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Cablegate: Media Reaction; the Kirchners to the Us; Ahmadinejad's

Published: Thu 27 Sep 2007 10:31 AM
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TAGS: KPAO OPRC KMDR PREL
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION; THE KIRCHNERS TO THE US; AHMADINEJAD'S
ADDRESS TO THE UNGA; US-ARGENTINE BILATERAL TIES; 09/25/07
1. SUMMARY STATEMENT
Major international stories today include Argentine Senator/First
Lady Cristina Kirchner's human rights agenda in New York;
implications of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's address at
UNGA; and the Argentine Government's alleged attempt to thaw its
relationship with the US.
2. OPINION PIECES AND EDITORIALS
- "Human rights on the (Argentine presidential) candidate"
Hugo Alconada Mon, Washington-based correspondent for
daily-of-record "La Nacisn," writes (09/25) "Like her husband,
Senator and Presidential Candidate Cristina Kirchner started her
schedule of activities in this city last night with... veiled
criticism of the US for its 'double standards' on human rights as
well as explicit criticism of the UK.
"This was during the conference in which she lectured at NYU along
with Spanish Judge Baltasar Garzsn and the head of the International
Center for Transitional Justice, Argentine Juan Mndez.
"The candidate defended the reopening of trials over the illegal
military repression, she attacked the 'mafia message' implied by
Jorge Julio Lspez's disappearance and claimed that it is necessary
'to achieve a single standard' ...'
"Then, she targeted the US without naming it by noting the
precedent of invading Panama, removing and subjecting its dictator
Manuel Noriega to trial when he was no longer useful to the US while
overlooking charges against General Pervez Musharraf in Pakistan or
those against other past military dictators, including those in
Argentina."
- "A sensitive moment for dialogue"
Oscar Ral Cardoso, international analyst of leading "Clarn,"
opines (09/25) "... Neither Ahmadinejad nor his audience was really
prepared for the moment. The Iranian president was not ready because
he was unable (or did not want) to exercise real sincerity and did
not fully respond to the questions about Israel's existence from the
Iranian viewpoint, the witchhunt of homosexuals in his country or
his questioning of the Holocaust, among others.
"... In this way, the public seduction campaign Ahmadinejad seems to
be attempting during his visit to New York is irremediably 'lame.'
"Nonetheless, his audience did not seem willing to balance things
either. Almost all questions implied censorship of the Iranian
theocratic regime and the invitee himself..., which almost seemed to
justify of the toughest segments of the Iranian president's speech
in which he criticized Western powers 'for attempting to destroy
millenary civilizations' and 'stripping their identity away from
them.'
"In a surprising gesture, the head of the University, Lee C.
Bollinger, introduced Ahmadinejad by calling him 'a petty and cruel
dictator' and attacked him with a full list of charges made by the
US and Israel against Iran.
"... Psychological campaigns based on the idea of an attack against
Iran have been revived, particularly claims that VP Dick Cheney has
attempted to convince Israel to start bombing the Natanz nuclear
facilities in order to set off an Iranian military response that
will give Washington an excuse for a wider confrontation.
"No, the Columbia dispute did not happen at the best of times,
although perhaps we will find out eventually that was its very
merit."
- "(Argentina) attempts to thaw its ties to the US"
Hugo Alconada Mon, daily-of-record "La Nacisn's" Washington-based
correspondent, comments (09/25) "Six months after the latest main
short circuit happened, Argentina and the US will resume high-level
diplomatic meetings. It will be within the next 72 hours in this
city with a series of bilateral and multilateral meetings through
which they will seek to leave some points of disagreement behind.
"The crucial meeting will occur Friday when FM Jorge Taiana and US
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice meet again. According to the
SIPDIS
Argentine delegation, the US Department of State made the first move
to promote its own interests, which include Iran and Venezuela,
among others.
"The meeting will be the first high-level get-together between both
foreign ministries since George W. Bush and his aides took offense
at the Argentine Government allowing an anti-Bush rally led by
President Hugo Chvez.
"... A first and indirect meeting will take place tomorrow when
Argentine Vice FM Roberto Garca Moritn participates in a
multilateral meeting along with the number three at the US
Department of State, Nicholas Burns and other countries that are
'friends' of Haiti.
"This meeting will only be focused on Haiti, including the
deployment of troops from Argentina and other countries under the UN
flag on the island and the country's democratic development.
"According to sources, one day later Garca Moritn and Burns will
again meet, but this time it will be a private meeting and they will
tackle the bilateral agenda and international issues of common
interest, including Venezuela and Iran."
To see more Buenos Aires reporting, visit our
classified website at:
http://www.state.sqov.gov/p/wha/buenosaires
WAYNE
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