MEDIA REACTION: OBAMA'S SPEECH IN EGYPT, NORTH KOREA

UNCLAS BEIJING 001534 DEPARTMENT FOR INR/R/MR, EAP/CM, EAP/PA, EAP/PD, C HQ PACOM FOR PUBLIC DIPLOMACY ADVISOR (J007) SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: OPRC KMDR CH PREL ECON SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION: OBAMA'S SPEECH IN EGYPT, NORTH KOREA -------------- Editorial Quotes -------------- ¶1. OBAMA'S SPEECH IN EGYPT "Obama is not the terminator of cultural conflict" The official Xinhua News Agency international news publication International Herald Leader (Guoji Xianqu Daobao)(06/08): "Obama intends to fix the divergences between the U.S. and the Muslim world through his speech. He hoped to terminate the nightmare that is cultural conflict. Obama's stance toward the Muslim world is different from Bush's. Because culture clash is not the root conflict, approaching the Muslim world through cultural similarities will not solve the real issues that are the main obstacles between the countries. The main cause of the rancor between the U.S. and the Muslim world is the support for Israel by the U.S. If there is no change in the basic stance of the U.S. on the Palestine-Israel conflict, the 'two-state solution' will not actually be fulfilled. The root cause of the Palestine-Israel, Iraq, Afghanistan and Iran issues is the conflict between the interests of the U.S. and Israel and those of the Muslim world. Obama's 'smart power' must return to practical resolutions. Being unwilling to give up any part of the interests of the U.S. will determine that the conflicts cannot be resolved." ¶2. NORTH KOREA "North Korea: Don't follow others countries experiences blindly" The official Xinhua News Agency international news publication International Herald Leader (Guoji Xianqu Daobao)(06/08): "Two historical lessons have provided a motive for North Korea and other countries to pursue nuclear weapons. The first is the U.S. and all other nuclear powers will not attack a country with nuclear weapons. The nuclear weapons seem to mean absolute security. Second any illegal nuclear possession will be taboo at first but will later become accepted. The most recent supporting example is the nuclear tests between India and Pakistan in 1998. North Korea seems to be determined to follow Pakistan and India's lead in becoming a nuclear country. Iran is paying close attention to the global reaction to North Korea's nuclear progress. However, history is not always the right model to follow. Sometimes it is to the contrary. The experiences of other countries may not apply to the current situation. For example, Israel will attack any Muslim country within their air force's strike zone. It is the U.S. and other western countries who will decide whether to revise these two historical lessons." PICCUTA