R 021313Z JUL 09
FM AMEMBASSY BERLIN
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 4513
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 000803 
 
 
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 US IR KN AF XF HO XG
 
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION:NORTH KOREA, IRAN, AFGHANISTAN, MIDEAST, 
HONDURAS, OBAMA-MEDVEDEV MEETING, LISBON TREATY, CROATIA 
 
¶1.   Lead Stories Summary 
¶2.   UNSC Sanctions on North Korea 
¶3.   Iranian Protests 
¶4.   Afghanistan 
¶5.   Mideast Settlement Policy 
¶6.   Aftermath of Coup in Honduras 
¶7.   Run-Up to Obama-Medvedev Meeting 
¶8.   EU Presidency, Constitutional Court on Lisbon Treaty 
¶9.   Croatian Premier Steps Down 
 
 
¶1.   Lead Stories Summary 
 
ZDF-TV's and ARD-TV's early evening newscasts opened with stories on 
the meeting of the German farmers' organization.  Newspapers and 
editorials focused on many different stories, including the 
financial crisis, the Lisbon Treaty, counterterrorism measures, tax 
cut proposals and the Berlin public transport system.  Ambassador 
Daalder's comments to the press during his visit to Berlin received 
prominent coverage. 
 
¶2.   UNSC Sanctions on North Korea 
 
Frankfurter Allgemeine noted: "If it is right that a North Korean 
freighter, which the U.S. navy observed, is trying to escape 
controls by returning home, then two interpretations are possible. 
First, the freighter had loaded things that should not leave North 
Korea according to UN resolutions.  Second, it could also mean an 
orderly retreat.  The search of the freighter would have resulted in 
a loss of face for Kim Jong-il and would have probably led him to a 
panic reaction.  As an outsider we can now choose between these two 
interpretations.  Does it mean that the sanctions imposed by the UN 
have an effect?  Is Kim Jong-il so busy with finding a successor 
that he does not need a serious confrontation?  Or was the outing to 
the sea only a test for the vigilance of the international 
community?  North Korea continues to remain a dangerous puzzle." 
 
¶3.   Iranian Protests 
 
In a front-page editorial weekly Die Zeit argued: "Barack Obama 
warned Iran's powers-that-be that the world would be looking at them 
in view of the crimes against the protesters.  But Obama did not do 
one thing: He did not encourage the Iranians to put up resistance 
against the state authority.  He did not interfere in Iran's 
domestic affairs.  Obama is breaking with the policy of his 
predecessor.  It is Obama's noblest task to restore the U.S. 
credibility after eight years of Bush.  He made a great step forward 
with his speech to the Muslims in Cairo.  With it, Obama is turning 
away from the policy of regime change of his predecessor.  In 
addition to misery and hundreds of thousands of dead people, Bush's 
policy resulted primarily in one thing:  Iran's hegemony over the 
region.  Nothing would have discredited the protests against the 
Ahmadinejad/Khamenei clique more than U.S. interference.  One false 
word would have been enough to take the legitimacy of the revolt 
away.   Regime critics in Iran certainly feel more encouraged by an 
unwavering and level-headed Obama than by a swiping Bush.  Those who 
view Obama's stance as weakness, naivet and appeasement have 
understood nothing.  For Obama, the Iranian nuclear program is also 
unacceptable, but he is willing to enter into direct talks about it 
with Iran.  No one should feel deceived by his will to show 
toughness, but because he reached out his hand, he is credible. 
Soft power can be the best realpolitik, a subversive force for 
change.  No one has realized this better than the Iranian opposition 
and, of course, the hardliners in Tehran who are about to lose an 
enemy image." 
 
¶4.   Afghanistan Strategy 
 
Broadcast and online media reported this morning that, "the U.S. has 
started one of the most comprehensive operations in Afghanistan in 
recent months.  According to the Pentagon, more than 4,000 U.S. 
soldiers and 650 Afghan security forces are participating.  The goal 
is to gain control of Helmand province, which is now predominantly 
ruled by the Taliban.  This is the first larger operation as part of 
President Obama's new strategy on Afghanistan" (ZDF-TV's Heute). 
 
In response to a Forsa poll saying that 61 percent of Germans are in 
favor of withdrawing German troops from Afghanistan, Tagesspiegel 
commented: "Those who continue to favor a pull out now would leave 
behind not just pure chaos and a future global center for 
terrorists, but also make the sacrifices of the Bundeswehr appear to 
be in vain.  However, Iraq, where the Americans are currently 
pulling out, cannot serve as a model.  The conditions are too 
different.  There was no terrorism and no drugs there before the 
war...  Afghanistan must go its own way.  Militarily, the country 
cannot be won, but it could be lost in many ways.  This would have 
dramatic consequences for NATO's credibility.  If the world's most 
powerful military alliance could not succeed over a few Taliban with 
self-made explosives, it would lose its deterrent nature.  NATO's 
credo of 'those who attack one of us attacks all of us' would no 
longer impress aggressors.  It is questionable whether this would 
make the world safer." 
 
Die Welt editorialized: "The fact that the Germans seriously doubt 
the mission in Afghanistan is more than understandable....  The 
country has departed over six decades from its formerly militaristic 
attitude....  The fact that a majority of Germans reject the 
Afghanistan mission is also due to the reluctance of German 
politicians to explain the mission.  However, this is not all.  The 
Germans are more pacifist than ever before....  Good governance also 
means to sometimes stay the course in disagreement with the 
people." 
 
Tageszeitung opined on tomorrow's decision by the Bundestag on the 
deployment of AWACS planes in Afghanistan: "The German government 
insists that there is no war in Afghanistan, and, secondly, if there 
was one, it had nothing to do with it.  As much as we-the good 
Germans-helped Afghans build bridges, wells, and schools for their 
thriving democracy, we now want to help them build up their air 
traffic infrastructure.  The Bundeswehr soldiers are presented as 
normal air traffic controllers, who happen to wear uniforms.  The 
AWACS mission is described as technical development aid.  The silly 
talk of a robust reconstruction mission is reaching new dimensions. 
This all happens because the German government does not want to make 
a clear statement.  Does it stand by NATO's military approach in 
Afghanistan?  If yes, the deployment of AWACS planes would be 
consistent and should be explained in this way.  However, this would 
mean talking frankly about the operation in Afghanistan.  This is 
not desired, particularly not right before the German elections. 
So, Germany is flying blindly into the ninth year of war." 
 
¶5.   Mideast Settlement Policy 
 
Deutschlandfunk commented: "We can only hope that Israeli newspaper 
reports on a narrowing of views between Jerusalem and Washington 
about the settlement question are wrong, for they would mean that 
the United States is giving up its demand for a total stop to the 
construction of new settlements.  The Israeli government, in turn, 
has not moved an inch.  President Obama has realized that the 
conflict between Israelis and Palestinians cannot be resolved with 
such a policy.  Obama is now picking up the thread of the U.S. 
policy 30 years ago.  At that time, the State Department stated that 
settlements are in contradiction to the 4th Geneva Convention. 
Obama's turn has now encouraged all those who continue to stick to 
the two-state solution - in Israel, in Palestine and in the 
international community.  But if the U.S. government failed because 
of the Israeli adamancy and gave in to a continued existence of the 
block of settlements, then the last chance for a fair peaceful 
solution in the Middle East would have failed." 
 
¶6.   Aftermath of Coup in Honduras 
 
Under the headline: "Showdown in Honduras," Sueddeutsche Zeitung 
reported: "The Organization of American States (OAS) gave an 
ultimatum to the putschists in Honduras.  Ousted President Zelaya 
should be back in office within 72 hours; otherwise Honduras will be 
excluded from the OAS.  There is growing concern in neighboring 
countries that the example of Honduras could find supporters.  In an 
opinion poll commissioned by Guatemala's biggest daily Prensa Libre, 
50 percent of those interviewed expressed their concern about 
democracy.  Democracy and the economy in almost all Central American 
countries are unstable, and they have not yet overcome the 
consequences of the civil wars of the 20th century.  Violence and 
corruption are rampant and small conservative minorities set the 
tone.  And Honduras's President had started a fight with them." 
 
Frankfurter Allgemeine editorialized: "The crisis in and around 
Honduras has the traits of a picture puzzle.  President Zelaya, who 
tried to abolish the constitutional order of his country, can now 
present himself to the UN and the Organization of American States 
(OAS) as a democrat and victim of the bourgeoisie where he comes 
from.  But the Honduran military and politicians of all parties, who 
have ousted Zelaya in accordance with the constitution and the 
approval of the country's supreme court, are ostracized everywhere 
ranging from Washington via Havana to Caracas and Brussels.  But it 
was the goal of the putschists to restore the democratic order in 
the country.  And this is exactly what distinguishes this case from 
the unholy past in Latin America.  No one should certainly like the 
fact that the military was necessary to do this.  But the often 
formal democracy in Latin America is jeopardized much more by people 
such as Zelaya than by the generals." 
 
¶7.   Run-Up to Obama-Medvedev Meeting 
 
Under the headline "Global Power Boys," weekly Die Zeit carried a 
full-page article saying: "For Barack Obama, the second stage of his 
foreign policy is now beginning.  First, there were the opening and 
good will gestures, the work on the U.S. image ranging from the ban 
on torture to the commitment to climate protection to his speech to 
the Muslims in Cairo.  As of today, he needs cooperation with others 
to realize his plans.  [In Moscow], President Obama must hope that 
President Medvedev will emancipate from his anti-western stepfather 
leaving behind the spirit of the aggressive era ranging from 9/11 to 
the Georgia war last year ..  Obama cannot hope for successful 
nuclear talks with Iran. That is why it is all the more important 
that he achieves something with the Russians, since the Mr. Nice-Guy 
president could otherwise become assailable.  It seems that Medvedev 
is better at dealing with criticism than Putin who considers 
criticism as an attack on this authority.  Like Obama, Medvedev 
tends to an unideological approach and, at the same time, is more 
cooperative in international relations.  A tendency to a friendly 
coolness and objectivity is linking the two new leaders in contrast 
to their predecessors, for whom global politics found an expression 
in friendships among men and arch rivalries.  But U.S.-Russian 
disarmament policy will not become easy under Obama and Medvedev 
either.  A reduction of warheads would certainly be welcomed by 
Russia but Moscow is linking a disarmament treaty to a rejection of 
the planned U.S. anti-missile plan in Poland and the Czech Republic. 
 Nevertheless, the Obama-Medevev combination offers a precious 
chance.  Under Putin, Russia was striving for a global leading role 
which lacked substance.  Medvedev could now develop a more realistic 
assessment of Russia's strength to alleviate conflicts over Iran's 
nuclear program, the global rivalry of energy currents, and Russia 
claim for power in its neighborhood.  With Obama's assistance, 
Medvedev could improve Russia's foreign policy reputation and push 
domestic reforms that would turn Russia from a raw material regime 
into a modern post-industrial state." 
 
¶8.   EU Presidency, Constitutional Court on Lisbon Treaty 
 
Deutschlandfunk commented: "We can clearly hear a sigh of relief in 
Brussels.  The Czech chaos presidency is over now and the Swedes are 
coming.  The contrast could hardly be greater.  The Steinfeldt 
government is pro-European.  It has formulated two goals: to create 
the basis for successful talks on a reduction of carbon dioxide 
emissions.  The success of the Swedish presidency will be measured 
against the outcome of the Copenhagen climate summit.  Second, to 
master the financial crisis.  But it will be the most important task 
to settle the conflict between the EU leaders and the European 
Parliament over European Commission President Barroso." 
 
According to Sueddeutsche Zeitung, "this is a great, very important 
ruling because it clearly outlines the significance of the national 
state in the future.  The message is: there are many peculiarities 
in Germany and these peculiarities determine what Germany is.  The 
court ruled that the national state is allowed to give away rights 
to supranational organizations, but if, as a consequence of such 
moves, the national state has no longer 'sufficient latitude to 
politically shape it, then this is unconstitutional.' To put it in 
simpler terms: As long as the Basic Law is validated, Germany is 
more important than Europe.  Because this is the case, the Bundestag 
must examine more bills [from Brussels] and not nod everything 
through.  In a good sense, the ruling from Tuesday is 
Europe-skeptical.  It warns against a secret restructuring of the 
national state by the executive, which often argues that the policy 
which it considers right, is without an alternative.  Of course, the 
many pages of the ruling from the Constitutional Court are not 
understandable for many Germans such as the Lisbon treaty.  But the 
ruling seems to correspond to a basic feeling in Germany and offers 
reason to strengthen this view: Europe is good, but not as good that 
would prevent us from taking a very close look." 
 
¶9.   Croatian Premier Steps Down 
 
Frankfurter Rundschau commented: "The real Europe has left its 
friends, like outgoing Croatian Prime Minister Ivo Sanader, in the 
lurch.  Slovenia was allowed to blackmail Croatia's government as it 
pleased-Austria and Italy was not allowed to do this at the time of 
Slovenia's entry.  At the latest when Serbian reformers lose faith 
in Europe, the conflicts of 1990s will return." 
 
 
KOENIG