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RR RUEHAG RUEHDF RUEHLZ
DE RUEHRL #1300/01 2930602
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 200602Z OCT 09
FM AMEMBASSY BERLIN
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 5517
INFO RHEHAAA/WHITE HOUSE WASHINGTON DC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHINGTON DC
RUCNFRG/FRG COLLECTIVE
RUEHBS/AMEMBASSY BRUSSELS 1647
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 0356
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 0872
RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME 2388
RUEHNO/USMISSION USNATO 1397
RUEHVEN/USMISSION USOSCE 0580
RHMFIUU/HQ USAFE RAMSTEIN AB GE
RHMFISS/HQ USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE//J5 DIRECTORATE (MC)//
RHMFISS/CDRUSAREUR HEIDELBERG GE
RUKAAKC/UDITDUSAREUR HEIDELBERG GE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 07 BERLIN 001300 
 
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" 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.0. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OPRC KMDR KPAO US IR SU AF PK
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION: U.S., IRAN, SUDAN, AFGHANISTAN, PAKISTAN, 
ENVIRONMENT;BERLIN 
 
¶1.   Lead Stories Summary 
¶2.   (U.S.)   Clinton Interview 
¶3.   (Iran)   Bombings 
¶4.   (Sudan)   New U.S. Strategy 
¶5.   (Afghanistan)   Future Strategy 
¶6.   (Pakistan)   Government Offensive 
¶7.   (Environment)   Copenhagen Climate Talks 
 
 
¶1.   Lead Stories Summary 
 
Headlines in the print media focused on coalition talks in Berlin. 
 
Die Welt opened with an interview the Russian Newsweek conducted 
with 
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, FAZ centered on Czech President 
 
Klaus's intention to sign the Lisbon Treaty, and FT Deutschland on 
monetary problems between the EU and China, while die tageszeitung 
dealt with the offensive of the Pakistani armed forces against the 
Taliban.  Editorials centered on the coalition talks, the upcoming 
signing of the sales contract for Opel, and a debate over the 
vaccination against the H1N1 flu virus.  ZDF-TV's early evening 
newscast heute and ARD-TV's early evening newscast Tagesschau also 
opened with reports on the coalition talks. 
 
¶2.   (U.S.)   Clinton Interview 
 
Die Welt (10/19) carried a front-page interview which the 
editor-in- 
chief of Russia's edition of Newsweek, Michael Fishman conducted 
with 
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton during her visit to Moscow last 
week.  The daily added that the interview will also be published in 
 
Russia today.  The paper carried a front-page picture with the 
secretary smiling and a caption saying: "No looking back, Secretary 
 
Clinton is not only trying to improve relations with the Russian 
government, but she also wants to support Russian human rights 
groups 
which are trying to improve life [in Russia]."  The headline of the 
 
interview is a remark by the Secretary saying: "I do not want to 
Seek 
Someone who is to Blame."  The sub-title summarizes the interview, 
writing: "Welt interview: U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on 
 
Russia, Missiles, and the Treatment of Iran."   Die Welt wrote in an 
 
article on its front page: U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton 
is 
trying to develop a joint missile defense system with Russia in the 
 
fight against extremism and terrorism.  Clinton said in the 
interview 
with Die Welt: 'We think that a joint missile defense system for our 
 
states would be reasonable.  We see each other confronted with the 
same dangers, namely an Iran in possession of nuclear weapons or 
such 
weapons in the hands of a terrorist network.'  That is why it is 
time 
to cooperate in our own interest. 'We are on a path in the right 
direction since President Obama has changed his plans for a missile 
 
defense shield in Europe,' Clinton added."  The full text of the 
interview appeared on page five. 
 
BERLIN 00001300  002 OF 007 
 
 
 
¶3.   (Iran)   Bombings 
 
All papers carried extensive coverage of the bombing that killed 
several commanders of the Revolutionary Guards.   Sueddeutsche 
(10/19) 
headlined: "Attack on Revolutionary Guards in Iran," and added that 
 
"the most serious attack on the Revolutionary Guards over the past 
few 
years emphasizes the increasing instability in the region." 
Frankfurter Allgemeine (10/19 reported under the headline: "Iranian 
 
Generals Killed in Attack" that "the great majority of Sunni 
Baluchis, 
primarily found in the Province of Sistan Baluchistan, opposes the 
Shiite rulers.  The Iranian news agency ISNA reported that the Sunni 
 
Dchundullah underground group assumed responsibility for the attack. 
 
Iran's state TV only spoke of a local Sunni rebel group, while 
revolutionary guards claimed 'foreign elements' with relations to 
the 
Untied States were responsible for the attack."  Die Welt (10/19) 
headlined: "High-ranking Iranian Revolutionary Guards killed in 
Bombing," and wrote: "Iran's Parliamentary President Larijani said: 
 
'We are of the opinion that the most recent terror attacks refer 
back 
to the United States.'  He added that President Obama announced a 
policy of an 'extended hand,' but with this action he has 'burnt his 
 
hand. Washington rejected the accusations.  U.S. spokesman Ian Kelly 
 
said: 'We condemn this terrorist attack and regret the death of 
innocent people.  Reports of an U.S. involvement are totally wrong, 
he 
said. 
 
In an editorial, Frankfurter Rundschau (10/19) wrote: "The bombing 
is 
shaking a central pillar of the Iranian power structure on which the 
 
regime under Ayatollah Khamenei and President Ahmadinejad is 
increasingly dependent.  But the bombing also reveals other 
conflicts 
that are smoldering under the surface, conflicts that have been 
ignored since the controversial presidential elections.  The Sunni 
minority feels suppressed by the Shiite headquarters and is calling 
 
for greater self-determination, even though this demand is going 
hand 
in hand with the continued activity of the drug, human trafficking 
and 
ransom industries." 
 
According to Financial Times Deutschland (10/19), "the Revolutionary 
 
Guards seemed to be inconvincible in the summer, but yesterday's 
attack shows that they are not invulnerable and that they do not 
always have everything under control.  Even though the attacker did 
 
not come from the opposition ranks the regime cannot like the 
pillars 
of their power being hit.  The political system in Iran is not a 
house 
of cards.  It has been set up in such a way that it can also govern 
 
 
BERLIN 00001300  003 OF 007 
 
 
against the majority.  The question is for how long the 
powers-that-be 
are able to stand this course.  That is why they are using all means 
 
available to return to the state of control before the mass protests 
 
on June 12.  But the unrest in the country is so great that a new 
outbreak of protests is likely." 
 
Tagesspiegel (10/19) judged under the headline: "The bombing Also 
Casts Light onto Iran's Opium Problem," and argued: "Almost half of 
 
the opium from Afghanistan destined for France, Italy, Germany, and 
 
France is being transferred by Iranian drug couriers across southern 
 
Iran to the North.  Iran's province of Sistan Beluchistan at the 
border to Pakistan and Afghanistan is considered the most dangerous 
in 
the country.  Tehran is now having the same experience as all other 
 
transit countries: a considerable part of the cargo gets stuck on 
the 
way to the North to the detriment of the health of its own young 
people.  But Europe is looking away.  For years, Iran has not 
received 
any support to counter the activities of these drug gangs." 
 
¶4.   (Sudan)   New U.S. Strategy 
 
Under the headline: "Less Pressure, Greater Stimulus," Sueddeutsche 
 
Zeitung (10/19) noted: "Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will 
announce a new U.S. strategy towards Iran this Monday.  In the 
future, 
Washington will try to intensify cooperation with the regime in 
Khartoum in order to improve the situation in the crisis province of 
 
Darfur.  President Obama's special envoy Scott Gration said that the 
 
United States wants to use a mixture of 'stimuli and pressure' to 
stop 
the persecution of the people in Darfur." 
 
Frankfurter Allgemeine (10/19) editorialized under the headline: 
"More 
Carrot Than Stick," and wrote: "Basheer's promotion to a U.S. anti- 
terror ally is not an appropriate step to enthuse Obama's left-wing 
 
supporters, because he used the Darfur example to criticize George 
¶W. 
Bush of a lack of self-assertion.  This policy is also grist to the 
 
mill of the right wing.  They are afraid that the President, with 
his 
multiple 'extended hands' to Russia, Iran, Burma, and North Korea, 
will also become entangled in Sudan, and that, in the end, the 
United 
States will be chained.  But Obama continues to make his first moves 
 
and knows only one thing: his predecessor's methods were not very 
successful." 
 
Under the headline: "Waltz with Basheer," Tagesspiegel (10/19) 
editorialized: "In the election campaign, President Obama 
represented 
a tough policy against Sudanese President Basheer, but now the U.S. 
 
 
BERLIN 00001300  004 OF 007 
 
 
government has presented a Sudan policy that gives up the plan to 
completely ostracize the dictator.  There are several reasons for 
this: the peace treaty that was concluded between the North and the 
 
South is about to fail.  U.S. Sudan envoy Scott Gration is convinced 
 
that there will be no solution without Basheer.  In view of the 
complex realities in the country, the Obama administration has bid 
farewell to a policy that was based on human rights.  This is bitter 
 
but also wise.  The international arrest warrant against Basheer has 
 
only made the dictator stronger.  It is difficult but necessary to 
find the right distance, for otherwise, there will soon be a new war 
 
in Sudan." 
 
¶5.   (Afghanistan)   Future Strategy 
 
Under the headline; "Obama Supporters Losing Patience," Financial 
Times Deutschland (10/19) reported: "Following a tough conservative 
 
campaign against his healthcare reform, President Obama has to 
counter 
mounting criticism from his own camp.  Primarily the increase in 
U.S. 
forces in Afghanistan is making Democrats angry.  But in return, for 
 
many of his controversial political plans, he is finding unusual 
supporters: Republican lawmakers.  Some have indicated that they 
would 
back his planned increase of troops in Afghanistan to up to 40,000 
forces.  With this shift, conservative lawmakers could turn into the 
 
strongest allies of the Democratic president in questions of 
national 
security.  At the same time, the gap would widen that has developed 
 
between Obama, the party's rank and file and leading Democrats." 
 
Frankfurter Allgemeine (10/19) opined in a front-page editorial: "It 
 
is time for the international community to cut the knot and make up 
 
its mind on an increase of forces in Afghanistan.  It is true that 
the 
coming winter will result in a reduction of combat activities but 
the 
Afghan population will draw its own conclusions from the ongoing 
insecurity [in the West] and on its future engagement in their 
country.  This is also one way to lose the hearts and minds of the 
people.  The situation is being aggravated because of a second 
dilemma: the presidential elections have not clarified the political 
 
situation.  On the contrary, forming a unity government in this 
situation does not sound like such a bad option. It would, in fact, 
be 
the lesser evil, although it would not correspond to the 
Constitution 
and would be unlikely to prevent the rivals [Karzai and Abdullah] 
from 
paralyzing each other, to stem corruption and to keep the central 
government from losing the rest of its credibility." 
 
Under the headline: "Karzai Prevents Afghanistan's Reconstruction," 
 
Die Welt (10/19) opined: "It is time to strike a different tone 
towards the Afghan president.  President Obama's refusal to tell 
 
BERLIN 00001300  005 OF 007 
 
 
Karzai what to do before a resolution to the Afghan election crisis 
 
has been found, is a move in the right direction, even though the 
West 
cannot afford to let the matter go unresolved.  But with this step, 
 
Washington is making clear that Karzai, too, has to meet conditions 
 
before the West intensifies its engagement.  In the meantime, people 
 
at the NATO headquarters in Kabul are discussing whether local 
structures can be better build from the bottom up and whether NATO 
should seek its own governors and police leaders who are more 
competent and less corrupt.  But in his own interest, Karzai should 
 
understand one thing soon: life will also go on without him." 
 
According to regional daily Trierischer Volksfreund (10/19), 
"President Obama plans to define his new Afghanistan strategy in the 
 
coming weeks.  He would be well-advised to include the most recent 
provocative attitude of Afghanistan's President Karzai into 
consideration when deciding this important political question. 
There 
can be no doubt that there were massive manipulations by his 
supporters in the election and that these manipulations were covered 
 
up by high ranking officials.  That is why it is time that Obama, 
but 
also the rest of the world, make clear to Karzai the following: our 
 
military concept and the question of civilian engagement will orient 
 
clearly to the credibility and the reliability of the Afghan 
President." 
 
¶6.   (Pakistan)   Government Offensive 
 
In its offensive against the Taliban, the Pakistani government wants 
 
to put an end to attacks from opponents on the army headquarters," 
Frankfurter Allgemeine (10/19) argued, and added: "But one of the 
effects of this offensive will be that, among the hundreds of 
thousands of people, who will now flee from Southern Waziristan, 
there 
will be many 'insurgents' and terrorists who will flee to rugged 
mountainous regions and to Afghanistan.  Next spring it will become 
 
clear whether the Af/Pak complex can be controlled militarily and 
politically." 
 
In an editorial under the headline: "Fateful Offensive," die 
tageszeitung (10/19) judged: "This offensive makes clear that the 
survival of Pakistan as a halfway secular and democratic state is at 
 
stake.  It is totally open whether the fight against the Taliban can 
 
even be won.  Even the smaller offensive in the SWAT Valley early 
this 
year was not a sound success and the opponent in South Waziristan is 
 
much more powerful.  That is why there are only two possible 
scenarios: either the armed forces really win the upper hand against 
 
the Taliban, making them stronger than any time before, or they will 
 
get involved in a guerilla war in which they must conclude dubious 
deals with the opponents - which would result in a worrying 
 
BERLIN 00001300  006 OF 007 
 
 
radicalization of Pakistan.  The only possibility of the 
international 
community to counter such a development is to help the Zadari 
government quickly and unbureaucratically achieve a civilian 
success." 
 
¶7.   (Environment)   Copenhagen Climate Talks 
 
According to Handelsblatt(10/19), the EU is not making any progress 
in 
its preparatory talks for the Copenhagen Climate summit (December 7 
- 
18, 2009).  The daily reported under the headline; "EU at Odds With 
 
Itself on Climate Costs," and wrote: "the European Union is not 
making 
progress in its preparations for the climate protection conference 
in 
Copenhagen.  The 27 EU members are at odds with each other not only 
 
about the costs for the fight against global warming but also about 
 
targets for reduction of carbon dioxide emissions.  This is the 
content of the draft resolutions for the European Council of finance 
 
ministers (Ecofin) and the European Council of environment 
ministers. 
Both councils will meet tomorrow and the day after tomorrow in 
Luxembourg.  But Brussels' diplomats doubt that the meetings will 
lead 
to an agreement. But time is pressing because the EU leaders, during 
 
their summit at the end of this month, want to approve a joint 
position.  An agreement is all the more important because the 
British 
and Americans are already spreading optimism that there will be a 
global agreement in Copenhagen.  U.S. envoy Todd Stern, said: 'I 
think 
an agreement is possible.'" 
 
Under the headline: "U.S. Considers Climate Deal To Be Possible," 
Financial Times Deutschland (10/19) reported: "Irrespective of the 
brief time, the United States and Great Britain think than an 
agreement at the Copenhagen Climate Summit is still possible. 
Officials from both states said that other nations such as Japan, 
Indonesia, India, and China have already reached agreements on 
targets.  U.S. chief envoy Todd Stern said in London: 'I think an 
agreement is possible.'  During the meeting in London, pressure on 
the 
United States is mounting for it to approve concrete steps to 
protect 
the climate.  It is the last meeting in a series of meetings 
initiated 
by the United States.  These meetings should also find answers to 
questions such as how to finance improved energy efficiency and 
adaptation cost as a consequence of climate damages." 
 
Frankfurter Rundschau (10/19) carried an editorial on the decision 
of 
the Maldives government to carry out a Cabinet meeting under water. 
 
The daily judged: "President Mohammed Nasheed is a clever man. With 
 
his spectacular underwater Cabinet meeting he made it into almost 
all 
papers in the world.  This is good.  Shortly before the important 
Copenhagen Climate summit, it makes clear that the issue in 
Copenhagen 
 
BERLIN 00001300  007 OF 007 
 
 
is not solely abstract temperature curves, carbon dioxide figures 
and 
billions of euros, but that the issue is people." 
 
Regional daily Sdkurier of Konstanz (10/19) judged: "Mohammed 
Nasheed 
had quite a few ideas of attracting attention of the global public 
to 
the misery of his island state.  Now the President of the Maldives 
submerged with his full Cabinet.  In this paradise-like world of 
islands it is more obvious than anywhere else how dramatic the 
impact 
of climate change is.  The underwater Cabinet approved an ardent 
appeal to the Copenhagen climate conference.  But in the petty 
bickering of Copenhagen, the appeal will go unheard.  And a 
depressed 
President Nasheed will again have to explain to his citizens that 
those who have the say in Copenhagen do not (yet) know what it means 
 
to be up to one's neck in water." 
 
Die tageszeitung (10/19) opined that "this dive into the Indian 
Ocean 
is sending the signal to Copenhagen that there is no room for 
national 
egotism in the climate debate.  At the conference, humanly thinking 
 
states must stand for an engaged climate protocol and if this is not 
 
implementable, a unilateral move of the good-willing is necessary." 
 
MURPHY