VZCZCXRO7771
RR RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHDA RUEHDF RUEHFL RUEHIK RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHLN
RUEHLZ RUEHPOD RUEHROV RUEHSR RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHVL #0235/01 1061040
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 151040Z APR 08
FM AMEMBASSY VILNIUS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 2167
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
RUEHVEN/USMISSION USOSCE 0206
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS
RHMFISS/HQ USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE
RUFOADA/JAC MOLESWORTH RAF MOLESWORTH UK

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 VILNIUS 000235 
 
SIPDIS 
 
AMEMBASSY MINSK SENDS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PGOV SOCI ASEC CMGT BO
SUBJECT: Bloggers, Officials React to Sanctions, Diplomatic Row 
 
 
Summary 
------- 
 
¶1.  (SBU) Post has monitored the Belarusian public's reaction to 
recent events in the country including Belneftekhim sanctions, 
Belarus' recall of its Ambassador to the U.S., GOB demands for 
American Embassy staff reductions and the resulting suspension of 
some consular operations, and a spurious prime-time "expose" of an 
alleged 10-person "spy ring" recruited and instructed by the U.S. 
Embassy.  The internet community actively debated and speculated on 
possible repercussions of U.S. economic and EU extended travel 
sanctions and blamed the GOB for the Embassy's reduction in consular 
services.  Most agreed that spy allegations against Embassy 
personnel were unfounded.  Independent experts concurred with 
bloggers that GOB officials have little leverage over the U.S. other 
than pressure on the Embassy, and voiced hopes that sanctions would 
press the GOB to undertake steps toward democratization in the 
future.  A few officials overtly expressed indignation over 
increased international pressure, though some dismissed the 
sanctions as mere political posturing.  End summary. 
 
Bloggers Blame GOB for American Consular Services Suspension 
-------- ----- --- --- -------- -------- -------- ---------- 
 
¶2.  (U) The sanctions against Belneftekhim and GOB demands for U.S. 
Embassy staff cuts received wide coverage and extensive comments on 
the popular Belarusian internet news portal TUT.by and opposition 
site Charter97.org.  TUT.by bloggers particularly blamed the GOB for 
its steps that led to the suspension of some consular services at 
the Embassy.  Common Belarusians expressed their outrage with a 
"narrow circle of hidebound people banned from anywhere but Iran and 
Honduras" whom they blamed for stopping common people from receiving 
American visas in Minsk.  They called the GOB "small people trying 
to overcome their big [inferiority] complexes" struggling for "who 
knows what and why," and suggested "as long as the goals [of the 
fight] are unclear, they will always be in the right." 
 
¶3.  (U) Charter97.org forum participants pessimistically concurred 
that they are used to suffering due to Aleksandr Lukashenko's 
ambitions and seemed resigned to suffer from the USG's ambition to 
spread democracy as well.  Radio Liberty surveyed over 330 of its 
website readers and concluded that 78 percent held the GOB 
responsible for the temporary suspension of visa operations with 
only eight percent blaming the USG, and three percent blaming the 
Belarusian opposition.  Nine percent of respondents claimed they 
never wanted to travel to the U.S. anyway.  Bloggers humorously 
expressed compassion for the American diplomats who departed Belarus 
and thus became itinerant workers and will miss out on such 
treasures of Belarus as tours of the Stalin Line and the National 
Library, the "taste of locally brewed beer," and who with their 
departure would be forced to "hole up" in Hawaii. 
 
Parity for All 
------ --- --- 
 
¶4.  (U) Poking fun at the GOB's rationale for demanding staff cuts 
at the Embassy -- the need for parity in the sizes of our missions 
-- a majority of bloggers warned the U.S. Embassy of possible 
further GOB demands based on the concepts of parity and equality. 
Some ideas of possible demands included the following: "to even out 
the populations" of Belarus and the U.S. so the GOB-controlled Youth 
Union could expand its membership with American youth; "to reach 
parity in salaries," so Belarusians would earn 10 times more; "to 
reach parity in life expectancy" as the rate in Belarus remains 10 
years lower than the U.S. rate; "to even mortgage rates," so common 
Belarusians could afford cheaper housing; and "construction of 
agricultural rural towns in the U.S. and introduction of 
[government-controlled] golden shares at IBM and General Motors." 
 
¶5.  (U) Joking aside, TUT.by visitors also stressed the necessity 
for the GOB to follow the U.S. example of democratic elections and 
to allow citizens to freely express themselves and to exercise their 
inalienable rights guaranteed by the Constitution.  Internet readers 
also called on the GOB to look at "the balance" of tourist, 
business, and student trips between the two countries and try to 
attract the same high number of Americans to Belarus. 
 
A Fly or Two in the Ointment Of "Flawless" U.S.-Belarus Relations 
- --- -- --- -- --- -------- -- ---------- ------------ --------- 
 
¶6.  (U) A March 23 report shown on the Belarusian First National 
Channel (BT) alleging that a U.S. diplomat headed a ten-man cabal of 
local Embassy employees spying for the USG amused bloggers the most 
and raised heated discussions in online forums.  Most bloggers 
called the expose yet another "fly in the ointment" of "wonderful" 
 
VILNIUS 00000235  002 OF 002 
 
 
bilateral relations.  Most jokingly agreed on the BT reporters' 
"high level of professionalism," since they were able to uncover the 
spies before even the BKGB could.  A BKGB spokesperson confirmed the 
incident two days after the report aired, alleging they did not 
detain any "suspects."  Bloggers warned Belarusians about possessing 
the commonplace equipment purportedly used for intelligence 
gathering: cameras, binoculars, and cell phones.  Also, they 
ironically noted the Belarusian employees involved had not been 
detained because when "they swore in English," the BKGB took it for 
"repenting."  Many "concerned" forum participants suggested the GOB 
should proceed with "removing" spy groups from Minsk as well as 
entrepreneurs from the markets, beer from the kiosks, and local 
computer networks from residential apartment buildings, and 
questioned who would be "next in line" as a target of official 
action. 
 
How Many is Too Many For GOB Officials? 
--- ---- -- --- ---- --- --- ---------- 
 
¶7.  (U) Senator Nikolay Cherginets, banned from travel to the U.S. 
and EU, was one of the few high-level officials to comment overtly 
on U.S. Embassy operations and forced staff reduction.  In comments 
to reporters, he maintained that the suspension of visa processing 
was aimed "at pressuring Belarus and intensifying the crisis in 
[bilateral] relations."  In response to an Embassy statement that 
its "resources are engaged in addressing other priorities," 
Cherginets expressed "nothing but surprise" and stated that there 
should be no higher priority in a host country than "establishing 
and developing relations" by means of "providing visa support."  He 
commended the demand for staff reduction and elaborated that 
Belarusian diplomats based in the U.S. "neither instruct the local 
opposition nor participate in antigovernment events" while the U.S. 
Embassy "has too many officers who have nothing [else] to do here." 
Cherginets wished the USG "sober times" and "calm rhetoric" for when 
"the time for talks and discussions comes." 
 
Officials Offended By EU Travel Ban Extension 
--------- -------- -- -- ------ --- --------- 
 
¶8.  (U) Following the EU's one-year extension of its travel ban 
April 7, a ban which Cherginets labeled "political provocation," the 
senator emphasized that he never refused meetings requested by EU 
officials because he understands that tangible "results may be 
reached only through dialogue."  According to Cherginets, any 
sanctions show that counterparts "are not willing to establish 
normal relations with Belarus."  On a personal note, he asserted 
that he "is not fond of vacationing in European countries" because 
he "only gets tired there." 
 
¶9.  (U) Cherginets' colleague, state TV and Radio Broadcasting 
Chairperson Senator Aleksandr Zimovskiy expressed resentment over 
the fact that it was merely "low-level" EU Transport Ministers 
endorsing the travel ban extension, whereas in the U.S. it was 
President Bush who "personally" introduced the travel ban and asset 
freeze sanctions against himself and other.  He called this 
"unacceptable." 
 
Comment 
------- 
 
¶10.  (SBU) Though an internet sample does not necessarily capture 
the older, more conservative sector of society, based on post's 
study of bloggers there seems to be little support among the 
population for the GOB's recent steps, and few people believe 
official media spin doctors.  However, as long as the GOB is able to 
manipulate the media and insulate itself from pressure from its 
people, the regime is unlikely to change tack. 
 
MOORE 
LEADER