MEDIA REACTION; CRISTINA'S ADDRESS TO THE AJC; ISLAM AND

UNCLAS BUENOS AIRES 000875 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; CRISTINA'S ADDRESS TO THE AJC; ISLAM AND TERRORISM; 05/04/07; BUENOS AIRES ¶1. SUMMARY STATEMENT Today's major international stories include Argentine Senator Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner's address to the American Jewish Committee; and the connection between violent Islam and terrorist attacks, in the opinion of a Spanish expert. ¶2. OPINION PIECES AND EDITORIALS - "Cristina defends in Washington the AMIA case investigation" Ana Baron, leading "Clarin's" Washington-based correspondent, penned (05/04) "With much conviction and a very determined tone, Senator Cristina Kirchner defended yesterday the importance of the AMIA investigation and, without directly criticizing US President George Bush, she urged to reinforce multilateralism and UN credibility for the sake of a safer world and international peace. "... If anyone expected her to use her address to send some kind of signal to the US Department of State aimed at easing the tension created by the anti-Bush rally led by Chavez (in Buenos Aires),then that person was wrong. Senator Kirchner focused all her attention on the defense of human rights and the example set by the Jewish people who know how to keep memory alive to prevent the Holocaust from happening again. "... Cristina's message served to alleviate the prevailing concern in the American Jewish community over Kirchner's ties to Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, whom they consider a dangerous ally of Iran. "Actually, the American Jewish Committee is one of the most anti-Chavez lobbies in Washington. They are mostly concerned about the way Iran uses Venezuela as a platform to reinforce its clout in the region." - "Strong promise to the Jewish Community" Hugo Alconada Mon, Washington-based correspondent for daily-of-record "La Nacion," writes (05/04) "Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner came to reinforce her ties with the influential American Jewish community and she managed to do it in only 18 minutes. She reaffirmed her commitment to the AMIA case and against anti-Semitism in and outside of Argentina, particularly in the Venezuela of Hugo Chavez, and she defended the official policy on human rights. "... (Cristina's) short stay also raised questions on whether she or President Kirchner would run for president in October. �00A; "... In order to avoid speculation about her candidacy (and also about the 'success' of her trip),those who organized her trip to Washington (Consul to New York Hector Timerman and Ambassador Jose Bordon) did not coordinate sensitive meetings with members of Congress or Bush's staff. Last night, Cristina Kirchner also sent them a message - she urged the rebuilding of multilateralism as a means to achieve international peace. "... Last night, Cristina raised another sensitive issue for her audience, regarding dealing with Argentina on the AMIA case. She said 'We need to know the truth because along with memory, it will make it possible to see that justice is done.' "This is what the AJC, which has major ties to the Republican and Democratic establishment in the country, wanted to hear. David Harris, the head of the American Jewish Committee, had blamed Iran and Hezbollah for the attack and praised Prosecutor Alberto Nisman and the Kirchners for being 'the most determined leaders to investigate the attacks.'" - "According to an expert, the Tri-Border area is already deactivated" Business-financial "Ambito Financiero's" columnist Pablo Ibaez penned (05/04) "... Gustavo de Aristegui, Partido Popular deputy, who is seen as a future FM of a future PP government, is visiting Buenos Aires. During a lecture, he delineated a framework that he defines as a 'phenomenal' progress of Jihadism, and a complex scenario for Argentina and Latin America. "He said 'The risk is not posed by the Tri-Border area but by the domestic recruiting' conducted by radical Islamism... According to De Aristegui, the danger is no longer external but is engendered inside the country. "Regardless of whether his view is valid or not, his position is based on the attacks occurred in the UK and Spain, which were partially performed by militants living in each country. "According to him, 'it is false to interpret that with a government's decision not to send troops to Iraq or Afghanistan, its country will be safe from any terrorist attack.' "... In clear reference to Venezuelan Hugo Chavez, De Aristegui said that 'it is paradoxical to see the extreme left wings' fascination with ultra-conservative religious right wings.' "De Aristegui believes that the anti-US feeling triggers a rapprochement that he considers paradoxical and 'naove.' 'The disoriented left wing considers its alliance with Islamism a strategy (against imperialism) while Islamism believes it is a tactic.'" To see more Buenos Aires reporting, visit our classified website at: http://www.state.sqov.gov/p/wha/buenosaires WAYNE