R 261219Z JUN 08
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UNCLAS BERLIN 000836 
 
 
STATE FOR INR/R/MR, EUR/PAPD, EUR/PPA, EUR/AGS, INR/EUC, INR/P, 
SECDEF FOR USDP/ISA/DSAA, DIA FOR DC-4A 
 
VIENNA FOR CSBM, CSCE, PAA 
 
"PERISHABLE INFORMATION -- DO NOT SERVICE" 
 
E.0. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OPRC KMDR KPAO GM
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION: Mideast, Zimbabwe, Pakistan, U.S.-Germany, 
Serbia, Economic 
 
¶1.   Lead Stories Summary 
¶2.   (Mideast)  Berlin Conference, Israeli Government Crisis 
¶3.   (Zimbabwe)   Run-Off Elections 
¶4.   (Pakistan)   Infiltration From Afghan Border Region 
¶5.   (U.S.-Germany)   U.S. Nuclear Weapons In Germany 
¶6.   (Serbia)   New Government 
¶7.   (U.S.)   Interest Rates 
 
 
¶1.   Lead Stories Summary 
 
ZDF-TV's early evening newscast heute and ARD-TV's early evening 
newscast Tagesschau opened with stories on the European soccer 
semifinals.  Newspapers led with diverse stories.  Editorials 
focused on the SPD and Zimbabwe. 
 
¶2.   (Mideast)  Berlin Conference, Israeli Government Crisis 
 
S|ddeutsche comments: "While representatives from 40 countries are 
making efforts to cheer up Palestinians by pouring money onto them, 
Israeli Prime Minister Olmert and his coalition partner, Barak, are 
fighting for their political survival.  The parallel developments 
speak volumes concerning the prospects of the Mideast peace process. 
 Great things cannot be expected at the moment because Olmert's 
government is too weak.  New elections would neither create peace 
because the likely election winner is Netanyahu, who is not prepared 
to make compromises with the Palestinians.  At the last minute, 
Olmert and Barak realized that their nerve-racking fight would lead 
them to a political nowhere and stopped their coalition crisis for 
the time being.  This did not win them anything but time.  The best 
thing that can happen until the elections in 2009 or 2010 were 
pragmatic moves to create peace, such as the truce Egypt negotiated 
with the Palestinian Hamas.  Although the agreement has been 
fragile, it forces both sides to a minimum of rapprochement and 
reconciliation.  In this sense, the results of the of the Berlin 
conference are progressive.  If Europeans help the Palestinian 
police to create security, this helps ease Israel's grip on the 
occupied West Bank."  Die Zeit writes:  "This is new: There is a 
Mideast conference and everybody claims to have had the idea....  It 
is not a coincidence that the conference took place in Berlin.  In 
Europe, only the Germans are trusted by Israelis and Palestinians. 
Now they want to use this confidence." 
 
¶3.   (Zimbabwe)   Run-Off Elections 
 
Sueddeutsche Zeitung editorializes that the crisis in Zimbabwe 
"primarily reveals one thing: dictators who are as tough and as 
brutal as Mugabe continue to triumph."  The paper adds:  Mugabe's 
success reveals how helpless the international community and the 
Zimbabweans are.  They find no way to put rulers like Mugabe out of 
action."  The paper concludes that opposition leader Tsvangirai's 
step to withdraw from the election campaign "is an important signal 
that the world needs to accept to unmask Mugabe for what he is: a 
criminal who should not lead, but who should be put on trial before 
a criminal court." 
 
According to Die Welt, "Mugabe has left the stage when clearly 
targeted sanctions could have had an effect.  But the African states 
could exert pressure on Mugabe, because he is dependent on South 
African assistance.  A first step could be to force him to accept 
humanitarian assistance again...and the international community 
could force South Africa's President Mbeki to take action by 
threatening consequences for the upcoming world soccer championship 
in South Africa.  The Tibet/China case revealed that, in view of 
such prestigious projects, it is possible to influence events." 
Handelsblatt opines that "thanks to South Africa's President Mbeki, 
Mugabe's ZANU party still controls the security forces, the media, 
and the state resources.  But the longer the regional SADC now 
hesitates to take action, the faster Mugabe will be able to regroup 
his forces.  That is why SADC should no longer adopt tiresome 
resolutions but must totally isolate the dictator in Africa." 
 
¶4.   (Pakistan)   Infiltration From Afghan Border Region 
 
Frankfurter Allgemeine comments:  "We should not dramatize the 
situation in Pakistan, but nobody can claim that it is looking 
particularly good.  The new government, which intended to create 
peace with groups in tribal areas, was unable to prove that this 
strategy is successful.  Almost every problem in this region can be 
traced back to Pakistan.  The harassed Afghan President Karzai 
therefore recently threatened the neighbor to take military action 
if Pakistan does not create law and order in the border region. 
Many people have been wondering whether Pakistan is unable or 
unwilling to get the critical region under control.  Both 
assumptions are probably true.  However, if Islamabad is indeed 
increasingly losing control over the region, it is turning into a 
problem for all of us because supplies for the international troops 
in Afghanistan come from Pakistan and the country is a nuclear 
power." 
 
¶5.   (U.S.-Germany)   U.S. Nuclear Weapons In Germany 
 
Mittelbayerische Zeitung of Regensburg argues that "the nuclear 
vestiges are a security problem, as well as a strategic and tactical 
problem.  The fact that the report [on the security risks] was 
deliberately leaked to Germany shows the unease among our big 
partner, too.  In addition, the contenders for the U.S. presidential 
office say that they want to get the nuclear bombs and the missiles 
back.  But it would even be better if they were scrapped at the same 
time." 
 
¶6.   (Serbia)   New Government 
 
Berliner Zeitung notes that the European Commission in Brussels 
"must now make the coalition in Belgrade understand that it does not 
fit together to show a European-friendly face and, at the same time, 
block and condemn an EU engagement in Kosovo as a hostile act.  The 
transition from the UN administration to an EU mission in Kosovo 
should now be possible - without the UN Security Council."  The 
daily, however, criticizes that former dictator Milosevic's foster 
child, socialist leader Ivica Dacic, "one of the most unpredictable 
and nimblest politician in the Balkans, will take over the Interior 
Ministry of all ministries."  The daily argues that he has to deal 
with the restructuring of the security forces and the search for war 
criminals Karadzic, Mladic, and Hzadic.  The paper concludes: "Thus 
far people assumed that socialist old boy networks have offered 
cover for the three and would get them out of danger.  But if 
Dacic's administration confirms this suspicion, the relief in the EU 
should soon be over." 
 
¶7.   (U.S.)   Interest Rates 
 
Handelsblatt opines that "Ben Bernanke is a milquetoast.  He clearly 
knows that he should send a more obvious signal for an increase in 
interest rates to contain expectations of rising inflation.  But we 
don't hear anything about this in his remarks."  The daily writes 
that, nevertheless, the markets have understood his most recent 
message.  "For the time being, nothing will happen, i.e., no 
increase in interest rates.  But with this move, the Federal Reserve 
is again forfeiting part of its reputation.  Only recently Bernanke 
indicated that he could soon pursue a tougher course....  But it was 
soon evident that he would not match his words with deeds.  And if 
this impression is accurate, the stock markets will love him, but 
the rest of the world would raise even more accusations against 
him." 
 
 
TIMKEN