MEDIA REACTION: WEEK OF NOVEMBER 2-9; 11/10/09; BUENOS

UNCLAS BUENOS AIRES 001213 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: WEEK OF NOVEMBER 2-9; 11/10/09; BUENOS AIRES ¶1. SUMMARY STATEMENT Leading international stories last week were related to the impact of Virginia and New Jersey governor elections on President Obama; the UN-sponsored climate talks in Barcelona; the outcome of Afghan elections; and Argentina's approach towards the IMF. ¶2. PRESIDENT OBAMA Leading "Clarin's" international editor, Marcelo Cantelmi, opines (11/07),"It is the first anniversary of Barack Obama's historic presidential election and time seems to be running against him. The Democrats' defeats in Virginia and New Jersey are ominous signs that can negatively focus on the outcome of 2010 mid-term elections. By then, Republicans expect to have rebuilt their image as well as downgraded to a 'toy' rebellion the huge meaning of a multicultural man such as Obama taking office after the decadent experience of George W. Bush. The battle is not over yet." Leading "Clarin" also carries an opinion piece by Jorge Castro, political analyst, who headlines (11/08),"Obama's power is tied to the recovery of the US domestic economy," and writes, "The US power in the world after the crisis largely depends on the increase of the US economic productivity. If this is 2-4% per year in the next decade (as has been during the last 15 years),then the US will continue leading the world." ¶3. BARCELONA'S PRE COP-15 CLIMATE TALKS Left-of-center "Pagina 12" (11/03) carries an opinion by Cledis Candelaresi, on special assignment in Barcelona, who writes, "The negotiators of more than 50 countries know that they will draft a new world environmental agreement or extend the Kyoto Protocol. Nonetheless, they have a new motto - many of the underdeveloped countries will have to make a contribution and not only expect the wealthy countries' aid to face the climate change." ¶4. AFGHANISTAN Business-financial "Buenos Aires Economico" carries an opinion piece by political analyst Alejandro Di Giacomo, who writes (11/04) "... The international community has acknowledged Hamid Karzai as the winner of Afghan elections. The west has invested over three billion dollars per year in a conflict that killed 1,500 soldiers and went back to its departure point with the Taliban new armed initiatives... Afghanistan harassed the UK's power during the 19th century, that of France in the early 20th century. There was even talk of the 'Soviet Vietnam,' when the Kremlin troops had to leave in 1989 after one decade of unsuccessful occupation. Next year, the US Afghan war will become the longest US war, even longer than that of Vietnam, and this is a sign for the US." ¶5. ARGENTINA'S APPROACH TO THE IMF On Argentina's approach to the IMF, liberal, English-language "Buenos Aires Herald" (11/09) carries an editorial highlighting that Argentina's approach to the IMF "is another example of Kirchner presidency wishes to have it both ways - to regain access to international credit while avoiding any IMF audit which might expose its creative accounting practices" and that, in any case, "an agreement with the IMF is not an immediate priority with the government - first comes there launch of the debt bond swap with the holdouts from the 2003-5 haircut... and then proposals to renegotiate Paris Club debt while bypassing the IMF." To see more Buenos Aires reporting, visit our classified website at: http://www.state.sqov.gov/p/wha/buenosaires MARTINEZ