MEDIA REACTION AL ZARQAWI'S DEATH US-CUBAN TIES FARM

UNCLAS BUENOS AIRES 001340

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 AL ZARQAWI'S DEATH US-CUBAN TIES FARM
SUBSIDIES ICC ARMAMENT EXPORTS TIP REPORT 06/13/06



1. SUMMARY STATEMENT

Today's most important international stories include the
implications of Al Zarqawi's death; an escalation in the US-Cuban
confrontation; agricultural liberalization as the main demand of
developing countries; the progress made by the International
Criminal Court; international arms exports; and the implications of
the TIP report on Argentina.


2. OPINION PIECES AND KEY STORIES

- "Bush and a delayed 'victory'"

Oscar Raul Cardoso, international analyst of leading "Clarin,"
opines (06/13) "Perhaps, George W. Bush should accept that the
seeming victory brought by the death of Al Zarqawi arrived too late
to substantially improve things in Iraq, or, at least, the world's
perception of the US commitment in the Persian Gulf. It is
interesting to note that the murder of the second most powerful
terrorist, after Osama bin Laden, has not provided Bush with any
margin to validate his policy on 'maintaining' an increasingly
unpopular war.

"... The idea that Al Zarqawi was coldly executed has clouded the
achievement.

"... It is useful to observe the overall disbelief in Bush's account
of the events... And we have not even considered Wall Street's
increasingly hostile attitude toward Bush's economy. According to
banker Ken Miller, if they ever loved this war, 'markets no longer
do it.'"

- "The US denounces 'harassment' against its Embassy in Cuba"

Hugo Alconada Mon, Washington-based correspondent for
daily-of-record "La Nacion," writes (06/13) "The USG and the Cuban
Government have escalated the confrontation that has occurred for
decades between them, which currently includes an exchange of
accusations of interference and restrictions on the activities of US
diplomats posted on the island...

"Last week, there was a power outage at the Office of US Interests
in Havana.

"The Castro regime denied performing 'intimidating practices,' as
termed by the US State Department spokesperson, Sean McCormack...,
he dismissed the possibility of the US taking similar steps with the
Office of Cuban Interests in Washington."

- "World farm subsidies and hope"

Daily-of-record "La Nacion" carries an opinion piece by contributor
Alieto Guadagni, who writes (06/13) "... Agricultural liberalization
today, is the main demand of developing countries. It requires
political leaders from wealthy countries to confront protectionist
interests, while also calling for strong multilateral leadership.

"The last opportunity for this seems to be the G8 meeting to be held
in July... Now it is time to strengthen the Transatlantic Dialogue
on liberalization at the 'top brass' level of big European countries
and the US, however none of the administrations seem enthusiastic
due to their own domestic and geopolitical problems."

- "A world justice system"

Daily-of-record "La Nacion" carries an op-ed piece by Luis Moreno
Ocampo, attorney of the International
Criminal Court at The Hague, who writes (06/13) "... The impact of
the Statute of Rome is becoming more apparent all over the world.

"The Colombian paramilitary forces have mentioned that the ICC is
the basis of its decision to demobilize... The Netherlands'
attorneys, who prosecuted a Dutch businessman for having revived the
conflict in Liberia, mentioned the ICC as inspiration for their
decision as well...

"The system created in Rome three years ago has been put to work."

- "The aspects of an increasingly contradicting world"

Jorge Rosales, international columnist of daily-of-record "La
Nacion," comments (06/13) "Contradictions continue troubling the
world at the beginning of the 21st century.

"In a scenario with the lowest number of wars since the end of the
Cold War, developed countries have responded to the challenges posed
by a world with mobile borders and hundreds of millions of people

trying to flee from poverty and hunger through an increase in
military expenditures.

"... In this scenario, the increases in defense and homeland
security expenditures seem to be a logical outcome. However, the
countries increasing their defense expenditures are the same
countries that export armaments, which many times end up in the
hands of the terrorist groups they are fighting.

"Russia and the US, which struggle against Chechen terrorists and Al
Qaeda respectively, are the two main suppliers - they placed weapons
in the world for 57 billion dollars in 2005."


3. EDITORIALS

- "Struggle against trafficking of persons"

Leading "Clarin" editorializes (06/13) "The trafficking of persons
is an abhorring crime based on socio-economic causes, like poverty
and the decadence of some regions in the interior of Argentina and
neighboring countries, and on the inefficiency of our institutions.

"The US State Department's report on this crime placed Argentina
among the countries that were included in a watch list...

"Police corruption, judicial inefficiency and the disarticulate
functioning of the several jurisdictions facilitate this crime and
the impunity of organized gangs.

"In view of this, the (Argentine) Government should promote the
enactment of the draft bill against TIP, which is now in Congress...
as well as take the struggle against the TIP seriously."

To see more Buenos Aires reporting, visit our classified website
at:
http://www.state.sqov.gov/p/wha/buenosaires

GUTIERREZ