US DEMOCRATIC PARTY; US-MEXICAN BORDER FENCE; US-ARGENTINE

UNCLAS BUENOS AIRES 002567 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: US DEMOCRATIC PARTY; US-MEXICAN BORDER FENCE; US-ARGENTINE TIES; CHINA; US-PERUVIAN FTA; US AMBASSADOR WAYNE'S MEETING WITH ARGENTINE DEFENSE MINISTER NILDA GARRE; 11/16/06 ¶1. SUMMARY STATEMENT Leading international stories today include the alleged profound disagreement within the US Democratic Party about how to handle sensitive issues such as the war in Iraq; the Church's opinion about the US-Mexican border fence; the Kirchner administration's alleged closer ties with the USG; the prospect of China as an emerging global power; negotiations on a US-Peruvian FTA; and US Ambassador Wayne's meeting with Argentine Defense Minister Nilda Garre. Liberal, English-language "Buenos Aires Herald" carries an opinion piece by UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan ("Climate change is fixable"),in which he urges action on global warming. ¶2. OPINION PIECES - "Democrats confront each other" Hugo Alconada Mon, Washington-based correspondent for daily-of-record "La Nacion," comments (11/16) "Democrats do not have control of the US Congress yet, which will happen in January, but they have already revealed profound disagreement about how to distribute power, how to handle the war in Iraq, and on sensitive issues, such as abortion, the struggle against corruption and homosexual marriage. "... The debate, which should have occurred before the elections, was only apparent in recent days. High-ranking Democratic leaders did not want to show disagreement in front of an electorate that had to choose between them and the program of President George W. Bush." - "According to the Church, the US-Mexican border fence is 'inhuman'" Julio Algaaraz, Vatican-based correspondent for leading "Clarin," writes (11/16) "One of the Pope's ministers, Cardinal Renato Martino, labeled US President Bush's decision to build a fence on the US-Mexican border... as 'inhuman.' Martino added that Bush's fence recalls the Berlin wall and that it is a violation of human rights. "... Martino expressed his hope that the new Democratic majority in both houses of the US Congress will help rectify this 'inhuman' operation." - "A new Darwin" Hinde Pomeraniec, leading "Clarin's" international columnist, opines (11/16) "... One can predict that no fence can deter those who have �A;nothing, because for them Heaven will always be on the other side of the fence. "In this way, a US ruled by repressive legislation and paranoia will strangle the future of many and promote the benefit of just a few. Those are the ones who profit from the traffic of persons... New smugglers and new slaves in the name of long-standing differences." - "The (Argentine) Government is believed to have shifted in favor of Washington" Mariano Obarrio, political columnist of daily-of-record "La Nacion," writes (11/16) "Luis D'Elia's support for Iran on Monday, which was previously agreed to by Venezuela, implied a challenge to President Kirchner's foreign policy. D'Elia had said in private meetings that 'the US and Israel are pressuring Argentina to confront Iran over the AMIA case. They want to invade Iran, and after that, Venezuela. We cannot let this happen.' "They perceive in D'Elia's entourage that ever since Kirchner traveled to New York, there was a tilt in his foreign policy. He is closer to the US and has demonstrated he is more open to claims from the Jewish community. "... According to high-ranking official sources, Kirchner is closer to Washington. He fosters progress in the AMIA bombing probe and supports the request for the capture of former Iranian government officials. He has even frozen his signs of sympathy for Chavez. Kirchner is attempting now to appear as a popular, although moderate, president that can keep Bolivian President Evo Morales at bay (Morales is a US main concern),and avoid Chavez's omnipresence." - "China is not that far away" Leading "Clarin" carries an op-ed piece by Sergio Cesarin, political analyst, and researcher at CONICET (Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cientificas y Tecnicas/National Council on Scientific and Technical Research),who writes (11/16) "Vis-`-vis FM Taiana's upcoming visit to China, we should analyze China's reality, which is very similar to that of Latin America in terms of increased poverty and inequality... "... The negative consequences of pro-market policies have brought China and Latin America's realities closer... "Chinese President Hu Jintao's goal of creating a 'harmonious society' expressed the political urgency to alleviate the increasing social conflictive potential, which is hard to tame in the rural areas. "Changing the subject, the recent China-Africa summit demonstrated China's aspirations as an emerging global power, its increasing influence on developing countries, its greed for natural resources and raw materials... It is a scenario that only Latin America and Africa can guarantee." - "Alan is desperate to save the FTA" Carlos Noriega, Lima-based correspondent for left-of-center "Pagina 12," comments (11/16) "The Democrats' victory in US legislative elections has gone down badly in the Peruvian government. This victory scares the Garcia administration's hopes that the US Congress will ratify an FTA with Peru, which Garcia questioned as a candidate but now fervently supports as the President of Peru. "In a final, almost desperate, attempt to reverse this situation, Garcia decided to send half of his ministerial cabinet to Washington to hold last-minute negotiations with the White House. "They want to convince Bush to include an FTA with Peru in the list of priority issues to be dealt with by the US Congress before the end of the year, when Republicans will lose control of the two houses of Congress as a consequence of their defeat ten days ago." - "Garre meets with the new US Ambassador" Conservative "La Prensa" reports (11/16) "(Argentine) Defense Minister Nilda Garre met yesterday with the new US Ambassador, Earl Wayne. They discussed issues such as the UN peacekeeping forces. Garre set out the (Argentine) Government's position regarding the so-called 'new threats.' "... Both Garre and Wayne praised the cooperation between the defense establishments of both countries, and labeled the meeting as 'very positive.' "... On the 'new threats' invoked by the US security doctrine, Garre said that 'the tragic history of military coups in Argentina raises caution about strategies that could contribute to repeating gloomy cycles of our history.' The US diplomat said that 'the countries are sovereign and can decide the direction of their policies.'" - "Wayne gains friends" Left-of-center "Pagina 12" highlights (11/16) "In his conciliating style, US Ambassador Wayne labeled as 'excellent' the US-Argentine military cooperation... In a communiqu Wayne said he had a 'very friendly and informative exchange' with Garre on bilateral military issues...'" - "Security forces on alert due to tension with Iran" Leading "Clarin" reports (11/16) "The (Argentine) Government ordered that all security forces and the SIDE (Argentine intelligence central unit) are on a state of alert due to the diplomatic incident with Iran over the AMIA bombing case. "... In parallel, Interior Minister Anibal Fernandez will meet today with US Ambassador Earl Anthony Wayne, with whom he will speak about the struggle against narco-trafficking and international crime. They might also analyze the status of the AMIA bombing probe." To see more Buenos Aires reporting, visit our classified website at: http://www.state.sqov.gov/p/wha/buenosaires WAYNE