MEDIA REACTION ON U.S. TSUNAMI RELIEF EFFORTS,

UNCLAS TEGUCIGALPA 000048

SIPDIS

FOR WHA/PD (OHILTON); IIP/G/WHA; CA, PRM AND EB
INFO IIP/T/ES
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E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OIIP PREL EAID PGOV MARR KPAO HO
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION ON U.S. TSUNAMI RELIEF EFFORTS,
JANUARY 6, 2005



1. Op-ed by Carlos A. Medina in Tegucigalpa-based liberal
daily "La Tribuna" on 1/6, titled "The U.S. needs friends."
"The world has come together to assist our fellow people in
Asia, which has represented a commendable gesture of human
solidarity."

"Right after the tsunami, President Bush offered 25 million
dollars in assistance but when some European countries gave
two or three times as much and Japan offered 500 million
dollars, Secretary of State Colin Powell announced the U.S.
would give 350 million dollars."

"The American people are characterized by their
aggressiveness and their humanity in times of need.
However, the latter strength doesn't overcome the collective
fierceness that may have made them great, but has caused
them to be despised by the peoples of the world."

"If the U.S. would spend a third of its war budget to help
poor countries escape from underdevelopment through
technological support or aid in health and education, the
world would truly see it as a leader and a friend, not as a
feared country others have to kneel down to in order to
survive."

"Most Hondurans, some because they have to and others
because they have studied there, have a positive attitude
toward the U.S., and that sign of friendship and admiration
should be returned with respect and support to Honduras."

"There's nothing more to say but to remind the people and
government of the U.S. that their great country needs more
friends, not more enemies, and that friends are made with
true gestures of good will just as enemies can be created by
extreme aggression that doesn't do [the Americans] any
good."


2. The San Pedro Sula-based liberal daily "Tiempo" published
an untitled cartoon on 1/5 in which the U.S. is portrayed as
an overweight Uncle Sam with two pipes going from his
pockets. On his right side, a pipe called "For the War" is
constantly pumping dollar bills into his pockets and shows a
large stack of bills set aside for this purpose. On the
other hand, on his left side, a pipe called "For Aid" has
only three bills coming out and shows a person with his
hands outstretched.

Palmer