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"PERISHABLE INFORMATION -- DO NOT SERVICE" 
 
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SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION: Somalia, Georgia, Economic, Obama 
 
¶1.   Lead Stories Summary 
¶2.   (Somalia)   Hijacked Supertanker 
¶3.   (Georgia)   Geneva Talks 
¶4.   (Economic)   Finance Crisis 
¶5.   (U.S.)   Obama Administration 
 
 
¶1.   Lead Stories Summary 
 
Editorials focused on the outcome of the PISA study on students' 
performance and on the hijacked oil tanker.  Papers this morning 
primarily dealt with the PISA study and subsidies for Germany's car 
industry.  ZDF-TV's early evening newscast heute and ARD-TV's early 
evening newscast Tagesschau opened with reports on student 
performance in the various Ldnder. 
 
¶2.   (Somalia)   Hijacked Supertanker 
 
Sueddeutsche Zeitung opines: "Even though the pirates are hijacking 
vessels almost on a daily basis, hardly anyone talks about the 
unrest in Somalia itself, about its clans, and the millions of 
expelled people.  Instead the world is hoping for a simple solution 
that avoids the African mainland:  The UN Security Council approved 
the hunt for pirates in Somali waters, and the West is celebrating 
the fact that NATO and the EU are sending a few ships to the Somali 
coast.  But the piracy off the Somali coast is more than the 
activities of a few criminal sailors.  The criminals can do whatever 
they want because Somali has been a failed state for more than 20 
years.  But failed states never keep their chaos to themselves.  In 
the case of Afghanistan, the world learned this only on 9/11.  These 
attacks will ebb only when Somalia is again a state that deserves 
its name." 
 
Frankfurter Allgemeine noted: "We should not expect too much from 
patrols with warships as the EU is now planning, as long as a failed 
states offers pirates and their booty a safe haven."  Regional daily 
Ostsee-Zeitung of Rostock opined: "The EU considers it self-evident 
that export champion Germany should take part in the mission [off 
Somalia's coast]. But no way! The Germans are still rummaging 
through their code of law, for the German navy is banned from 
arresting gangsters.  It is up to the federal police to do this, but 
the police do not want to leave Germany  But even if they do go, the 
warships are not equipped with prosecutors, defense attorneys and 
interpreters - all of which are necessary since German law is valid 
on German ships.  Poor Germany!" 
 
In the opinion of Die Welt, "the powerful U.S. Navy idly watched how 
the 'Sirius Star,' a supertanker with crude oil worth 100 million 
dollar aboard, was taken hostage.  The Europeans have thus far 
ignored this danger with respect to investment, training, and 
technology.  But for the Americans, more is at stake than cargo 
rates and cruises.  At issue is the freedom of the seas.  For this 
goal, the United States, the superpower on the seven seas, has done 
battle with enemies much more powerful than this handful of 
scoundrels.  [What we have seen thus far is not enough].  We expect 
more." 
 
die tageszeitung judged: "If European and U.S. naval forces want to 
escort merchant ships to their destination, the question will 
quickly come up who is being protected.  Many ships between the 
continents are on their way under flags of convenience.  Their labor 
conditions undermine every social standard.  Never before has the 
connection between military policy and globalization been so clear 
as today in the debate over Somalia's pirates.  It should be taken 
into consideration. " 
 
Allgemeine Zeitung of Mainz judged: "The current policy of 
de-escalation will in, the long run, result in the fact that the 
pirates, encouraged by their success, fully control ship traffic and 
impose a tariff on it. This would then affect the entire oil exports 
from Saudi Arabia and Iran to Europe and the United States.  And if 
these pirates then allied with terrorists, an economic disaster 
would turn into a political disaster.  Those who do not want to 
accept such a development will have to massively use force, not only 
on the sea but also on land, i.e. in Somalia itself." 
 
¶3.   (Georgia)   Geneva Talks 
 
According to Sueddeutsche Zeitung, "the Geneva talks will enter 
their second round today, but no one is paying attention.  This is 
no wonder because the chances are almost zero that something will 
quickly move in the talks about the impact of the Georgian war.  All 
indications are that the government in Tbilisi was the one that 
first used artillery and rockets to destroy parts of Tskhinvali. 
But President Saakashvili and his government are in a bad situation 
for other reasons.  The chances for an early accession to NATO are 
dwindling.  The United States is likely to reduce its massive 
support for the Caucasian Republic.  But all this does not change 
the fact that a number of problems must still be resolved.  Russia 
should not be relieved of responsibility for the consequences of the 
war." 
 
¶4.   (Economic)   Finance Crisis 
 
According to Handelsblatt: "the car industry resembles a sand box 
these days.  It is always others who are to blame.  German carmaker 
Opel is pointing its finger at its parent company General Motors, 
the CEOs from Detroit feel unfairly treated and refer in an outraged 
way to the global financial crisis, the mother of all crises.  And 
if the financial crisis had a chance to complain, it would make the 
bad banks responsible for its miserable situation.  But it is high 
time to get rid of the numerous myths about the car industry.  Many 
arguments that have been spread by company CEOs and repeated in 
political talks shows are simply wrong.  If the U.S. government is 
willing to pay subsidies to the U.S. car industry, then it should at 
least put the chronic destroyer of capital under tight oversight as 
it did with the airline industry a few years ago.  Otherwise, 
society must continue to listen to the fairy tale from Detroit that 
the latest market downturn is responsible for the car industry's 
misery." 
 
According to Financial Times Deutschland, "the financial and 
economic crisis first challenged political dogmas in the United 
States, which were considered unshakable in the past, and now these 
principle as also being questioned in Europe.  Many things that were 
unthinkable in the past are not only being considered now but are 
actually being put forward suddenly as proposals.  For instance, the 
idea of issuing a euro bond to finance a European economic stimulus 
program.  It would be most effective if it were coordinated on the 
European level.  This crisis has eaten so deep into the intertwined 
European economy that no individual member state is able to resolve 
it.  It is worthwhile thinking about financing such a project with a 
euro bond, even if this requires an amendment to European 
treaties." 
 
¶5.   (U.S.)   Obama Administration 
 
Under the headline: "Delicate Deals," Sueddeutsche Zeitung reported 
that "there is no doubt that Hillary Clinton is Barack Obama's first 
choice for the job as secretary of state.  By appointing his former 
rival, he would demonstrate self-confidence and could document the 
final reconciliation with the Democratic Party.  But it is Obama's 
precondition that Bill Clinton reduces his activities as 
professional speaker and political advisor across the globe and 
reveal the money sources of his charitable trust abroad."   In the 
view of Die Welt, "the conflict of interests between global traveler 
Bill Clinton and secretary of state Hillary Clinton would be 
obvious.  The Republicans in the Senate will take advantage of it 
with great relish once they talk about her appointment."  Berliner 
Zeitung wrote: "Hillary Clinton's husband is the weak point of her 
candidacy for the job of secretary of state." 
 
The headline in Tagesspiegel is: "Obama Wants Leading Role in 
Climate Policy" and wrote: "President-elect Barack Obama wants to 
make the United States a top country in the fight against the 
looming climate disaster.  In a video message to the conference of 
governors in Los Angeles, Obama promised a "vigorous' U.S. 
engagement in future talks on climate protection." 
 
Handelsblatt noted: "Barack Obama was a senator for only four years, 
but even though it was a short term, he realized one thing:  In 
order to really move something, one needs close allies in congress. 
The first personnel decision since his election two weeks ago is 
reflecting this experience." 
 
 
TIMKEN