VZCZCXYZ0004
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHBU #1366/01 3491220
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O R 151219Z DEC 09
FM AMEMBASSY BUENOS AIRES
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0199
INFO RHMCSUU/CDR USSOCOM MACDILL AFB FL
RUEHBU/AMEMBASSY BUENOS AIRES

UNCLAS BUENOS AIRES 001366 
 
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: 12/8/09 - 12/14/09; CLIMATE CHANGE SUMMIT; 
THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION; A/S VALENZUELA TO ARGENTINA; 12/15/09; 
BUENOS AIRES 
 
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION: 12/8/09 - 12/14/09; CLIMATE CHANGE SUMMIT; 
THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION; A/S VALENZUELA TO ARGENTINA; 12/15/09; 
BUENOS AIRES 
 
 
 
¶1. SUMMARY 
 
 
 
Most newspapers reported the massive world demonstrations against 
climate change in 130 cities, with veiled criticism of the lack of 
cooperation among developed countries to reach an agreement. 
English-language "Buenos Aires Herald" carries an opinion piece 
that stresses President Obama's "long-war" with the Pentagon 
"recalcitrant elements" over issues like Afghanistan and Iraq. 
Local papers also highlight that WHA A/S Secretary Arturo 
Valenzuela, who will be in Argentina December 15 and 16, will only 
meet with Cabinet Chief Fernandez, not President Cristina Kirchner, 
because the Argentine government wants to show its dislike of the 
U.S. policy in the region, particularly the U.S. military bases in 
Colombia and US support for the outcome of Honduran elections. END 
SUMMARY. 
 
 
 
¶2. THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION 
 
 
 
-   "Obama's wars" 
 
 
 
Liberal, English-language "Buenos Aires Herald" carries an opinion 
piece by Richard Rust (12/13), who opines, "Obama now has a war to 
wrap up in Iraq - another that is entering a new, dangerous phase 
in Afghanistan- and a third within his own Administration, where an 
unknown number of high-level insurgents on his military payroll 
share neither his vision nor his priorities. If recalcitrant 
elements in the Pentagon, working with his political opponents and 
outside interests try to undermine their Commander-in-Chief's 
strategy, things will get very ugly. This third conflict is likely 
to be Obama's 'Long War.'" 
 
 
 
¶3. COPENHAGEN CLIMATE CHANGE SUMMIT 
 
 
 
-   "Massive world demonstration against climate change" 
 
 
 
Centrist "Perfil" newspaper (12/13) carries an opinion piece by 
Martin de Ambrosio who writes, "Hundreds of thousands of people 
demonstrated yesterday all over the world against climate change as 
a way of pressuring government representatives gathered in 
Copenhagen to negotiate a protocol that will replace or add to the 
1997 Protocol of Kyoto. 
 
 
 
"Even though demonstrations took place mostly in developed 
countries, similar demonstrations were made in 130 cities of Asian 
and European countries. Except some small groups in the 
Philippines, demonstrations in developing countries were not the 
largest ones." 
 
 
 
-   "Europe congratulates the US although it asks the US to double 
cuts on greenhouse gas emissions" 
 
 
 
Leading "Clarin" carries an opinion piece by Gustavo Sierra, on 
special assignment in Copenhagen, who comments (12/09) "Yesterday, 
world environmentalists gathered in the hallways of the huge Bella 
Center on the second day of the crucial Climate Change Summit could 
not have been any happier. The Environmental Protection Agency had 
announced that from now on, it labels those emissions as 
'endangering the health,' which enables the President to make 
amendments to legislation (curbing GHG emissions) without 
Congressional approval. 
 
 
 
"John Nordbo, from WWF international environmental NGO, said: Well, 
now Obama has a Plan B, if conservative senators scrap the law, he 
will be able to order (GHG) emissions cuts anyway.' 
 
 
 
"This is not only a demand from environmentalists. Europe wants 
Obama to commit further. In principle, Europe wants Obama to double 
efforts and submit 30% GHG cuts, not just 17%." 
 
 
 
¶4. A/S VALENZUELA VISIT TO LATIN AMERICA 
 
 
 
- "Hillary makes a harsh warning to the region" 
 
 
 
Alberto Armendariz, on special assignment in New York for 
daily-of-record "La Nacion," writes (12/12), "Just 48 hours before 
the Obama administration's Latin American envoy starts his tour in 
Latin America, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton launched 
yesterday a harsh warning to Latin American countries that have a 
close relationship with Iran and warned they could suffer 
retaliation from Washington. 
 
 
 
"During a press conference, Assistant Secretary for the Western 
Hemisphere Arturo Valenzuela did not give further details of his 
upcoming regional tour but said, 'The purpose of my trip is not to 
bring a series of specific topics; we want to discuss issues of 
common interest, but the real purpose of my trip is listening.'" 
 
 
 
-   "President Kirchner makes clear her disappointment with Barack 
Obama" 
 
 
 
Daily-of-record "La Nacion" carries an opinion piece by Lucas 
Colonna, who writes (12/13), "The arrival of Barack Obama's envoy 
for Latin America, Arturo Valenzuela, the day after tomorrow will 
exhibit how Argentina views its bilateral ties with the US these 
days: in a wink of the official disagreement on the US policy on 
the region, President Cristina Kirchner decided not to receive the 
member of the Department of State, who will only visit the 
government's house to meet with Cabinet Chief Anibal Fernandez. 
 
 
 
"The ruling party's disappointment is based on two Washington 
decisions. The first: the US military bases in Colombia... While 
Argentina played a conciliatory role by organizing the Unasur 
Bariloche emergency summit, the Argentine government understands 
the decision as a veiled interference in regional security and a 
threat to the autonomy of the South of the hemisphere. 
 
 
 
"The second: the White House's support for Honduran elections. 
Argentina does not recognize the elections because it believes they 
legitimize in a way the coup d'etat and thinks Washington did less 
than it could on the subject." 
 
 
 
To see more Buenos Aires reporting, visit our 
 
classified website at: 
 
  
http://www.state.sqov.gov/p/wha/buenosaires 
 
 
 
MARTINEZ 
MARTINEZ