Cablegate: Media Reaction; Plan Mexico; German Reunification

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OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHBU #1992 2780854
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 050854Z OCT 07
FM AMEMBASSY BUENOS AIRES
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 9423
INFO RHMFISS/CDR USSOCOM MACDILL AFB FL//SCJ2//
RULGPUA/USCOMSOLANT

UNCLAS BUENOS AIRES 001992

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; PLAN MEXICO; GERMAN REUNIFICATION
ANNIVERSARY; 10/04/07

1. SUMMARY STATEMENT

Today's key international opinion stories refer to the anticipated
Plan Mexico, similar to Plan Colombia; and German reunification as a
possible example for the Koreas.

2. OPINION PIECES AND EDITORIALS

- "The Plan Colombia, the Mexican way"

Gerardo Albarrn de Alba, Mexico-based correspondent for
left-of-center "Pgina 12," writes (10/04) "In exactly the same way
it has done in Colombia for six years, the US is on the verge of
launching 'Plan Mexico,' which paves the way for an open military
intervention in Mexico through the creation of a center of command,
control and intelligence against narco-trafficking. This was made
public through a report from the White House's Office of National
Drug Control Policy.

"In order to set the groundwork for this, the US had the support
from Colombian VP Francisco Santos Caldersn, who said that countries
should forget about national sovereignty due to the 'need' for a
hemispheric plan against 'multinational' organized crime though
greater intelligence cooperation among the countries of the
hemisphere, as well as updating legislative and criminal systems...

"... The 'colombianization' of the struggle against drugs in Mexico
could involve 1.4-billion-dollar financial aid in only two years.
The command center could coordinate the work of all anti-drug police
organizations and could involve the Mexican army and navy, which
have taken almost the entire control of the struggle against drug
trafficking all over the country.

"In paving the way for Washington's upcoming announcement of a plan
that was secretly negotiated, the governments of Colombia and
Mexico, with the help of the US media leaking, presented an
intimidating scenario to their societies aimed at justifying the
future US military intervention South to its borders from Mexico up
to Central America with the excuse of cutting the drug flow through
the Mexican border."

- "The German reunification, a possible example for Seoul"

Leandro Ura, international columnist for daily-of-record "La
Nacisn," comments (10/04) "Some decades ago, the German
reunification, which celebrated its 17th anniversary yesterday,
seemed an impossible dream. Today, it is not only consolidated but
could well become a study case on how to turn into life the miracle
of creating only one country from two confronted States, which is a
problem, for example, for South Korea.

"... Barbara Bollwahn, a journalist and writer born in the old
Eastern Germany and an expert on German East-related issues, told
'La Nacisn' that thanks to the reunification, 'there have been major
achievements, such as freedom of opinion and traveling.'

"In Bollwahn's view, one should not disregard, however, the big
prevailing differences in living standards in favor of the federal
states of former Western Germany vis-`-vis those of the former
German Democratic Republic (GDR). What happened is that following
reunification, many of GDR's industries were closed based on their
obsolescence and because they unnecessarily duplicated their Western
counterparts' more efficient work.

"On the other hand, private investment was allowed to go into state
companies, which were modernized and required less labor. This is
why, the German East lost its industries."

To see more Buenos Aires reporting, visit our
classified website at:
http://www.state.sqov.gov/p/wha/buenosaires

WAYNE

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