MEDIA REACTION: AFGHANISTAN, MIDEAST, IMF, EU,

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 05 BERLIN 001263 STATE FOR INR/R/MR, EUR/PAPD, EUR/PPA, EUR/CE, INR/EUC, INR/P, SECDEF FOR USDP/ISA/DSAA, DIA FOR DC-4A VIENNA FOR CSBM, CSCE, PAA "PERISHABLE INFORMATION -- DO NOT SERVICE" SIPDIS E.0. 12958: N/A TAGS: OPRC KMDR KPAO AF XF EFIN EU IT SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION: AFGHANISTAN, MIDEAST, IMF, EU, ITALY;BERLIN ¶1. Lead Stories Summary ¶2. (Afghanistan) U.S. Strategic Deliberations ¶3. (Mideast) Goldstone Report ¶4. (Economic) IMF/World Bank Meeting ¶5. (EU) Future of Lisbon Treaty ¶6. (Italy) Implications of Court Ruling for Berlusconi ¶1. Lead Stories Summary ZDF-TV's primetime newscast Heute led with a story on the financial constraints of the German health care system, and ARD-TV's primetime Tagesschau opened with a story on the EU Commission's deficit warning to Germany and other EU member states. Newspapers led with diverse stories, including the coalition talks, the overturning of Italian Prime Minister Berlusconi's immunity law, the raid against Islamic extremists in Berlin, and the acquittal of German aid workers in Italy. Editorials focused on German health care policy and Berlusconi. ¶2. (Afghanistan) U.S. Strategic Deliberations Several German media (10/08) reported that President Obama is searching for a "middle road" strategy in Afghanistan. Frankfurter Allgemeine headlined: "Obama: no withdrawal and no doubling of the troops." Sddeutsche headlined: "Slalom course in Afghanistan - U.S. President is looking for the middle ground between the calls of military commanders for more troops and his war-weary party." Frankfurter Allgemeine (10/08) editorialized: "President Obama is facing fierce opposition in an increasing number of political fields. And this time the wind is blowing from different directions. Left- wing members of Obama's own party and Republicans are encircling him. It does not come as a surprise that he is wavering. However, it would be dangerous if he were to become a weak indecisive leader. In his policy on Afghanistan, the Obama government does not seem to know what it wants to do when and with how many soldiers. Destroying al Qaida? Preventing the return of the Taliban? Stabilizing Pakistan? Obama is aware of the disgruntlement of Americans, particularly among his own voters.... The deep rift between the parties on such a critical question of war and peace is regrettable and marks the general loss of a consensus." Under the headline "Last act in Afghanistan," Sddeutsche (10/08) opined that "Obama is agonizing over the future strategy." The paper wrote: "Can Afghanistan be won? Obama must answer this simple question .... President Obama is again tempted to demand a quick change of strategy and, with it, raise hope in the West that the situation will quickly improve. The patience of the Afghans is not the problem, BERLIN 00001263 002 OF 005 but it is that of the voters in the U.S., Germany, Canada and elsewhere. This impatience has a simple cause: voters no longer know why the troops have been deployed to Afghanistan and what they are supposed to achieve there.... Above all, Obama must deliver a reasonable explanation for the mission in 2009. He must define a goal that makes sense and offers an exit plan. The strategy to deploy fewer or more troops must then serve this purpose.... Obama will have to do the job himself, he cannot hope for support from his allies because the mission has become an American one. No other Western government leader has the power to call for a final joint effort. Unfortunately, Obama is giving the impression that he is not up to this Herculean challenge... Obama is loosing himself in details while trying to balance the views of his Vice President with those of the commanders. This is a wasted opportunity to enthuse the public during this difficult stretch at the end of the mission. Can Afghanistan be won? Yes, because we have all pieces of the puzzle. More troops will be necessary to train more Afghan security forces in a short time. More aid workers are necessary in order not to lose the moderate [Afghans] More political imagination is necessary to forge a last pact with the impossible as well as indispensable Hamid Karzai and to further weaken the wavering front of the Taliban." ¶3. (Mideast) Goldstone Report In a lengthy front-page editorial, Die Zeit (10/08) opined: "The U.S. government commented that the Goldstone report was 'one-sided' and 'flawed with serious mistakes,' thus preventing the report from having any impact within the framework of the UN. After reading the report we wonder why. In the report, Goldstone calls upon both Israel and Hamas to investigate the crimes they committed during the Gaza War and to prosecute those who are guilty. But this appeal will unfortunately be wishful thinking. That is why Goldstone recommended transferring the UNSC report to the International Criminal Court in The Hague. But obviously, this would involve too much uncovering of the truth. The "Causa Goldstone" could now be considered another chapter in the political drama of the Middle East, but Barack Obama has promised that, under his government, there would be no business as usual in the Middle East. In his address to the UNGA, Obama said there would be no security without respect for human rights and the legitimate claims of the Palestinians. But exactly this is addressed in the Goldstone report. By hiding the report in the poison cabinet, the U.S. administration is now forfeiting the political capital which Obama has created with his speeches in the Middle East.... For the first time BERLIN 00001263 003 OF 005 since 9/11, a UN fact-finding commission has now unmistakably called upon all states to stick to international law even in asymmetric wars. In Afghanistan, the U.S. has adopted this principle, but should it not be valid for Israel? Such strategically motivated hypocrisy comes at the right time for all the Ahmadinejads, al-Qadhafis, al Bashirs, Mugabes, and Mubaraks, who are increasingly denouncing the idea of international investigations and criminal courts. At issue are not dictators and autocrats but civil rights activists, lawyers, doctors and trade unionists in the abovementioned countries who are risking their lives and who are pinning their hopes on the West for promoting and ensuring the idea of universal human rights - and who have to be reminded again and again that the West is applying double standards, i.e. that a U.S. life is worth more than an Afghan life, that an Israeli life is worth more than a Palestinian one." ¶4. (Economic) IMF/World Bank Meeting According to Berliner Zeitung, "the financial and economic crisis is by no means over, even though politicians in Europe and America are talking about the next economic upswing. Such was the case during the G-20 summit, when all participants agreed that the international community must help the victims of the crisis. The question is who is going to decide on such [aid] measures. The G-20 had decided that the threshold countries should get a greater say in the deciding bodies of the IMF and the World Bank. But as in the past years, the Europeans with the Germans at the helm are blocking such reasonable reforms. Instead of tackling the real problems in poor countries, they are haggling over their influence. This is also one way to demonstrate that the signs of the times are yet to be recognized." Under the headline: "Profiteers of the Economic Crisis," die tageszeitung observed: "If there is one winner of the current global economic crisis, then it is the IMF. Before the outbreak of the crisis, the situation for the prophets of neo-liberalism from Washington was dismal. Today, one year after Lehman Bros. insolvency, the situation is totally different. At the annual IMF/World Bank meeting, the management of both institutions made clear that they did not want to forfeit this opportunity. They presented a concept with which they would be able to safeguard their new abundance of power. A real reform of their neo-liberal ideology, however, is hardly visible. A new rhetoric is visible, but otherwise, whenever possible, the old demand remains for 'free markets.'" BERLIN 00001263 004 OF 005 ¶5. (EU) Future of Lisbon Treaty Die Welt (10/08) commented: "With its calm and relaxed policy, the EU is doing the absolutely right thing. [Czech President] Klaus will take care of himself. However, he has sustainably damaged the justified criticism of the EU. Apart from his senseless delaying of tactics, this is the real damage done. A few years ago, the Economist complained that Silvio Berlusconi is the most embarrassing thing that could have happened to the idea of economic liberalism. Something similar could be said about Klaus and his Euro-skepticism." ¶6. (Italy) Implications of Court Ruling for Berlusconi Almost all papers (10/08) carried reports on the ruling of Italy's Constitutional Court to suspend Italian Premier Berlusconi's immunity. "Court Suspends Berlusconi's Immunity," headlined Die Welt, which reported: "Following headlines of alleged affairs and wild parties, the conservative prime minister is now threatened by the resumption of several proceedings. At issue are accusations of corruption and several tax violations. After two days of consultations, the ruling did not come out of the blue. But Berlusconi was unimpressed by the ruling and rejected calls for his resignation. Sueddeutsche headlined: "Berlusconi Can Now Be Charged - Italy's Constitutional Court Overturned Immunity Law- Premier Threatened with Several Corruption Trials." The paper reported: "Italy's government leader Silvio Berlusconi can now be prosecuted. This is the result of a ruling by Italy's Constitutional Court from Wednesday evening. Italy awaited the ruling with bated breath because it could have political consequences for Berlusconi. Government politicians mentioned the possibility of new elections if the Court pronounced a negative ruling. Berlusconi, however, who enjoys great support among Italians, ruled out such a possibility." Berliner Zeitung carried a front-page picture with a grim looking Berlusconi under the caption "No Longer Immune." Under the headline: "Citizen Berlusconi," Sueddeutsche (10/08) argued: "Berlusconi had feared nothing more than the overturning of these laws, for it means that two proceedings against Berlusconi can now be resumed. At issue are charges of corruption and the influencing of justice authorities. It is hardly imaginable that this situation would not result in the resignation of the affected politician in any other European country. One thing is certain: Again, troubled Berlusconi will now have to deal more with his personal affairs than with governing his country. The government in Rome is again semi- paralyzed and Italians are guessing what ruses and interpretations Berlusconi and his supporters will now use to get out of the trouble. BERLIN 00001263 005 OF 005 And that he will try to get out of this troubled situation seems to be the only thing that is certain." "Italy Getting More Normal," headlined Die Welt (10/08),and opined: "The decision of the Constitutional Court to resume the proceedings against leading Italian politicians will result in many things in Italy but not one thing: political calm and risky future projects. We could now say that Italy will become a little bit more normal, even more European, but at the same time, Italy is losing part of its genuine historic memory, for instance the memory of self-confident Borgian Pope Alexander VI, who was reprehensible as far as morality was concerned, but who was an excellent and sly politician for the concerns and interests of the country." According to Handelsblatt (10/08),"Silvio Berlusconi's system of immunity has now collapsed. Berlusconi's supporters will consider the ruling as another piece of evidence of Italy's judges leaning to the left and are organizing a smear campaign against Berlusconi. Nevertheless, the ruling is a bad defeat for the prime minister. He has now lost his nimbus of being untouchable." Regional daily Badische Zeitung of Freiburg (10/08) judged: "Now there can only be one consequence: resignation. Berlusconi's lawyers argued that a prime minister cannot take care of the well being of the country if he is at the same time being prosecuted. This is an accurate statement the conclusion of which should be: a prime minister who is unable to take care of the well being of the country because justice authorities are prosecuting him, should not be prime minister." Regional daily General-Anzeiger of Bonn (10/08) editorialized: "Only if Silvio Berlusconi disappears from the political stage of his country, can Italy move again. The deep trench between the left and the right-wing in the country could then be overcome; and Italy's international reputation, which Berlusconi has seriously damaged, would then reemerge." Regional Nrnberger Nachrichten (10/08) noted: "The past is now catching up with Berlusconi. With tailor-made laws, Berlusconi evaded prosecution by Italian justice authorities. But this was even too much for Italy's highest court. Such godlike immunity is not even condonable for the average Italian who is used to scandals." MURPHY