R 301143Z JUL 09
FM AMEMBASSY BERLIN
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 4732
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 000909 
 
 
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: U.S.-CHINA, U.S.-IRAQ, IRAQ, NIGERIA, 
SPAIN 
 
¶1.   Lead Stories Summary 
¶2.   (U.S.-China)   Summit in Washington 
¶3.   (U.S.-Iraq)   Gates on Troop Withdrawal 
¶4.   (Iraq)   Storming of Camp Ashraf 
¶5.   (Nigeria)   Islamic Militants 
¶6.   (Spain)   ETA Bomb Attack 
 
 
¶1.   Lead Stories Summary 
 
There are two main stories in the print media this morning: Health 
Minister Ulla Schmidt will not be a member of SPD chancellor 
candidate Steinmeier's election campaign team and cooperation 
between Microsoft and Yahoo to compete with Google.  Editorials 
focused on Microsoft and Yahoo's partnership and on the birth rate 
among female university graduates.  ZDF-TV's early evening newscast 
heute and ARD-TV's early evening newscast Tagesschau opened with 
stories that Frank-Walter Steinmeier did not choose Health Minister 
Schmidt to be a member of his election campaign team. 
 
¶2.   (U.S.-China)   Summit in Washington 
 
According to Frankfurter Rundschau, "it was not the few results of 
this meeting that made it so important.  At issue was the opening of 
a dialogue between the two global policy heavyweights who have 
distrusted each other very often in the past but who have been 
dependent on each other for a long time.  China is coming out 
stronger because of the current global economic crisis.  The old 
U.S. superpower knows that its indebtedness and the necessary 
domestic reforms will impose limits on the U.S. power.  Under Bush, 
the United States shouldered too heavy a burden with military 
adventurism and unilateralism.  Under Obama, the United States is 
now looking inward.  Washington is reacting to China's global 
significance and the network of dependencies by attempting to 
increase China's international responsibility.  China is also 
interested in coordination.  Following this crisis both nations must 
restructure their economic and trade relations.  The old model, in 
which China produces goods, while America consumes them and from 
which both profited, has crashed.  This new geo-political balance of 
forces may inevitably lead to an upgrading of Sino-U.S. relations 
but the rhetoric about a G-2 and of a bipolar world is overshooting 
the mark.  It is true that few problems can be resolved without 
China and the U.S., but both are also unable to resolve them on 
their own.  Europe should not grieve over this development but find 
its own role in a changing world." 
 
Under the headline: "Good for Europe," Financial Times Deutschland 
argued: "It may be possible that historians may consider the 
U.S.-Sino summit a signal of a turn of an era, but from today's 
point of view, it is not.  The results of the meeting are simply too 
meager: a vague statement on climate protection and a few words on 
economic policy. That's all.  But it was the first time that both 
states met at such a high level with so many officials.  With this 
step, the United States is recognizing China as a global power.  But 
what about the Europeans?  Of course, China's rise is goes along 
with a decline in European significance, and to a certain degree, 
the Europeans must blame themselves for this development. 
Nevertheless, China and the U.S. are far away from drafting new 
rules for the world...because Chinese and U.S. strategic interests 
are largely diametrically opposed.  The main issue is to reduce the 
worst tensions and this is good, including for the Europeans.   But 
all this does not mean that the Europeans are no longer playing a 
role.  But they will be heard only if they speak with one voice." 
 
¶3.   (U.S.-Iraq)   Gates on Troop Withdrawal 
 
Secretary Gates's visit to Iraq did not create too much attention in 
the media.  Papers carry factual dpa, AP and Reuters news reports. 
Financial Times Deutschland wrote under the headline: "Gates 
Considering faster U.S. Troop Withdrawal From Iraq, "and reported: 
 
"Following his talks in Iraq, Secretary Gates conceded that there is 
the possibility that the U.S. troop withdrawal from Iraq could be 
sped up.  He said that there is a 'certain chance of a minor 
acceleration.'  It may be possible that one combat brigade could be 
pulled out earlier than planned, he said, and added that General 
Odierno...pointed out that the security situation in Iraq is 
improving faster than anticipated  Yesterday, Gates met with the 
political leadership of the Kurds in Erbil.  The Kurdish parties are 
watching the U.S. troop withdrawal with concern." 
 
¶4.   (Iraq)   Storming of Camp Ashraf 
 
Under the headline: "Lost Bunch," Sueddeutsche Zeitung argued; 
"Among the many bad choices which the opposition Mujahidin in Iraq 
made was the mistake to join forces with Saddam Hussein.  In their 
home region only a few people forgave them for this.  For the same 
reason, they have no friends in Iraq.  After the occupation of Iraq, 
the Americans disarmed this lost bunch of Mujahidin and kept them in 
their Ashraf camp as a reserve.  [The Americans hoped] that they 
could be used as agents in the Islamic Republic [of Iran].  But now 
the Iraqis have taken control over the camp and in view of their 
previous history, this move could not take a friendly course.   And 
those in Ashraf who had links to the outside departed long ago.  Now 
Baghdad wants to get rid of the last remaining 3,500 Mujahidin but 
no one wants to accept them.  Only an act of mercy would allow them 
to return to Iran." 
 
Sueddeutsche Zeitung reported under the headline: "Iraqi Soldiers 
Storming Camp of Exiled Iranians," and wrote: "The Iraqi government 
is now taking action against the exiled Iranian opposition.  When 
storming a camp of militant opposition forces, Iraqi soldiers and 
police officers killed eight members of the Iranian People's 
Mujahidin.  During the occupation of the camp that has been 
autonomously administered by exiled Iranians, 400 Iranians and 
dozens of Iraqi security forces are supposed to have been injured. 
The question now is whether Iraq will deport the Iranians, as Tehran 
is demanding. Western governments and human rights activists are 
warning against torture and executions in Iran.  The U.S. Supreme 
Commander in Iran, General Odierno, said he was not informed on the 
actions of the Iraqi military." 
 
¶5.   (Nigeria)   Islamic Militants 
 
Frankfurter Allgemeine opined under the headline: "African Taliban?" 
that "in the past, African Islam was described as 'syncretistic,' 
i.e. that black Muslims were able to merge their traditional views 
and cults with Islam.  But this time seems to be over, at least in 
Nigeria, where the Sharia Islam is dominant at least in the northern 
part of the country.   In addition, in several provinces Islamic 
groups are supposed to be active; their Islam resembles the one of 
the Taliban.  On the command of the president, the army is now 
taking action against the Nigerian 'Taliban' to prevent a further 
disintegration of the country.  No one knows whether these preachers 
and insurgents have any connection with the real Taliban or with 
al-Qaida.  But the existing unease is reason for concern: Nigeria is 
the most populous African state and is very rich in oil." 
 
According to die tageszeitung, "what is happening now in northern 
Nigeria has a new quality.  Militant Islamists are calling 
themselves 'Taliban' and are directly attacking the power of the 
state.  This has more to do with transnational Islamism and less 
with an inner-Nigerian clash of cultures.  Violence in Nigeria has 
happened exactly where the large trans-Sahara trade routes reach 
western Africa.  A joint strategy against the Islamists is now 
indispensable.  But thus far, a discussion has been going on only at 
the military level.  Where is transnational cooperation against 
radical preachers and their madrassas, for enlightenment and the 
rule of law, for a functioning education system, for the 
conservation of nature?  The northern Nigerian Islamists are 
thriving on a basis of ignorance and a lack of perspectives among a 
quickly growing very poor population.  But their governments and 
their western partners have not yet realized this." 
 
¶6.   (Spain)   ETA Bomb Attack 
 
Frankfurter Rundschau editorialized that the grave terror attack in 
Burgos "shows that the bomb plotters can strike any time at their 
own discretion and this at a time when everyone thought that the 
Spanish state would gain the upper hand in the confrontation with 
this terror movement.  But little will help against the violent 
extremists.  However, there is also encouraging news.  Even though 
ETA wanted to celebrate its 50th anniversary with this cynical 
attack in the Basque provinces, the great majority has realized long 
ago that ETA is today no longer a resistance movement as it was 
under the Franco dictatorship. For most Spaniards, ETA is a terror 
movement which is only in the way of the democratic development in 
the Basque provinces." 
 
BRADTKE