O GLOBO NEWSPAPER ON GAZA CONFLICT

UNCLAS RIO DE JANEIRO 000007 SIPDIS STATE INR/R/MR; IIP/R/MR; WHA/PD DEPT PASS USTR USDOC 4322/MAC/OLAC/JAFEE E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KMDR OPRC OIIP ETRD XM XR BR SUBJECT: O GLOBO NEWSPAPER ON GAZA CONFLICT "Flight of the Falcons" Rio-based center-right O Globo commented on page 06 (01/06/2009): "Yesterday, entering its 13th day, the Gaza tragedy pointed, as is always the case in these situations, to the victory of the falcons and radicals in the Middle East. The greatest losers are the civilian populations in the Gaza strip and on a merely smaller quantitative scale, Israeli regions within reach of Hamas rockets. Diplomacy has also lost if one looks at the inefficiency of the so-called "Quartet" responsible for preventing the situation from reaching its boiling point. The United States, in a presidential transition, is doing less than what was expected of it... Russia does not seem to be present at all. The U.N. had schools and humanitarian aid convoys bombed by Israel and has already suffered losses. In the European Union, the efforts of French President Nicolas Sarkozy to obtain a cease-fire stand out. Hopes to close this Pandora's box again rest upon the decision of Arab countries - who also have much to lose with this conflict - to change their stance and agree to negotiate, in the United Nations, a cease-fire proposal presented by England with the support of France and the United States. It is an illusion for Israel to think that by destroying Hamas - and the Gaza Strip - it will annihilate Muslim radicals... The "flight of the falcons" is extremely dangerous. Hamas, just like Hezbollah in Lebanon, is allied with Iran, which aspires to become a regional power. Thus, an escalation of the Gaza conflict, which has already killed 700 Palestinians, could throw the Middle East into total war, something that no one is interested in. President-elect Barack Obama least of all... In such a scenario, it is unbefitting for the Government of Brazil to issue hurried statements which could undermine its position as a possible peace mediator. It would be much better to keep to Itamaraty's usual balanced stance." MARQUEZ