MEDIA REACTION US IMMIGRATION LEGISLATION IRAN IMF

UNCLAS BUENOS AIRES 001246 SIPDIS STATE FOR INR/R/MR, I/GWHA, WHA, WHA/PDA, WHA/BSC, WHA/EPSC CDR USSOCOM FOR J-2 IAD/LAMA SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KPAO OPRC KMDR PREL MEDIA REACTION SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION US IMMIGRATION LEGISLATION IRAN IMF DELEGATION TO ARGENTINA UPCOMING ELECTIONS IN PERU 06/02/06 ¶1. SUMMARY STATEMENT Today's local papers report on the US debate on the US immigration legislation; the status of negotiations with Iran on the suspension of its uranium enrichment program; the IMF delegation's visit to Argentina; and the upcoming presidential elections in Peru. ¶2. OPINION PIECES AND KEY STORIES - "Bush pressures over immigration legislation" Hugo Alconada Mon, Washington-based correspondent for daily- of-record "La Nacion," writes (06/02) "US President George ¶W. Bush asked the US Congress to accelerate the negotiations to come to an agreement on how to reform the questioned immigration system of the US, in which 12 million immigrants are undocumented and another half a million every year. "The debate has opened several fronts within both parties, but particularly in the G.O.P. and in the (US) Lower House... This disagreement seems to expand as November legislative elections get closer." - "Iran wants to hold talks but not on the conditions imposed by the US" Ana Baron, Washington-based correspondent for leading "Clarin," comments (06/02) "US President George W. Bush urged Iranian leaders yesterday to leave aside their 'contumacy' and warned them that if they do not suspend their uranium enrichment program and sitdown to hold serious negotiations, the UN Security Council will impose sanctions on them. "Iranian Foreign Minister Manuchehr Mottaki replied that 'We are determined to hold negotiations, but not based on previous conditions, particularly those related to our rights to civil nuclear technology.' "US President Bush's words gained more importance when just a few hours later, it transcended in Vienna that the five permanent members of the UN Security Council and Germany came to an agreement to submit incentives to Iran to get it to renounce its uranium enrichment program, or if it does not agree, impose a set of sanctions on it... The fact that the US has agreed to sit to negotiate with Iran may have made available some kinds of concessions." - "Peru, another battle in the 'Cold War' the region is going through" Dolores Tereso, on special assignment in Lima for daily-of- record "La Nacion," writes (06/02) "Amid an atmosphere full of tension and uncertainty, only two days away from the second round of Peruvian presidential elections, both candidates made stronger charges against each other... "While the two candidates were getting ready for the final events before elections, nationalist Ollanta Humala accused his rival, former president Alan Garcia, of being a 'US soldier.' For his part, the former president, who has termed these elections as a fight 'between Peru and Hugo Chavez,' said that, if the retired military wins, his country 'will become a settlement of Venezuela.' "... This struggle takes place in the middle of the progress made by the left wing in the region - except Colombia, where conservative Alvaro Uribe was reelected last Sunday - and a clear division between the two models represented by Garcia and Humala." - "The IMF delegation came looking for the dark side of economic growth" Business-financial "El Cronista's" economic columnist Juan Cerruti writes (06/02) "The IMF delegation that is auditing the country's economic status has been in Argentina for two weeks, and it already has one certainty and one doubt. It is certain that the Argentine economy will surely grow during this year more than the 7.3% the IMF forecasted in early ¶2006. The doubt emerges from the Argentine government's strategy to tame inflation, which is based on price accords. "Actually, the IMF delegation, led by Indian economist Ranjiv Teja..., insists on a lower dollar value and bigger tax control as tools to put a brake on prices." To see more Buenos Aires reporting, visit our classified website at: http://www.state.sqov.gov/p/wha/buenosaires GUTIERREZ