MEDIA REACTION: STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS

UNCLAS SANTIAGO 000147

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

STATE FOR IIP/G/WHA, INR/R/MR, WHA/BSC, WHA/PDA, INR/IAA

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OPRC KMDR KPAO CI
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION: STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS


1. On January 25, conservative, independent "La Tercera" (circ.
101,000) ran an editorial entitled, "Climate Change and the Global
Agenda." Quotes:

"Yesterday and the day before, there were two signals... that global
warming has become a priority in the global agenda. On Tuesday
night in the State of the Union address, the U.S. President spoke
about several steps 'that will help us become better guardians of
the environment and face the serious challenge of global climate
change'.... The President's words are noteworthy for two reasons:
First, because he has been skeptical regarding climate change; of
the effect of human activity on it, and on the effectiveness of a
global initiative such as the Kyoto Protocol to confront the
problem. Second, because his country produces 25% of the greenhouse
gases that contribute to global warming.

"It's true that he had political reasons to allude to the
environment and climate in his address.... However, it shows that
the leader of the superpower, in addition to taking for granted that
this is an issue that cannot be avoided, seems willing to imprint a
new focus on his policy in this area."


2. On January 25, conservative, independent "La Tercera" (circ.
101,000) carried a column by Alvaro Vargas Llosa entitled
"Environmentalists Criticize and Democrats Accept Bush's Proposals
on Fuels." Quote:

"U.S. President Bush tried in his address to pick up the
environmental banner, which he had avoided before.... Last year Bush
had already given signals that he was willing to accept some
environmentalist concerns floating in political circles by
denouncing the U.S. 'addiction to oil.' This time he went much
farther with specific goals and projects. But Bush's environmental
concerns continue to be tied to security issues: The most powerful
reason he invoked on Tuesday to lower gasoline consumption was the
need to decrease dependence on the oil supply from the Middle East."



3. On January 25, conservative, influential newspaper-of-record "El
Mercurio" (circ. 129,000) carried a column by international
commentator Karin Ebensperger entitled, "An Increasingly Questioned
President." Quotes:

"As the historical inclination leans toward de-westernization
because of China's and India's rapid rise, the most symbolic and
powerful country in the west is trapped in Iraq and internally
divided. In his State of the Union Address, President Bush said,
'We will show our enemies abroad that we are united,' while the
previous day senators from both parties had introduced a resolution
criticizing the war and the decision to send more troops (to Iraq).


"Bush is showing an unseen stubbornness.... How the U.S. acts in
Iraq or elsewhere is not just an internal affair, because terrorist
retaliations affect all of us, not only the U.S. The arguments that
were used to invade Iraq were questionable from the beginning, and
the result proves it."

KELLY