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DE RUEHRL #1429/01 3161153
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FM AMEMBASSY BERLIN
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 5744
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
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RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 0951
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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 03 BERLIN 001429 
 
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 AF CH JA FR EU GM
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION: POTUS IN ASIA, AFGHANISTAN, ARMISTICE DAY, 
MUSLIMS IN GERMANY;BERLIN 
 
¶1.   Lead Stories Summary 
¶2.   President Obama in Asia 
¶3.   Strategy on Afghanistan 
¶4.   Armistice Day 
¶5.   Muslims in Germany 
 
¶1.   Lead Stories 
 
Primetime TV newscasts and many newspapers opened with the suicide 
of one of Germany's best soccer goal keepers, Robert Enke. 
Frankfurter Allgemeine led with the Franco-German friendship and the 
commemoration of the end of World War One.  Berliner Zeitung 
reported that SPD Bundestag caucus leader Steinmeier has distanced 
himself from the policy of delaying the retirement age until 67. 
Editorials focused on the death of Robert Enke and Franco-German 
relations. 
 
¶2.    President Obama in Asia 
 
Several German papers carried lengthy reports on the President's 
trip 
to Asia, highlighting that Asia is seeking more independence from 
America as China is becoming a new superpower. 
 
Under the headline "Critical fans," Sueddeutsche reported that 
"Japan's new government is breaking away from America and is looking 
for new alliances in Asia....  Japan owes its decades of economic 
prosperity to its proximity to the U.S., but it now sees its future 
in Asia, particularly economically.  Tokyo is currently looking for 
its future place in the world.  Obama is still coming as a senior 
partner, but also as a debtor.  Japan's and China's central banks 
hold 45 percent of America's foreign debt." 
 
Under the headline "Old Superpower meets new superpower," 
Handelsblatt reported:  "U.S. President Barack Obama will meet a 
stronger China during his trip to Asia.  He is demanding from 
Beijing to bear more responsibility in the world-and must resolve 
many issues.  Ten months after his inauguration, Obama is beginning 
his geo-strategically most important visit....  Unlike his 
predecessors, Obama is trying to integrate Beijing as a global 
partner.  However, unlike George Bush, Obama is also representing a 
weaker superpower." 
 
Tagesspiegel headlined "Obama believes in Asia," and wrote in its 
intro: "President Obama is beginning the first Asian trip of an 
American President who has lived in Asia as a child....  His 
courtesy calls through the world's most dynamic region is a rescue 
operation, not so much a visit by a friend.  Asia has emerged out of 
half a decade of American supremacy.  Following the financial crisis 
that started in America, the rising continent is looking for more 
independence." 
 
¶3.   Strategy on Afghanistan 
 
Under the headline "Last chance in Afghanistan," Handelsblatt 
editorialized: "The question of how many soldiers President Obama 
would deploy is not the right one now.  The question rather is 
whether there still is a clearly defined mission in Afghanistan.  If 
the answer is yes: can the goals still be reached after eight years 
of innumerous mistakes, fruitless strategies and errors?  The 
political significance of what Obama has to declare in the coming 
weeks cannot be overestimated.  Only if the strategy is convincing, 
will everybody else stay on board.  Whatever the result will be, it 
will be the last chance in Afghanistan." 
 
Frankfurter Allgemeine opined on the German Defense Minister zu 
Guttenberg's call for an exit strategy in Afghanistan: "The word 
exit strategy implies that a clear and imminent date for withdrawal 
 
BERLIN 00001429  002 OF 003 
 
 
could be set.   U.S. President Obama will probable send tens of 
thousands of additional soldiers to Afghanistan.  They won't go home 
the day after tomorrow.  And Obama will ask the NATO countries for 
support.  What will zu Guttenberg say?" 
 
¶4.   Armistice Day 
 
All German media carried lengthy reports on the French festivities 
commemorating the end of World War One, focusing particularly on the 
close Franco-German relationship. 
 
Deutschlandfunk commented: "Armistice Day in France was commemorated 
for the first time without a survivor of the Great War and with the 
German head of the government.  This is a turning point....  Without 
Germany, France cannot advance its European agenda, and the German 
government cannot effectively act without the partner in Paris.... 
For the Europe of 27 members, it is a necessary, although not 
sufficient, condition that the German-Franco motor is working.  The 
motor and the chassis must therefore be adjusted to the new 
conditions...  Besides being friendly to each other, France and 
Germany do not work and think alike.  Prussian pragmatism meets 
Gallic hierarchical thinking, which Merkel and Sarkozy literally 
personify....  However, concerning the content, Merkel and Sarkozy 
are much closer than many media realize....   They have been 
reaching agreements on all important crisis decisions, and together 
they are allowing the deficit to explode by violating all Maastricht 
criteria.  A German-Franco minister would only be of symbolic 
significance.  If the French want him, why not?  It can't cause much 
damage.  However, real progress counts....  The French seem to be 
ready for much, the Germans are hesitating.  We need visions and 
courage today more than symbols." 
 
 Frankfurter Allgemeine led with the headline "Merkel and Sarkozy 
strengthen Franco-German friendship.  A German chancellor 
participated for the first time in the commemorations on the end of 
WWI."  On its front page, Frankfurter Allgemeine editorialized: "It 
is indisputable that Sarkozy has realized that significance of 
Franco-German cooperation after half of his term.  The British 
economic crisis and the likely change of power towards more 
Euro-skepticism accelerated Sarkozy's change of mind.  It is now up 
to the German chancellor to make proposals and not allow the French 
president to push her with his flood of ideas." 
 
Sueddeutsche carried a front-page photo of Chancellor Merkel and 
President Sarkozy under the Arc de Triumph.  The caption is 
headlined "Gestures of reconciliation.  A German government leader 
took part in the commemoration of the end of WWI for the first 
time."  Under the headline "Triumph of friendship," Sueddeutsche 
editorialized: "Millions of French and German soldiers had to die 
before this became possible.  If you had told this to the men in the 
trenches of Verdun, they would have seen it as a delusion.  However, 
a chapter of history is now coming to an end.  The German-Franco 
friendship has finally taken over November 11... The Arc de Troimphe 
reminds us of many attempts to form Europe.  It looks like a 
triumphal arc of the Roman Empire, which was a multiethnic state. 
It stands for Napoleon's attempt to subject Europe to French rule. 
It saw the attempt of Nazi Germany to force Europe under the rule of 
one race.  Apart from the French and German anthem, the European 
hymn was now played under the arc.  It applies to all Europeans and 
goes beyond the German-Franco friendship." 
 
¶5.    Muslims in Germany 
 
All German media carried prominent reports on the verdict, welcoming 
the maximum sentence for the murder of an Egyptian woman. 
 
ARD-TV's Tagesthemen commented:  "With the maximum sentence...  the 
chances are good that we will be spared the anger of the Mullahs and 
 
BERLIN 00001429  003 OF 003 
 
 
the experience of the cartoon dispute....  This trial reminds us of 
a sad truth that got lost during the jubilation of the fall of the 
Wall celebrations.  With [German] unity, xenophobic violence 
increased significantly...   Even the death of the Egyptian al 
Sherbini would not have made much news if there had not been the 
fear of an outcry in the Arab world.  We are loosing a bit of 
freedom with every 'nationally liberated zone.'  The court has 
administered justice.  Freedom and human rights, however, are not 
defended in courts alone, but also on every playground." 
 
Die Welt editorialized: "The maximum sentence did not come as a 
surprise because there were no mitigating circumstances.  We cannot 
image a worse crime than killing a mother in front of her child..... 
Alex W. is an example for how integration can fail, although the 
culture of the immigrant was not that different to the German 
culture....  Only one hundred Muslims gathered outside of the court. 
 This demonstrates that the propaganda, which wanted to make Alex W. 
an executer of an allegedly xenophobic sentiment in Germany, has not 
caught fire.  The Muslim citizens of Germany do not believe this 
nonsense." 
 
Tagesspiegel opined on the commotion the case originally caused in 
the Arab world: "The outrage was partly unfair and fueled by 
misinformation.  However, without it, Marwa al Sherbini, the first 
victim of the German headscarf hysteria, would have been only a 
number in the body count of hate crimes, as so many other killed 
people." 
 
 MURPHY