Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09AITTAIPEI762
2009-06-24 09:18:00
UNCLASSIFIED
American Institute Taiwan, Taipei
Cable title:  

MEDIA REACTION: IRAN

Tags:  OPRC KMDR KPAO TW 
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VZCZCXYZ0001
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHIN #0762 1750918
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 240918Z JUN 09
FM AIT TAIPEI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 1820
INFO RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 9264
RUEHHK/AMCONSUL HONG KONG 0694
UNCLAS AIT TAIPEI 000762

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR INR/R/MR, EAP/TC, EAP/P, EAP/PD - NIDA EMMONS
DEPARTMENT PASS AIT/WASHINGTON

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OPRC KMDR KPAO TW
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION: IRAN

Summary: Taiwan's major Chinese-language dailies focused news
coverage June 24 on the Ministry of the Interior's approval of
upgrading Taipei County to "special municipality status," and the
upgrading and mergers of Taichung City and Taichung County,
Kaohsiung City and Kaohsiung County, respectively; on a local
lottery winner's generous donation to a charity; and on various
local political issues. Most local newspapers, including the
centrist, KMT-leaning "China Times," which ran a banner headline on
page eight, reported that Taiwan is likely to open its market to
U.S. beef, including bone-in beef, fully in the near future. In
terms of editorials and commentaries, regarding the political
turmoil in Iran, a column in the mass-circulation "Apple Daily" said
the United States as well as other countries should restrain
themselves from interfering in the current unrest in Iran, because
it is more likely that a revolution will succeed if no foreign
influence is directly involved. Another column in the centrist,
KMT-leaning "China Times" praised United States President Barack
Obama's insistence on dealing cautiously with the unrest in Iran,
even though he faces harsh criticism from conservative politicians
in the United States for being too cowardly to condemn Iran. End
summary.

A) "Let the Revolution Evolve Quietly"

Apple Daily Publisher James Tu wrote in his column in the
mass-circulation "Apple Daily" [circulation: 520,000] (6/24):

"... The United States did not help to materialize the Tehran Spring
in 1997. China also failed to coach Iranian clerics on how to
suppress the Tehran Spring. Now, the Tehran Spring is coming again.
Facing unrest in Iran, the United States, just as China, is still
at a loss as to what to do. Rather than getting involved in [the
unrest in Iran] actively, [the United States] might as well let it
[a revolution in Iran] evolve quietly!"

B) "Obama's Calm in Dealing with the Storm in Iran"

Columnist Lin Po-wen wrote in the centrist, KMT-leaning "China
Times" [circulation: 120,000] (6/24):

"... [United States President Barack] Obama and his foreign affairs
and national security staff certainly know that, at this sensitive
juncture, the United States must not talk big. Whatever [the United
States] speaks out on must be materialized by deeds. If it [the
United States] cannot fulfill what it has said, then it is better
not to brag. The Obama Administration of course loathes
conservative [Iranian President Mahmoud] Ahmadinejad deep in its
heart. However, loathing is one thing, [but on the other hand,] you
[the United States] still have to deal with him, and speak out
cautiously, and not be regarded by the Iranian authorities as
interfering with domestic affairs, thereby giving [Iran] a pretext
to fan anti-American sentiment. Although this time Iran accuses the
United States, the United Kingdom and Israel of stirring up trouble,
its choice of [accusatory] words is much better than before. In the
minds of Iran's Islamic clerics and politicians, the most evil ones
are the United Kingdom and Israel. ..."

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