VZCZCXYZ0006
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHBU #1328/01 3412028
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O R 072027Z DEC 09
FM AMEMBASSY BUENOS AIRES
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0152
INFO RHMCSUU/CDR USSOCOM MACDILL AFB FL
RUEHBU/AMEMBASSY BUENOS AIRES

UNCLAS BUENOS AIRES 001328 
 
SIPDIS 
STATE FOR INR/R/MR, I/GWHA, WHA, WHA/PDA, WHA/BSC, WHA/EPSC 
CDR USSOCOM FOR J-2 IAD/LAMA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OPRC KPAO KMDR PREL
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION: WEEK OF DECEMBER 1 - 7; 12/07/09; BUENOS 
AIRES 
 
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION: PRESIDENT OBAMA'S ADDRESS ON AFGHANISTAN; 
COPENHAGEN CLIMATE CHANGE SUMMIT; HONDURAS; BOLIVIA; 12/07/09; 
BUENOS AIRES 
 
 
 
¶1. SUMMARY STATEMENT 
 
 
 
International opinion pieces are mostly related to President 
Obama's Afghanistan address; expectations about the Copenhagen 
Climate Change Summit; the situation in Honduras; and the outcome 
of yesterday's elections in Honduras. 
 
 
 
¶2. AFGHANISTAN ADDRESS 
 
 
 
-   "Afghanistan: Bush's continuity with Obama's face" 
 
 
 
Leading "Clarin" carries a full-page op-ed by its international 
editor Marcelo Cantelmi who writes (12/05), "Terrorism was the 
argument used by US neo-conservative leaders to extend the imperial 
power under the Bush administration. In spite of their defeat, 
President Barack Obama has decided to use the same formula by 
sending 30,000 more troops to Afghanistan (and Pakistan) and 
holding true the myths invented by former President Bush to justify 
a military front that continued in Iraq. No sign indicates that 
Obama will be victorious where others have been defeated, but this 
is this Democrat's view on what the US should do to recover its 
full status of a superpower. 
 
 
 
"In his West Point address Obama mentioned Al Qaeda as the enemy he 
wants to defeat through a huge military deployment. However, US and 
European central intelligence agencies agree that Al Qaeda no 
longer represents a threat. Whether Obama believes it or not, 
nothing will be obtained in Afghanistan by using the military 
solution: what is required is another scenario in which foreign 
troops are replaced by investments that can build the future." 
 
 
 
-   "Obama will decide the war in Afghanistan in the next 18 
months" 
 
 
 
Leading "Clarin" publishes an op-ed by a prestigious political 
analyst, Jorge Castro, who highlights (12/06) "The Afghanistan war 
will be decided during the next 18 months (July 2011) not because 
the US military can win over that period but because the bottom 
line is changing the nature of the conflict (in which the Taliban 
have made a remarkable progress) or losing in the long run. Obama's 
plan is a counterinsurgent policy in the framework of a major 
policy aimed at building a nation. 
 
 
 
"An era of irregular, persistent wars is emerging, in which the US 
conventional supremacy is impotent. To fight in asymmetrical 
confrontations, the US military power should also be asymmetrical. 
Its army is compelled to learn from the Taliban." 
 
 
 
¶3. CLIMATE CHANGE 
 
 
 
     - "Climate Change Summit and a colossal challenge" 
 
 
 
Luisa Corradini, Paris-based correspondent for daily-of-record "La 
Nacion," writes (12/06), "In Copenhagen, the world will have to 
reach an agreement on a global strategy aimed at cutting greenhouse 
gas emissions. This means an extraordinary political challenge for 
the international community, which will have to overcome the 
antagonistic position of countries having colliding interests. The 
Copenhagen Climate Change Summit represents a new hope. For the 
 
 
first time since scientists launched their warning, the US seems 
now determined to reach an international agreement aimed at 
'de-carbonizing' its economy. Along with China, the US is the 
largest world producer of GHG emissions. Each of them produces 
6,000 tons of carbon dioxide per year and both account for 40% of 
global emissions. 
 
 
 
"The second hope is that the projected Copenhagen agreement is in 
principle much more ambitious than the Kyoto Protocol, which it 
should replace in 2012. 
 
 
 
"The innovative idea about Copenhagen Climate Change Summit is the 
creation of an intermediate category of countries that will include 
the 'big emerging countries,' such as India and Brazil, to persuade 
them to assume their own commitments." 
 
 
 
-   "Climate Change Summit kicks off tomorrow amid optimism" 
 
 
 
Gustavo Sierra, on special assignment in Copenhagen for leading 
"Clarin," comments (12/06), "Obama saved the Copenhagen Summit. 
When everything seemed to indicate that it was going to end up with 
an unsubstantial agreement with no signature whatsoever, US 
President confirmed he will arrive in the Danish capital city at a 
crucial time, when other 60 Chiefs of State are present between 
December 17 and 18, to assume the commitment that his country (the 
largest world pollutant) will lower its greenhouse gas emissions 
triggering global warming. 
 
 
 
"The White House has announced it is willing to submit 100 billion 
dollars per year to emerging countries through 2025 to finance the 
reconversion of their industries. The US commitment was possible 
after the US reached an agreement (of which no details were made 
public) with China (the second largest world pollutant) and India 
(the fourth largest world pollutant) whereby they will also lower 
their carbon dioxide emissions." 
 
 
 
- "Argentina seeks funds to mitigate the impact" 
 
 
 
Laura Rocha, columnist of daily-of-record "La Nacion," writes 
(12/07), "Argentina will arrive to the Copenhagen Summit will share 
expectations with the entire G-77 and China: obtaining funding for 
the adaptation and mitigation of the climate change effects and 
demanding more ambitious reduction commitments from developed 
countries. 
 
 
 
"Nazareno Castillo, Environment Secretariat's Climate Change Head, 
one of the members of the Argentine delegation attending the 
Denmark Climate Change Summit, said: 'Lack of a measurable 
commitment from the US to cut GHG emissions, lack of definition of 
commitments for developed countries in the Kyoto Protocol's second 
period and lack of clarity about the kind of participation of 
developing countries on global mitigation actions are currently the 
focus of larger attention in the international negotiation field. 
Responsibilities are common although different according to the 
country.'" 
 
 
 
¶4. HONDURAS 
 
 
 
- "Three for the price of one" 
 
 
 
Daily-of-record "La Nacion" carries an opinion piece by 
international analyst Jorge Elias, who writes (12/06), "Honduras 
has now three presidents: one abroad, another who was elected in 
elections that have not been acknowledged by most countries in the 
international community and, third, a de facto president. In line 
 
 
with the international community, which supports the legitimate 
government and rejects the de facto government, the US now makes 
against Honduras the same charges Brazil made against the US - they 
feel disappointed. US Assistant Secretary for Western Hemispheric 
affairs Arturo Valenzuela, whose confirmation on Capitol Hill is 
being delayed for having condemned the coup d'etat, concludes the 
acknowledgement of the president-elect does not invalidate the 
restoration of the ousted president. 
 
 
 
"Honduras has had a pre-emptive coup d'etat in view of the 
possibility that Zelaya could eliminate a constitutional banning 
for his re-election through a constitutional amendment allowing for 
a plebiscite. 
 
 
 
"What is the difference between a pre-emptive coup d'etat against 
Zelaya and George W. Bush's pre-emptive war on Iraq in view of the 
possibility that a tyrant such as Saddam Hussein could hide WMD and 
become a partner of Osama bin Laden? Fears encourage a coup and 
lies trigger war." 
 
 
 
¶5. BOLIVIA 
 
 
 
-   "Why did Evo win?" 
 
 
 
Left-of-center "Pagina 12" carries an opinion piece by political 
analyst Atilio A. Boron, who opines (12/07), "The outcome of 
Bolivian elections has marked at least three milestones in 
Bolivia's history: 1) Evo Morales is the first democratic president 
who has been re-elected for two terms in a row; 2) he is the first 
president who obtained a larger percentage of votes than when 
elected for the first time (53,7%); and 3) he is the first 
president who obtained an overwhelming representation at the 
Plurinational Legislative Assembly. 
 
 
 
"All this turns Evo Morales in the most powerful president in 
Bolivia's history. Obviously enough, this will not prevent the 
Department of State from reiterating its already known criticism of 
the Bolivian democracy's 'faulty' institutional quality,' Evo's 
populism and the need to improve the country's political mechanism 
to guarantee popular will. 
 
 
 
"What lies behind this impressive 'machine' to win elections? A 
government that has honored its election promises and that for this 
same reason has developed an active social policy." 
 
 
 
To see more Buenos Aires reporting, visit our 
 
classified website at: 
 
  
http://www.state.sqov.gov/p/wha/buenosaires 
 
 
 
MARTINEZ 
MARTINEZ