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R 221423Z JAN 10
FM AMEMBASSY BERLIN
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 6336
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 1944
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RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 1183
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RHMFIUU/HQ USAFE RAMSTEIN AB GE
RHMFISS/HQ USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE//J5 DIRECTORATE (MC)//
RHMFISS/CDRUSAREUR HEIDELBERG GE
RUZEADH/UDITDUSAREUR HEIDELBERG GE

UNCLAS BERLIN 000089 
 
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 EFIN EINT HA CH XF
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION: HAITI, BANK REFORM, MIDEAST, INTERNET 
FREEDOM, GENERAL MOTORS;BERLIN 
 
¶1.   Lead Stories Summary 
¶2.   Haiti Rescue Operation 
¶3.   The President's Bank Reform 
¶4.   Mideast Policy 
¶5.   Internet Freedom 
¶6.   Closure of Opel Plant in Antwerp 
 
¶1.    Lead Stories Summary 
 
ZDF-TV's primetime newscast Heute opened with a story on Opel head 
Reilly's decision to close the plant in Antwerp, Belgium, in the 
middle of the year.  ARD-TV's primetime newscast Tagesschau opened 
with a report on Haiti saying that "aid is reaching an increasing 
number of people."  Several newspapers led with stories on President 
Obama's bank reform plans.  Headlines included: "Obama wants to 
split large banks (Sddeutsche), "Obama castrates U.S. banks" (FT 
Deutschland), and "Obama cuts freedom of banks" (Handelsblatt). 
Frankfurter Rundschau headlined: "SPD wants to withdraw 
Tornados-Party sets conditions for mission in Afghanistan," Die Welt 
led with a story on airport security, and Frankfurter Allgemeine led 
with an interview with Hesse Minister President Koch.  Berliner 
Zeitung and Tagesspiegel led with stories on the German healthcare 
insurances.  Editorials focused on airport security and Opel's 
restructuring plans. 
 
¶2.    Haiti Rescue Operation 
 
German media continued to carry lengthy reports on the situation in 
Haiti, highlighting that "aid supplies are now reaching many people" 
(ARD-TV's primetime newscast Tagesschau) and that "Aid for Haiti 
begins to be effective" (Tagesspiegel front-page headline).   Most 
media also reported that the U.S. is stepping up its engagement, 
noting that "following the devastating earthquake in Haiti, the U.S. 
plans to send an additional 4,000 soldiers to the Caribbean country 
to support the regional aid efforts" (tageszeitung front-page 
report).  ZDF-TV's primetime newscast Heute stated in a report from 
Jacmel: "The American warship that anchored off the city of Jacmel 
is a hopeful sign that more aid is on the way." 
 
This morning's ARD-TV's Tagesschau reported that UN Special Envoy 
Clinton said it would now be important to give hope to the Haitians, 
particularly to create jobs.   The newscast also showed Secretary 
Clinton saying the U.S. would increase its engagement as 
particularly outside Port-au-Prince people need housing, food and 
clean water.  ARD-TV's Morgenmagazin showed a touching story of a 
young girl in a critical condition who was treated by a Miami 
pediatrician.  In a separate report on ARD-TV's Morgenmagazin, a 
correspondent in Port-au-Prince praised the professionalism of the 
U.S. doctors at a mobile hospital: "We saw severely injured people 
coming in by the minute and being treated highly professionally. 
The Americans are really good at this." 
 
In a lengthy editorial, Berliner Zeitung remarked:  "Given the shock 
that hit Haitians, it has taken them a week to be able to look 
beyond the next moment again.... The world has never been closer to 
a catastrophe than after this quake.  Calls and even videos were 
made from under the rubble.  Before aid workers had an idea of the 
extent of the catastrophe, the world knew many individual stories. 
The overwhelming sympathy and willingness to donate might have 
arisen from these touching impressions communicated through the 
internet, which went far beyond what conventional media conveyed. 
The sympathy from faraway also increased the impatience with rescue 
workers... but the truth is that remarkable things are being done. 
Help is coming from all over the world.  U.S. soldiers have tripled 
the capacities of the airport in Port-au-Prince within the shortest 
time...  Haiti offers the opportunity for a new quality in the 
effort to rebuild a devastated country.  Obama can demonstrate that 
he means his talk of a cooperative and united world." 
 
 
There were no critical reports on the U.S. aid efforts; however, 
Frankfurter Allgemeine noted that "while America deploys another 
7,000 soldiers to Haiti, Hugo Chavez and Evo Morales slandered the 
U.S. as an occupying country." 
 
¶3.    The President's Bank Reform 
 
Many media reported on President Obama's announcement that would 
introduce significant limits on how banks can operate.  Headlines 
included: "Obama wants to split large banks (Sddeutsche), "Obama 
castrates U.S. banks" (FT Deutschland), and "Obama cuts freedom of 
banks" (Handelsblatt). 
 
Under the headline "Tame the banks-Obama has finally found the right 
measures against gamblers," Sddeutsche supported the President's 
proposal.   "Barack Obama has declared war against Wall Street. 
Driven by the anger of the people-and the defeat in 
Massachusetts-the American President goes further with his proposals 
to regulate banks than ever before.  It is good that Obama finally 
tackles the fundamental problem that added fuel to the crisis and 
could cause new financial catastrophes." 
 
Tagesspiegel opined: "Massachusetts has made a bad choice-for Wall 
Street.  And the fact that unemployment is also increasing in the 
U.S. is also bad for banks because politicians now remember 
diversionary maneuvers and try to satisfy the people by hitting out 
against banks." 
 
Handelsblatt noted in a front-page editorial: "The most powerful man 
in the world should stay cool when he sets the rules that go far 
beyond the United States and will regulate bank deals in years to 
come.  Barack Obama and other heads of states and governments must 
reach an agreement on common international standards that put a stop 
to the past excesses of the capital market without limiting the 
functioning of the money economy." 
 
Under the headline "On behalf of the society," FT Deutschland 
commented on its front page: "How much the financial world gets the 
jitters when President Obama takes action could be seen twice 
yesterday.  First, when Goldman Sachs made its announcement and, 
secondly, when the stock market responded to the President's 
regulation plans...  Goldman Sachs' anticipatory obedience to cut 
bonuses could not prevent Obama's speech.  If the President's plans 
become reality, it would hit particularly investment bankers.... 
Although the limits were dramatic for some banks, it would be the 
right step for the American economy and its people.  Particularly 
proprietary trading poses a great risk that the taxpayer then has to 
cover when governments have to rescue banks." 
 
¶4.    Mideast Policy 
 
Under the headline "Shuttle diplomacy into empty space," Sddeutsche 
editorialized: "There is standstill although many people are moving. 
 Throughout the world, leaders are searching for solutions of the 
Israeli-Palestinian conflict....   With all the initiatives in his 
bag, U.S. special envoy Mitchell is now commuting between Jerusalem 
and Ramallah.  However, he is travelling into empty space.  While so 
many people are moving, the rivaling parties are stubbornly 
insisting on their positions.  It is part of the depressing dynamics 
of the Mideast peace process that the international efforts are in 
sharp contrast to the activities of the main actors.  Although they 
permanently declare their willingness to create peace, they 
continuously block the beginning of talks by ever new turns.  When 
one is making a step forward, the other one steps back.  That looks 
almost as if they choreographed this and cooperate closely so that 
they don't have to extend their hands.   In such a situation, 
nothing can be reached with sophisticated diplomacy.   If sweet-talk 
 
does not help, Washington has to put its foot down.  If Barack Obama 
waits too long, he will not just damage his Mideast envoy but also 
his own reputation.  The U.S. President has enough tools at hand, 
ranging from financial to military means.  It is time to make use of 
them." 
 
¶5.    Internet Freedom 
 
Frankfurter Allgemeine and FT Deutschland carried reports on 
Secretary Clinton's speech on internet freedom.    FT Deutschland 
headlined: "Clinton settles accounts with China's internet 
censorship" and noted in its intro: "In the dispute over cyber 
attacks on the internet giant of Google, Secretary Clinton has taken 
of her gloves."  Frankfurter Allgemeine headlined "Clinton: Don't 
accept censorship" and added: "The State Department wants to provide 
at least 15 million dollars for defending the freedom of speech in 
the internet....  Meanwhile, the Chinese government expressed hope 
that the dispute with Google would not be a burden to the 
relationship with Washington." 
 
¶6.    Closure of Opel Plant in Antwerp 
 
Frankfurter Allgemeine editorialized: "The closure of the plant in 
Antwerp has been planned for a long time and is necessary to secure 
the survival of the carmaker Opel...  The painful cut is the first 
move of the unavoidable restructuring...   There is no way around 
reducing capacity." 
 
Handelsblatt opined: "Those who now accuse Reilly for making tough 
cuts only tell the people what they want to hear, not what they 
should know.  The facts are clear: Opel is in a crisis and fights 
for its survival.  Politicians and trade unionists must not erect 
any additional hurdles for the U.S. company's difficult effort to 
restructure the carmaker.  Those who don't realize this threaten the 
existence of the whole company." 
 
Tagesspiegel warned that Opel head Reilly would need the employees 
to restructure the company and commented: "Reilly must know that GM 
can restructure Opel successfully only if employees are on board and 
pay....  However, determination turns into arrogance when employees 
are played off against each other.  When expressions of solidarity 
are just hot air credibility is gambled away." 
 
¶7.    Russian-Polish Relations 
 
Sddeutsche editorialized: "The question of what Moscow is thinking 
by increasing its military presence in the Baltic Sea must be 
allowed to ask because none of the neighboring countries can be 
accused of any unfriendly intentions towards Russia.  The short 
publicized fight between Warsaw and Moscow shows that both sides are 
still nervous neighbors.  Warsaw is not alone with that feeling. 
Since Moscow hit out against Georgia a year and a half ago, after 
Georgia clumsily tried to get a province under its control, mistrust 
in all Eastern European countries has significantly increased.  This 
is a fact other NATO members must take into consideration.  From the 
Baltic Sea to the Black Sea, countries fear Moscow's imperial 
reflexes." 
 
DELAWIE