MEDIA REACTION: POTUS IN ASIA, AFGHANISTAN, ARMISTICE DAY,

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 BERLIN 001429 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 CH JA FR EU GM SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION: POTUS IN ASIA, AFGHANISTAN, ARMISTICE DAY, MUSLIMS IN GERMANY;BERLIN ¶1. Lead Stories Summary ¶2. President Obama in Asia ¶3. Strategy on Afghanistan ¶4. Armistice Day ¶5. Muslims in Germany ¶1. Lead Stories Primetime TV newscasts and many newspapers opened with the suicide of one of Germany's best soccer goal keepers, Robert Enke. Frankfurter Allgemeine led with the Franco-German friendship and the commemoration of the end of World War One. Berliner Zeitung reported that SPD Bundestag caucus leader Steinmeier has distanced himself from the policy of delaying the retirement age until 67. Editorials focused on the death of Robert Enke and Franco-German relations. ¶2. President Obama in Asia Several German papers carried lengthy reports on the President's trip to Asia, highlighting that Asia is seeking more independence from America as China is becoming a new superpower. Under the headline "Critical fans," Sueddeutsche reported that "Japan's new government is breaking away from America and is looking for new alliances in Asia.... Japan owes its decades of economic prosperity to its proximity to the U.S., but it now sees its future in Asia, particularly economically. Tokyo is currently looking for its future place in the world. Obama is still coming as a senior partner, but also as a debtor. Japan's and China's central banks hold 45 percent of America's foreign debt." Under the headline "Old Superpower meets new superpower," Handelsblatt reported: "U.S. President Barack Obama will meet a stronger China during his trip to Asia. He is demanding from Beijing to bear more responsibility in the world-and must resolve many issues. Ten months after his inauguration, Obama is beginning his geo-strategically most important visit.... Unlike his predecessors, Obama is trying to integrate Beijing as a global partner. However, unlike George Bush, Obama is also representing a weaker superpower." Tagesspiegel headlined "Obama believes in Asia," and wrote in its intro: "President Obama is beginning the first Asian trip of an American President who has lived in Asia as a child.... His courtesy calls through the world's most dynamic region is a rescue operation, not so much a visit by a friend. Asia has emerged out of half a decade of American supremacy. Following the financial crisis that started in America, the rising continent is looking for more independence." ¶3. Strategy on Afghanistan Under the headline "Last chance in Afghanistan," Handelsblatt editorialized: "The question of how many soldiers President Obama would deploy is not the right one now. The question rather is whether there still is a clearly defined mission in Afghanistan. If the answer is yes: can the goals still be reached after eight years of innumerous mistakes, fruitless strategies and errors? The political significance of what Obama has to declare in the coming weeks cannot be overestimated. Only if the strategy is convincing, will everybody else stay on board. Whatever the result will be, it will be the last chance in Afghanistan." Frankfurter Allgemeine opined on the German Defense Minister zu Guttenberg's call for an exit strategy in Afghanistan: "The word exit strategy implies that a clear and imminent date for withdrawal BERLIN 00001429 002 OF 003 could be set. U.S. President Obama will probable send tens of thousands of additional soldiers to Afghanistan. They won't go home the day after tomorrow. And Obama will ask the NATO countries for support. What will zu Guttenberg say?" ¶4. Armistice Day All German media carried lengthy reports on the French festivities commemorating the end of World War One, focusing particularly on the close Franco-German relationship. Deutschlandfunk commented: "Armistice Day in France was commemorated for the first time without a survivor of the Great War and with the German head of the government. This is a turning point.... Without Germany, France cannot advance its European agenda, and the German government cannot effectively act without the partner in Paris.... For the Europe of 27 members, it is a necessary, although not sufficient, condition that the German-Franco motor is working. The motor and the chassis must therefore be adjusted to the new conditions... Besides being friendly to each other, France and Germany do not work and think alike. Prussian pragmatism meets Gallic hierarchical thinking, which Merkel and Sarkozy literally personify.... However, concerning the content, Merkel and Sarkozy are much closer than many media realize.... They have been reaching agreements on all important crisis decisions, and together they are allowing the deficit to explode by violating all Maastricht criteria. A German-Franco minister would only be of symbolic significance. If the French want him, why not? It can't cause much damage. However, real progress counts.... The French seem to be ready for much, the Germans are hesitating. We need visions and courage today more than symbols." Frankfurter Allgemeine led with the headline "Merkel and Sarkozy strengthen Franco-German friendship. A German chancellor participated for the first time in the commemorations on the end of WWI." On its front page, Frankfurter Allgemeine editorialized: "It is indisputable that Sarkozy has realized that significance of Franco-German cooperation after half of his term. The British economic crisis and the likely change of power towards more Euro-skepticism accelerated Sarkozy's change of mind. It is now up to the German chancellor to make proposals and not allow the French president to push her with his flood of ideas." Sueddeutsche carried a front-page photo of Chancellor Merkel and President Sarkozy under the Arc de Triumph. The caption is headlined "Gestures of reconciliation. A German government leader took part in the commemoration of the end of WWI for the first time." Under the headline "Triumph of friendship," Sueddeutsche editorialized: "Millions of French and German soldiers had to die before this became possible. If you had told this to the men in the trenches of Verdun, they would have seen it as a delusion. However, a chapter of history is now coming to an end. The German-Franco friendship has finally taken over November 11... The Arc de Troimphe reminds us of many attempts to form Europe. It looks like a triumphal arc of the Roman Empire, which was a multiethnic state. It stands for Napoleon's attempt to subject Europe to French rule. It saw the attempt of Nazi Germany to force Europe under the rule of one race. Apart from the French and German anthem, the European hymn was now played under the arc. It applies to all Europeans and goes beyond the German-Franco friendship." ¶5. Muslims in Germany All German media carried prominent reports on the verdict, welcoming the maximum sentence for the murder of an Egyptian woman. ARD-TV's Tagesthemen commented: "With the maximum sentence... the chances are good that we will be spared the anger of the Mullahs and BERLIN 00001429 003 OF 003 the experience of the cartoon dispute.... This trial reminds us of a sad truth that got lost during the jubilation of the fall of the Wall celebrations. With [German] unity, xenophobic violence increased significantly... Even the death of the Egyptian al Sherbini would not have made much news if there had not been the fear of an outcry in the Arab world. We are loosing a bit of freedom with every 'nationally liberated zone.' The court has administered justice. Freedom and human rights, however, are not defended in courts alone, but also on every playground." Die Welt editorialized: "The maximum sentence did not come as a surprise because there were no mitigating circumstances. We cannot image a worse crime than killing a mother in front of her child..... Alex W. is an example for how integration can fail, although the culture of the immigrant was not that different to the German culture.... Only one hundred Muslims gathered outside of the court. This demonstrates that the propaganda, which wanted to make Alex W. an executer of an allegedly xenophobic sentiment in Germany, has not caught fire. The Muslim citizens of Germany do not believe this nonsense." Tagesspiegel opined on the commotion the case originally caused in the Arab world: "The outrage was partly unfair and fueled by misinformation. However, without it, Marwa al Sherbini, the first victim of the German headscarf hysteria, would have been only a number in the body count of hate crimes, as so many other killed people." MURPHY