MEDIA REACTION; US ELECTION CAMPAIGN; UN ANTITERRORIST

UNCLAS BUENOS AIRES 000632 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; US ELECTION CAMPAIGN; UN ANTITERRORIST PLAN; LEBANON; BOLIVIA; 05/12/08 ¶1. SUMMARY STATEMENT Weekend newspapers carry international editorials on presidential candidate Barack Obama's chances of winning US presidential elections; the progress made under the UN's antiterrorist strategy; the chaotic situation in Lebanon; and the referendum in Bolivia. ¶2. OPINION PIECES AND EDITORIALS - "Is the US ready to vote for a black president for the first time in its history?" Ana Baron, leading "Clarin's" Washington-based correspondent, writes (05/11) "When US Democratic primary elections started in Iowa, Barack Obama received a lot of enthusiasm by presenting himself as the candidate who would overcome racial factors and ideological barriers. Looking for a new post-racism US, without division between white and black people, without the left or right wing, thousands of youth and new voters aligned with him and created an unparalleled movement in the recent history of the US. "Nonetheless, almost six months later, the question Obama had managed to avoid in the first stage of the election campaign is again the main focus of attention in the US political scenario - can a black man win the US presidential election? "... Just like Powell, Obama's family is not a typical US Afro-American family, with slave ancestors in the country or who had participated in the '60s civil rights movement such as Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton... "... Jeremiah Wright's statements have contributed even further to raising the racial specter in a country where there are still sons of slaves and where until only 40 years ago, black people were not able to attend the same schools or same bars white people attended. When Wright stated black people should say 'God curse America,' due to the prevailing racism in the country, Obama said he does not share his view. "However, if the candidate has reached this point in spite of the color of his skin, why shouldn't he reach the White House? No analyst seriously dismisses the possibility. On the contrary, every recession in US history has been followed by a change in the ruling political party, and to this, one should add a war with less than 30% popularity rate." - "The UN launches an antiterrorist plan" Conservative "La Prensa" carries an opinion piece by Emilio Cardenas, former Argentine Ambassador to the UN, who writes (05/11) "On September 8, 2006, the UN General Assembly formally approved the 'World Strategy against Terrorism'... This year, starting in September, the UN General Assembly will examine in detail how much progress the strategy has made. "... Obviously enough, there is much to do in our region... in this regard. Looking only at what happens at the porous borders between Colombia and Ecuador or Venezuela after no less than 42 years of intense guerrilla activities, it is apparent that the governments of those countries still have much to do... The governments should be held liable for their omissions, particularly when they are compelled to act. Ecuadorian Defense Minister Wellington Sandoval's excuses are useless that 'protecting' Ecuador's borders with Colombia would be a 'huge and expensive effort'. If Ecuador cannot do it alone, it should call for the cooperation of its neighboring country or the region, or the international community. 'Leaving things just as they are' is not an option because this would simply favor the FARC. It is striking that the recent resolutions and statements made by the OAS and the 'Rio Group' about the serious incidents on the Ecuadorian-Colombian border did not specifically mention UN rules and actions in this respect. It is strange because it would seem that for some reason they preferred to turn their back on them or 'distance themselves' from the UN. It is not serious." - "Lack of responsibility" Marcelo Cantelmi, international editor of leading "Clarin," comments (05/10) "Lebanon is the ringside of a gigantic confrontation between Iran and the Shiite theocracy sponsoring Hezbollah, on the one hand, and the US, France, Saudi Arabia and Egypt, the Sunnis who confront Tehran... This irresponsible game explains the relentless failure of every attempt to elect a consensus president for the last seven months. The problem here (like the Palestinian case with Hamas) is that it is not possible to have a real government without the participation of Hezbollah, one of the major political parties of the country and not the only armed militia in Lebanon. Exclusion impedes finding a way out of the conflict and fuels violence, which is the worst way to handle the crisis." - "A revoking referendum that would not put an end to the conflict" Ignacio Colo, international columnist of daily-of-record "La Nacion," comments (05/10) "Following the Santa Cruz referendum, Bolivia's political situation is out of order..., which jeopardizes Evo Morales term in office as well as that of the governors. "The one-million dollar question now is whether this unexpected measure will serve to solve the political crisis in which Bolivia has been bogged down for months? Everything seems to indicate that it will not and that perhaps it could worsen it. "Undoubtedly, the main target of congressional opposition is Morales himself. Ironically, he had submitted this proposal some months ago in another context, without imagining that it would reappear at the worst moment of his term in office. "... Currently, Bolivia is immersed in a crisis in which two visions of the country are at odds... The revocation of Morales' mandate would considerably deepen the crisis... "If Morales and the governors are confirmed, in three months' time Bolivia will be in a similar situation..., although more radicalized... "In this regard, the referendum on revoking Morales' mandate is far from being a way of making progress and building bridges between the government and the regional opposition." To see more Buenos Aires reporting, visit our classified website at: http://www.state.sqov.gov/p/wha/buenosaires WAYNE