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RR RUEHAG RUEHDF RUEHLZ
DE RUEHRL #1315/01 2941238
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 211238Z OCT 09
FM AMEMBASSY BERLIN
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 5540
INFO RHEHAAA/WHITE HOUSE WASHINGTON DC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC
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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 04 BERLIN 001315 
 
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 GM US AF IR EZ PL
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION: AFGHANISTAN, MISSILE DEFENSE, IRAN, 
CLIMATE; Berlin 
 
¶1.   Lead Stories Summary 
¶2.   Afghan Runoff Elections 
¶3.   VP Biden in Europe, Missile Defense Policy Shift 
¶4.   Iranian Nuclear Program 
¶5.   Climate Protection 
 
¶1.   Lead Stories 
 
Primetime newscasts and most newspapers opened with the closure of 
the 
mail-order business Quelle.  Some papers focused on the 
Constitutional 
Court's review of the labor market reform.  Frankfurter Allgemeine 
opened with the Afghan runoff elections and Sueddeutsche led with a 
 
story on the new government's planned 'shadow budget.'  Editorials 
focused on Quelle, the labor market reform known as Hartz IV, the 
coalition talks, and Afghanistan. 
 
¶2.   Afghan Runoff Elections 
 
Frankfurter Allgemeine editorialized: "Karzai has lost face before 
his 
supporters and legitimacy among the international community since 
election fraud could hardly have happened without his knowledge.  A 
 
second round of elections, which he will probably win, will not 
remove 
this stain.  It is expected that the logistical efforts to hold the 
 
runoff will be made more difficult by an increase in attacks by the 
 
Taliban.  Voters must fear for their lives.  If the turnout is lower 
 
than a third of all voters, which was achieved in the first round, 
the 
results of the runoff will be dubious anyway." 
 
Sueddeutsche remarked: "When have we done enough for Afghanistan? 
When can the 67,000 soldiers leave the country?  Karzai has given an 
 
important answer to these questions with his agreement to hold 
runoff 
elections.  If the runoff is successful, the next government will 
enjoy a great deal of legitimacy.  If Karzai appoints reasonable 
ministers and does not give in to his clientele, we could hand over 
 
more and more responsibility to his government.  After their energy 
 
was absorbed in recent months by supporting the elections, the 
American, German, and other governments no longer have any 
excuses... 
The runoff offers them a last opportunity to keep their promises: 
protection against the Taliban and a better life.  This is also one 
 
last chance to define achievable and credible goals for the mission: 
 
Afghanistan must be able to protect itself against becoming an 
Islamic 
caliphate....  The positive power of the runoff can be exploited as 
one 
last impetus to stabilize the country...  This will be the last 
chance. 
Karzai has tested the limits of our goodwill." 
 
Frankfurter Rundschau opined: "Hamid Karzai gave in to the 
complaints 
commission and the important visitors from the West.  Particularly 
 
BERLIN 00001315  002 OF 004 
 
 
Zalmay Khalilzad, who pulled the strings before Karzai's first 
inauguration, did a lot of pep talk.  The neocon, who was in charge 
of 
everything in the broader Middle East under President Bush, might 
have 
helped Karzai out of his fix for the time being.  However, Karzai 
will 
continue to carry the stain of having benefited from massive 
election 
fraud.  This is a burden for Afghanistan's future, regardless of how 
 
the runoff will end." 
 
Under the headline "Afghanistan is not yet lost-the path to 
democracy," Die Welt commented: "On the path to democracy, elections 
 
are an important step towards peace, if they are credible, and 
instability if they are not credible.  This is the fate Afghanistan 
 
faces now, as if it has not yet suffered enough.  Runoff elections 
are 
necessary, but are not sufficient to create confidence at home and 
abroad....  To what extent is fraud acceptable in consideration of 
our 
fallen soldiers?  The West must ask itself whether the goals of the 
 
mission are still reasonable and achievable. The notion of democracy 
 
present in Petersberg in 2001 has not yet been established and is 
not 
in sight....  It is becoming clear that a runoff is the West's 
wonder 
cure but not the way to pacify the country, which has different 
traditions....  Afghanistan is not yet lost.  The runoff elections 
will 
again require more security measures...  The efforts of Afghans and 
the 
international community must not be in vain.  Afghanistan must not 
again turn into Bin Laden's country." 
 
Tagesspiegel editorialized: "Election fraud is not always rewarded 
by 
power sharing deals, like in Africa.  With the decision to hold 
runoff 
elections between Karzai and Abdullah, the election scandal is 
supposed to be cured.  However, the runoff will not create more 
credibility as it must be prepared in less than three weeks.  Many 
Afghans were not able to participate in the first round of the 
elections because of the security situation.  It is an illusion that 
 
election fraud will be avoidable in the runoff.  It will probably be 
 
even more professionally done.  Fairly acceptable runoff elections 
are 
important for the West not to lose face.  Without Karzai's 
agreement, 
the debate over a new U.S. strategy on Afghanistan and deploying 
more 
soldiers would have come to a sudden end.  Also in Germany and other 
 
NATO countries, it would have been difficult to secure more 
development aid and soldiers to monitor election fraudsters." 
 
¶3.   VP Biden in Czech Republic and Poland, Missile Defense Policy 
Shift 
 
Under the headline "In a strategic mission," Frankfurter Rundschau 
reported that "U.S. Vice President Biden must calm down Poles and 
 
BERLIN 00001315  003 OF 004 
 
 
Czechs who were recently snubbed.  This will not be a pleasant trip 
 
for him.  Barack Obama's deputy is supposed to repair the damage the 
 
U.S. President has caused....  The faithful allies were particularly 
 
annoyed about the way they were treated by Washington.  Obama 
informed 
them by telephone at midnight European time about the change of 
course.   The fact that Obama called them on the day the Russians 
invaded Poland was bitterly commented upon in Warsaw." 
 
Sueddeutsche headlined: "Biden is supposed to calm down Eastern 
Europeans," and notes that "the U.S. wants to guarantee Poland's and 
 
the Czech Republic's security via a new defense plan."  The paper 
shows a photo of Biden with the caption saying: "VP Biden wants to 
make clear that good relations between America and Russia will not 
be 
a burden to Eastern Europe." 
 
¶4.   Iranian Nuclear Program 
 
Several German papers carried reports on the negotiations on the 
Iranian nuclear program.  Frankfurter Allgemeine headlines: "Mottaki 
 
excludes France."  Sueddeutsche headlines: "Iran turns sideways in 
nuclear talks," adding that "Iran suddenly rejects the agreed supply 
 
of fuel rods from France."  FT Deutschland headlines "Iran makes 
fools 
out of western negotiators," noting that "unimpressed by the nuclear 
 
talks in Vienna, Iran sticks to the enrichment of uranium....  By 
reaching out in Geneva, Iran has won more time in the nuclear 
dispute 
and avoided UN sanctions." 
 
¶5.   Climate Protection 
 
Many German papers carried reports on the state of the climate 
talks, 
noting that the "Climate summit faces failure" (Berliner Zeitung 
headline) and that the issue of "Climate Protection divides the EU" 
 
(Sueddeutsche headline).  Sueddeutsche noted: "Six weeks prior to 
the 
planned closure of the climate protection agreement, the EU is at 
odds 
over the European contribution to climate protection.  After hours 
of 
debate, Europeans did not manage to achieve a common mandate for the 
 
Copenhagen conference during their finance ministerial in 
Luxemburg." 
Handelsblatt remarked: "Germany blocks aid for poorer countries." 
 
Under the headline "The climate must wait," Tagesspiegel reported 
that 
"prior to the world summit in Copenhagen, Europe and the U.S. 
continue 
to argue over specific goals.  Only 46 days to go until the world 
climate summit in Copenhagen, but it remains completely unclear what 
 
the post-Kyoto protocol will look like.  It is becoming increasingly 
 
clear that Copenhagen will only be one important step in the fight 
against climate change." 
 
BERLIN 00001315  004 OF 004 
 
 
 
Frankfurter Allgemeine expressed more optimism, noting that 
"negotiations make progress," as "negotiators come closer to an 
agreement on financial matters seven weeks prior to the global 
climate 
summit in Copenhagen.   At the London forum of the G20 on energy and 
 
climate issues, industrial and larger threshold countries have 
agreed 
that a considerable amount of public money is required to help 
developing countries produce environment-friendly energy." 
 
 MURPHY