MEDIA REACTION ZACARIAS MOUSSAOUI US

UNCLAS BUENOS AIRES 000771 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 ZACARIAS MOUSSAOUI US IMMIGRATION POLICY OLLANTA HUMALA VENEZUELA EVO MORALES ARGENTINE ANTI-MONEY LAUNDERING LEGISLATION 04/04/06 ¶1. SUMMARY STATEMENT Today's major international stories include a US federal jury finding conspirator Zacarias Moussaoui eligible for the death penalty; a debate in the US Senate on undocumented immigrants and the impact of the issue on November legislative elections; Peruvian presidential candidate Ollanta Humala's statements on globalization, free trade and the US anti-drug policy; Bolivian President Morales's statement that he will not expropriate Petrobras' assets; the ties between Venezuelan President Chavez and the Bush administration; murderous tornadoes in US Mid-West; and Venezuela seizing an oilfield from France's Total SA and Italy's Eni SpA after the companies failed to comply with a government demand that operations be turned over to the state oil company Petroleos de Venezuela SA. Leading "Clarin" carries a Global Viewpoint reprint of an opinion piece by Madeleine Albright, former US Secretary of State, who emphasizes that "The current SIPDIS USG's Maniquean and simplistic view has ended up strengthening the most extreme versions of Islamism and deepening the conflict in the Middle East." The leading newspaper also carries an editorial praising Argentina's latest amendment to its anti-money laundering legislation. ¶2. OPINION PIECES AND KEY STORIES - "Possible execution due to the September 11 attacks" Hugo Alconada Mon, Washington-based correspondent for daily-of-record "La Nacion," writes (04/04) "Zacarias Moussaoui, the only person that has been indicted and tried in US courts due to his alleged ties with the September 11 attacks, is heading for death penalty. "Yesterday, a jury of nine men and three women found Moussaoui eligible for execution... "The decision brought relief among the relatives of those who died in the September 11 attacks, though some of them fear that Moussaoui's execution could turn him into a martyr... "The problems faced by the government in its 'war on terrorism,' already in its third year, have weakened US President George W. Bush, who sustains that military offensive is the right way to prevent Al Qaeda from hitting the US again..." - "Immigration - a decisive week in the US" Ana Baron, Washington-based correspondent for leading "Clarin," writes (04/04) "This week will be decisive for the 12 million undocumented immigrants who are currently living and working in the US. What is at stake is what to do with them. "... The issue not only divided Republicans and Democrats but also sparked a big debate within the GOP itself, in which the most conservative wing wants to be tough with illegal immigrants while large corporations do not want to lose their cheap employees. "Everyone is concerned about the impact of this issue on November legislative elections and 2008 presidential elections. Many Republicans fear to lose the increasing support they obtained from the Hispanic community in latest presidential elections, while others do not want to risk the most conservative supporters of the party, who have always strongly opposed illegal immigration." - "Ollanta Humala - 'I'm neither a leftist or a rightist'" Carlos Noriega, on special assignment in Lima for left- of-center "Pagina 12," writes (04/04) "During an interview with former commander Ollanta Humala, in which, among other questions, he was asked to predict what his relationship with the US would be like and whether he would legalize coca plantations, Humala answered 'We want to have the best possible relationship with the US. I am not anti-US. However, I believe that its anti-drug policy has a negative side, and this is why we should separate coca leaf from cocaine. I am against a compulsive eradication of the coca leaf because I believe it should be replaced in a profitable way. We should seek markets for by-products of the coca leaf and be able to industrialize it. One cannot solve the problem posed by cocaine by punishing coca growers, because they are not the first link in the drug trafficking network." - "Humala - 'We'll be a government with authority, not an authoritarian one'" Pablo Biffi, on special assignment in Lima for leading "Clarin," comments (04/04) "During an interview with Ollanta Humala, the favorite for this Sunday's elections, he was asked about globalization and whether he is against an FTA with the US, which Peru is close to signing, to which he answered 'I am not against an FTA with the US by definition. How could I not want Peruvian products to enter that market, which is the largest in the world? However, those agreements should go hand in hand with national interests, a national development project and strengthened national industries." - "Venezuela's guessing game" James Scott, columnist of liberal, English-language "Buenos Aires Herald," writes (04/04) "... Some experts point out while Chavez appears to be an egotist pushing his Bolivarian revolution, there may be a method to his madness. Within an increasingly left-leaning Latin America, some say creating regional alliances and bolstering economic independence from its wealthy northern neighbor is good politics. "Chavez's critics don't buy it, arguing that his spending comes at the expense of investing in Venezuela. Poverty levels - though falling - still remain high, much of the nation's infrastructure is in a shambles and a lack of housing has led to the idea of expropriating people's second homes for redistribution, if owners try to sell them for inflated prices. "... Still, in a country where Chavez enjoys more than 55-percent approval ratings, experts say it will be tough to damage him before the November election - though his opponents are trying. "... Mark Weisbrot, co-director of the Center for Economic and Policy Research, is bullish on Venezuela and its future. He said Chavez has been the target of a political and media smear campaign by the US. "Faced with US efforts to isolate Venezuela, he said Chavez has done a solid job of gaining allies in Latin America. "He also said that some of his foreign investments, like buying up Argentina's debt, may very well turn out to be long-term money-makers for the people of Venezuela. "'The Bush administration has been trying to isolate Chavez for years and has only managed to further isolate (the United States of) America,' he told the 'Herald.'" - "Evo Morales - 'There will be no expropriation'" Business-financial "Ambito Financiero" reports (04/04) "Bolivian President Evo Morales asserted to Brazil that he is not planning to expropriate Petrobras' assets, though he did not made clear how he will nationalize national resources. A Bolivian delegation will arrive in Brazil in ten days in order to discuss the issue, which triggered concern in Petrobras, the main investor in Bolivia." ¶4. EDITORIALS - "Amendment to the Argentine anti-money laundering legislation" An editorial in leading "Clarin" reads (04/04) "... One of the most serious current challenges faced by the nations is preventing and punishing money laundering. "The recent amendment to Argentina's anti-money laundering legislatio is a step forward in this direction because it includes a series of recommendations made in 2003 by the financial Action Task force (FATF)... "... The legal amendment should be accompanied with the commitment of tax, financial, police and judicial agents to fighting money laundering." 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