R 091251Z APR 09
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UNCLAS BERLIN 000422 
 
 
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 US CU MD SO IT RS UP GG KG
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION: CUBA, MOLDOVA, GITMO, COUNTER-PIRACY, 
UNFCCC, ITALY, DEMOCRACY 
 
¶1.   Lead Stories Summary 
¶2.   (U.S.-Cuba)   Congressional Delegation in Cuba 
¶3.   (Moldova)   Unrest 
¶4.   (U.S.)   Renditions, ICRC Report 
¶5.   (Somalia)   Fate of Pirates 
¶6.   (Environment)   Bonn UNFCCC 
¶7.   (Italy)   Berlusconi on Earthquake Victims 
¶8.   (Eastern Europe)   Democracy 
 
 
¶1.   Lead Stories Summary 
 
Early evening newscasts by ZDF-TV's Heute and ARD-TV's Tagesschau 
opened with stories on German government plan's to expand the 
car-scrapping bonus.  Newspapers led with various stories, including 
counter-piracy, and the change in leadership at Deutsche Bahn. 
 
¶2.   (U.S.-Cuba)   Congressional Delegation in Cuba 
 
"Barack Obama is getting serious about the beginning of the end of 
the blockade of the regime that has now existed for more than 47 
years," Sueddeutsche Zeitung editorialized, and added: "For the 
Castro brothers, the new openness is a greater challenge than the 
blockade measures that were imposed by the Bush government.  An 
invasion of [U.S.] tourists could be more dangerous for the regime 
than the failed invasion of the Bay of Pigs.  If there is no longer 
an enemy image, it will become increasingly difficult to explain to 
the Cubans why they behave as if they are on a besieged island and 
forego wealth and freedom.  For the old Castros, it is time to 
acknowledge that their revolution is over.  Obama's offer would now 
be an act of decency.  They could end their internal blockade, a 
kind of second revolution in Cuba so to speak." 
 
¶3.   (Moldova)   Unrest 
 
ARD-TV's primetime Tagesschau reports that "the protests against the 
government in the former Soviet Republic of Moldova have ebbed away. 
 Police officers are patrolling in the streets of the center of 
Chisinau.  Thousands of protesters had stormed the parliament the 
day before and accused the government of election fraud.  The 
president accused Romania of being behind the protests.  Bucharest 
rejected the allegations.  Moldova was part of Romania until 1940." 
 
Frankfurter Allgemeine comments: "The Communist Party in the 
Republic of Moldova has won the elections again. Although it appears 
odd that the party holds exactly the 61 votes necessary to elect the 
president, irregularities during the election will be difficult to 
prove.  The violent protests, which were quickly ended by a massive 
police operation, probably rather damaged the opposition parties. 
In Moldova, we cannot expect another colorful revolution." 
 
Under the headline "Longing for Europe," Handelsblatt editorializes: 
"Unnoticed by the world, a torturing process is going on in Moldova 
18 years after its declaration of independence.  This is a process 
all countries of the Balkans and the former Soviet sphere of power - 
apart from Belarus - have already gone through.  Moldova just can't 
cut the cord to Moscow.  We cannot really accuse the victorious 
Communists of manipulating the elections....  The fact that the 
young people started riots in the streets and stormed the parliament 
can be explained only by their frustration.  The young people want a 
new beginning and to join Europe.  This is their right.  However, it 
does not justify the violence....  Apart from economic assistance, 
the country cannot expect much from Europe.  The events are not 
important for Brussels as long as there is no second Georgian case 
on the EU's south-eastern flank.  The young people are angry and 
feel abandoned.  This is the bitter lesson in a forgotten country." 
 
 
¶4.   (U.S.)   Renditions, ICRC Report 
 
Die Welt editorializes on the confidential ICRC reports on alleged 
mistreatment of Guantanamo detainees that "the CIA's policy after 
2001 is a disgrace to the West's value community.  The paper notes 
that "the ICRC report discloses a world that falls short of the 
standard of countries with which we want to share values." 
 
¶5.   (Somalia)   Fate of Pirates 
 
Sueddeutsche Zeitung deals with the problem of what to do with 
Somali pirates after their arrest and opined: "In principle it is 
right to put African pirates on trial in the region.  Since Somalia 
does not function as a state, it is now up to Kenya to try them. 
But if pirates fire at a Bundeswehr ship, it will not create a good 
impression if four Federal Ministries are at odds with each other 
about whether it would be too much for Germany to put several 
alleged bandits on trial and whether the situation could get even 
worse if the seven applied for asylum.  It is becoming increasingly 
obvious that the EU 'Atalanta' mission lacks a uniform and efficient 
criminal prosecution.  According to all previous experience, an 
International Criminal Court on Piracy would really be the best 
answer.  It should have its seat in Kenya and pronounce judgments 
according to international standards." 
 
¶6.   (Environment)   Bonn UNFCCC 
 
Frankfurter Rundschau comments: "The good news of the UN climate 
conference in Bonn is that the U.S. rejoined the negotiations on 
global climate.  Concerning Kyoto, Washington applied the brakes for 
almost 15 years.  However, the conference also made clear that the 
global climate summit in Copenhagen is still a long way away....  A 
signal is due during the next G8 summit in July in Italy." 
 
¶7.   (Italy)   Berlusconi on Earthquake Victims 
 
Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung said: "Italian crisis management has 
learned its lessons from the earthquake in Irpinia in 1980 and in 
Umbria in 1997.  Firefighters, police officers, Carabinieri, and the 
military arrived quickly to help.  Civil defense organizations were 
able to rely on [emergency] plans and reserves.  Prime Minister 
Berlusconi talked a lot - and sometimes he said even strange things 
- but he acted purposefully, like a company owner who wanted to 
resolve problems but did not want to talk...  He and his ministers 
conveyed the impression that they were prepared for such a 
situation, that they knew which measures to take and that they would 
not leave the people alone.  Government and the rescue sources are 
still far away from being perfect, but they have backed the affected 
people to keep them from sinking into misery, and the rest of the 
nation to offer reasonable assistance." 
 
In the view of Tagesspiegel, "Silvio Berlusconi again put his foot 
in it.  He is a master at doing this.  He has not learned his 
lesson, not even the dying in the debris can refrain him from making 
embarrassing statements that are as numerous as the grains of sand 
on the Adriatic coast.  In reality, the term 'embarrassing' is too 
weak for the things he inflicts on others.  With his clowneries, 
Berlusconi is exposing his country to ridicule, he defames Italy. 
And nowhere in Italian politics is anyone in sight who could save 
Italy." 
 
Regional daily Ostsee Zeitung of Rostock opined: "We can rely on 
Silvio Berlusconi:  If there is some way for him to put his foot in 
it, then the Italian political lout will do so.  Yesterday, the 
media billionaire, in his capacity as prime minister, added another 
'pearl' to his anthology of quotations.  He compared the misery of 
the homeless people in L'Aquila with a 'camping weekend.'  Italy is 
certainly a special case.  It is a country where Berlusconi has 
become the prime minister for the fourth time thanks to his power in 
the media.  Nevertheless, Berlusconi is the living evidence of not 
gaining in stature in an office that is being transferred to him. 
 
Thanks for this, Silvio!" 
 
Regional daily Nuernberger Zeitung argued: "Those who have lost 
their legs do not need to spend money on shoes, and if a roof 
collapses during an earthquake, the people affected can be delighted 
with a camping holiday paid for by the state.  This is the view of 
Italy's Prime Minister Berlusconi.  Disasters cannot shock a man 
like him, since he is a disaster himself.  Is it worthwhile saying a 
word about him?  Especially during crises, the world loves this 
clown.  As long as he governs, the whole world is like a circus, and 
nothing is really serious.  Not everyone lives in L'Aquila." 
 
¶8.   (Eastern Europe)   Democracy 
 
According to Sueddeutsche Zeitung, "a fatal tendency for 
authoritarian structures and defiant, sometimes aggressive, but 
always irresponsible foreign policy have turned the democratic 
wonder children [Ukraine, Georgia, Kyrgyzstan] into trouble spots 
for the international community.  Why is this so?  Was Western 
solidarity too small, pressure from Moscow too great?  Has the time 
for radical regime change expired?  This would be depressing, but 
this is not the case.  Each of the former colorful revolutions has 
failed in its own way.  But they all have in common that they were 
not revolutions.  The authoritarian system was not changed, only the 
personnel.  All trailblazers [of the past] now have high-ranking 
government positions.  To resolve conflicts through compromises is 
strange to them.  They continue their often disgusting traditions: 
corruption, paranoia, violence.  America and Russia do everything 
possible to polarize the situation, and Europe is turning to other 
problems.  But this cannot distract attention from the 
responsibility for the failure [of these revolutions]." 
 
  KOENIG