MEDIA REACTIONS ON DAN FISK'S OP-ED, JUNE 30, 2003

UNCLAS TEGUCIGALPA 001542

SIPDIS

STATE FOR WHA/PDA, IIP/G/WHA, AND WHA/CEN
EMBASSIES FOR PAS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OIIP KPAO PREL MOPS HO
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTIONS ON DAN FISK'S OP-ED, JUNE 30, 2003


1. Op-ed by Rodolfo Pastor Fasquelle (former Minister of Culture
in a Liberal Party administration) in San Pedro Sula-based
liberal daily "Tiempo" (owned by former and future Liberal Party
presidential candidate Jaime Rosenthal) on 6/30 entitled
"Honduras and the U.S.: Stick and Carrot II". "I believe the
U.S. has the right to ask us to help them improve their security,
if they actually help us solve our most urgent problems."

"Mr. Fisk inappropriately uses the words `us' and `we' as if he
was part of the collectivity he is referring to. I find this
condescending."

"U.S. policy doesn't have to be the best according to our
interests, it is just what it is. We need to go further, rebuild
the Central American state, which will increase our chances to
effectively face criminal governments dominated by a militarist
and corrupt elite. Only when we have a united Central American
state we can sit down with Mr. Under-secretary to tell him that
economic integration can go on."

"I agree with Mr. Fisk that it is key to dispose of any surplus
personnel within our armies and all secret arsenals, even though
it is paradoxical that this comes from the government that
formed, trained and armed our armed forces. the most evident
threat for Central America is not any terrorist organization, it
is our hunger and structural hopelessness."

" I'm delighted that the U.S. wants to support the political
reforms we urgently need and I don't disagree with their
prescription: demilitarization, training, coordination and
reequipping police personnel to face the new challenges, among
them fighting against corruption."


2. Op-ed by Edgardo Dumas Rodriguez (former Minister of Security
in a Liberal Party administration) in Tegucigalpa-based liberal
daily "La Tribuna" on 6/30 entitled "The military's raison
d'etre". " Definitely, Mr. Fisk describes an innovative vision of
what our American friends think of how the Central American
militaries should be constituted."

"Undoubtedly, we have made efforts whose results are obvious.
It's up to us to decide if we are pleased and satisfied with
them, or, if on the other hand. it's urgent to take the
appropriate steps to overcome this crisis, to ensure auspicious
and peaceful expectations by having security forces such as those
proposed by Mr. Fisk."

"Finally, it's worthwhile reminding ourselves that the U.S. has
always helped us to shape our armed forces. Will they be willing
to help us prepare the armed forces we need now?"


Palmer