VZCZCXYZ0005
OO RUEHWEB
DE RUEHBU #1284/01 1832004
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 022004Z JUL 07
FM AMEMBASSY BUENOS AIRES
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 8564
INFO RHMFISS/CDR USSOCOM MACDILL AFB FL//SCJ2//
RULGPUA/USCOMSOLANT
UNCLAS BUENOS AIRES 001284
SIPDIS
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; US IMMIGRATION REFORM; DECLASSIFICATION OF
CIA DOCUMENTS; ARGENTINE ENERGY CRISIS; 07/02/07
1. SUMMARY STATEMENT
Today's leading international stories include the US immigration
reform; the implications of the declassification of CIA documents;
and Wall Street experts' opinion about the Argentine energy crisis.
2. OPINION PIECES AND EDITORIALS
- "The US - the newly arrived are not always welcome"
Oscar Raul Cardoso, international analyst of leading "Clarin,"
comments on illegal immigration in the U.S. (06/30) "Illegal
immigration is one of the windows through which one can envision the
future of the US superpower - in spite of all the debate it
engendered, (illegal immigration) still stands for less than 4 per
cent of the US total population...
"With these figures, one cannot stop asking whether it is possible
to consider that the US Senate's recent failure to pass the new
immigration reform proposed by George W. Bush is a blunt defeat for
his administration, just as the US mass media present it...
"There is much to argue against it, although there is an increasing
feeling among Americans that their own identity is being threatened
by the flow of immigrants...
"... The draft bill was not able to gather the 60 votes required for
the Senate to approve it. The passing of this bill was crucial for
the Bush (Administration) with the hopes that its sole legacy would
not be the Iraq fiasco,
"... While the legalization of millions of illegal immigrants was
presented by Washington as a remarkable humanitarian feature of the
draft bill, one has to come to the conclusion that alternatives were
few - is mass deportation a viable solution? And this, without
taking into consideration the serious impact that the major
withdrawal of labor would have on businesses."
- "The declassification of CIA documents"
Leading "Clarin" editorializes (07/02) "The declassification of
secret CIA documents has made public a thorough description of US
SIPDIS
illegal activities and covert operations in Latin America during the
Cold War decades.
"Between the '50s and the '70s, the US foreign policy not only
allowed but also encouraged the recurring intervention of the armed
forces in the organization of coups d'etat. In the framework of the
confrontation between East and West and the global strategic dispute
with the Soviet Union, it also supported the commission of serious
crimes. These crimes ranged from persecution and harassment of
political leaders and social groups to the planning and performance
of secret operations and conspiracies of crimes that were afterwards
considered crimes against humanity.
"... The declassification of documents is part of the US
acknowledgment of a dark aspect of its relationship with Latin
America, whose consequences started to recover with the
democratization and the end of the Cold War. It is also an important
reminder of the limits that a superpower with huge and decisive
influence in international politics should have to effectively
contribute to the protection of human rights and international
security."
- "In Wall street's view, the energy crisis will affect
(Argentina's) growth"
Hugo Alconada Mon, Washington-based correspondent for
daily-of-record "La Nacion," writes in the paper's "Economy and
Business" supplement (07/02) "The Argentine energy problems raised
alarm bells in Wall Street of a possible economic deceleration. In
the view of the analysts consulted by 'La Nacion,' this is not
something too remarkable or definitive, although some are analyzing
whether to reduce their forecasts of the country's economic growth
for this year and even more for next year.
"Barclays and Bear Stearns appear among the investment banks that
are pointing out the risk, while UBS and Citigroup say they will not
change their forecasts because they are already below the market
average. And Morgan Stanley increased it because it considers that
consumption will prevail over production this year, although its
doubts increase for 2008.
"In the view of Bear Stearns' analysts, we are witnessing a
'moderate deceleration in the country's growth,' although they
maintain the inflation rate as the main risk. Thierry Wyzman, Alex
Kazan and Carmen Bedoya, from Bear Stearns, 'the low investment in
energy infrastructure and the risks posed by energy cuts or
electricity rationing remain a potential restriction in domestic
growth,' although they trust that there will be 'a possible
improvement in the regulation framework,' following October
presidential elections."
To see more Buenos Aires reporting, visit our
classified website at:
http://www.state.sqov.gov/p/wha/buenosaires
WAYNE