VZCZCXRO0996
RR RUEHRG
DE RUEHBR #0709/01 1552238
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 042238Z JUN 09
FM AMEMBASSY BRASILIA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4433
INFO RUEHRG/AMCONSUL RECIFE 9613
RUEHSO/AMCONSUL SAO PAULO 4164
RUEHRI/AMCONSUL RIO DE JANEIRO 7819
RUEHBU/AMEMBASSY BUENOS AIRES 6247
RUEHMN/AMEMBASSY MONTEVIDEO 7761
RUEHAC/AMEMBASSY ASUNCION 7549
RUEHSG/AMEMBASSY SANTIAGO 0960
RUEHLB/AMEMBASSY BEIRUT 0057
RUEHEG/AMEMBASSY CAIRO 0086
RUEHTV/AMEMBASSY TEL AVIV 0177

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 BRASILIA 000709 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PTER KPAO PREL PGOV ECON BR
SUBJECT: Brazil: Initial Reactions on Cairo Speech 
 
Ref: STATE 055334 
 
¶1. (U) Summary: In Brazil, President Obama's address to Muslims 
worldwide has drawn praise for its even-handed approach to the 
issues of religion and politics in the Middle East from government, 
congressional, academic contacts and from members of the Brazilian 
Middle Eastern and Muslim communities whom Post contacted.  Most 
interlocutors had not had time to fully digest the speech, but 
praised in general terms its tone, setting, and themes.  Ministry of 
External Relations (Itamaraty) contacts praised the speech, and 
noted that it almost completely aligns with their views on the 
issues raised.  In a significant move, Itamaraty will release an 
official statement praising the President's effort.  Moderate 
members of the Muslim community, who are generally friendly to the 
United States, suggested that the speech was exactly the message 
that was necessary from the United States, and that it will create 
more space and oxygen for moderate Muslims to speak out, allowing 
them to come out of the shadows in support of moderate views.  End 
summary. 
 
----------------- 
Mission Prep Work 
----------------- 
 
¶2. (U) In anticipation of President Obama's speech, earlier in the 
week Mission Brazil sent out a press advisory to media contacts, 
contacts of all posts within the Mission, including to key members 
of the large Muslim community.  The day before the speech, we 
forwarded additional materials on the speech to contacts in 
Itamaraty, Congress, universities, and the Muslim community.  In 
addition, news of the speech was featured prominently on the 
Embassy's website beginning June 2, and Embassy paid for 
interpretation allowing the speech to be transmitted live via the 
Internet on Terra TV.  It was viewed by more than 1,000 people live, 
despite the early time in Brazil. 
 
------------------------------------- 
"Reading our Mind": Reaction from GOB 
------------------------------------- 
 
¶3. (SBU) Under Secretary for Political Affairs Roberto Jaguaribe 
told Ambassador Sobel that the speech was "courageous."  Jaguaribe 
expects it will create some controversy within the United States, 
but that it was "very correct."  He observed that it presented a 
very constructive approach to the Middle East and to Muslim 
audiences around the world, one that Brazil very much shares and to 
which Brazil will give its support because it represents an approach 
that will lead to real solutions.  He gave particular praise to 
President Obama's views on dealing with extremism, noting that the 
speech and the approach outlined for dealing with extremism is much 
more of a threat to radicals than is confrontation.  Jaguaribe also 
held out praise for President Obama's comments "denouncing Israeli 
settlements," which he called the essential element that Israel has 
to deal with if there is to be progress on what he called "the 
essential East-West conflict."  Jaguaribe also added that the 
combination of President Obama's criticism of HAMAS with the 
recognition that the group has a role to play in the peace process 
was a significant statement and is a view shared by Itamaraty. 
 
¶4. (SBU) Jaguaribe singled out President Obama's comments expressing 
the desire for a world free of nuclear weapons as a constructive 
statement.  On democracy, Jaguaribe noted that President Obama 
comments were welcomed, and that he had successfully walked a 
delicate balance between those who would call it arrogance to 
presume to speak about a country's internal matters and those who 
feared President Obama would not defend democracy.  Jaguaribe noted 
that he would be speaking later with Minister Amorim and that he 
would share Amorim's reaction with the Embassy as soon as he could. 
 
 
¶5. (SBU) Minister Rodrigo do Amaral, Chief of Staff to Roberto 
Jaguaribe told poloff that the speech was very well received within 
the Ministry. From his initial read, he believed the speech mirrored 
Itamaraty's views.  The Ministry was so pleased with the speech, he 
added, that it would put out a public statement praising it.  He 
also noted that he had forwarded the speech within the Ministry, 
including to the offices of Minister Celso Amorim and Secretary 
General (Deputy Minister) Samuel Guimaraes, and that initial 
reaction had been positive.  (Note: Itamaraty had yet to release its 
statement at the time this cable was written. End note.) 
 
-------------------- 
 
BRASILIA 00000709  002 OF 003 
 
 
Other Elite Reaction 
-------------------- 
 
¶6. (SBU) Ali Kamel, Executive Director for Journalism at TV Globo, 
author of the book "About Islam: Affinity Among Muslims, Christians, 
and Jews and the Origins of Terrorism," and an important Middle East 
watcher in Brazil, called President Obama "brave," observing that 
the President "does not care about taboos," in reference to the 
President's mention of the U.S. role in the overthrow of the Iranian 
government.  After some initial doubts that the President would not 
focus sufficiently on democracy-which Kamel called a "universal and 
absolute" right-Kamel was was very pleased that the president did 
not shirk from noting the importance of democracy.  Kamel also 
cautioned that he doubted if the Arab media would release the speech 
in full and advised the State Department to put the whole speech on 
You Tube subtitled in Arabic, particularly the parts on democracy 
and women's rights. 
 
¶7. (SBU) Senator Gerson Camata (Brazilian Democratic Movement Party 
- PMDB, governing coalition, of Espirito Santo) told poloff that the 
speech was "a great step forward" and "an opening to the Arab 
world." Camata noted that Obama "should have pressed Israel a little 
harder on the matter of settlements." (Note: Camata had not read the 
speech, but had seen highlights on CNN.  End note.).  He added that 
Obama "is right that we must isolate terrorists."  Camata stated 
that he said he will make remarks about the speech on Tuesday in the 
Senate and will send the Embassy a copy. 
 
---------------------------------- 
Arab and Muslim Community Reaction 
---------------------------------- 
 
¶8. (SBU) Within the Arab and Muslim communities in Sao Paulo, 
reaction was also positive.  Lebanese Consul General Joseph Sayah, a 
Maronite Christian and an influential contact within Lebanese groups 
of all denominations in Sao Paulo, called the speech "extremely 
vital," one that opened "a new frontier" in Middle Eastern 
relations.  Sayah added that "the West speaks too often from the 
head, but for Arabs what counts is the heart...Obama spoke to the 
heart and masterfully appealed to both emotion and reason in making 
his case for a new beginning." 
 
¶9. (SBU) Sheik Suheil Yamout, Leader of the Lebanese Future Movement 
and a Sunni Muslim noted that the speech was "marvelous." Yamout 
echoed Sayah when he noted that President Obama put the United 
States into a closer relationship with the Arab/Muslim World, and 
showed how to fight terrorism through partnership with moderate 
Muslims.  Sheik Armando Hussein, a moderate Sunni Muslim, noted that 
it was "a good start in [President Obama's] relationship with 
Islam."  Hussein also noted that it would help make the United 
States a more credible intermediary with the Islamic World, adding 
that it was an "excellent a start to a longer and more serious 
dialogue." 
 
------------------------- 
Initial Academic Reaction 
------------------------- 
 
¶10. (U) International Relations Professor Thales Castro, from the 
Catholic University of Pernambuco called the speech, 
"unprecedented," "remarkable," and "very well-crafted/designed."  He 
stated that it was a "parting of the waters" in the Middle East 
peace process.  He observed that while it was a very positive move 
by President Obama, he was concerned that it would create tensions 
with Israel, adding that while Obama's firm stance on settlements 
was a major step forward toward a two-state solution, he thinks that 
Netanyahu will not sign off. 
 
------- 
Comment 
------- 
 
¶11. (SBU) Initial reaction was very positive, although most 
interlocutors begged off giving more detailed reaction due to having 
read or seen only portions of the speech.   Contacts within the 
government were effusive in their praise, observing how much the 
President's speech coincides with Brazil's views on the key issues 
in the Middle East and declaring that it was it was now Brazil's 
turn to give the President support.  The fact that Itamaraty will 
put out an official statement is a significant indicator that the 
GOB is extremely satisfied with the direction of U.S. Middle East 
policy.  In terms of Brazil's Muslim community, the moderate members 
 
BRASILIA 00000709  003 OF 003 
 
 
of the Muslim community heaped praise on the speech, as they believe 
that it will now be easier for them to make their views more widely 
known without being criticized for being overly friendly to the 
United States.  Several other key members of the Muslim community, 
particularly the less moderate ones, asked for additional time to 
analyze the speech, and they may have different views.  We will 
report their reactions as we receive them.  End comment. 
 
SOBEL