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OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHBU #0064/01 0122034
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 122034Z JAN 07
FM AMEMBASSY BUENOS AIRES
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 6962
INFO RHMFISS/CDR USSOCOM MACDILL AFB FL//SCJ2//
RULGPUA/USCOMSOLANT

UNCLAS BUENOS AIRES 000064 
 
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 POLICY ON IRAQ; VENEZUELA; 01/11/07; BUENOS AIRES 
 
 
¶1. SUMMARY STATEMENT 
 
Today's leading stories include US President Bush's decision to send 
more troops to Iraq; the implications of Venezuelan President Hugo 
Chavez's announced nationalization of telecommunications and utility 
corporations; and the Argentine Government's reaction to Chavez's 
announcements. 
 
¶2. OPINION PIECES 
 
- "Alone and against the tide" 
 
Paula Lugones, international columnist of leading "Clarin," writes 
(01/11) "It is as if nothing has happened. It is as if last November 
7 an overwhelming number of Americans supported his policies. George 
¶W. Bush does not care about anything - with a scary stubbornness or 
deafness, the (US) President continues rowing against the tide. 
 
"His 'new' plan on Iraq does not have anything new and only 
satisfies a number of neo-conservative government officials and some 
hawks on Capitol Hill, but no one else. 
 
"Firstly, Bush turned his back on the huge majority of Americans who 
repudiated his strategy in Iraq in November elections. He did not 
take into account the outcome of recent opinion  polls, according to 
which two-thirds of US citizens are against an increase in the 
number of (US) troops (in Iraq). 
 
"(Bush) is also at odds with the (US) Pentagon's opinion, which has 
let him know that sending more troops will not resolve the violent 
situation in the Persian Gulf... 
 
"The Iraqi authorities are not pleased either with his decision to 
send more troops... 
 
"Finally, Bush overlooked the main recommendations from the 
bipartisan committee presided over by James Baker... 
 
"The White House says that its strategy consists in  'increasing 
(the number of troops) and then reducing.' However, Bush's bet is 
highly risky - this time, he is absolutely alone." 
 
- "2007: danger lies ahead" 
 
James Neilson, contributor to liberal, English-language "Buenos 
Aires Herald," writes (01/11) "Economics may be the dismal 
science..., but these days most of its practitioners sound 
positively cheerful, what with the IMF predicting that the planet's 
gross product will keep growing by about five percent a year and the 
so-called emerging countries... averaging up to seven percent. 
Unfortunately, the rosy scenario they paint could change overnight 
if, as seems all too likely, the Middle East blows up. 
 
"... Were the US a more cynical superpower, the prospect of a 
sectarian war throughout the Middle East... would be considered 
acceptable as long as oil supplies could be secured, but its 
moralistic culture would prevent it from trying to take advantage of 
the resulting chaos. In any event, pleasing though a US failure in 
Iraq would be to many, the price for it would be paid not only by 
the Iraqis but also by other Middle Easterners, Europeans and 
Americans both North and South." 
 
- "Discipline" 
 
Telma Luzzani, international columnist of leading "Clarin," writes 
(01/11) "The 'Chavez effect' on the market only lasted 24 hours. 
Today, the stock exchange went up again and irritation was clearly 
seen in the political field... 
 
"Is there any possibility that the nationalization policy promoted 
by Chavez will be contagious? This seems to be the fear behind the 
strong 'blows' to Chavez from the Argentine opposition as well as 
the Brazilian newspapers expressing the interests of powerful 
Brazilian financial and industrial sectors. 
 
"According to an opposition analyst, it is strange that the 
re-nationalization of a company 'that has always been owned by the 
State and was privatized in 1991 is not as disconcerting in 
Venezuela as unrestricted re-election or other proposals.' 
 
"Objectively, Chavez' measure has no impact on Argentina or Brazil's 
politics and economy. The opposition reaction seems rather a warning 
for Lula and Kirchner not to digress too much from the discipline 
set by the market." 
 
- "The rise of a serious enemy" 
 
Daily-of-record "La Nacion" front-pages an opinion piece by 
historian Carlos Escud, who opines (01/11) "Hugo Chavez  is no 
longer an extravagant leader and has become a serious enemy, or, at 
least, more serious  than in the past... 
 
"... With the money of his people, Chavez exported populism to an 
unprecedented extent. His failed attempt to obtain a seat at the UN 
Security Council made him promise to purchase all the excess cotton 
from countries like Benin and Mali... thus securing some African 
votes. He also bought Russia and China's votes, but it was not 
enough... However, he did well in some cases, as in the recent 
Nicaraguan presidential elections, in which he bet on Daniel Ortega 
and succeeded. 
 
"... Chavez subsidizes the Bolivia of Evo Morales as he does with 
his favorite Cuba ... 
 
"His strategy is attractive and has served Venezuela well; if 
rejected by the Venezuelan people, Chavez would not have been able 
to obtain 63 percent of votes in the December elections. 
 
"... However, this policy serves no one but Chavez and with it, 
Venezuela is missing the greatest opportunity  in history to provide 
a better future for its people." 
 
- "Neither avant-garde nor a substitute" 
 
Left-of-center "Pagina 12" carries an opinion piece by columnist 
Dario Pignotti, who writes (01/1) "... In spite of Chavez's secured 
popularity, who has won the ten elections and referenda held during 
his term in office, his supporters acknowledge that such an 
ambitious undertaking as laying the groundwork for a new political 
model cannot rest on the shoulders of just one man. 
 
"Even Heinz Dieterich himself, mentor of the notion of ' 21st 
century socialism', pointed out more than a year ago that the 
president's excessive accumulation of power is an inherent weakness 
of the Bolivarian process. 'If Chavez were to stop doing his work 
due to a disease, an accident or an assassination, his project would 
collapse(...). There is neither an avant-garde nor a substitute 
leader yet.'" 
 
- "Four Argentine opinions about a new model of nationalization" 
 
Left-of-center "Pagina 12" carries four opinion pieces on the 
Venezuelan decision to nationalize telecommunications, electricity 
and oil companies. Fernando 'Pino' Solanas (movie director) opined 
'The fact that a Latin American president withdrew the license from 
Radio Caracas Television, which has always been in favor of coups 
d'etat and censorship, is rewarding to all of us who believe in 
democracy and respect communication... TV channel licenses belong to 
the people not to corporations...' 
 
"Atilio Boron (contributor): 'It is a very positive announcement. 
The outcome of privatization policies in Latin America is highly 
negative... Chavez is the most categorical expression of Latin 
American discontent with neo-liberalism. According to an opinion 
poll carried out in 18 countries, only 30 percent agree with the 
so-called neo-liberal market policies. This is the first step 
towards an alternative to the 20th century socialist model and it 
will be different from the Soviet experience.' 
 
"Ricardo Sidicaro (contributor): 'I think it is interesting to 
strengthen the ability of the State to manage corporations that have 
certainly done worse in private hands. The failure of neo-liberalism 
has been proven beyond doubt... The only discourse of the 904s had 
closed the doors to new political options.' 
 
"Leon Rozitchner: 'The market uncertainty is weird to me, as well as 
the headlines of some newspapers. This did not happen here when we 
suffered the ravage of privatizations, representing the purchase of 
the political power by the financial capital. The purchase of those 
"wills" was only possible due to a highly corrupted political power. 
It is disgusting to see the terror spread by some Argentine media 
before  an act of justice  from  a government trying to recover 
strategic assets.'" 
 
¶3. EDITORIALS 
 
- "Kirchner distnces himself from Louis XIV: 'We are capitalist" 
 
Business-financial "Ambito Financiero" (01/11) reports "... The 
meaning of the term 'capitalism' for Argentine Interior Minister 
Anibal Fernandez remains to be seen, but what matters in any case is 
the (Argentine Government's) political gesture - the  Minister of 
the Interior thought it  was proper to clarify that the Argentine 
Government is capitalist... 
 
"Therefore, the Argentine government officially voiced  the Kirchner 
administration's attempt to  from socialist Hugo Chavez's 
megalomania - Chavez has become a sort of tropical Louis XIV." 
 
To see more Buenos Aires reporting, visit our 
classified website at: 
http://www.state.sqov.gov/p/wha/buenosaires 
 
WAYNE