R 291228Z JAN 09
FM AMEMBASSY BERLIN
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 3159
INFO WHITE HOUSE WASHINGTON DC
SECDEF WASHINGTON DC
DIA WASHINGTON DC
CIA WASHINGTON DC
DEPT OF TREASURY WASHINGTON DC
FRG COLLECTIVE
AMEMBASSY BRUSSELS 
AMEMBASSY LONDON 
AMEMBASSY PARIS 
AMEMBASSY ROME 
USMISSION USNATO 
USMISSION USOSCE 
HQ USAFE RAMSTEIN AB GE
HQ USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE//J5 DIRECTORATE (MC)//
CDRUSAREUR HEIDELBERG GE
UDITDUSAREUR HEIDELBERG GE

UNCLAS BERLIN 000117 
 
 
STATE FOR INR/R/MR, EUR/PAPD, EUR/PPA, EUR/CE, 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 IS XF XH CE IR
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION: RUSSIA, AFGHANISTAN, MIDEAST, IRAN, DAVOS, 
SRI LANKA 
 
¶1.   Lead Stories Summary 
¶2.   Russia Suspends Kaliningrad Missile Plan 
¶3.   U.S. Policy on Afghanistan 
¶4.   Envoy Mitchell in the Mideast 
¶5.   Davos World Economic Forum 
¶6.   U.S.-Iranian Relations 
¶7.   Clashes Between Sri Lankan Government And Rebels 
 
 
¶1.   Lead Stories Summary 
 
ZDF-TV's early evening newscast Heute and ARD-TV's early evening 
newscast Tagesschau opened with stories on the broad surveillance by 
Deutsche Bahn of its employees.  Newspapers led with diverse 
stories, including stories on the Deutsche Bahn and the dispute 
between the Pope Benedict and the Jewish community.  Editorials 
focused on Deutsche Bahn, the Catholic Church, and a few papers also 
commented on Russia's defense policy. 
 
¶2.   Russia Suspends Kaliningrad Missile Plan 
 
ZDF-TV's Heute noted: "The presidential changeover in the U.S. 
obviously prompted Russian military leaders to reconsider their 
position, and they apparently no longer want to deploy short-range 
missiles....  The Kremlin did not comment on this but we can assume 
that the announcement had been agreed because the military leaders 
only did what politicians announced two days ago.  Putin said in an 
interview that he is cautiously optimistic as certain signals were 
coming out of the White House indicating that the new Administration 
was reconsidering the missile defense system.  So far, the Russian 
announcement is a symbolic gesture of goodwill:  The Russians are no 
longer willing to play the bad guy in U.S.-Russian relations." 
 
Under the headline "Rhetorical Disarmament," Sueddeutsche 
editorializes that "Moscow wants to renounce new missiles because 
America is calling an expensive project into question."  The paper 
adds: "The changeover on Washington now offers the opportunity to 
remove the sad remains of the Bush era and improve relations without 
prejudice.  The confrontation of recent years has destroyed much and 
produced little.  Both new Presidents, Obama and Medvedev, are aware 
of this fact.  Let's hope that they will not forget this when the 
economic crisis is over and Moscow's awareness of its own power is 
on the rise again." 
 
Frankfurter Allgemeine comments that Russia "is only withdrawing an 
empty threat.  This is not an extended Russian hand that must be 
accepted but rather a propaganda game with the fears of Europeans." 
Die Welt editorializes: "During the times of the Cold War, we would 
have called this a thaw.  Now it's just a withdrawal of a few pieces 
in a great global game....  The Bush Administration's response to 
the potential future nuclear and missile armament of Iran had always 
been premature and diplomatically wrong." 
 
¶3.  U.S. Policy on Afghanistan 
 
Frankfurter Allgemeine commented on President Obama's visit to the 
Pentagon and the situation in Afghanistan: "Concerning the primary 
goal, Gates was pleasantly realistic.  It is still about preventing 
Afghanistan from becoming a platform again for terrorist attacks on 
the U.S. and its allies.  It doesn't have to become a model 
democracy."   Die Zeit wrote:  "The irony could not be greater: 
Baghdad and the U.S. army win the 'evil' war in Iraq, but the 'good' 
war in Afghanistan is not going well at all.  An increasing number 
of people are calling for withdrawing from there...  But pulling out 
there would leave Afghanistan to revert back to Stone Age Islam." 
 
 
¶4.   Envoy Mitchell in the Mideast 
 
Most German media reported that Special Envoy Mitchell continued his 
trip through the Middle East and met with Israeli President Peres. 
Frankfurter Allgemeine headlined: "Mitchell urges permanent 
ceasefire." Westdeutscher Rundfunk radio commented: "Mitchell has 
come to listen. This is a great idea because everybody in the region 
feels that they are remote-controlled by the United States." 
 
¶5.   Davos World Economic Forum 
 
Under the headline: "Putin Warns Against Economic Egotism," and a 
picture depicting President Putin delivering his address in Davos, 
Handelsblatt remarked: "The beginning of the conference was 
dominated by President Obama's idea of setting up a bad bank in the 
U.S.   Obama's financial advisor Laura Tyson said that the 'next 
natural step' to overcome the crisis would be to isolate toxic 
securities." 
 
The daily editorialized: "While the United States was conspicuous 
with its absence, China courageously took advantage of the 
opportunity and filled the gap.  With his European trip, China's 
President Wen Jiabao deliberately approached European managers and 
the political elite." 
 
Sueddeutsche Zeitung also carried a front-page picture of Putin 
opening the Davos conference.  The caption said: "Putin rejected 
protectionism and surprisingly warned against too strong a role of 
the state: 'In the old Soviet Union, the state controlled everything 
and in the end we were bankrupt. We do not want to experience this 
again.'" 
 
In another report under the headline: "First Criticism Of U.S. 
Demands" Sueddeutsche wrote that "the new U.S. government must 
accept the first criticism from abroad.  The reason is Treasury 
Secretary Geithner's indirect request to China to allow a 
revaluation of the Chinese currency.  Following South Africa's 
Finance Minister Trevor Manuel, the head of the Asian Department of 
investment bank Morgan Stanly, Stephen Roach said: 'It is a horrible 
advice because a considerable strengthening of the Yuan would be 
economic suicide.'" 
 
According to Die Welt, "Wen Jiabao's address, followed by President 
Putin's speech, are currently only offering an orientation for the 
illustrious circle of listeners, but no more.  Nevertheless, 41 
state leaders want to come, many finance ministers and central bank 
chiefs.  This has never happened before, even though the new U.S. 
government is not being represented.  The large number of 
politicians in Davos makes clear what the meeting is all about: the 
state leaders, but also the managers, want to get a feeling of what 
they can expect in the months to come.  But all participants should 
be aware that a positive signal must emanate from this meeting.  The 
global economy urgently needs signals that create confidence.  And 
the number of leaders is evidence of the fact that unilateral moves 
in this crisis will lead to disaster." 
 
Regional daily Fraenkischer Tag of Bamberg argued: "A health resort 
is now to help the seriously ill patient.  It would be a miracle if 
the meeting in Davos were able to help the patient walk again, for 
the global economy is still at the emergency care unit.   A change 
of the environment for the elites of the most powerful nations in 
the world will be of little use for the time being.  Several recipes 
for a recovery have been tested and now everyone is waiting for a 
sanitary effect.  It is a fight against symptoms, while the reasons 
for the illness remain in the dark." 
 
*6.   U.S.-Iranian Relations 
 
Under the headline: "Sharp Tones From Iran," Sueddeutsche Zeitung 
had this to say: "Iran's state leader Ahmadinejad answered the 
appeal of new U.S. President Obama with the sharpest anti-American 
polemic for a long time.  The president is likely to have made his 
remarks also with a look to the elections in June.  It is true that 
most of the Iranians want closer relations with the U.S. and 
Ahmadinejad is unpopular because of the bad economic situation. 
Against the background of the U.S. support for Israel, it would be 
appropriate for the president to pin his hopes much more than in the 
past on his radical standing voters who reject the U.S. and 
Israel." 
 
¶7.   Clashes Between Sri Lankan Government And Rebels 
 
Under the headline: "India Can Help," die tageszeitung opined: "The 
world has more or less ignored the humanitarian disaster of which 
between 250,000 to 3000,000 Tamils in Northern Sri Lanka are 
affected.  The Rajapaksa government is firmly determined to end its 
campaign against the Tamil Eelam Tigers (LTTE) only with their total 
annihilation.  The daily massacres that the government is willing to 
accept should no longer be accepted by the world with a shrug.  The 
EU decision to place the LTTE on the list of terror organizations 
has deprived the EU from the possibility to mediate in the conflict. 
 Only India, where 60 million Tamils hope for a political solution 
of the conflict in the small neighboring country, is visibly 
interfering.  It demands immediate access to the battle region for 
humanitarian organizations that want to distribute aid supplies from 
India.  The EU should join this initiative." 
 
 
KOENIG