MEDIA REACTION: IRAN-NUCLEAR, EU-SWIFT, EU-GREECE,

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 BERLIN 000178 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 IR PTER EMS UP SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION: IRAN-NUCLEAR, EU-SWIFT, EU-GREECE, UKRAINE;BERLIN ¶1. Lead Stories Summary ¶2. (Iran) Nuclear Program, Anniversary ¶3. (EU-U.S.) SWIFT ¶4. (EU-Greece) Special Summit Meeting ¶5. (Ukraine) Aftermath of Elections ¶1. Lead Stories Summary The main story this morning in the print media is the EU summit in Brussels and the EU's reaction to the Greek financial crisis. Sueddeutsche, however, headlined: "EU Refuses To Transfer Banking Data to the U.S." Editorials focused on the special EU summit in Greece on the European Parliament's refusal to adopt the SWIFT agreement, and on the controversy over the future head of the German Expellee Association. ZDF-TV's early evening newscast heute led with the EU summit in Brussels, while ARD-TV's early evening newscast Tagesschau led with reports on the European Parliament rejecting the SWIFT agreement ¶2. (Iran) Nuclear Program, Anniversary Frankfurter Allgemeine (2/12) editorialized: "Ahmadinejad's pithy words that Iran is now a nuclear power and a 'great power' in the region cannot conceal the fact that the Iranian regime has never been under so much pressure since the foundation of the Islamic Republic. It was a turbulent 31st anniversary.... Not just in Tehran, also in other cities serious anger was expressed against the regime.... Iran is not finding peace since the fraudulent presidential elections in June. It looks like this will remain so." Sddeutsche (2/12) argued that very tough sanctions must be imposed although it would "strengthen the regime in the fight against its opponents." The paper notes: "There is little hope that the inner Iranian power struggle will resolve the nuclear program. Regime change is not in sight. However, the Iranian bomb could be build within one, two or three years - whenever the leadership decides to do so. Those who want to prevent Iran from becoming a nuclear power must impose very tough sanctions - even at the expense of the opposition." Die Welt (2/12) noted that the West is in a dilemma: "America's greatest hope would be a change of the regime. However, sanctions that are too tough, such as a petrol embargo, or even military options would divide the opposition and strengthen the discredited regime. However, if the U.S. and its western allies respond weakly, Ahmadinejad will look better. We will not be able to reach an agreement with him. The West should clearly state what the Iranian opposition has known for a long time." ¶3. (EU-U.S.) SWIFT All papers (2/12) gave the vote of the European Parliament (EP) against the SWIFT agreement broad coverage. It was also the main story on ARD-TV's early evening newscast Tagesschau. Sueddeutsche Zeitung led with the headline: "EU Refuses To Transfer Banking Data to the U.S.," while Frankfurter Allgemeine wrote: "America no Longer Allowed to Control Banking Transactions." In another report FAZ reported under the headline: "The Invitation to America was not Enough," and wrote: "The SWIFT agreement failed in Strasburg not only because of data protection reasons. The members of the European Parliament (MEPs) felt snubbed." Die Welt headlined: "EP Stopped SWIFT Agreement With the United States and Financial Times Deutschland noted: "EP Refuses to Accept SWIFT Plan." Frankfurter Allgemeine (2/12) carried a front-page editorial saying: "This agreement would have been re-negotiated in nine months anyway BERLIN 00000178 002 OF 004 and would have been replaced with a final agreement. And even now, U.S. investigators will have access to data on European transactions, but they will have greater difficulty getting this access. So let's not get carried away. Of course, we must now fear that the Obama government will consider Europe an 'uncertain ally' on which the United Stats cannot rely when it comes to drying up transnational terrorist financial transactions. America will now pester the Europeans accusing them of having created a security gap by rejecting the SWIFT agreement. In hindsight, President Obama will feel confirmed in his decision not to take part in the EU-U.S. summit." Under the headline: "If There are Doubts, Back Freedom," Sueddeutsche Zeitung (2/12) is of the opposite opinion and argued: "It is necessary and justified to fight terrorists, but those who fight terrorists, have no right to violate basic civil rights. The EP has now taught this lesson and the addressees are the European Commission and the European Council. If the EP had approved the SWIFT agreement, European standards with respect to data protection and the protection of civil rights would have been irretrievably lost. But beyond these institutional power games, the broad and partisan rejection of the SWIFT agreement shows that the MEPs primarily rejected it because of their concern about security and freedom. The balance would have been shifted to the disadvantage of freedom. Even if there will be some irritation in EU-US relations, the MEPs have done a great service to transatlantic relations, because Washington now knows what to expect: the terror danger can be fought together but not at the price of giving up European civil rights." Berliner Zeitung (2/12) headlined: "Parliament Saved Europe From SWIFT," and argued that "two and a half months after the Lisbon Treaty entered into force, the MEPs demonstrated in a self confident and powerful way that they are willing to fully use their powers and bring to bear the interests of Europeans. Fortunately, the EP corrected the mistakes of the European Council. Now the MEPs must prove that they cannot only say 'no,' but that they are also good negotiators. Once the agreement is up for new talks, they will have a say - hopefully again in the sense of the voters." Die Welt (2/12) opined: "The new SWIFT agreement must now be concluded as quickly as possible, at best would be a singing in March. Neither side can afford a new bickering about the pros and cons. When the next terrorist attack happens, the people will not be interested on who is to blame." Under the headline: "Well-Deserved Handshake," Handelsblatt (2/12) opined: "Finally good news from Europe: the controversial SWIFT agreement between the United States and Europe failed. The MEPs have demonstrated that they are unwilling to back every agreement but that they must be taken seriously. It is an irony that the Americans realized this earlier than the Europeans. Secretary Clinton did massive lobbying in Brussels and Strasbourg to save the agreement. The European Commission and the European Council of Ministers, however, treated the MEPs as petitioners. And that is what they got for being so ignorant." Regional daily Leipziger Volkszeitung (2/12) judged: "Equipped with new self confidence, the EP is now giving European standards of data protection priority over an all-encompassing U.S. push for security. There is no doubt that the new negotiations about the SWIFT agreement will burden EU-U.S. relations, but the joint fight against terror will not suffer from it. With this partisan decision, the EP has established itself as a power factor in the political fabric." Regional daily Schweriner Volkszeitung (2/12) editorialized: "Yesterday demonstrated the EU has profoundly changed. Nothing goes without the democratically elected EP.... Europe is becoming more BERLIN 00000178 003 OF 004 democratic. It does not matter that an allegedly important agreement in the fight against terror has gone to the dogs. We can hardly assume that the U.S. Congress would, in the opposite case, approve that Europe gets equal information on the financial transactions of U.S. citizens." Frankfurter Neue Presse (2/12) judged: "The Americans will now again say that the Europeans are too soft and too scrupulous in order to defend themselves efficiently against international terror. But the Europeans argue that it is not good to sacrifice too much freedom in favor of security. The Americans have a different view, even under President Obama. Now Washington must find an arrangement for a reasonable compromise with the skeptical old Europe that also does justice to data protection. Over the past years, the 'transparent citizen' has heard too many gloomy reports that do not allow him to believe that the security agencies always have the best and good things in mind when dealing with his personal data." ¶4. (EU-Greece) Special Summit Meeting Lead story headlines included: "EU will help Athens only when there are no other option" (Frankfurter Allgemeine),"EU promises Greece emergency assistance" (Die Welt),"EU rejects financial assistance for Greece" (Handelsblatt),"A friend in need" (Frankfurter Rundschau). Most editorials support the restrained EU approach, noting that the Greeks themselves must be blamed for their country's financial crisis, which media described as a "Greek malaise" (Deutschlandfunk). The Greek government is therefore called upon to take tough actions. Deutschlandfunk radio (2/11): "It is good that the EU did not get out its credit card and take on all future risks of the Mediterranean country. The EU is well advised to take Athens up on its promise to consolidate its budget and to include the IMF in the discussion. The global financial crisis is only partly to blame for escalation of the financial situation. The Greek way of muddling through has laid the foundation for it. The notion that Greece wanted others to cover its deficits right from the start cannot be disputed after the experience of recent years. This way of muddling through must not be awarded now." Mass-tabloid Bild (2/12) agreed: "The proud Greeks have cheated, deceived and thrown money about-now they are almost broke. If it were possible, we should throw them out of the Euro zone. Unfortunately, this is not possible because mistakes were made in the drafting of the Euro treaty... At least, the German government does not waste any fresh tax money on this. The Greeks must face the music under strict oversight... This scandalous way of muddling through should not be covered up with further money and nice words. This would really undermine the confidence in our currency. Those who award deception and cheating with new financial assistance damage the euro most. Only if we are tough on Greece will the euro be strong in the long-run." Frankfurter Allgemeine (2/12): "Greece must further tighten its efforts to cut expenditures. Progress will be examined in March, not just by the EU commission but also the European Central Bank and the International Monetary Fund. This is a slap in the face of the EU Commission, which is well-deserved." Sddeutsche (2/12): "All participants would do themselves a favor by exploiting the existing measures. Those who do not meet the obligations of the European treaties should be punished. Those who run excessive deficits over years, protect certain sectors of the industry and reject giving information deceive the community." ¶5. (Ukraine) Aftermath of Elections "The Beauty and the Beast," headlined Handelsblatt (2/12) and BERLIN 00000178 004 OF 004 judged: "Julia Timochenko is clinging to her job as prime minister and even one week after Yanukovich's appeal she has not stepped down. She has also blocked the formation of a pro-Yanukovich faction in parliament. Instead of admitting her defeat and accepting the seat of opposition leader with full honors, she is trying to stop change by fighting the outcome of the elections with accusations of electoral fraud and with a recount. But with these activities she is damaging her economically troubled country. She is also putting her own fate over the one of Ukraine. With these moves she is giving credit to her own ego: she is a nice beast." MURPHY