MEDIA REACTION PRESIDENT BUSH TO THE EU; US ANTI-MISSILE

UNCLAS BUENOS AIRES 001391 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 PRESIDENT BUSH TO THE EU; US ANTI-MISSILE DEFENSE SYSTEM; US ENERGY INFORMATION ADMINISTRATION REPORT; BOLIVIAN SECOND WAVE OF RE-NATIONALIZATIONS; MORALES EXPORTING COCA LEAF TO ARGENTINA; URIBE; US ECONOMY 06/21/06; BUENOS AIRES ¶1. SUMMARY STATEMENT Today's leading international stories include US President Bush's trip to the EU; the US activating its anti-missile defense system in an escalation of tension with North Korea; a report from the US Energy Information Administration stating that Brazil, Colombia and Argentina will emerge as new sources of energy during the next two decades; Bolivian President Evo Morales confirming another wave of nationalizations and his plan to export coca leaf to the Northern area of Argentina; the implications of Colombian President Alvaro Uribe's re-election; and the status of the US economy. ¶2. OPINION PIECES AND KEY STORIES - "Bush's trip to the EU is focused on Iran" Daily-of-record "La Nacion" reports (06/219 "US President George W. Bush arrived in Vienna to participate in the annual summit between the US and the EU. President Bush will seek to strengthen ties with the bloc after the tension unleashed over the war in Iraq, and to reinforce a common front to put a brake on Iran's nuclear ambitions. "Bush's visit will take place amid increasing European criticism of the US way of carrying out the war on terror and particularly of its treatment of detainees in prisons like that of Guantanamo, which the EU has termed an 'anomaly.'" - "The US activates its anti-missile system" Hugo Alconada Mon, Washington-based correspondent for daily-of-record "La Nacion," comments (06/21) "The US military top brass activated for the first time its questioned anti-missile defense system vis-`-vis the North Korean threat to test a long range missile in the next few days, which could reach any place in Europe, Asia, Alaska, Hawaii and several points on the West coast of the US. "The Pentagon avoided providing information on whether it will attempt to shoot down the missile from one of the three countries making up the 'axis of evil' (the others are Iraq and Iran)... but members of the administration said it would 'unlikely' happen if the test is being developed over the Pacific Ocean. "Nevertheless, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice warned that the test of the missile will be considered 'an act of provocation' by the US and that it would demonstrate the lack of interest of Pyongyang's communist regime to negotiate with the international community." - "Washington sees us as another energy supplier" Conservative "La Prensa" reports (06/21) "According to a USG agency, the Energy Information Administration, Latin America will witness the emergence of Brazil, Colombia and Argentina as new sources of energy in the next two decades, while Mexico and Venezuela will reinforce their current status of big oil producers. "According to an EIA's forecast for 2030, the US believes that Brazil and Colombia will become its new sources of oil in addition to Mexico and Venezuela." - "Evo confirms another wave of re-nationalizations" Conservative "La Prensa" reports (06/21) "The Bolivian Government reiterated yesterday that it will purchase the required shares to regain control of the once national companies of hydrocarbons, electricity, transport and telecommunications, which were tied to private capital ten years ago. The Government added that talking about re-nationalization is 'twisting' things. "During a press conference with foreign correspondents, Bolivian Planning Minister Carlos Villegas said 'What it's all about is that we are in the process of purchasing the necessary shares for the State to have 50% plus one of the shares of capitalized companies in order to manage them.'" - "Bolivia confirms its plan to export coca leaf to Argentina" Business-financial, center-right "InfoBae" reports (06/21) "According to Bolivian Social Defense Vice-Minister Felipe Caceres, Bolivia wants to legalize its export of coca leaf to the Northern section of Argentina as part of its new strategy to revalue coca leaf. "The Bolivian authorities also want to export the product to Europe, but for this to happen, 'coca should be decriminalized on an international level.' "Caceres also said that this issue will be discussed during the meeting between Bolivian President Morales and Argentine President Kirchner on June 29 in Buenos Aires." - "The Uribe exception" Business-financial "El Cronista" carries an opinion piece by Carlos Fara, political analyst, head of Fara y Asociados, who opines (06/21) "Alvaro Uribe's victory in Colombian presidential elections is an exception to the rule. In a region dominated by the center-to-left, the re-election of a right-wing leader is an exception that is interesting to analyze. "... Toward the end of the election campaign, Uribe took note that, according to opinion surveys, a couple of economic issues were still pending, which overrode security issues. On the other hand, a turning point can be perceived regarding the war (84% of the people prefer to negotiate with the FARC and only struggle against those not accepting a negotiation). "For now, Uribe is ideologically isolated in Latin America. However, this has not prevented him from accepting Chavez's praising statements, thereby demonstrating that international relations are neither rightist nor leftist." - "Da Vinci capitalism" Liberal, English-language "Buenos Aires Herald" carries an opinion piece by Steven Wheeler, who runs a truck manufacturing company in Argentina (06/21) "... Call it Da Vinci code conspiracy theory if you like but world markets are run by extreme capitalists... Governments and central banks are controlled by lawyers and bankers who come from and are controlled by big businesses. Economy ministries are controlled by the IMF, World Bank and economists indoctrinated at Harvard... "The US economy went down in 1991 and 2001 but Alan 'Houdini' Greenspan kept printing money to keep it afloat. He and Treasury Secretary John Snow have just abandoned the sinking ship and with SIPDIS property prices declining, the inevitable great US financial crash is probably about to happen. "But don't worry, the same people as always will stay in control - they have already moved their money to China and India because the US was only a transient figure head." To see more Buenos Aires reporting, visit our classified website at: http://www.state.sqov.gov/p/wha/buenosaires GUTIERREZ