MEDIA REACTION; ANNAPOLIS CONFERENCE; VENEZUELAN

UNCLAS BUENOS AIRES 002265 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 SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION; ANNAPOLIS CONFERENCE; VENEZUELAN REFERENDUM; WAR ON DRUGS; 11/27/07 ¶1. SUMMARY STATEMENT Today's key international stories deal with expectations for the Middle East Peace conference in Annapolis; the Venezuelan referendum on the country's constitutional amendment; and a critical view on the war on drugs. ¶2. OPINION PIECES AND EDITORIALS - "Chavez falling from favor" Paul Scheltus, on special assignment in Caracas for liberal, English-language "Buenos Aires Herald," writes (11/27) "... If approved, the new constitution would turn (Venezuela) into a centralized socialist state and allow the president to be re-elected indefinitely. That's causing considerable unease, even with those loyal to the former paratrooper. "The opposition - a lackluster bunch of little consequence in recent years - seems finally to have found a message that resonates with a large part of the electorate. The 'no' vote is gaining ground, thanks mainly to the leading role played by students. Opinion polls quoted by opposition media put those that reject the changes at around 45 percent and those in favor at between 30 and 40 percent. The government pollsters still insist that 'yes' will beat 'no' by 58 to 42 percent. Abstention here is a major threat for the opposition... "Fair enough, but past experience should have taught those opposed to Chavez that ignoring him is a dead-end road." - "Skepticism over a Middle East peace summit" Ana Baron, Washington-based correspondent for leading "Clarin," comments (11/27) "On the eve of the Middle East Peace conference that will be held in Annapolis today, US President George W. Bush, Israeli PM Ehud Olmert and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas showed optimistic. However, last night, Palestinian negotiator Ahmad Qorei and Israeli FM Tzipi Livni had not reached a deal on a final communiqu and skepticism prevailed among the experts consulted by 'Clarin.' "Phyllis Bennis, author of 'Understanding the Palestinian-Israeli conflict,' who works for the Institute for Political Studies, a progressive NGO, said: 'The real objective of the Annapolis conference is not doing justice with the Palestinian claims or preserving Israel's security. What the Bush administration wants is the support from Arab countries to isolate Iran while improving the US image in the region after Condoleezza Rice supported and encouraged Israel's attack against Lebanon.' "On the other extreme of the political spectrum, former US ambassador to the UN, neo-conservative John Bolton agreed: 'The conference has been organized to improve the legacy of the Bush administration.' Everything indicates that 'it is doomed to failure, regardless of the standards you use to analyze the outcome.' "... Nonetheless, some experts believe that even when a deal is reached, it will hardly be implemented. Both Bush and Olmert and Abbas have less than 30 percent of support. However, this is not all. Hamas was not invited because the US Department of State considers it a terrorist group. However, Fatah's moderates, led by Abbas, only control the West Bank. "In spite of the difficulties, Rice is convinced that at least some progress will be made and that this will be enough to give new momentum to the peace process. The truth is that if the conference fails, the effort made could have an opposed effect. Fareed Zakarias, author of 'The future of freedom,' said: 'These countries will hardly agreed to attend again a conference like this one.'" - "The summit will start today with some doubts" Hugo Alconada Mon, Washington-based correspondent for daily-of-record "La Nacion," comments (11/27) "Merged in a sea of doubts about its outcome, the Middle East international summit will start today in the port city of Annapolis... It has a very complicated objective - come to terms on a permanent peace deal or at least on an agenda that will lead to a permanent truce. "The USG, and particularly US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, pleaded for months in favor of the summit although she stressed her 'moderate optimism' about what may happen in the next 48 hours in order to keep reasonable expectations. "... The arrival of a delegation from Syria, one of the most visceral enemies of Israel, reinforced the serious nature of the summit... "However, the challenge is so huge that the communiqu containing a tentative agenda was delayed due to the parties' confronting ideas. "The chore of the dispute is how to make concrete the 'solution of the two States' premise to honor the 'road map' that Israelis and Palestinians agreed upon in 2003. "However, this dispute has multiple fronts. Some of them include where to delineate the borders of the Palestinian State, how to solve the refugees problem, what the future of Jerusalem will be, how to solve the remaining Israeli settlements and Israel's return (or not) of the Golan Heights to Syria..." - "Who wins the war on drugs" Daily-of-record "La Nacion" carries an op-ed story by Juan Gabriel Tokatlian, professor of International Relations at Universidad de San Andres, who opines (11/27) "... If one reviews the drug phenomenon from an organizational angle, the conclusion is alarming. The strategies implemented to dismantle mafia conglomerates have created more sophisticated, influential and virulent criminal organizations. Transnational criminality is no longer an emerging class but has become a dominant class in many cases. Some years ago, the narco-trafficking issue was a criminological fact. Today, it is a sociological issue... "If one analyzes the militarization of the struggle against drugs (the participation of Armed Forces in basically police tasks),the result has been a failure. The effect of the military participation in anti-drug actions impacted negatively on the relations between civilians and the military, human rights and the degree of corruption. The direct and active role played by the armed forces in eradication, interdiction and chase did not imply a promising advance towards eradicating or at least reducing the drug problem... "However, in this process, armed forces, as a corporation, have become inclined to the 'war on drugs,' because they receive domestic and foreign financial resources, gain domestic influence and US support. "... World information reveals that banning drugs has been a failure, although nothing seems to put a brake on the banning crusade... "In Argentina there are many sectors that are eager to join the 'war on drugs.'... What the country needs is to tackle and solve the structural problems that allow the drug business to prosper and expand. The role of the State in this regard is essential. Meanwhile, the society should get more and better information on the issue and attempt to create domestic and international coalitions that will help to rethink the costly and unproductive ongoing policies." To see more Buenos Aires reporting, visit our classified website at: http://www.state.sqov.gov/p/wha/buenosaires WAYNE