MEDIA REACTION VISIT OF US DEFENSE DEPUTY

UNCLAS BUENOS AIRES 000211

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 VISIT OF US DEFENSE DEPUTY
ASSISTANT SECRETARY ROGER PARDO-MAURER TO BUENOS AIRES
PALESTINIAN ELECTIONS LATIN AMERICA 'TILT TO THE LEFT'
01/27/06



1. SUMMARY STATEMENT

Today's key international stories include the visit of
US Defense Deputy Assistant Secretary for Western
Hemisphere Affairs Roger Pardo-Maurer to Buenos Aires;
the sweeping victory of the Islamic militant group
Hamas in Palestinian parliamentary polls; and Latin
America's alleged "tilt to the left."


2. OPINION PIECES AND KEY STORIES

- "A US Pentagon man had lunch with Garre"

Guido Braslavsky, military columnist of leading
"Clarin," writes (01/27) "Yesterday, US Defense Deputy
Assistant Secretary for Western Hemisphere Affairs
Roger Pardo-Maurer, the highest-ranking member of the
US Defense Department for the region, arrived in
Buenos Aires and had lunch with (Argentine) Defense
Minister Nilda Garre at the US Embassy.

"According to a source, the main topics tackled were
Bolivia and Evo Morales, the situation in Haiti,
Argentina and Chile's project to create a bi-national
peace force.

"... Pardo-Maurer is a US Pentagon real 'hawk', former
Green Beret and a member of the Nicaraguan 'contra.'

"Something must have been happening at the US Pentagon
(as well as in the US State Department) for a USG hard-
liner who has 'denounced' Cuba and the Venezuela of
Chavez's support for Evo Morales to show a 'positive
attitude' regarding Bolivia. This change seems to be
in line with A/S Shannon's conciliatory tone when he
said that 'populism is not necessarily bad' for the
region."

- "The US and Israel warn there is no room for
negotiation"

Ana Baron, Washington-based correspondent for leading
"Clarin," comments (01/27) "Yesterday, the US
announced that Hamas' victory will not produce changes
in the US position. In alignment with Israel, US
President George W. Bush and Secretary of State
Condoleezza Rice warned that they will not negotiate
with Hamas.

"... One of the main risks posed by Bush's efforts to
export Western democracy to the Middle East was the
possibility that political parties that oppose his
interests in the region could take power.

"This is why Hamas' victory in Palestinian legislative
elections is not only a headache for the White House
but a real test for its democratizing policy in the
Palestinian territories.

"... While Bush said he considered these elections a
new sign of the extension of freedom and democracy in
the region, the White House will obviously use
financial aid as a means to pressure Hamas to renouce
violence. Hamas knows that the aid from the US and the
EU is vital for the Palestinians."

- "Strong message of Bush - Hamas should renounce
terrorism"

Hugo Alconada Mon, Washington-based correspondent for
daily-of-record "La Nacion," comments (01/27) "Even
with their huge differences, Latin America and the
Middle East present the same dilemma for the Bush
administration - how should the US react vis--vis the
triumph of its real or potential enemies in valid and
democratic elections, which is the main focus of White
House foreign policy?

"... The first gesture of the US president was two-
sided - he showed a conciliatory tone and opened the
door for a negotiation with Hamas, but he also asked
it to abandon violence, disarm its militias and
acknowledge Israel.

"... The scenario is not easy for the White House.



Hamas' victory signals a crossroads, and perhaps a new
retreat, for the US-announced purpose of democratizing
the Islamic world, in which Iran presents a new
challenge every day; Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Syria and
Lebanon present steps forward and retreats; and Iraq
is still a riddle, almost three years away from the
beginning of the invasion."

- "Bush believes that Hamas is still a terrorist
organization"

Conservative "La Prensa" reports (01/27) "US President
George W. Bush still considers Hamas a terrorist
organization and dismisses negotiations with them as
long as they persist on their goal to 'destroy our
ally Israel,' although he underscored that peace 'is
never dead, because the people want it.'

"... While Bush made it clear that he does not like
the political change that occurred in the Middle East,
he hinted that he will do whatever he can to keep the
negotiating process alive in the region, 'because our
purpose is to continue supporting the Palestinian
people.'"

- "Alarm and rejection in Israel, Europe and the US"

Business-financial "Ambito Financiero" reports (01/27)
"The outcome of the Palestinian legislative election
impacted on the Israeli society and political leaders.
The Israeli government said it will not negotiate with
a 'terrorist organization', such as Hamas, which
proclaims the 'destruction' of Israel. The White House
made similar statements, while the EU was cautious and
the Iranian radical government celebrated it.

"... US President George W. Bush's reaction was in
alignment with Israel. During a press conference at
the White House, he said 'The US does not support a
political party that wants to destroy our ally
Israel.'"

- "Two countries at war"

Claudio Uriarte, international analyst of left-of-
center "Pagina 12," writes (01/27) "Palestine is not a
State yet. However, based on the political earthquake
unleashed by Hamas' sweeping victory, it can be said
that Israel and Palestine are two countries at war
since yesterday...

"Israel has suffered a double political blow, which
has left it in a territory without any maps - Ariel
Sharon's political disappearance..., and now these
elections, which will allow the right wing of Benjamin
Netanyahu to proclaim that unilateral withdrawals do
not work because Palestinians believe they are the
outcome of the struggle of their most radical wing...

"... The US policy on the Middle East is now also to
the drift as long as it was based on the existence of
two nations that were willing to acknowledge each
other. Something is for sure - low-intensity war in
the Middle East is here to stay."

- "The beginning of the 'unilateral' peace era"

Business-financial "Ambito Financiero" carries an
opinion piece by columnist Marcelo Falak, who writes
(01/27) "The Hamas' sweeping victory can be shocking
but not surprising.

"The victory of Hamas is not only that of Palestinian
extremists, but that of all hawks' view on the Mideast
conflict, because it clears the scenario - on the
Palestinian side there is no one to negotiate with and
the only possible ways out are force and unilateral
peace.

"... Regarding the outcome of Palestinian elections
for the US, on one side, it will have to deal with
Syria and Iran's strengthened influence on the
region... On the other side, it will have to deal with
legitimized terrorist methods and ideologies through
elections. Third, it will have to deal with the



suspicion that its democratizing prescription is
perhaps not the proper one in order to impose what the
Bush administration envisions for the region."

- "Tilt to the left?"

Daily-of-record "La Nacion" carries an op-ed piece by
contributor Julio Cesar Moreno, who highlights (01/27)
"Much has been said about Latin America's 'tilt to the
left' but definitions become vague when pointing out
its features and direction of this political
phenomenon...

"... We should abandon the 'tilt to the left'
expression and replace it with the description of a
many-sided phenomenon whose main characteristic is a
thorough review of the so-called 'consensus of
Washington,' this is to say the model featuring
indiscriminate economic opening, big-scale
privatizations, and denationalization of the economy,
which was implemented in the '90s.

"The goal of new Latin American elite is to
reestablish the balance between the State and the
market, and attain a more equitable redistribution of
income, so that unemployment, poverty and inequality
rates diminish."


3. EDITORIALS

- "Uncertainty in the Middle East"

Daily-of-record "La Nacion" editorializes (01/27) "In
just fifteen days, the international political
panorama has abruptly changed and it promises to
change even further after the surprising and sweeping
victory of Hamas radical Islamic group in Palestinian
elections.

"... The time has come for the leading countries of
the world and the entire international community to
commit them to decidedly supporting the peace process
between Israel and the Palestinian National
Authority...

"Today, more than ever, the people of Israel should
decide what the road to peace is - Olmert summarized
it well 'Israel is a strong and democratic country;'
but, for this purpose, it will have to count on the
inexcusable support of the rest of the countries of
the world. Everyone's future is at stake."

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

The Media Reaction Report reflects articles and
opinions by the cited news media and do not
necessarily reflect U.S. Embassy policy or views. The
Public Affairs Section does not independently verify
information. The report is intended for internal U.S.
Government use only.

GUTIERREZ