Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06BUENOSAIRES171
2006-01-23 20:26:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Buenos Aires
Cable title:  

CODEL MCCONNELL FACT-FINDING MISSION TO ARGENTINA

Tags:  PHUM PINR CODEL SNAR AR 
pdf how-to read a cable
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DE RUEHBU #0171/01 0232026
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 232026Z JAN 06
FM AMEMBASSY BUENOS AIRES
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 3202
INFO RUEHPE/AMEMBASSY LIMA 1749
RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA 5077
RUEHSG/AMEMBASSY SANTIAGO 4899
RUEHLP/AMEMBASSY LA PAZ JAN MONTEVIDEO 5274
RUEHAC/AMEMBASSY ASUNCION 5310
RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS 0825
UNCLAS BUENOS AIRES 000171 

SIPDIS

WHA/EX FOR TOM SHANNON
WHA/BSC FOR DOUG BARNES
NSC FOR DAN FISK AND SUE CRONIN
OPIC FOR GEORGE SCHULTZ AND RUTH ANN NICASTRI

SIPDIS
CODEL

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PHUM PINR CODEL SNAR AR
SUBJECT: CODEL MCCONNELL FACT-FINDING MISSION TO ARGENTINA

REF: (BUENOS AIRES 119)

UNCLAS BUENOS AIRES 000171

SIPDIS

WHA/EX FOR TOM SHANNON
WHA/BSC FOR DOUG BARNES
NSC FOR DAN FISK AND SUE CRONIN
OPIC FOR GEORGE SCHULTZ AND RUTH ANN NICASTRI

SIPDIS
CODEL

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PHUM PINR CODEL SNAR AR
SUBJECT: CODEL MCCONNELL FACT-FINDING MISSION TO ARGENTINA

REF: (BUENOS AIRES 119)


1. SUMMARY: From January 10 to 12, Senator Mitch McConnell
(R-KY),accompanied by Senators Mel Martinez (R-FL),Richard
Burr (R-NC),and John Thune (R-SD) held a series of fact-
finding and orientation meetings in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Following a country team brief chaired by Ambassador Lino
Gutierrez, the delegation met with Foreign Minister Jorge
Taiana, Minister of Planning Julio De Vido, Minister of the
Interior Anibal Fernandez, a group of leading Argentine
Senators, and members of the American Chamber of Commerce
(AMCHAM). All of the meetings were frank and open, covering
a range of issues including trade, economy, security,
bilateral relations, internal and regional security, counter
terrorism and narcotics interdiction. END SUMMARY.

-------------- --------------
Meeting with Foreign Minister Jorge Taiana
-------------- --------------


2. On January 10, CODEL McConnell met with Foreign Minister
Jorge Taiana, Deputy Foreign Minister Roberto Garcia Moritan
and the Argentine Ambassador to the United States, Jose
Octavio Bordon.


3. Opening the meeting, Senator McConnell congratulated the
GOA on its remarkable economic recovery during the last
three years. He then noted that while the U.S. decision to
depose Saddam Hussein was not popular in Argentina, our two
countries shared a common interest in combating terrorism as
both had been the victims of international terrorist
incidents, the U.S. in 2001 and Argentina in 1992 with the
bombing of the Israeli Embassy and in 1994 with the bombing
of the Argentine Jewish Cultural Center (AMIA). Senator
McConnell asked whether the culprits of these crimes would
be brought to justice. Foreign Minister Taiana said both
attacks remained unpunished and called this lack of justice
a "debt we owe to society." He said the fact the cases were
unresolved was attributable to failures throughout the GOA
but primarily within the Argentine judicial system. He said
President Nestor Kirchner was committed to achieving justice
and highlighted to the Senators the international
connections in the AMIA bombing and the investigative

procedures now underway which pointed to the involvement of
Senior Iranian government officials and Hizbollah
operatives.


4. Following up on the subject of international terrorism,
Senator Burr thanked the GOA for their cooperation in
monitoring the Tri-border region and their participation in
the three plus one counterterrorism initiative. He also
said the U.S. wanted to support increased economic
cooperation and trade integration in the hemisphere. He
noted there was a widespread concern that Venezuelan
president Hugo Chavez was an obstacle to this integration
and asked Taiana how we should proceed so these negotiations
were not "hijacked" by a third party. Taiana responded the
current political situation in South America was "complex"
and in a "state of flux." He conceded that while some of
the trends were democratic, there was also the danger of an
authoritarian trend. He said that while different nations
would take different routes to achieve their goals, it was
important to maintain shared values and to cooperate on
economic issues.


5. Senator Thune noted that Argentina's economic and
political recovery increased the GOA's platform for exerting
leadership and influence in countries such as Bolivia and
Venezuela. Taiana said the situation in Bolivia was
"difficult and unprecedented." He said Bolivia had many
difficulties to overcome and that the GOA was "obviously"
interested. In addition to the impact on the Argentine
border region, he opined that the outcome of events in
Bolivia could have a major influence on Peru, Ecuador and
even Colombia.


6. Senator Martinez stated the GOA should continue to insist
on democratic values throughout the hemisphere. Taking note
of the GOA's strong support of human rights, he urged Taiana
(who himself had been an imprisoned dissident) to publicly
recognize the role of dissidents in countries such as Cuba
and their efforts to achieve a democratic society.

--------------
Meeting with Executives of US Firms
--------------


7. Members of the CODEL met Minister of Planning Julio De
Vido to discuss a wide range of economic issues (septel) and
attended a working lunch hosted by the local American
Chamber of Commerce (AMCHAM). The lunch was attended by the
presidents and executives of many of the largest U.S.
companies operating in Argentina including General Motors,
Merck, Monsanto, Nextel, Coca-Cola, Esso and CMS Energy.
The businessmen discussed Argentina's economic crisis and
recovery, and provided the Senators with a clear view of the
opportunities and obstacles they face in Argentina. The
businessmen all agreed that while there were great
investment and business opportunities in Argentina, the
Kirchner government's sometimes hostile stance toward
business, frequent changes in regulations, enforcement of
utility rate caps, and the charging of high retentions on
exports all negatively impact the business climate and
limited direct foreign investment. While many sectors were
doing well as the Argentine economy grew at a blistering
pace, others--notably the energy and power sectors--had
significant problems. The Senators promised to raise the
businessmen's' concerns in the rest of their meetings in
Argentina and to share what they had learned back in
Washington.

--------------
Meeting with Members of the Argentine Senate
--------------


8. The CODEL met with Argentine National Senators Miguel
Angel Pichetto, Jose Pampuro, Jorge Capitanich, Mario
Daniele and Luis Viana. Senator Pichetto from Rio Negro is
the head of the ruling Peronist Party (PJ) bloc. Jose
Pampuro is the former Defense Minister and was First Lady
Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner's running mate in the October
elections in Buenos Aires province. Jorge Capitanich from
Chaco is the President of the Budget and Treasury Committee.
Mario Daniele from Tierra del Fuego is the head of the
Intelligence Committee. Luis Viana was just elected to his
first term as a National Senator from Misiones province.


9. Senator Pichetto thanked the CODEL for their visit and
explained the functioning of the Argentine Senate. The
Argentine Senators discussed the budget process, political
campaigning and typical weekly schedule for the Argentine
Congress. There was a frank discussion on the similarities
and differences between the U.S. and Argentine Senate.


10. Senator Burr noted the good relations between the U.S.
and Argentina and on the need for close cooperation between
the two nations in the war on terror. Senator Pampuro
highlighted the close security cooperation he had as Defense
Minister with U.S. Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld. He noted
that 60 percent of Argentina's military budget is spent in
the Tri-border region that has been a focus of U.S. and
multinational counterterrorism efforts for several years.
Senator Viana, from Misiones Province, on the Argentine side
of the Tri-border, reiterated the importance of U.S. and
Argentine counterterrorism cooperation.


11. Senator McConnell raised the issue of the 1994 AMIA
bombing in Buenos Aires and asked about the status of the
investigation. Pampuro replied that although it is widely
known who was behind the attack, the goal of finally getting
convictions has been a judicial problem. Pichetto noted
that the roots of the AMIA bombing are in the Middle East
and there is a limit to Argentina's ability to prosecute
those responsible because they are no longer in Argentina.
Pampuro noted that the AMIA case is not a big issue
currently in Argentine politics, but at the same time the
GOA could not ignore the plight of the victims' families
that are still seeking justice for the loss of their loved
ones.


12. Senator Martinez noted his Hispanic heritage, the
growing importance of the Latino population in the U.S. and
the importance of U.S. relations with the region. Senator
Martinez highlighted the fact that the Hispanics are now the
largest minority in the U.S. He offered himself as a link
between the Argentine senators and the U.S. Senate, and
called for stronger ties between the two groups.


13. Senator Thune asked about checks and balances and the
Argentine Congress' role in intelligence oversight.
Pichetto said that the Argentine Constitution was modeled on
the U.S. Constitution and the role of the Argentine Congress
in the system of checks and balances was also the same.
Senator Daniele explained that Argentina has a civilian
intelligence service, a law enforcement intelligence
organization, and a military intelligence service. Daniele
noted that the military intelligence service is prohibited
from being involved in domestic intelligence activities. He
said his committee would soon release the first-ever report
on Argentine intelligence spending.


14. Senator Capitanich detailed Argentina's economic
recovery over the past three years and Argentina's
perspective of its trade relationships. Capitanich also
highlighted President Kirchner's efforts to reduce
Argentina's debt burden through the private debt exchange
last year and the payoff of the IMF debt earlier this month.
Capitanich said that the U.S. is one of Argentina's top
trade partners. He said Mercosur was Argentina's most
important trade relationship, followed closely by NAFTA.
Capitanich concluded by discussing the challenges the GOA
faces with rising health care costs, while noting that
Argentina spends a higher percent of GDP on health care than
any other country in the region.


15. During a brief press conference following the meeting,
Senator Martinez and Argentine Senators expressed the hope
that this meeting would be the beginning of a closer
relationship between the two legislatures.

-------------- ---
Meeting with Interior Minister Anibal Fernandez
-------------- ---


16. Members of the CODEL and Ambassador Gutierrez discussed
immigration, narcotics control, counter terrorism, the Tri-
border area, and the challenges to private U.S. investment
in Argentina with Minister of Interior Anibal Fernandez.
Senator McConnell opened the meeting by thanking Fernandez
for receiving the delegation and commenting on the warm
reception and many useful meetings they had already had.
Fernandez thanked the CODEL for visiting Argentina and
stated that in the 1990's Argentine foreign policy was
closely aligned with the U.S. but that since taking office
President Kirchner had set out to establish an independent
foreign policy. He opined that in a Latin American context,
those who advocate a foreign policy not aligned with the
U.S. were seen as being anti-U.S. He stated that his role
has been to stress that while Argentine foreign policy is
not aligned with the U.S. it is also not aligned against the
U.S. In his opinion relations between the two countries are
currently better than in the 90's era of "carnal relations."
He added that one example of these strong relations was what
he termed the positive meeting between President Kirchner
and President George Bush during the recently completed
Summit of the Americas held in Argentina.


17. Senator Burr praised Argentina's economic and social
recovery since the country's economic turmoil and asked the
Minister to comment on the Interior Ministry's efforts to
normalize the status of Argentina's over one million illegal
immigrants. Fernandez stated that until Kirchner took
office Argentina did not have a coherent immigration policy
and that any realistic approach to the problem had to first
address those already living illegally in Argentina. As a
first step, authorities dealt with aliens from outside the
region (predominantly from Asia). He pointed to the 13,485
Asian immigrants recently normalized as an example of the
GOA's efforts in this area. He added that the GOA was now
focusing on illegal immigrants from Peru and MERCOSUR
countries and predicted that by the end of 2006 all those
currently residing in Argentina illegally will have had an
opportunity to become legal.


18. In responses to a question about the status of narcotics
control efforts Fernandez stated that while each of the
forces involved in the struggle were making big efforts,
without greater coordination they would be unable to
succeed. He highlighted the Interior Ministry's plans to
increase interagency coordination and the assistance
provided by the DEA in this area. He added that his
Ministry enjoys a close working relationship with the U.S.
Embassy and that he encourages the DEA to work directly with
individual agencies involved in narcotics interdiction.


19. Senator McConnell pointed out that one of the
similarities between Argentina and the U.S. was that
Argentina is the only country in the region that has
suffered a terrorist attack linked to the Middle East. He
also asked Fernandez to update the CODEL on the GOA's
ongoing investigation into the AMIA bombing. Fernandez
stated that those now responsible for the investigation were
making a great effort, but that a long time had past since
the tragic event. He acknowledged that the GOA's inability
to bring those responsible to justice for more than ten
years was hard to explain to the people of Argentina, but
asserted that prior governments' inept handling of the case
made the current government's task extremely difficult.


20. Senator Thune expressed concerns he had heard from U.S.
businessmen in Argentina regarding GOA economic polices that
disadvantaged foreign companies and discouraged foreign
direct investment. Fernandez countered by explaining that
currently Argentina benefits from exports to the U.S and
wished to profit from U.S. imports as well. He added that
for many years prior to Kirchner becoming president
lucrative government contracts were never awarded to U.S.
firms because those firms would not pay bribes. He pointed
to the GOA's contract with Motorola for the purchase of
radio equipment for the Federal Police as proof both of an
increase in participation by U.S. companies in Argentina and
the GOA's fight against corruption. He added that if the
Senator encountered a particular piece of legislation that
unfairly inhibited a U.S. company he would personally
resolve the issue.

--------------
Reception at Ambassador's Residence
--------------


21. The CODEL concluded its fact finding mission in
Argentina with a reception hosted by Ambassador Gutierrez at
his official residence. The guest list included over two-
hundred business leaders, politicians, political analysts,
former and current Argentine officials, U.S. Embassy
personnel, and foreign dignitaries. The reception provided
the Senators with an opportunity to discuss the issues
raised during their time Argentina with embassy contacts and
experts from across the Argentine political spectrum.
Ambassador Gutierrez thanked the Senators for including
Argentina in their schedule and wished them success on the
remainder of their mission. Senator McConnell thanked the
Ambassador for his hospitality and underscored the positive
relationship that exists between Argentina and the United
States, he also promised to share his impression and
experiences with his colleagues in the Senate.

--------------
Comment
--------------


22. CODEL McConnell was the first major visit since the
Summit of the Americas and the GOA response clearly
demonstrated the GOA's eagerness to maintain close and
constructive relations with the U.S. Prior to the arrival
of the CODEL, which coincided with the visit of Assistant
Secretary Tom Shannon, there had been speculation in the

SIPDIS
local press that the U.S. had downgraded relations with
Argentina. The number and positive tone of all the high-
level meetings offered by the GOA during the height of the
local vacation season clearly indicated that the GOA is
seeking to demonstrate its desire to maintain excellent
relations with the U.S.. The presence of such a high-level
CODEL was seen by both the GOA and local media as an
indication that Argentina is an important part of U.S.
policy consideration in the region. The message
consistently delivered by the CODEL, that the U.S. was
pleased the economic recovery of Argentina and valued
Argentina as an important partner for stability in the
region, demonstrably advanced U.S.-Argentine relations.

GUTIERREZ