Media Reaction Rio de Janeiro: War Lord and Nobel Peace

UNCLAS RIO DE JANEIRO 000406 SIPDIS STATE INR/R/MR IIP/R/MR WHA/PD DEPT PASS USTR USDOC 4322/MAC/OLAC/JAFEE E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: OPRC KMDR OIIP ETRD XM XR BR SUBJECT: Media Reaction Rio de Janeiro: War Lord and Nobel Peace Prize Winner--No Contradiction War Lord and Nobel Peace Prize Winner Rio-based center-left daily Jornal do Brasil writes: "(...) During the American Presidential campaign in 2008, when he rose as a phenomenon, for the new air that he would bring to American and international politics, Obama assured that his administration would be marked by (..)more diplomacy and less isolation and belligerence in its relations with other countries. All of this very different from the style of his predecessor, George W. Bush, who activated a U.S. war machine spreading anti-Americanism throughout the world that hadn't been seen for a long time. Obama won, took office, and now, after three months studying the best strategy for the situation in Afghanistan, decided not to bring back the soldiers, but to send more troops. The measure may seem incoherent and unpopular: for contradicting his campaign (...)as well as for the fact that he received the Nobel Peace Prize. But there is nothing contradictory. In the first place, the award given to Obama in October by the Swedish Academy took into consideration much more of what the American President could do than what he had already done in promoting peace. (...)In the end, Obama's decision is not unjustified. There have been many mistakes made in administering the war in Afghanistan and it is necessary to fix them. It serves no one to withdraw, leaving a country unstructured, with fragile institutions and a fragile government, vulnerable to the Taliban and al-Qaeda barbarities. In this case, more battles can save many lives--and lead to peace." (Dec 3, page A8) HEARNE