 
"... Unfortunately, for the time being, Cuba does not follow the 
steps of countries like Ireland, but instead looks to China as an 
example, but, of course, in that case, Castro II together with his 
followers and henchmen would be jobless as well as the group of 
bloodsuckers, despicable pseudo-intellectuals and all those who 
benefit from unlimited powers." 
 
- "The US criticizes the Israeli plan to establish new settlements 
in the West Bank" 
 
Leading "Clarin" report (12/28) "The US criticized Israel's plans to 
establish a new settlement in the West Bank. Yesterday, the US 
Department of State pointed out that this plan is a violation of 
Israel's commitments to support peace negotiations promoted by the 
US, the UN, Russia and the EU, which are known as the 'road map.' 
 
"Gonzalo R. Gallegos, spokesman of the US Department of State, said 
'The US is asking Israel to abide by its 'road map' commitments.' 
'Israel should avoid taking steps that could be seen as expressions 
of decisions taken in fact before the outcome of future 
negotiations.'" 
 
 
- "Historical documents are declassified" 
 
Business-financial, center-right "InfoBae" (12/28) "Millions of 
papers from 25-year-old documents will be declassified on December 
¶31. New information is expected to be released about cases related 
to US intervention in Latin America. 
 
"In this way, the documents expected to be made public are related 
to the 'Iran-Contra scandal,' which threatened the stability of the 
then US President Ronald Reagan; the 'dirty war in Mexico,' 
following the 1968 Tlatelolco massacre; and 'Cuba's participation in 
Central America." 
 
"Information will be made public about the way in which former US 
President James Carter handled the 1979 downfall of Anastasio Somoza 
in Nicaragua, paving the way for ten years of power by the Frente 
Sandinista de Liberacion Nacional, whose main representative Daniel 
Ortega will return to office as president in January." 
 
- "Moscow, a challenge in Merkel's future" 
 
Luisa Corradini, on special assignment for daily-of-record "La 
Nacion," writes (12/28) "On January 1, when Germany takes over the 
rotating presidencies of the G8 and EU, Angela Merkel will learn 
that she will have to make superhuman efforts coupled with little 
room to operate. The conservative FM will have to take initiatives 
related to climate, energy (a reason for friction with Russia) and 
education. But, above all, she knows that she will have to meet the 
expectations of 487 millions Europeans who believe that she will 
rescue the block from the stagnation in which it remains since May 
2005... 
 
"... First of all, Merkel will tackle the thorny issue of energy 
security. Germany will present the EU the basics of a strategy that 
will cement a European energy market focused on renewable energy 
sources, energy efficiency, transparency and price security. 
However, when Europeans talk about energy, they make special 
reference to Russia. The issue has become the focus of tensions 
between the Kremlin and the rest of Europe, including Moscow's 
former satellite republics. Merkel is determined to underscore the 
currently eroded respect for human rights, the murder of opponents, 
and mainly the use of energy as a political weapon since Vladimir 
Putin took office. 
 
"Among other claims, Poland and other EU countries want Merkel to 
put pressure on Putin to make him ratify the European Energy Chart, 
thus giving foreign companies  access to Russian pipelines in order 
to send gas and oil to Europe. So far, the Kremlin has refused to 
adhere. Both the EU and Putin know that the war for pipelines will 
be the next point of confrontation between Russia and Europe." 
 
¶3. EDITORIALS 
 
- "What is a crime against humanity" 
 
An editorial in daily-of-record "La Nacion" reads (12/28) "Federal 
Judge Norberto Oyarbide's ruling to consider the crimes committed by 
the organization Triple A... crimes against humanity (which means no 
statute of limitation) sheds some light into some of our gloomy 
history by demonstrating that State terrorism started before the 
March 1976 military coup. 
 
"... However, it is regretful that no judge has defined so far the 
manifold crimes carried out by the Ejercito Revolucionario del 
Pueblo (ERP) and Montoneros as crimes against humanity. 
 
"... When the Supreme Court of Justice did not authorize the 
extradition of ETA terrorist Lariz Iriondo (on the basis that 
terrorist actions carried out without State intervention should not 
be deemed crimes against humanity), it set the precedent that 
serious crimes like those committed against the Israeli Embassy or 
the AMIA headquarters would not be considered crimes against 
humanity unless the intervention of some State agent is proved." 
 
- "An Arbitrary Adjudication" 
 
Liberal, English-language "Buenos Aires Herald" editorializes 
(12/28) "Federal Judge Norberto Oyarbide's ruling to define the 
barbarities of the rightwing terrorist organization Triple A as 
crimes against humanity can be viewed both positively and negatively 
- positively as an admission of shared civilian responsibility for 
state terrorism but also negatively as a flagrant case of double 
standards. The Kirchner administration has been so one-sided in 
blaming the military for all the evils of the 1976-83 junta 
dictatorship while turning a blind eye to both their terrorist 
opponents and civilian allies that it is almost refreshing to see 
 
not only somebody else being blamed for once but even 
fellow-Peronists... Yet the double standards continue because the 
condemnation applies only to the rightwing Triple A and not to their 
leftist Montonero opponents - indeed so great has been government 
reluctance to condemn any political violence other than junta 
atrocities as terrorism... that it refuses to define the 1992 and 
1994 attacks on Jewish targets as crimes against humanity. 
 
"... Since Argentine courts under this government have issued 
warrants for Iranian ex-officials who were in power at the time of 
the AMIA Jewish community center blast in 1994, why not call the 
AMIA attack state terrorism?" 
 
To see more Buenos Aires reporting, visit our 
classified website at: 
http://www.state.sqov.gov/p/wha/buenosaires 
 
WAYNE