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