MEDIA REACTION A/S THOMAS SHANNON UPCOMING

UNCLAS BUENOS AIRES 000041

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 A/S THOMAS SHANNON UPCOMING
VISIT TO BUENOS AIRES URUGUAY DENYING FTD WITH US
HAITI ARGENTINE-BOLIVIAN TIES CHAVEZ AS A MEDIATOR
BETWEEN ARGENTINA AND BOLIVIA US DOMESTIC ESPIONAGE
THE KIRCHNER ADMINISTRATION 01/09/06


1. SUMMARY STATEMENT

Weekend stories cover: the upcoming visit of A/S
Thomas Shannon to Buenos Aires; Uruguay denying that
it may be negotiating a free trade deal with the US;
the upcoming elections in Haiti; the Argentine-
Bolivian relationship; US Republican Tom De Lay
quitting US Congress majority post; the alleged US
domestic espionage; and the US-Argentine bilateral
relationship.


2. INSIDE-PAGE HEADLINES ON A/S SHANNON'S UPCOMING
VISIT TO BUENOS AIRES

- Daily-of-record "La Nacion" (01/07) "Shannon arrives
in Argentina in order to put the US-Argentine
bilateral relationship on a sound track." "Bush's
envoy will also visit Brasilia with the same purpose."

- "Leading "Clarin" (01/08) ?One week of encounters
with the US and France." "Government officials arrive
in the country."

- Conservative "La Prensa" (01/07) "A USG official
will visit our country." "US Assistant Secretary Tom
Shannon will arrive in Argentina on Thursday." "He is
planning to meet with Foreign Minister Taiana and Vice
Foreign Minister Garcia Moritan, but he will hold some
other meetings." "The visit of the influential member
of the Bush administration will have a special
political meaning."

- Business-financial "El Cronista" (01/09) "Argentina
and the US resume contacts."

- Business-financial, center-right "InfoBae" (01/09)
"New Argentine approach to Washington."


3. OPINION PIECES AND KEY STORIES

- "Shannon arrives in Argentina in order to put the US-
Argentine bilateral relationship on a sound track"

Florencia Carbone, political columnist of daily-of-
record "La Nacion," writes (01/07) "US Assistant
Secretary for the Western Hemisphere Tom Shannon will

SIPDIS
come to Argentina next week.

"The visit of the head of US diplomacy for Latin
America was confirmed yesterday by sources from the
(Argentine) Foreign Ministry and the US Embassy in
Buenos Aires and will occur just a few days before the
meeting to be held in Brazil with presidents Kirchner,
Lula and Chavez in light of Evo Morales taking power
in Bolivia...

"Asked about the topics of the agenda, spokespersons
of the US embassy briefly said 'regional and bilateral
issues'...

"This phrase, translated into less diplomatic
language, could include certain inevitable bilateral
topics such as free trade, the political and social
situation in the region, the struggle against narco-
trafficking and terrorism.

"... Shannon, who will meet with Foreign Minister
Jorge Taiana and Vice foreign Minister Roberto Garcia
Moritan..., will be here during the same week in which
a delegation of US Republican senators will arrive in
the country.

"... There is a highlighted item on the US agenda on
the region, and particularly in the US agenda on
Argentina and Brazil - Evo Morales taking power.

"The Bush administration sees the coca leader as a
hypothetical ally of the presidents of Venezuela and
Cuba in their anti-US crusade."

- "One week of contacts with the US and France"

Leading "Clarin" reports (01/08) "During this week,
the Argentine government will hold a series of




meetings with members of the Bush and Chirac
administrations at a moment when their bilateral
relationship is not at its best.

"A/S Thomas Shannon is scheduled to arrive in Buenos
Aires between this Thursday and Friday in order to
hold meetings with Argentine authorities.

"This is not minor information if one bears in mind
that the Argentine ties with the White House are not
at their best, particularly in the aftermath of the
Fourth SOA...

"By then, Shannon was in charge of the frustrated
negotiations with Mercosur countries, which triggered
Bush's anger because the US was unable to re-launch
FTAA negotiations.

"Next Thursday, (Argentine) Foreign Minister Jorge
Taiana will receive a delegation of US Republican
senators that will be led by Mitch McConnell, chairman
of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Foreign
Operations, of most importance in the White House's
foreign policy. With them, Taiana will tackle FTAA-
related issues...

"The legislators' visit is aimed at talking about
topics related to security, the struggle against
terrorism, hemispheric economic integration and
bilateral trade."

- "Uruguay denies talk of US FTD"

Liberal, English-language "Buenos Aires Herald"
reports (01/07) "Uruguay yesterday denied that it may
be negotiating a FTD with the US, after Argentina
warned it that such an accord could only be discussed
from within the Mercosur trade bloc and demanded
clarification. Uruguay and Argentina are also locked
in a separate diplomatic dispute over the construction
of two pulp mills on the border between the two
countries.

"... Uruguayan Foreign Minister Reinaldo Gargano said
yesterday that 'the Uruguayan government is not
negotiating any FTD with the US.'

"He even expressed doubts about the news report...

"Gargano said that despite Montevideo not seeking a
FTD with Washington, that 'does not mean that we are
not discussing trade issues with all countries in the
world such as China, India and South Africa... or that
we are not demanding (like Argentina is doing) that
the US lower its tariffs and increase its purchases."

- "Haiti: no easy way out"

Gwynne Dyer, contributor to liberal, English-language
"Buenos Aires Herald," writes (01/09) ".... Haiti is
responding badly to foreign intervention because it is
a real country with a tragic history. Haitians may
have no money, little education and few prospects, but
they actually know who they are...

".... The date has finally been set for the first
elections to be held since Jean-Bertrand Aristide was
ousted from power nearly two years ago.

"... Aristide, in exile in South Africa, still sees
himself as the legitimate president of Haiti, and so
do a lot of Haitians. They will not be allowed to vote
for him even if the 'interim government' does
eventually manage to stage an election, but that means
that nothing will be settled and the violence will not
abate. Aristide may never return, but the old order
cannot be restored."

- "Kirchner wants to turn Bolivia into a commercal
ally"

Martin Rodriguez Yebra, political columnist of daily-
of-record "La Nacion," writes (01/07) "The hypothesis
of a conflict does not fit in the relationship the




Kirchner administration is planning to have with
Bolivia, in spite of President-elect Evo Morales'
warnings on the increase in the gas price supplied to
Argentina.

"Far from any tension, Kirchner will try to build a
commercial alliance with the Bolivian leader that will
be similar to the one he negotiated with the Venezuela
of Hugo Chavez two years ago - in summary, Kirchner
will attempt to reach a series of deals focused on the
exchange of gas supply for industrial machinery and
scientific and technological cooperation."

- "Gas - Chavez wants to act as a mediator between
Bolivia and Argentina"

Business-financial "Ambito Financiero" (01/09) reports
"Hugo Chavez wants to become a sort of mediator
between Evo Morales and Nestor Kirchner vis--vis the
imminent bilateral conflicts between the future
Bolivian government and the Argentine administration.
The Venezuelan president will seek to personally deal
with both presidents in order to approach positions,
particularly on the gas price issue, so that the
potential problems are dismissed and a fast commercial
agreement is reached.


"In concrete, Chavez will seek that before the month
of June, Morales will sign the same sort of energy
deal he reached with Venezuela last December at the
Montevideo Mercosur summit, in which Venezuela started
its process as a 'political partner' of Mercosur."


4. EDITORIALS

- "US domestic espionage"

An editorial in leading "Clarin" reports (01/07) "The
USG has earned strong domestic and foreign criticism
of its infringement on individual rights under the
protection of the broad powers granted by the anti-
terror legislation.

"US President George W. Bush acknowledged several
actions of espionage on behalf of the National
Security Agency on US citizens without any judicial
order, which overrides governmental powers.

".... The September 11 attacks made clear shortfalls
in the domestic security of the country that most
money assigns to national defense and security. This
is why the emphasis on strengthening security and
prevention measures is fully understandable. What
cannot be explained is that it damages other citizens'
rights and guarantees."

- "End of a cycle in the Middle East"

An editorial in leading "Clarin" reads (01/09) "In his
last battle for life, PM Ariel Sharon is leaving the
Israeli political scene without one of the last
leaders who lived under the sign of war.

"... Sharon's stance was that of a nationalistic
intransigent leader...

"Nonetheless, during his latest administration he
initiated a territorial separation that could imply
the acknowledgment of an independent Palestinian
State. Peace process in the Middle East depended on
leaders who understood the opportunity to re-orient
history in another direction. Another crucial part of
that road is still ahead."

- "A realistic foreign policy"

Business-financial "El Cronista" editorializes (01/09)
"Argentina's foreign policy will face an agenda
calling for clear definitions in the next weeks,
leaving little room for rhetoric and false
ideologies...

"As a sign that the region is going through a special




political and economic moment, several key encounters
will occur starting this week. First, A/S Tom Shannon
will arrive in the country on Thursday... His visit is
in the framework of a cooled (US-Argentine)
relationship due to the dispute over FTAA negotiations
in the Mar del Plata Summit. But, Foreign Minister
Jorge Taiana is attempting to maintain a less distant
relationship with the US. The topics of the meetings
will not only be the bilateral ones. Just some days
after, Bolivian President-elect Evo Morales is
scheduled to come to the country - Morales publicly
supports Fidel Castro, Hugo Chavez and Nestor
Kirchner.

".... Nothing leads one to think that President
Kirchner's foreign policy will change. He believes his
ties with Chavez act as political contention and
support for regional stability.

"... Argentina has the opportunity to establish a
mature strategy, far from short-term and false
ideological dilemmas."

- "The (Argentine) Government's responsibility
following the payment of its debt to the IMF"

Leading "Clarin" (01/08) editorializes "Through the
payment of its debt to the IMF, the (Argentine)
government won freedom, but it assumed a strong
commitment that the economic policy and its outcome
will be its own responsibility starting now...

"... But it is also fundamental to generate the
framework to return confidence to foreign investors in
Argentina.

"Investors' confidence depends primarily on the
prospects of economic expansion and profitability.
Secondly, but not of less importance, it also depends
on confidence in institutions and judicial security.

"... The positive effect of partial dis-indebtedness
and the growth obtained during recent years could be
weakened by the counter-productive effect of populist
gestures or political intemperance."

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