VZCZCXYZ0028
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHSO #0536 2531918
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 101918Z SEP 09
FM AMCONSUL SAO PAULO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 9581
INFO RHEHNSC/NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHDC IMMEDIATE
RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA PRIORITY 0718
RUEHRI/AMCONSUL RIO DE JANEIRO PRIORITY 9248

UNCLAS SAO PAULO 000536 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE INR/R/MR; IIP/R/MR; WHA/PD 
 
DEPT PASS USTR 
 
USDOC 4322/MAC/OLAC/JAFEE 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KMDR OPRC OIIP XM XR XF BR
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION - BRAZIL'S FX-2 BID 
 
"Conspiracies and Lies" 
 
Op-ed in liberal Folha de S. Paulo (9-10) by Janio de Freitas says: 
"The purchase of heavy armaments [by Brazil] is looking like a 
scandal, with so many secret conspiracies, chaotic strategic 
planning, fantastic and arbitrary volume of money and indebtedness, 
in addition to lies used as arguments....[The statement issued by 
the U.S. Embassy in Brazil] is something very embarrassing for the 
Brazilian government. Will Lula's government acknowledge now to the 
U.S. that it doesn't trust Washington's geopolitics, as evidenced by 
the military bias towards Europe?....It is already clear that all 
the transaction was set in advance to do the deal with French 
manufacturers........" 
 
"Role of Foolish" 
 
 Op-ed in liberal Folha de S. Paulo (9-10) by Eliane Catanhede 
notes: "....there is much more than vain philosophy, technical 
issues and even prices behind Brazil's preference for the French 
planes - or for the French.  But they did not need to upset the 
apple cart.  They only had to follow the normal channels, let 
Brazil's Air Force conclude its work, pressure for better prices and 
announce the choice for France with professionalism and countenance 
in order to give an air of seriousness to the country and avoid 
juridical review in the future. " 
WHITE