VZCZCXYZ0047
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHSO #0945 3321143
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 281143Z NOV 07
FM AMCONSUL SAO PAULO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 7709
INFO RHEHNSC/NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHDC IMMEDIATE
RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA PRIORITY 8842
RUEHRI/AMCONSUL RIO DE JANEIRO PRIORITY 8462
RUCPDOC/USDOC WASHDC 2974

UNCLAS SAO PAULO 000945 
 
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: MIDDLE EAST: ANNAPOLIS PEACE CONFERENCE; 
SAO PAULO 
 
"Seven Years Later" 
 
Liberal, largest national circulation daily Folha de s. Paulo 
(11/28) editorialized: "The Middle East peace conference in 
Annapolis was little more than a photo opportunity. In objective 
terms, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian President 
Mahmoud Abbas agreed only sit to discuss the problem. However, the 
peace process between Israelis and Palestinians was so damaged that 
even this first small agreement represents an advance.... The fact 
that 22 member nations of the Arab League have attended the meeting 
is also significant.... The presence of Syria, a nation that the US 
has accused of sponsoring terrorism, was especially praiseworthy. 
The simple fact that Damascus sent its vice prime minister to the 
meeting indicates a crack in the alliance between Syrians and 
Iranians. One of the summit's undeclared goals was to isolate 
Tehran, whose influence in the Middle East has been growing to the 
detriment of that of the US. A still untouched problem is that both 
Olmert and Abbas are weakened leaders, with low ability to negotiate 
concessions.... George W. Bush decided to call the conference to 
strengthen Abbas. The strategy worked out in this regard. For those 
who expected poor results from Annapolis, the conference was 
somewhat positive. But for those who hoped for concrete advances in 
the peace process, the result is frustrating." 
 
White