C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 HARARE 000073
SIPDIS
061251Z Feb 02
PTO5251
PAGE 01 HARARE 00323 061652Z
ACTION AF-00
INFO LOG-00 AID-00 CIAE-00 DODE-00 SRPP-00 EB-00 EUR-00
UTED-00 VC-00 H-01 TEDE-00 INR-00 IO-00 L-00
AC-01 NSAE-00 NSCE-00 OIC-02 OMB-01 PA-00 PM-00
PRS-00 ACE-00 P-00 SP-00 SS-00 STR-00 TRSE-00
T-00 USIE-00 PMB-00 PRM-00 DRL-02 G-00 SAS-00
/007W
------------------62F208 061653Z /29
FM AMEMBASSY HARARE
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0883
INFO NSC WASHDC
AMEMBASSY PRETORIA
AMEMBASSY LUSAKA
AMEMBASSY WINDHOEK
AMEMBASSY GABORONE
AMEMBASSY LILONGWE
AMEMBASSY LONDON
UNCLAS HARARE 000323
SIPDIS
AF/PD FOR COX, ROBERTSON, AF/S FOR KRAFT, AF/RA,
INR/R/MR, NSC FOR JENDAYI FRAZER
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ZI PREL PHUM
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION ZDERA; HARARE
¶1. UNDER HEADLINE "WHERE IS THE PATRIOTISM OF THE
ZANU PF LEADERSHIP?" THE INDEPENDENT DAILY "THE DAILY
NEWS" DEDICATED ITS FEBRUARY 6 EDITORIAL TO A WARNING
THAT THE CHILDREN OF GOVERNMENT MINISTERS AND
OFFICIALS STUDYING ABROAD COULD, BE AFFECTED BY
ASPECTS OF THE ZIMBABWE DEMOCRACY AND ECONOMIC
RECOVERY BILL. EXCERPTS FOLLOW:
¶2. "IN PRINCIPLE, ANY SUGGESTION THAT PUNISHMENT
PRESCRIBED FOR THE SINS COMMITTED BY A PARENT SHOULD
BE VISITED ON THE CHILD SHOULD BE MORALLY REPUGNANT.
THE PUNITIVE MEASURES ENVISAGED IN THE ZIMBABWE
DEMOCRACY AND ECONOMIC RECOVERY (ACT)(ZDERA) RECENTLY
PASSED BY THE UNITED STATES HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
(SIC) AS PART OF THE SANCTIONS TARGETING TOP
ZIMBABWEAN GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS, WILL UNFORTUNATELY
AFFECT THEIR CHILDREN. A NUMBER OF GOVERNMENT
MINISTERS HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED AS HAVING CHILDREN WHO
ARE ATTENDING EITHER SCHOOL OR UNIVERSITY OVERSEAS,
WHOSE WELFARE WILL OBVIOUSLY BE AFFECTED IN NO SMALL
MEASURE BY THE IMPLEMENTATION OF SMART SANCTIONS
AGAINST THE TARGETED GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS.
¶3. ".IN ANY CASE, IF OUR FORMER COLONIAL MASTERS
ARE AS TERRIBLE AS PRESIDENT MUGABE WOULD HAVE VOTERS
BELIEVE, THEN ALL HIS LIEUTENANTS MUST SURELY SING
FROM THE SAME HYMN SHEET. IT IS PARTICULARLY CHEEKY
THAT WHILE THEY SEND THEIR OWN CHILDREN TO FINE
SCHOOLS, COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES IN LONDON, SYDNEY,
NEW YORK AND ELSEWHERE, THEY REDUCE THE CHILDREN OF
ZIMBABWE'S LONG-SUFFERING TAXPAYERS TO THE STATUS OF
UNCLASSIFIED
PAGE 03 HARARE 00323 061652Z
THE NOW UBIQUITOUS "GREEN BOMBERS" GRADUATING FROM
THE BORDER GEZI TRAINING CENTER BEFORE DESCENDING ON
THE INNOCENT POPULACE TO METE OUT VIOLENCE ON THEIR
OWN PARENTS."
SULLIVAN
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ABUJA 001034
SIPDIS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PHUM PGOV PINR KDEM KIRF NI
SUBJECT: CHEEKY JIHADIST QUIVERS AS SACK FEVER GRIPS
GWANDU
-------
Summary
-------
¶1. On Friday, June 3, Governor Adamu Aliero of Kebbi
State announced the removal of the Emir of Gwandu, one
of the most senior traditional rulers in northern
Nigeria, Mustapha Haruna Jokolo. Jokolo was quickly
replaced by General Muhammadu Jega, a retired two-star
general who twice served as military governor of the
defunct Gongola State (now Adamawa and Taraba States).
Authorities in Birnin Kebbi maintained that Jokolo was
fired for "disrespecting constituted authorities and
abandoning his sphere of influence." Jokolo and his
supporters have rejected these allegations, accusing
President Obasanjo of ousting him for disagreeing with
the President. Two months ago, Jokolo called on the
Nigerian Muslims to wage a "jihad" against the Obasanjo
administration for its alleged marginalization of
Muslims.
---------------------
Emir Jokolo Dethroned
---------------------
¶2. The Emir of Gwandu, Alhaji Mustapha Haruna Jokolo,
a high-profile traditional ruler whose recent
criticisms of President Obasanjo were widely reported
by the local media, was removed from office late on
Friday, June 3. By this action, the 53-year old former
infantry soldier also lost his job as national vice-
chair of Jama'atu Nasril Islam (JNI), the umbrella
organization for all Muslims in Nigeria, along with his
chair of the Kebbi State Council of Chiefs.
¶3. Kebbi State commissioner for information Audi
Danbursa told newsmen that Jokolo was removed because
of his "high handedness and unlawfully staying outside
Gwandu Emirate." He accused the emir of showing
contempt not only to the elected political leaders but
also to other emirs. "The Kebbi State Government had
painfully tolerated the uncooperative and combative
attitude of the former emir for a long time. The
government had to act now. The man prefers to stay in
Kaduna and Kano abandoning his principal duty as emir,"
Audi stated.
--------------------------------------
Was His Removal Politically Motivated?
--------------------------------------
¶4. Governor Aliero, in a meeting with the local Muslim
leaders in state capital Birnin Kebbi, denied
insinuations that Jokolo's dethronement was influenced
by President Obasanjo. He further told his guests that
Jokolo was not removed because of his persistent
opposition to the way the Muslims were being treated in
Nigeria. A handful of Muslim leaders interviewed by
the government-owned National Television Authority
(NTA) said they were satisfied with the explanations
given to them by Governor Aliero about Jokolo's fate.
¶5. Ibrahim Dasuki, the 18th Sultan of Sokoto, said
that Jokolo deserves what he gets. Dasuki, whose
removal and banishment from office by the Abacha regime
in 1995 was supported by Jokolo, said that the deposed
emir was "reckless" in action and in public statements.
Dasuki averred that Jokolo's recent public statements
were capable of threatening the national unity and
peaceful coexistence of Nigeria, particularly Jokolo's
calls for a "jihad" to oppose Muslim marginalization.
¶6. In sharp contrast, Jokolo and his sympathizers
contend that the presidency was behind his ouster.
Abubakar Malami, Jokolo's attorney and spokesman, said
no authorities had questioned the emir, nor was he
invited to defend himself before he was removed.
Malami said bluntly that "we know that the Federal
Government has a hand in this matter. He (Jokolo) had
spoken on issues affecting the interest of the people
of the North and we know the presidency is not happy
with him. We intend to go to court because the action
of the governor is illegal."
¶7. Datti Ahmed, national president of the Supreme
Council of Sharia in Nigeria (SCSN), stated that apart
from taking legal steps, SCSN would mobilize Muslim
clerics and traditional rulers to reinstate Jokolo.
Addressing the press shortly after an SCSN emergency
meeting in Kaduna on June 5, Datti argued that Jokolo
was removed because he challenged Obasanjo during a
Muslim delegation's visit to Obasanjo protesting the
marginalization of Muslims in governmental appointments
and the selection of delegates to the National
Political Reform Conference (NPRC). Ahmed believed
Jokolo was dethroned to ensure that "other traditional
rulers and progressive forces do not raise their voices
in the struggle for justice, fair play and free speech.
The motive is clearly to undermine Islam and disorient
the focus of Muslims in the struggle and fair play in
the polity."
-----------------------------------------
Background: Jokolo Stands Up to Obasanjo
-----------------------------------------
¶8. Northern Muslim leaders and emirs met in Kaduna on
March 28 and discussed the alleged marginalization of
Muslims and established a committee headed by Sultan
Maccido to meet with President Obasanjo to redress the
problem. The committee eventually met the President,
but Ahmed claimed that "Obasanjo was very rude to them,
and the Emir of Gwandu stood up and challenged him.
Obasanjo did not take it lightly." The media later
reported that Jokolo had urged Muslims to fight against
the federal authorities.
--------------------
Where Is Jokolo Now?
--------------------
¶9. A senior official of Kebbi State Government
confirmed to Poloff that Jokolo has been banished to
Nasarawa State. According to this (unwritten)
tradition, when an emir is sacked from his position,
authorities immediately exile him to a town or village
far from his domain in order to allow the new emir to
settle in. Under normal circumstances, the sacked emir
would not be allowed to visit any part of his domain
even as a private citizen for the rest of his life.
--------------------------
The New Emir, General Jega
--------------------------
¶10. General Muhammadu Jega is celebrating his new
position as the newly appointed Emir of Gwandu. Ten
years ago, Jega, a prince of the emirate lost out to
the young and amiable Jokolo in a keenly contested
royal rumble following the death of Jokolo's father.
Although Jega was Jokolo's senior in the military, the
kingmakers at the time unanimously selected Jokolo,
believing he was a better candidate.
¶11. The soft-spoken infantry general was born in 1942
in Jega, Kebbi State. He joined the Nigerian army in
1962 and voluntarily retired in 1985. A course mate of
former military presidents Ibrahim Babangida and
Muhammadu Buhari, the new emir worked with Obasanjo
when he was military head of state. Jega was the first
military governor of the defunct Gongola State from
1976 to 1978 and again from 1984 to 1985, served as
deputy commandant of the Nigerian Defense Academy
(NDA), from 1978 to 1981, General Officer Commanding,
2nd Mechanized Division, 1983 and first OAU peace-
keeping commander in 1982. Jega attended NDA in 1962,
Pakistan Military Academy from 1962 to 1965, Command
and General Staff College, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas,
from 1972 to 1973, and National Institute for Policy
and Strategic Studies, Kuru-Jos in 1979. In his post-
retirement life, Jega served as chairman of Northern
Nigeria Development Corporation (NNDC), Kaduna, and
deputy secretary, JNI.
¶12. In his acceptance speech, Jega said he would work
very hard "to unite his people and foster
interreligious understanding in his emirate." Asked
whether he was aware that his appointment did not go
over well with some people, he answered: "I don't
expect everyone to be happy with my appointment but
with time, people would understand why the change
became necessary. I consider the recent happenings as
part of destiny and I would reach out to the camp of
the former emir. After all, we are all members of the
same family."
----------------------
Any Violent Reactions?
----------------------
¶13. With the media war by the two opposing camps
continuing, there has been no report of violence in
either Birnin Kebbi, the headquarters of the Gwandu
Emirate, or elsewhere in the North. Sources said the
state government took quick preemptive measures to
frustrate any opposition. Apart from reaching out to
Muslim leaders in the state, the government effectively
mobilized some spokespeople to propagate Jokolo's
offenses while in office. Whether the action will be
accepted still depends on the activities of other
Muslim organizations like SCSN.
CAMPBELL
VZCZCXYZ0002
RR RUEHWEB
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
DE RUEHSK #0311/01 0811551
ZNY CCCCC ZZH (CCY DECL DATE ADA9ABED MSI9583)
R 221551Z MAR 06
FM AMEMBASSY MINSK
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4058
INFO RUCNOSC/ORGANIZATION FOR SECURITY COOPERATION IN EUROPE
RHMFISS/HQ USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE
RUFOADA/JAC MOLESWORTH RAF MOLESWORTH UK
C O N F I D E N T I A L MINSK 000311
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
C O R R E C T E D C O P Y (DECL DATE CHANGE)
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/22/2016
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PREL BO
SUBJECT: Lukashenko Gives Victory Speech and Fiery Press
Conference
Ref: A) Minsk 297, B) 2005 Minsk
Classified by Ambassador George Krol for Reasons 1.4
(B,D)
¶1. (SBU) Summary: On March 20, a defiant Aleksandr
Lukashenko accepted his presidential "victory" at a
press conference held in the cavernous Palace of the
Republic and spoke to a full audience, including
practically the entire Belarusian government, on live
television. Lukashenko stressed Belarusians had made "a
just decision" and challenged foreign nations to
recognize and accept that fact. He claimed the
elections were democratic and stoutly refuted
international criticisms, using the moment to lambaste
the U.S., West, and opposition while promoting his plans
for the future. In a rare occasion, Lukashenko took
questions from Western and non-state owned press
correspondents on live television. The often hardball
questions only aggravated more bizarre answers from a
clearly disturbed Lukashenko. End Summary.
----------------------------
Lukashenko's Opening Remarks
----------------------------
Belarusians Made Their Choice, Other Countries Should
Tend to Their Own Problems
--------------------------------------------- --------
¶2. (U) In his March 20 speech at the Palace of the
Republic, President Lukashenko announced that the
"revolution" that many had prepared for had failed.
According to the President, Belarusians had made a wise
decision. However, those [opposition leaders] who tried
to go behind the backs of the people to get power "from
the hands of foreign sponsors" are unable to accept
this.
¶3. (U) Lukashenko said Belarusians respected Americans
and citizens of Europe, but that did not mean
Belarusians would "alter" themselves to fit
Washington's, Brussels', and Warsaw's standards.
Belarusians do not need to be told how to live and would
not become "servants" to stronger nations. The
President opined that countries of the "so-called" color
revolutions should first bring order to their own people
and rid themselves of poverty and crime. He called
color revolutions a "virus" that infects weak countries
that have turned a deaf ear to the people and allowed
corruption to flourish. Belarus, however, has a strong
social policy and a dynamic economy that is developing
"for the people" and not for oligarchs.
Elections Were Democratic
-------------------------
¶4. (U) The President asserted that the March 19
presidential elections were democratic and conducted in
strict accordance with Belarus' constitution.
Belarusians independently made their decision and showed
the world that they are the "masters" of their home.
Lukashenko called the elections an indisputable victory
for the people's spirit, satisfaction, and self-esteem,
despite foreign and domestic interference that tried to
"break" the Belarusians.
¶5. (U) Lukashenko stressed that foreign countries needed
to respect Belarusians' decision as the will of the
people and a clear indicator of democracy. According to
Lukashenko, the high turnout at the polls showed that
Belarusians feel a "deep and personal" responsibility
for their government's fate and the welfare of their
people. The President lambasted the West for its
criticisms of early voting, claiming that the practice
existed in "super democracies" such as the U.S. and
Germany. The GOB ensured the necessary conditions for a
fair democratic vote and allowed 1,200 international and
30,000 domestic observers and 1,000 journalists to
monitor.
Opposition Does Not Respect Its People
--------------------------------------
¶6. (U) Lukashenko declared that Belarus had never seen
such unprecedented pressure and anti-Belarusian behavior
as the opposition had presented. The President viewed
it as the opposition's high level of disrespect to its
own people and failure to recognize their right to an
independent election. However, the opposition's actions
Conference
with the help of foreign pressure resulted in almost all
Belarusians supporting the regime in the "moment of
truth."
The President's New Mission
---------------------------
¶7. (U) Lukashenko said the election results showed
Belarusians' support for his approach to building a
strong, developing country. He said his next mission
was his five-year plan that would build a government for
the people. The President stated that Belarus is not as
rich as the people would like, but it was just a
question of time and labor before Belarusians would
attain or even exceed Western European standards of
living.
¶8. (U) Belarus will continue its peaceful policies and
strengthen relations with its neighbors. He noted a
union with Russia is of high strategically importance to
Belarus, but stressed dialogue with the U.S. and EU was
also important.
-------------------------------------------
Journalists Toss Lukashenko Tough Questions
-------------------------------------------
¶9. (U) In a rare event, Belarusian TV provided
continuous live coverage of Lukashenko's press
conference with western and independent journalists, as
well as with state journalists. The western and
independent journalists posed many tough, if not
embarrassing questions to the President. However, the
audience was overwhelmingly comprised of GOB officials,
state journalists, and pro-Lukashenko election monitors.
All of Lukashenko's answers were greeted with broad
applause.
On Demonstrators
-----------------
¶10. (U) Q (Liberacion): You [Lukashenko] said on March
17 that you would wring the necks of opponents who would
go to the streets. What happened to them and can you
give them security guarantees?
A: To wring the necks? I see your neck is all right,
just as everyone else's. [Laughter from audience] So do
not be concerned.
Q (RIA Novisti): If you were sure of your victory and
are confident it was democratic, why was it necessary to
deport foreign observers and detain representatives of
the opposition?
A: I do not know who was arrested or detained. The law
is the law for everyone, and if someone violated the
law, then they will be prosecuted. I know that a few
people were detained, but they asked for it to save
their face after realizing nothing would come of their
actions.
Q (BBC News): If so many people voted for you, why do
you think thousands of people came to the streets to
protest your victory?
A: This proves the democratic nature of our society. We
have people who do not agree with the president's
policyQDid you see the people who came to the square
yesterday? Could you distinguish between the
participants and bystanders? [The demonstrators] are 14
and 15-year-olds who were paid BYR 20,000 (USD 10) to
participate. They then blamed the authorities for the
weather. You can see that God was with the Belarusian
people yesterday. A terrible snow blizzard was observed
only on that square.
On the Elections
----------------
¶11. (U) Q (Associated Press): What is your reaction to
opposition leaders' demands to hold a repeat election?
A: If they want to have a repeat vote, let them go and
vote. There will be no reaction from my part. I only
react to the results and the reaction voiced by the
Central Election Commission.
Q (GOB's telegraph news Belta): It is evident the West
and U.S. will not recognize the election. There are
Conference
lots of example of what happened to countries that
attempted to oppose the White House. Do you think
Belarus faces a threat of international isolation?
A: Judging by the words of U.S. politicians and others
that you mentioned, we have lived in international
isolation for a long time alreadyQI wish we could
continue our development at the same pace in this
isolation. If they [the U.S. and West] respect
Belarusians, as they always say, they will change their
policies. I am not afraid of any further isolation. I
do not understand how one can isolate a country that is
the heart of Europe, through which 100 million tons of
goods are shipped annually. Neither the Europeans,
Russians, nor the Kazakhs have ever experienced any
problems hereQ.We will preserve the country like this at
any cost. They will stage provocations every day and
will [claim] to act in accordance with the Bible. We
will show the absurdity of their policies being carried
out in Poland, Latvia, and Lithuania.
Russian Support
---------------
¶12. (U) Journalist (state newspaper Narodnaya Gazeta):
Mr. Lukashenko, the Russian authorities have supported
your candidacyQ
Lukashenko: Did you hear this? Where did you get this
fact? I am an official, so do not use rumors in public.
Excuse me for interrupting you, but I will tell you and
the West that Putin is not backing Lukashenko. An
analyst says that the Belarusian economy is developing
so successfully because we buy Russian oil at friendly
prices and sell it to the West at international prices.
I want you to know, and Euronews above all, that we buy
oil from Russia at higher than world pricesQI do not
need any support from Russia, though I am confident I
would receive it if I asked.
Lukashenko Is An Emancipator
----------------------------
¶13. (U) Q (Interfax): Thanks to your election rivals,
this country has learned interesting things about your
private life and sons. Are you going to charge these
individuals for libel? And, basically, will Milinkevich
and Kozulin be sent to prison?
A: I would hate to see anyone sent to prison, but
believe me, I do not send people to prison. Under the
constitution, I release people, and as any other
president I have the power to pardon peopleQif they are
guilty, they will be sent to prison. As far as I am
concerned, they will not be sent to prison for personal
reasons. I will oppose this and will ask law-
enforcement agencies not to touch them. Let God go with
them, as it is all coming to themQI do not think the
public has learned too many things about my private
life. What they said is horrible...they were destroying
my image with the help of spin-doctors.
Lukashenko Gets Cheeky With Ukrainian Journalist
--------------------------------------------- ---
¶14. (U) Journalist (Antena TV, Ukraine): Several events
have happened over the last few weeks here that were
viewed as scandalous. Some of our politicians were not
allowed into Belarus and some of my colleagues were
barred from entering this conference. My colleague was
arrested when reporting live at an opposition rallyQ
Lukashenko: During a live broadcast?
Journalist: She was reporting by phone
Lukashenko: You need only this. This is good when you
are detained reporting live. Your television does not
need better facts.
Journalist: May I finish [the question]?
Lukashenko: As you wish. You are the master. You can
finish if you want.
Journalist: Sometimes you speak about Ukraine in a
slightly negative contextQ
Lukashenko: No, no, excuse me. You did not allow me to
finish. I respect my opposition because they found my
Conference
Ukrainian roots. [Passage omitted: Lukashenko recalls
working with Ukrainians on a collective farm and claims
Belarus supports Ukrainian farmers during the harvesting
campaign.] Probably, she was not arrested but detained,
because it is not so easy to arrest a person. She was
probably doing something wrong. So when in this
country, you should abide by this country's laws.
Comment
-------
¶15. (C) The setting of Lukashenko's press conference
showed a leader far removed from the people. He sat at
a large desk, flanked by two large flags centered high
on a large stage, isolated from the packed auditorium.
His curt answers to Western journalists and scolding of
Belarusian correspondents only helped to show the world
his bizarre behavior, yet he still received healthy
applause from his well-chosen audience and foreign
lackeys Q including American citizen Michael Margulis,
whom Lukashenko repeatedly mentioned during his remarks
as representing the real American people.
¶16. (C) The press conference rivaled his firebrand
speech at the UNGA. Lukashenko used this rare moment
with Western journalists to criticize the U.S. and
accuse it, along with the rest of the West, of murdering
Slobodan Milosivic and unjustly removing Saddaam
Hussein. At one disturbing moment, Lukashenko told a
journalist she was jumping to conclusions when thinking
that his third term as President would be his last.
This clearly demonstrated a defiant Lukashenko intends
to stay in power indefinitely and sees no reason to
change his course.
KROL
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
VZCZCXRO2586
PP RUEHMR RUEHRN
DE RUEHSA #2105/01 1631330
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 121330Z JUN 07
FM AMEMBASSY PRETORIA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0300
INFO RUCNSAD/SOUTHERN AF DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY COLLECTIVE
RUEHTN/AMCONSUL CAPE TOWN 4479
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 PRETORIA 002105
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR P, AF, DRL, AF/S
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/06/2017
TAGS: PREL PINR PGOV SADC ZI SF
SUBJECT: ZIMBABWE: SADC INITIATIVE OFF TO SLOW START
REF: PRETORIA 2044
Classified By: Charges d'Affaires Donald Teitelbaum. Reasons 1.4(b) an
d (d).
¶1. (C) SUMMARY. Political analyst Sydney Masamvu told PolOff
on 5 June that the SADC initiative is off to a slow and
disheartening start. ZANU-PF's official submission to Mbeki
includes troublesome non-starters like demanding that the MDC
acknowledge that Mugabe was elected in a free and fair poll
and is the legitimate President of Zimbabwe. MDC is growing
frustrated with the process and is already leaning toward
boycotting the next election. If one were keeping score,
Mugabe would be in the lead. However, Masamvu, who was in
Harare last week, also believes that many in ZANU-PF are
ready for the SADC-led initiative to work, especially those
who see themselves as Mugabe's successors. END SUMMARY.
-------------------------------------
ZANU-PF PLAYS GAMES WITH NEGOTIATIONS
-------------------------------------
¶2. (C) After asking for a week's extension, ZANU-PF on 4 June
gave President Mbeki its official response to MDC's
submission on their vision of the way forward. Political
analyst Sydney Masamvu (strictly protect) told PolOff on 5
June that ZANU-PF's submission calls on the MDC to: 1) join
SADC leaders in their call for an end to all foreign
sanctions, 2) acknowledge that the last election was free and
fair and that Mugabe is the legitimate President of Zimbabwe,
and 3) agree to a constitutional amendment guaranteeing
Mugabe immunity from any prosecution. (Comment: The ZANU-PF
insistence on labeling Mugabe "legitimate" could be viewed as
one pillar of immunity, but also as a stalling tactic since
ZANU-PF must realize the MDC would never acknowledge such a
statement. End Comment). Rex Mujuru told Masamvu last week
in Harare that Mugabe's biggest fear is prosecution (i.e.,
before the International Court in the Hague), but that many
in the party, included Rex himself, no longer share Mugabe's
concerns and would not be upset if he were prosecuted.
Mujuru also told Masamvu that Mugabe had tried to put him
under CIO surveillance three months ago, but that the CIO
refused and told him immediately. At that point, according
to Mujuru, he would have handed Mugabe over if he could.
¶3. (C) In the meantime, Masamvu believes that Mugabe and his
team are already trying to outfox Mbeki (again). For
example, Mugabe's attempts to enlarge the legislature and
allow Parliament to choose the President will prevent the MDC
from becoming king-makers. Currently, if the MDC regained
all of its 41 seats, it would break the tie between the two
ZANU-PF factions that support either Mujuru or Mugabe.
Masamvu also said that during the first face to face meeting
between ZANU-PF negotiators and MDC Secretaries Generals,
Goche told Tendai Biti and Welshman Ncube that they did not
need Mbeki and suggested that they negotiate amongst
themselves in Harare. Masamvu called the move "cheeky" and
said that Mbeki was not happy with the comment. Masamvu also
added that Mbeki should never have chosen someone like Sydney
Mufamadi (SAG Minister of Local Government and Mbeki's
diplomatic trouble-shooter) to become involved since "the
Zimbabweans will run circles around him."
-----------------------------------------
MDC FOCUSING ON SELF-PRESERVATION FOR NOW
-----------------------------------------
¶4. (C) MDC Leader Morgan Tsvangirai asked to meet with
Masamvu immediately after he addressed the diplomatic corps
in Pretoria on 5 June (Ref A). Though Tsvangirai told
diplomats that it is too early to take a decision about
whether they will participate in elections or not, Tsvangirai
confided to Masamvu that the chances of them boycotting are
currently at 95 percent. Masamvu agreed with Morgan's
assessment that it was pointless to participate in a forlorn
hope. The MDC participated in an unfair election the last
time around, he concluded, and achieved nothing by their
effort. Though Tsvangirai consistently points out that his
supporters do not want to participate in a charade, he also
appears to have selfish motives in that he realizes that the
next election will likely be his last chance to become the
President. According to Masamvu, if Tsvangirai loses the
next election, despite its character or legitimacy, MDC
grassroots will likely look for another leader with a better
chance of achieving a better result.
-----------------------------
PRETORIA 00002105 002 OF 002
ZANU-PF ALLIANCES STILL FLUID
-----------------------------
¶5. (C) Masamvu described ongoing and changing alliances
between ZANU-PF members. According to Masamvu, Rex Mujuru is
"restless" and is becoming closer to Emerson Mnangagwa.
Masamvu also heard that the heightened state of alert by the
military was due to concerns about a palace coup, not the
activities of the opposition. When asked who would lead such
a coup, Masamvu said Rex Mujuru. The Women's League, whose
president recently said that "a fish rotten at the head
should be thrown away," is leaning toward Simba Makoni.
Masamvu also suspects that Gono is gaining ground and warned
PolOff that if Mugabe is not running, Gono will throw his hat
in the ring 3 months before an election. Masamvu told PolOff
that Gono acknowledges he could not defeat Mugabe, but that
Gono believes he could easily defeat Mujuru and Mnangagwa.
---------------------------------
MBEKI CALLS ON MASAMVU FOR ADVICE
---------------------------------
¶6. (C) Masamvu told PolOff that Mbeki asked him and Mike
McGovern from International Crisis Group to meet with him and
Deputy ForMin Pahad to discuss Zimbabwe at the beginning of
May. (Note: Masamvu said the meeting was held at 1:00 am at
Mbeki's official residence and that Mbeki "was at his best,"
even at that hour. Masamvu was told that Mbeki's last
meeting that day was scheduled for 3:00 am. End Note) Mbeki
specifically asked Masamvu about the configuration of
political loyalties within the Zimbabwean military and what
kind of assistance the MDC would need to govern. Masamvu
responded that the military is divided in thirds, with
one-third loyal to Mugabe, one-third to Mujuru, and one-third
to Mnangagwa. As for the MDC, Masamvu said, "I had to be
honest; I told them that MDC would win in a free and fair
election, but they would need significant help building
capacity to govern effectively." Masamvu then joked that
given the shallowness of the MDC ranks, the party would have
to run two pages of classified ads just to get enough
ministers to fill a cabinet.
-------
COMMENT
-------
¶7. (C) Masamvu's insights into the interpersonal, political
and social dynamics influencing events in Zimbabwe are in
demand by regional and international leaders and analysts.
He was the primary author of the recent analysis on Zimbabwe,
following the SADC Special Session in Dar es Salaam,
published by the International Crisis Group. South Africa's
highest leaders who are most directly engaged in the
SADC-mandated initiative pursued by President Mbeki call on
Masamvu and seem to value his assessment of the situation.
They and others seek his advice as they formulate their
policies and strategies. As such, Masamvu has become as much
an influential player in these complicated developments as he
is a keen eyed observer and analyst. Nevertheless, his
judgment is valued because he is often close to the mark and
has the rare ability to move comfortably between opposition
and ruling party leaders while maintaining warm associations
within the Zimbabwean and international NGO communities.
Post has learned to trust his judgment. In this case, he
confessed a personal sense of despondency with the pace of
events that significantly chills any optimistic expectations
for the near term.
Teitelbaum
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
VZCZCXRO8103
PP RUEHDBU RUEHFL RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHROV RUEHSR
DE RUEHSK #0551/01 1790931
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 280931Z JUN 07
FM AMEMBASSY MINSK
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 6203
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 0353
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS
RUEHBS/USMISSION USEU 0244
RHMFISS/HQ USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE
RUFOADA/JAC MOLESWORTH RAF MOLESWORTH UK
RUEHC/DEPT OF LABOR WASHDC
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 MINSK 000551
SIPDIS
PASS TO DRL
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/28/2017
TAGS: ELAB PGOV ECON PREL PHUM BO
SUBJECT: BELARUS HOPES TO REVERSE GSP SUSPENSION
REF: A. 06 MINSK 1188
¶B. MINSK 159
Classified By: Ambassador Karen Stewart for reason 1.4 (d).
Summary
-------
¶1. (U) The GOB has responded relatively tamely to the June 21
suspension of the EU's General System of Preferences (GSP)
for Belarus. Although a loss to the country's budget,
independent analysts doubt the annual impact will amount to
more than USD 67 million. However, Belarus' image will
suffer the most and the move could cost the country much more
in lost foreign investment opportunities. The GOB is hoping
to reverse the suspension by fulfilling the ILO's 12
recommendations by November, but local ILO representatives
doubt it can be done. End summary.
Belarus Losing More in Reputation Than in Dollars
--------------------------------------------- ----
¶2. (U) On June 21, the European Union's (EU) December 2006
decision to remove Belarus from its General System of
Preferences (GSP) came into effect after the GOB failed to
implement the International Labor Organization's (ILO) 12
recommendations to improve worker and independent trade union
rights (reftels). The result is an EU tariff increase of up
to four percent on Belarusian-made goods. Earlier
assessments estimated the economic loss to be USD 300
million-500 million, but a recent Institute of Privatization
and Management (IPM) analysis estimated at most a USD 214
million annual loss. However, IPM claimed tariffs would
increase by less than one percent for 60 percent of
Belarusian exports to the EU(mineral fuel and oil tariff
increases will average 0.34 percent, iron and steel products
0.04%, and fertilizers 0.6%) and put the direct overall loss
at USD 23-67 million.
¶3. (C) The real economic loss for Belarus would be the GSP
suspension's effect on the country's image. IPM Deputy
Director for Research Irina Tochitskaya told Acting Pol/Econ
Chief the precedent of EU economic sanctions against Belarus
harms Belarus' image at a time when the country hopes to
attract foreign investment. This precedent, in Tochitskaya's
opinion, will likely damage the economy more than the tariffs
themselves.
EU Suspends GSP, GOB Reacts and Goes Silent
-------------------------------------------
¶4. (C) The Belarusian MFA on June 21 called the GSP
suspension a "temporary" and "short-sighted" move that
contradicted the EU's declared intention to improve
Belarusian's standard of living and would negatively effect
European-Belarusian economic cooperation and EU economic
growth. However, after the announcement, the GOB has not
made any more official statements on the GSP suspension. In
a June 27 meeting, ILO representative Nataliya Varishagina
noted to Poloff the GOB's quietness, which was unusual given
that several high-ranking officials, including Deputy Head of
the Presidential Administration Nataliya Petkevich and head
of the pro-government Federation of Trade Unions of Belarus
(FTUB) Leonid Kozik, made many trips to Geneva to convince
the ILO that Belarus was making progress. Varishagina
attributed the leadership's lack of response to false hopes
that they would be able to convince the ILO and EU by
November that the GOB will improve labor rights.
ILO Once Again Lambastes GOB "Progress"
---------------------------------------
¶5. (U) Executive Director of the ILO Kari Tapiola and Deputy
Director of the ILO Standards Department Karen Curtis on June
20-23 visited Minsk to participate in a discussion with GOB
officials about the country's draft trade union law and
attend a council meeting for improving labor regulations. At
the end of the visit, Tapiola publicly criticized the draft
law, stating that it would raise the degree of governmental
control over trade unions and run counter to the ILO's 12
recommendations.
¶6. (U) Tapiola called the GOB trade union registration
process the sole indicator of Belarus' willingness to abide
by ILO recommendations. Existing legislation and the draft
MINSK 00000551 002 OF 003
law will still require trade unions to have minimum
membership levels before being eligible for registration.
According to Tapiola, such restriction and registrations
violate international standards of association and labor
rights.
Ministry of Labor Keeps Smiling
-------------------------------
¶7. (C) A rare occurrence, a Ministry of Labor official agreed
to meet with Poloff on a week's notice to discuss the GOB's
"progress" in fulfilling the ILO's recommendations.
(Comment: In past meetings with the Ministry, dip notes must
be passed to the MFA, followed by a month-long wait before a
meeting is arranged. End comment.) Director of the External
Relations and Partnership Policy Department Igor Starovoytov
on June 26 listed the steps the GOB had taken to implement
ILO's twelve recommendations. At the ILO's request, the GOB
had:
-- registered four out of six unregistered chapter trade
unions;
-- abolished the Republic Registration Commission, leaving
the Ministry of Justice the sole registration authority;
-- created a Council for the Improvement of the Legislation
in the Social and Labor Sphere that would assess and decide
on trade union violations;
-- prohibited heads of enterprises from interfering in trade
union activities;
-- reinstated air-dispatcher Oleg Dolbik;
-- and admitted Head of the Belarusian Congress of Democratic
Trade Unions (BCDTU) Aleksandr Yaroshuk to the National
Council on Labor and Social Issues.
¶8. (C) Meanwhile, the GOB had consulted with the ILO seven
times about the language of the draft trade union law. ILO's
first reading of the law was very critical, but since then
Belarus had incorporated many of ILO's suggestions and was a
work in progress. According to Starovoytov, the GOB agreed
to lower the minimum membership requirements needed for trade
union registration and other restrictive language.
Starovoytov claimed the GOB was working hard to make the
registration process more transparent and hoped all the
problems would be solved by November, when ILO is scheduled
to return to the Belarus question.
"Independent Unions Feeding the West Lies"
------------------------------------------
¶9. (C) Starovoytov indirectly blamed the "so-called"
independent trade unions BCDTU and the Radio Electronic
Workers Union (REP) for Belarus' current problem with the
ILO. According to Starovoytov, the GOB could not have a
dialogue with these unions because they were always including
the "general situation (in Belarus)" (i.e., politics) when
they should really only be discussing the trade union
problems at hand. Secondly, independent unions' allegations
were not always correct. For example, eight of the primary
complainers to the ILO -- those who lost their jobs
"allegedly" for their union activity -- are not telling the
entire truth. For better clarification, according to
Starovoytov, these men were not "fired," but the mere terms
of their contract ended and one of the two parties (the
employee or employer) did not want to continue the
relationship. When Poloff asked what reason was given to the
workers for failing to renew their contracts, Starovoytov
dodged the question, repeating that the contract en
ded because one of the parties did not want to participate.
"All countries in the world have a similar contract system
and no court would hold an employer accountable if the
conditions of the contract ended and it was not renewed."
Starovoytov Blowing Smoke
-------------------------
¶10. (C) Varishagina on June 27 dismissed Starovoytov's
explanations as the same deceitful rhetoric the GOB used with
the ILO. As the GOB continues to "make progress," trade union
violations continue. In the latest example on June 21 -- the
day the EU suspended the GSP -- unknown men beat a Gomel REP
activist on the territory of the factory he worked in.
According to the union member, as they beat him they warned
him to stop writing complaints about labor violations.
¶11. (C) Another example occurred during Tapiola's visit. The
MINSK 00000551 003 OF 003
June 22 issue of the largest state newspaper, "Sovetskaya
Belarus," published an article that blamed BCDTU leader
Yaroshuk, REP leader Gennadiy Fedynich, and Party of Labor
leader Aleksandr Bukhvostov for the GSP suspension. The
author of the article asked Belarusians to thank the union
leaders for "stealing money from Belarusian children with a
cheeky grin." (Note: State television broadcast a similar
cynical piece. End note.) Varishagina called the article a
direct attack against independent unions, their leaders, and
the leaders' families. Tapiola on his last day warned the
GOB against exercising pressure on trade union activists over
their complaints to the ILO and not to blame them for the GSP
suspension.
Comment
-------
¶12. (C) The GOB still hopes to reverse the GSP suspension
process by November and for that reason is not releasing any
of its normal fire and brimstone responses. In a June 20
casual conversation, the Head of the UN Mission in Minsk told
acting Pol/Econ Chief that Tapiola's visit confirms the GOB
does recognize the ILO's mandate -- even though they disagree
with the conclusions -- as the GOB, in contrast, refused to
ever deal with the now defunct UN special rapporteur for
human rights. Nonetheless, with the GOB's half-hearted
attempts to appease the ILO and the continuation of trade
union violations, it is doubtful that Belarus can reverse the
EU decision by November.
Stewart
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
VZCZCXYZ0000
PP RUEHWEB
DE RUEHBU #1353/01 1971212
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 161212Z JUL 07
FM AMEMBASSY BUENOS AIRES
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 8644
INFO RUEHAC/AMEMBASSY ASUNCION PRIORITY 6358
RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA PRIORITY 6217
RUEHLP/AMEMBASSY LA PAZ AUG 4762
RUEHMD/AMEMBASSY MADRID PRIORITY 1876
RUEHMN/AMEMBASSY MONTEVIDEO PRIORITY 6581
RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME PRIORITY 1354
RUEHSG/AMEMBASSY SANTIAGO PRIORITY 0586
C O N F I D E N T I A L BUENOS AIRES 001353
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
G/TIP FOR BARBARA FLECK
G/TIP FOR KATIE BRESNAHAN
WHA/PPC FOR MIKE PUCCETTI
WHA/BSC FOR DREW BLAKENEY/KENDALL MOSS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/02/2017
TAGS: ASEC ELAB KCRM PHUM PREL SMIG KWMN PGOV AR
SUBJECT: IOM COUNTRY REP ON IOM'S AND THE GOA'S ANTI-TIP
EFFORTS
REF: BUENOS AIRES 793
Classified By: Ambassador E. Anthony Wayne for reasons
1.4 (b) and (d)
¶1. (C) Summary. On June 29, Ambassador Wayne met with
Eugenio Ambrosi, International Organization for Migration
(IOM) Country Representative to talk about IOM's efforts to
combat trafficking in persons (TIP) and improve the lives of
migrant populations in Argentina. (Septel will cover
Ambassador's discussion with Foreign Minister on TIP issues.)
Ambrosi thanked the Ambassador for USG funding of its
programs in Argentina, and noted that this has helped raise
awareness of the problem. He expressed optimism that
anti-TIP legislation would be passed (paras 3-4) despite
ongoing debate in the Congress over the issue of consent, and
speculated that the bill that prevails will depend on whether
President Nestor Kirchner or his wife, Senator Cristina
Fernandez de Kirchner will run for the Presidency in October.
If the latter, Ambrosi predicted that the House version
would prevail. Ambrosi identified official complicity at
provincial and local levels and poor interagency coordination
at all levels as impediments to effectively combating the
problem (paras 5-6).
¶2. (C) Summary Continued. Ambrossi also provided an assessment
of the Ministry of Labor's campaign to prevent child labor
(para 7) and informed the Ambassador of IOM programs to help
Bolivian sweatshop labor victims, regularize the status of
undocumented workers, and provide small loans to migrant
workers living in urban slums (paras 8-11). Ambrosi also
informed the Ambassador of recent death threats IOM staff
received in the Tri-Border Area of Argentina, Brazil and
Paraguay (para 12). Finally, Ambrosi requested Embassy
assistance in: 1) obtaining GOA approval for government
airtime on private TV channels for its TV and radio campaign;
2) persuading MTV-Argentina to air an IOM-produced music
video on the issue; and 3) organize a roundtable with donor
countries and multilateral banks to make a pitch for funding
(paras 13-15). The Ambassador agreed to assist IOM in these
efforts and informed Ambrosi that the Embassy had recommended
additional Department funding of IOM programs in Argentina
during G/TIP's call for proposals. (Comment: IOM has proven
to have the institutional capacity to effectively tackle the
trafficking problem in Argentina. Post recommends that their
bilateral and regional proposals be given favorable
consideration.) End Summary.
Electoral Politics Will Determine Fate of Anti-TIP bill
--------------------------------------------- -----------
¶3. (C) On June 29, Ambassador Wayne met with IOM Country
Representative Eugenio Ambrosi to discuss IOM's programs in
Argentina. The Ambassador began by praising IOM's efforts to
fight human trafficking in Argentina. Ambrosi thanked the
Ambassador for USG funding of its programs in Argentina, and
noted that with this funding, IOM has helped raise awareness
of the problem and put it on the public agenda in Argentina
and the region. The Ambassador observed that there has been
a great deal of momentum in the Congress to pass anti-TIP
legislation and asked for Ambrosi's assessment of the
situation. Ambrosi noted that civil society is now pressing
the GOA to pass legislation criminalizing human trafficking,
and the GOA has no other alternative but to pass legislation
given that it is an electoral year and it does not want to
leave the issue unaddressed.
¶4. (C) Ambrosi stated that currently there are competing
visions in the Congress. The debate not only centers around
the issue of considerng adult victims' consent as relevant
when determining whether or not trafficking has occurred, but
also over which Ministry or Ministries will be charged with
implementing the legislation. Interior Minister Fernandez
represents one side of the debate, and Alicia Kirchner,
Minister of Social Development and President Kirchner's
sister represents the other. Ambrosi further explained that
Minister Fernandez not only wants the MOI to have control
over enforcing the law, but also control over providing
victim's assistance. Minister Kirchner and Deputy Stella
Maris Cordoba prefer to delegate the responsibility of
providing victims assistance to the Ministry of Social
Development. The version that prevails will ultimately
depend on who runs for President, Ambrosi speculated. If
Senator and First Lady Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner runs,
then the MOI's position will weaken and the Deputies version
will likely win. If it's President Kirchner, it will likely
be the Senate version that will prevail, Ambrosi stated.
(Note: Since this meeting, the Casa Rosada has announced
that the First Lady will be the one to seek the Presidency in
the October elections. End Note.)
The Twin Problems of Official Complicity and Poor Interagency
Coordination
--------------------------------------------- -----------------
¶5. (C) Electoral politics may also be the reason why
Minister Fernandez is reluctant to back a bill that deems
adult victims' consent as irrelevant, Ambrosi continued.
Recounting an earlier conversation he had with Fernandez,
Ambrosi claimed that Fernandez told him that if the anti-TIP
law applied to adult victims as well, the GOA would have to
go after half of all provincial governors. Ambrosi
acknowledged that while high-level officials may not be
directly involved in trafficking activities, they are likely
aware of the problem and are currently doing little to stop
it. Passing a law that provides a loophole for traffickers
of adult victims does not make sense, Ambrosi argued, adding
that the victim in the emblematic Marita Veron case was 23
years-old when she was kidnapped and trafficked.
¶6. (C) Regardless of which bill passes, how the law is
implemented is what really matters, Ambrosi continued.
Argentine interagency coordination leaves much to be desired,
he opined, adding that no one wants to work with anyone, not
even within the same ministry. IOM works with 15 government
agencies, including the Prosecutor General, as well as the
Ministries of Interior, Foreign Affairs, Labor, Justice, and
Social Development. Although these agencies work on
different aspects of the problem, when it comes to providing
victims assistance, they all turn to IOM since it alone has
funds and resources to assist victims. Ambrosi stated that
IOM helped 147 victims last year, and in every case an agency
has complained to IOM, not over the assistance itself, but
over why one agency was informed before another. He
explained that IOM does not always have the luxury to consult
with everyone as some cases are security sensitive and
require urgent action, often departing Argentina within 48
hours.
Sweatshop and Child Labor in Argentina
---------------------------------------
¶7. (C) Noting press reports identifying Argentine
children's clothing brand Cheeky as using sweatshop labor,
the Ambassador observed that the Ministry of Labor (MOL)
recently launched a campaign to eradicate child labor.
Ambrosi noted that the MOL has focused on this issue for a
number of years, with an emphasis on public awareness of the
problem. The campaign features a hotline where citizens can
report child labor violations, but Ambrosi noted that he
personally has called the number several times with no
answer.
¶8. (C) The Ambassador then asked whether forced labor is a
major problem in Argentina. Ambrosi recalled the March 2006
sweatshop fire in Buenos Aires that killed six Bolivians, two
of them women, and the rest children. He explained that 90%
of Bolivians immigrate to Argentina with their families, and
that many are promised work in exchange for wages, lodging
and meals for their family. In reality, they work and live
in the sweatshop often under lock and key, and receive only
one meal a day to be shared among the whole family. When
Poloff asked about GOA and societal attitudes that suggest
Bolivians are "naturally submissive" and have often returned
to the very sweatshops they were previously rescued from
preferring any job to none at all, Ambrosi rejected the
argument outright. He asserted that when IOM has interviewed
Bolivian victims if they would prefer to work under
slave-like conditions or start their own business, they all
state that they would prefer to work on their own. To
address this, IOM has helped to establish two cooperatives
for Bolivian trafficking victims. Each cooperative assists
22 Bolivians, and they are able to make more money by
skipping several levels of the sub-contracting production
chain, Ambrosi noted.
¶9. (C) The Ambassador then asked whether Argentina's human
trafficking problem was increasing. Ambrosi stated that the
numbers are going up partly due to increased awareness and
partly because global trends indicate an overall increase in
human trafficking. He stated that although trafficking
victims for the purposes of sexual exploitation far outnumber
the victims of labor exploitation, victims who have received
IOM assistance are more evenly split between sexual (55%) and
labor exploitation (45%). Although, historically, Bolivians
have been exploited in the textile industry, IOM has received
an increasing number of cases of Bolivians who are being
exploited in the agriculture sector, Ambrosi explained.
IOM Programs in Argentine villas
---------------------------------
¶10. (C) Ambrosi also informed the Ambassador of IOM's
microcredit program in villas de miseria (poor slums) with
high migrant populations, such as Villa 31 near the Retiro
train station, where the majority of the population are
Paraguayan and Bolivian cartoneros, sorting through garbage
to recycle cardboard, glass, and plastic. IOM provides these
workers with small loans on the condition that their children
go to school. The children are then automatically enrolled
in Spanish-Argentine cell phone company Movistar's "Pro-Nio"
program where they are given school supplies and medical
assistance. The program benefits 46 migrant workers and 300
children. IOM is now expanding the program with IDB funds,
Ambrossi explained. IOM has also provided small loans to
help undocumented workers obtain their immigration papers
through the GOA's "Patria Grande" program aimed at
regularizing the status of undocumented immigrants. Ambrossi
stated that so far loan repayment rates for this program is
100%.
¶11. (C) Ambrosi noted, however, that one area IOM does not
have much information on is how much trafficking is going on
in the villas. There is a great deal of sexual violence
against women and children in the villas, he stated, and
sexual exploitation is highly likely. He stated that he has
heard of several cases where women in the villas are having
children for the sole purpose of selling them for illegal
adoption. IOM would like to investigate the issue a bit
further, he asserted, but pointed out that there are serious
security concerns to consider first. The Ambassador then
asked whether the villa problem was increasing or decreasing
especially given Argentina's economic recovery. Ambrosi
replied that the villas are increasing, but that it is
difficult to determine whether this indicates an overall
increase in poverty or if it reflects migration patterns of
the poor from the interior of the country to the capital city.
TBA Security incident
---------------------
¶12. (C) Ambrosi also informed the Ambassador of death
threats IOM staff received via phone and SMS messages in the
tri-border area (TBA) of Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay in
late May. He explained that the threats were made in Ciudad
del Este, Paraguay and Foz de Iguazu, Brazil immediately
after IOM launched an information campaign specifically
designed to raise youth awareness of the problem in the TBA.
(Note: In early June, IOM held a joint press conference with
INADI Director Maria Jose Lubertino to denounce the threats.
End Note.) He stated that 65-70% of the human trafficking
problem in the Brazil/Southern Cone region occurs in the TBA,
and most of the problem was trafficking in minors, for labor
and commercial sex purposes as well as illegal adoptions.
According to Ambrosi, when IOM staff reported the threats to
the Police chief in Brazil, the police chief told IOM that he
could not accept the complaint because the staffer was
Paraguayan. When the IOM staffer went to the Police Chief in
Paraguay to report the incidents, the staffer claims to have
recognized individuals known to be involved in trafficking
coming out of the Police Chief's office while the staffer was
filing the complaint. Finally, Ambrosi stated that when he
and IOM staff asked the cell phone company in Paraguay to
trace the SMS messages, company representatives claimed that
the only SMS messages they could not trace for that day were
the ones in question. Due to the incident, IOM obtained
Department permission to postpone implementation of the
program until August. Department funds for the program ends
in September, Ambrossi added.
IOM requests assistance with Media Campaign and Donor
Roundtable
--------------------------------------------- --------
¶13. (C) Ambrosi also told the Ambassador of IOM's current
TV and radio campaign to increase public awareness of human
trafficking and highlight a hotline managed by the National
Institute Against Discrimination (INADI). The high quality
campaign includes several 30-second public service spots
explaining different aspects of human trafficking, and a song
and video explaining the trafficking process and how to
obtain help featuring popular, Uruguayan singer/actress
Natalia Oreiro. For now, the campaign is being aired on
local channels, and the city of Buenos Aires has posted IOM
billboards throughout the city and airs the campaign on
closed circuit television in the subway system. As a result
of the campaign, Ambrosi stated that INADI received 700 calls
in the last month, with a significant number of calls
requesting more information about the problem and how to
verify job offers that sound too good to be true. (Note:
Although the campaign encourages victims and their families
to call the hotline for assistance, sources have told us that
the hotline is only staffed by one person per shift and also
takes general calls related to discrimination complaints.
End Note.)
¶14. (C) Ambrosi stated that he hopes to distribute the
message more broadly. IOM, however, has unsuccessfully tried
to obtain Media Secretary Enrique Albistur's approval to use
GOA airtime on private TV channels to feature the campaign
despite efforts by Human Rights Secretary Duhalde to weigh in
with Albistur on IOM's behalf. Ambrosi told the Ambassador
that Albistur owns an advertising firm that produces all of
the GOA's social campaigns. As the IOM campaign was not
produced by Albistur's production company, Ambrosi stated
that he suspects this may be the reason why Albistur has not
agreed to meet with him. He asked the Ambassador to raise
the issue with Interior Minister Fernandez who could, in
turn, persuade Albistur. The Ambassador agreed to raise the
issue with Fernandez. Ambrosi also noted that he is meeting
with cable companies, including MTV, to try and get airtime
with the cable channels. He asked whether the Ambassador
could ask MTV to support IOM's request. The Ambassador
agreed to look at how best to do this and suggested that IOM
also reach out to local music television channels as well.
¶15. (C) As Department funding for IOM programs in Argentina
come to an end, Ambrosi asked the Ambassador for support in
organizing a roundtable with other donor countries and
multilateral banks where IOM could make a pitch for funding.
He noted that the IDB helped to organize a similar roundtable
in Paraguay which "worked well". The Ambassador noted that
the EU has funded anti-TIP programs in the past, but has
concentrated mainly on curbing the problem in Eastern Europe.
Ambrosi stated that the EU, and other countries such as
Spain and Italy, may have an interest in fighting the
problem, especially since they are destination countries for
many trafficking victims in the Southern Cone. For example,
25% of Paraguayan victims transit Argentina en route to
Spain, he explained. The Ambassador offered Embassy
assistance in organizing such an event in the coming months.
He and Poloff also informed Ambrosi that the Embassy had
recommended additional Department funding of IOM programs in
Argentina during G/TIP's call for proposals (reftel) but that
funding decisions would be made in Washington. (Comment:
IOM has proven to have the institutional capacity to
effectively tackle the problem in Argentina. Post recommends
that their bilateral and regional proposals be given
favorable consideration.)
WAYNE
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
VZCZCXYZ0029
RR RUEHWEB
DE RUEHBU #0786/01 1582014
ZNR UUUUU ZZH (CCY EDITED REFS AD9F5EC3 MSI8307)
R 062014Z JUN 08
FM AMEMBASSY BUENOS AIRES
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 1278
INFO RUCNMER/MERCOSUR COLLECTIVE
RUEHC/DEPT OF LABOR WASHINGTON DC
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 0721
UNCLAS BUENOS AIRES 000786
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
C O R R E C T E D C O P Y - EDITED REFS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL ELAB PHUM PGOV ECIN ECON SOCI AR
SUBJECT: ARGENTINA: FORCED AND CHILD LABOR IN GARMENT INDUSTRY
REF: (a) SECSTATE 41381 (b) BUENOS AIRES 344
(c) BUENOS AIRES 519 (d) Gomez-McCarter 5/20/08 E-mail
¶1. (SBU) Summary: Based on interviews with GOA officials,
International Labor Organization representatives, and union and NGO
leaders, as well as a review of media articles, some companies in
Argentina's apparel industry appear to use forced and child labor in
their production chain. It is difficult to ascertain the extent of
the problem, as reliable statistics do not exist. Estimates
provided by government officials and NGOS may be inflated, because
they do not/not clearly distinguish between voluntary sweatshop
labor, long work hours in family-run businesses, and exploitative
labor as defined by cable guidance (ref A). The public, private,
and NGO sectors work together to investigate and prosecute companies
that are accused of using forced and child labor. The government
has conducted a number of public awareness campaigns and has
organized training for labor inspectors. There have been a number
of isolated reports of forced and/or child labor in small scale
cultivation of the following goods: sugar, cotton, tobacco, poultry,
tomatoes, strawberries, flowers, sugar, grapes, and lemons. Post
has limited data on the extent of the problem but believes it merits
further research. End Summary.
¶2. (SBU) Good: Apparel
Type of exploitation
--------------------
According to our sources listed below, some companies in Argentina's
apparel industry appear to use forced and child labor in their
production chain. This includes debt bondage, physical restraint,
threats to personal and family safety, labor offered under false
pretenses, the confiscation of worker identity documents, and legal
action (i.e., jail or deportation for illegal entry) against
undocumented workers. Child labor also exists, as children may work
alongside parents in clandestine shops. See refs B and C for more
details on labor exploitation in Argentina.
Sources of information and Years
--------------------------------
In recent weeks, Post interviewed GOA officials at the Ministry of
Labor (MOL), Ministry of Justice (MOJ), and the National Commission
Against Child Labor (CONAETI). Post also met with the Buenos Aires
City Ombudsman's Office, as well as representatives from the
International Labor Organization (ILO), and leaders of the Garment
Workers Union and a local NGO, the Alameda Foundation Against Slave
Labor. Secondary source research included articles from 2006 - 2008
in leading dailies La Nacion, Clarin, and Pagina 12, and the
websites and reports of the MOL, CONAETI, ILO, and UNICEF. Per
instructions (ref A) a list of websites will be e-mailed to the
Department of Labor separately.
The Alameda Foundation is a local NGO formed in December 2007. The
organization is headed by Gustavo Vera and Nestor Escudero, both of
whom have a history of active involvement in the fight against slave
labor in the textile sector. Vera also heads the Sewing Workers
Union. The foundation provides legal advice to workers of
sweatshops, denounces cases related to slave labor in the garment
sector, and informs the public of exploitation cases. The Alameda
Foundation and its members work closely with officials from the city
of Buenos Aires and local prosecutors to bring to justice textile
factory owners accused of exploitation, as well as the owners of
clothing brands that outsource production of their goods to these
factories.
Narrative
---------
Most garments produced in-country are sold domestically as both
generic and branded goods, yet some of these goods have an
international reach. According to a January 2007 U.S. Foreign
Commercial Service Report on the Argentine apparel sector, local
apparel sales to foreign tourists reached US$ 110 million in 2006,
reflecting a year-on-year increase of 40 percent over 2005. Apparel
exports increased 59 percent in 2003 to USD 47 million, reaching
markets in Europe, the U.S., Japan, and Central America. Some
Argentine brand names have opened stores overseas, including Cheeky,
which manufactures children's clothes and has a storefront in North
Carolina. Both the Buenos Aires National Ombudsman's Office and the
Alameda Foundation publicly denounce Cheeky for exploitative labor
practices, but neither this company nor any other has been found
guilty of such practices in an Argentine court of law.
According to the Alameda Foundation and an MOL official, Bolivian
immigrants, usually in country illegally, represent the majority of
forced labor victims. However there are also instances of
Paraguayan, Peruvian, and Korean victims. (Post tried repeatedly to
meet with counterparts at the Bolivian Embassy to discuss this issue
without success.) The Foundation and media report that victims are
lured by radio and print ads in their home countries that promise
jobs in Argentina with eight- or nine-hour work days and a living
wage. When victims inquire in Bolivia about the jobs in Argentina,
local representatives help arrange their travel across Argentina's
long and porous borders. Upon arrival, victims, often with their
entire families, are forced to work 12-18 hour days, six days a week
at below subsistence wages with little or no food, rest, or
vacation. Workspaces may double as housing.
News articles and the Buenos Aires Ombudsman's Office repeat
Alameda's claims. These same sources state that some owners may
withhold pay due to "debts" incurred by the recruiter in
transporting the workers. The structure of the garment industry,
where larger companies often outsource production to small-scale,
unregistered shops on short-term contracts, is a factor in the
propagation of forced labor. All operate under a lax regulatory
environment with limited enforcement of labor standards, especially
outside the federal capital.
Cases of forced labor appear periodically in leading dailies. One
well-known case occurred on March 29, 2006, when a sweatshop in the
Caballito neighborhood of Buenos Aires city caught fire, killing six
Bolivian immigrants, a man, a woman, and four children ages two to
fifteen. The incident led to a wave of investigations throughout
the city which closed many sweatshops and brought national attention
to forced labor practices and illegal sweatshops.
More recently, on March 4, 2008, leading daily Clarin reported that
police raided a garment sweatshop in the municipality of Florencio
Varela in Buenos Aires Province after receiving a complaint from a
worker who escaped and reported abuses to law enforcement officials.
The police found seven Bolivian workers, including minors, living
under slave-like conditions, unable to leave the premises where they
operated sewing machines and looms. The police arrested the factory
owner, who had confiscated the victims' identity documents. On
April 4, 2008, Pagina 12 reported that police raided another
sweatshop in Buenos Aires Province, finding fifteen undocumented
Bolivians living in similar conditions. On May 30, 2008, a contact
at the 5th Federal Court confirmed Alameda Foundation's claim that
oral arguments will soon begin in an exploitative labor case against
major local brands Montagne, Lacar, Rasti, and Cheeky.
Incidence
--------
Post notes that incidence statistics enumerated below do not clearly
distinguish between voluntary sweatshop labor, long work hours in
family-run businesses, and exploitative labor as defined by cable
guidance (ref A).
A representative of the Buenos Aires City Ombudsman's Office told
poloff that they estimate that approximately 25,000 garment workers
toil under slave-like conditions in the city. He stated that the
city government successfully closed about 300 sweatshops, while
another 500 moved outside the city to avoid inspections, but remain
in Buenos Aires Province. The City Ombusdsman's Office has
identified 71 brands believed to manufacture garments in sweatshops.
The Alameda Foundation has publicly denounced 85 brands and has
filed approximately 100 legal complaints alleging forced and/or
child labor. Its president, Gustavo Vera, is quoted in the press
suggesting some slightly higher estimates of sweatshop activity,
claiming that "between 700 - 900 were closed, another thousand moved
to the province of Buenos Aires, and 3,000 remain in the city."
According to press reports, federal and local governments closed
down 712 sweatshops in the city of Buenos Aires over the
eighteen-month period January 2006 - June 2007. A senior Ministry
of Labor official told poloff that 60% of the informal workforce in
the apparel industry is Bolivian. A 2004 MOJ/INDEC/ILO survey of
Argentina found that of 456,207 children between the ages of five
and seventeen working in a manner that interfered with school
attendance, 27.9% of five to thirteen year olds and 36.8% of
fourteen to seventeen year olds worked in some type of business,
garment shop, or farm. Apparel-specific data is not provided.
Efforts to Reduce Exploitative Labor
---------------------
The GOA's MOL is responsible for conducting labor inspections to
ensure that companies register their workers and pay social security
and other benefits proscribed by law. While it is responsible for
conducting child labor inspections throughout th country, it
delegates the responsibility of safety inspections to the provinces
and the autonomous city of Buenos Aires. If forced or child labor
is detected or suspected in the course of a routine inspection by
the GOA MOL, it reports this to the relevant provincial authorities
for further action. The MOL has signed an agreement with the
Ministry of Education whereby child laborers identified in MOL
inspections will be given a scholarship to enable them to attend
school until 18 years of age. In addition, if the child's parents
are unemployed, they will receive financial aid, labor training, and
job referral assistance for two years. The Ministry of the Interior
in April 2006 instituted the "Patria Grande" program, which
regularizes illegal immigrants born in MERCOSUR or associate
countries. According to a source at Argentina's National Migration
Office, the Program has helped fight forced labor. Once immigrants
receive citizenship documents they may apply for legal work and are
unlikely to return to illegal, potentially exploitative jobs
conditions.
The Buenos Aires City government, notably the City Ombudsman's
Office, the Under Secretary of Labor, and the Under Secretary of
Human Rights, have led the city government's efforts to combat
forced and child labor in the apparel industry. They work
cooperatively with the ILO and the Alameda Foundation to call for
and/or lead investigations into alleged sweatshops, and publicly
denounce numerous brand names. However, no case involving a major
brand name has been successfully tried in Argentine courts.
In 2007, the National Institute of Industrial Technology (INTI),
under the Ministry of the Economy, launched its voluntary
certification program for clothing companies as a result of the
public outcry triggered by the March 2006 sweatshop fire in
Caballito. To combat forced labor in the apparel industry, INTI
offers certificates of quality to clothing companies, including
factories and suppliers along the entire production chain.
Interested firms undergo a series of inspections and audits by INTI
to gain certification. The applicant company must show that it
provides its employees with decent, safe, environmentally-friendly
working conditions free of violence, discrimination, and
forced/child labor. As an incentive, INTI signed an agreement in
2007 with the Ministry of Defense and the Buenos Aires Provincial
Education Ministry, whereby the Ministries would favor certified
companies in their purchases.
National and provincial governments work with the ILO, UNICEF, and
other international organizations to build capacity and
institutionalize norms related to forced and child labor across
production of all goods in Argentina. The National Committee for
the Elimination of Child Labor (CONAETI) conducts research on the
issue, develops national programs and policies aimed at combating
child labor, organizes training workshops with provincial labor
inspectors, and coordinates policy with Provincial Committees for
the Elimination of Child Labor (COPRETIs). Many of its programs
have been developed with outside assistance from the ILO and UNICEF.
It has conducted several public awareness campaigns in schools
throughout the country, including a national campaign entitled "No
to Child Labor" co-sponsored with the Ministry of Education.
Private companies also support the fight against forced labor. For
example, Spanish Telecommunications company Telefonica created the
Telefonica Foundation, whose Pronino program invests in educational
opportunities for "at-risk children." In 2007, the program
benefited 52,991 children, up 108 percent from the year before. In
addition, the civic organization Conciencia, funded in part by
private companies, none of which are garment manufacturers,
contributes money to a few child labor prevention programs in
Argentina, including Pronino.
---------------------------------
Goods that Merit Further Research
---------------------------------
¶3. (SBU) Based on Post interviews with the aforementioned
organizations, the Argentina Rural Workers Union (UATRE) and media
reports, there have been a number of isolated reports of forced
and/or child labor in small scale cultivation of the following
goods: sugar, cotton, tobacco, poultry, tomatoes, strawberries,
flowers, sugar, grapes, and lemons. Post has limited data on the
extent of the problem, but believes it merits further research. A
2004 MOJ/INDEC/ILO survey of Argentina found that of 456,207
children between the ages of five and seventeen working in a manner
that interfered with school attendance, 27.9% of five to thirteen
year olds and 36.8% of fourteen to seventeen year olds worked in
some type of business, garment shop, or farm. Farm-specific data is
not provided. The study also showed that in rural areas, where
cultivation of the goods above occurs, 78.5% of five to thirteen
year olds and 38.1% of fourteen to seventeen year olds are working
for their parents or other relatives. UATRE Secretary General
Venegas agrees that many children work on family farms out of
necessity. However, he agrees that this should not interfere with
school, and must take into consideration the dangers associated with
childrens' exposure to pesticides.
In November of 2006 tobacco growers, together with CONAETI and the
ILO, launched the "Porvenir" program in Misiones Province to
promotes and ensure school attendance by children of tobacco
workers.
UATRE Secretary General Geronimo Venegas noted in an interview with
Post that his labor union has a history of fighting exploitative
labor practices through worker documentation initiatives. In 2002,
the union successfully implemented a country-wide program to provide
agricultural laborers with worker log books, which is mandatory for
work. Only legal, documented workers could receive a log book. The
log book is not issued to illegal immigrants, undocumented workers,
or children.
WAYNE
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
VZCZCXRO7920
RR RUEHDU RUEHMR RUEHPA RUEHRN RUEHTRO
DE RUEHYD #0800/01 2241418
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 111418Z AUG 08
FM AMEMBASSY YAOUNDE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 9180
INFO RUEHZO/AFRICAN UNION COLLECTIVE 0191
RHMFISS/HQ USAFRICOM STUTTGART GE
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 YAOUNDE 000800
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/08/2018
TAGS: PREL PGOV KCOR PHUM ECON EINV ETRD UN CM
SUBJECT: CAMEROON: BIYA PROMISES PROGRESS ON CORRUPTION AND
GOVERNANCE
REF: A. YAOUNDE 784
¶B. YAOUNDE 758
¶C. YAOUNDE 546
¶D. 07 YAOUNDE 1235
Classified By: Ambassador Janet E. Garvey for reasons 1.4 b and d.
¶1. (C) Summary. In a jovial August 7 conversation with the
Ambassador, President Biya said he planned to set up three
key government institutions--an elections agency, the Senate,
and the Constitutional Court--before the end of the year.
Applauding USG efforts to fight corruption in Cameroon, Biya
welcomed the Ambassador's input on members of his cabinet and
indicated he will likely fire his Defense Minister in the
coming weeks. Biya was effusive in his appreciation of US
assistance to Cameroon and praise for President Bush, whom he
hopes to meet at the UN General Assembly. We have learned
from previous broken timelines to take Biya's promises with a
grain of salt, but he continues to impress us as more
progressive and results-oriented than those who surround him.
End summary.
¶2. (C) Ambassador Garvey met with President Biya on August
7 for a wide-ranging 90 minute discussion, half of which
focused on the Bakassi Peninsula (ref a). Biya professed
envy that the Ambassador had been traveling extensively
throughout Cameron, saying that he wished he could travel
outside of Yaounde. In excellent spirits and apparently good
health, Biya was jovial and effusive in his praise for POTUS.
Biya said he hoped to meet POTUS during the UN General
Assembly, which Biya plans to attend.
Corruption and Proclamation 7750
--------------------------------
¶3. (C) Ambassador briefed Biya on Proclamation 7750,
casting the USG's intentions as congruent with Biya's stated
goals to fight corruption in Cameroon. Biya welcomed the
initiative and pointed out that the Cameroonian street is
clamoring for pilfered funds to be repatriated to Cameroon.
Ambassador reiterated the USG's eagerness to help identify
corrupt proceeds overseas, but emphasized the need to handle
such a process through normal legal channels. Biya agreed
that the Government of Cameroon (GRC) had wasted time and
money working with Dooh Collins (ref d) and promised to press
Justice Minister Amadou Ali to bring his anti-corruption
efforts into closer alignment with Cameroon's National Agency
for Financial Investigations (known by its French acronym,
ANIF) and the judicial processes of partner countries.
Reviewing the Cabinet
---------------------
¶4. (C) In a discussion of his cabinet, Biya shared the
Ambassador's positive assessments of Forest Minister Elvis
Ngolle Ngolle and Lands Minister Pascal Anong Adibime and
took note of the Ambassador's favorable experiences with
Finance Minister Essimi Menye, Energy Minister Sindeu and
Secretary of State for Mines Fuh. Admiring Ephraim Inoni's
energy and performance as Prime Minister, Biya worried that
Inoni might be weakened by allegations that Inoni had
profited from the Albatross corruption scandal (ref c). Biya
said he was convinced Inoni was not directly implicated, but
worried that Inoni would be considered guilty by association,
since the scandal happened while Inoni was the Deputy
Secretary General at the Presidency. Biya said he had been
disheartened to learn that Jerome Mendouga, Cameroon's
Ambassador to the U.S., had been so deeply in implicated in
the scandal. Acknowledging that his cabinet (with more than
sixty ministers) was too large and unweildy, Biya said he
felt constrained by the need to mollify Cameroon's many
tribal groupings. Biya seemed unimpressed with Jean Nkuete,
his Minister for Agriculture, and expressed outright
hostility to Minister Delegue for Defense Remy Ze Meka.
Saying Ze Meka was "completely corrupt" to the point of
weakening Cameroon's military (ref a), Biya said he could not
fire him before the August 14 handover of the Bakassi
Peninsula but seemed eager to do so as soon as possible
thereafter.
Positive on US Investment
-------------------------
¶5. (C) Biya was still beaming from his July 24 meeting with
AES CEO Paul Hanrahan (ref b) and hailed the growth of
American investment in Cameroon, mentioning specifically the
Chad-Cameroon pipeline and GEOVIC, the Colorado-based project
to exploit cobalt resources in the East Province. Biya said
Cameroon is specifically interested in attracting US
investment.
YAOUNDE 00000800 002 OF 002
Press and Politics
------------------
¶6. (C) Acknowledging the need for a free press, Biya
nonetheless denigrated Cameroon's media saying, "they write
things that are untrue and publish stories in exchange for
money," and complained that a free press needs to be more
"responsible." Biya lamented the profusion of political
parties, complaining that most of them were simply facades,
but singled out Bernard Muna, who had split from the main
opposition Social Democratic Front (SDF) party, as an
opposition leader he regards. Biya displayed a keen interest
in the American Presidential election (going so far as to
offer a cheeky suggestion that President Bush amend the
constitution to allow for a third term) and was current on
recent events in the campaign.
Three Goals for 2009
--------------------
¶7. (C) Biya said electoral agency ELECAM would be set up
within months, explaining the delay was to adjust some of the
names proposed by Inoni (whose list, Biya said, was filled
with "guys older than I am"). Biya emphasized repeatedly
that he wanted ELECAM to be truly independent and admitted
that Cameroon's anti-corruption agency, CONAC, had suffered
from lack of funding, a problem he intended to resolve. Once
ELECAM is established, Biya said, he would move to set up the
Senate and Constitutional Council as called for in a 1996
round of amendments to the Constitution. Biya said he wanted
these institutions functioning by 2010 in order to prepare
for presidential elections in 2011. As in previous
conversations, Biya demurred from sharing his plans for 2011,
hedging, "I am not even sure if I will still be here." As to
his own plans, however, Biya said the USG had always been a
friend and so, he promised, "I will not do anything without
letting the USG know first."
Comment: Biya Going Strong, But Where To?
-----------------------------------------
¶8. (C) Despite his apparent worry that Cameroon was not
prepared to integrate Bakassi (ref a) and frustrations over
corruption and poor governance in his cabinet and within the
Presidency, Biya was up-beat, well-prepared, charming, and
engaged throughout the 90 minute conversation. He eagerly
welcomed the Ambassador's views, even on delicate subjects,
and is effusive in his appreciation of US engagement in
Cameroon. We have learned from previous broken timelines to
take Biya's promises with a grain of salt, but he continues
to impress us as more progressive and results-oriented than
those who surround him. A meeting with POTUS on the margins
of UNGA could provide an opportunity to thank Biya for his
unwavering pro-American stance on many important issues
(especially the Iraq war and investment in Cameroon) and
encourage him to push forward with political and economic
liberalization.
GARVEY
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
VZCZCXRO9882
PP RUEHAG RUEHROV RUEHSR
DE RUEHCV #1676/01 3402001
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 052001Z DEC 08
FM AMEMBASSY CARACAS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 2251
INFO RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHWH/WESTERN HEMISPHERIC AFFAIRS DIPL POSTS PRIORITY
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
RUMIAAA/HQ USSOUTHCOM MIAMI FL PRIORITY
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 CARACAS 001676
SIPDIS
HQSOUTHCOM ALSO FOR POLAD
DEPARTMENT PASS TO AID/OTI (RPORTER)
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/05/2028
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PREL VE
SUBJECT: NATIONAL ASSEMBLY RELEASES FLIMSY REPORT ON
ALLEGED ANTI-CHAVEZ PLOT
CARACAS 00001676 001.2 OF 002
Classified By: POLITICAL COUNSELOR FRANCISCO FERNANDEZ
FOR REASON 1.4 (D)
¶1. (C) Summary. The National Assembly (NA) released a report
calling on the Attorney General's Office (AG) to investigate
retired military personnel, independent media owners, and
businessmen for their supposed involvement in a conspiracy to
assassinate President Chavez. It accused the USG of
providing funds to destabilize Venezuela. The report also
urged Conatel, the telecommunications agency, to investigate
private media outlets for purportedly conducting a systematic
campaign to discredit Chavez and promote his assassination.
NA deputies implored the government to look into the
activities of the Embassy's five American Corners. The
report provides no real evidence but relies heavily on
hearsay, transcripts from recorded messages between member of
the opposition, and accusations that the free media is
employing subliminal messages. The NA has now shifted its
focus to proposing an amendment to the constitution that
would allow for Chavez's indefinite re-election. End
Summary.
-----------------------------------
NA Releases Findings on Chavez Plot
-----------------------------------
¶2. (SBU) The NA's "Special Committee to Investigate a Coup
and Assassination Attempt Against President Chavez," which
was formed in late September, released its findings in a
100-page report on December 2. The Committee was formed
after Mario Silva, an ardent Chavista talk show host,
broadcast a recording of alleged phone conversations between
Army MGEN Wilfredo Barroso Herrera, VADM Millan Millian, and
Air Force BGEN Eduardo Baez Torrealba. The alleged voices
spoke of seizing Miraflores using F-16s, state-controlled
television stations, and the Naval Headquarters. Silva also
named former Defense Minister Raul Isaias Baduel and
Globovision owner Alberto Federico Ravell in the supposed
plot.
¶3. (SBU) The report, which was placed on the back burner in
the lead-up to the November state and local elections,
focused on the alleged role of retired and active duty
military officers, prominent figures in civil society, and
the USG to discredit Chavez and thus justify a disruption in
the constitutional order of power and ultimately Chavez's
murder. The report relied heavily on the use of questionable
witness testimony and possibly illegally-recorded telephone
and text messages.
¶4. (SBU) Regarding the involvement of military personnel, the
report states that the GBRV's intelligence apparatus
"squashed" the plot mentioned by Silva but that further
threats remain. NA deputies urged the government to continue
its on-going investigation against the men named by Silva and
their possible associates.
¶5. (SBU) The report's other primary target was civil society
leaders, predominately private media owners. Miguel Henrique
Otero, owner of daily El Nacional, Marcel Granier, director
of Radio Caracas Television, Diego Arria, Baduel, Nelson
Mezerhane, head of Fedecamaras, Ravell, Rafael Poleo, editor
of the daily Un Nuevo Pais, and mayor-elect of Maracaibo
Manuel Rosales were named as the supposed leaders of the
civilian front to destabilize the Government of the
Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela (GBRV) and promote the
assassination of Chavez.
¶6. (SBU) Specifically, these persons are accused of
discrediting Chavez and his government in the independent
media and business circles and in so doing justify his
assassination. The report lists instances where media
outlets purportedly call for Chavez's murder through cheeky
news headlines or the use of subliminal messages. It calls
on Conatel to investigate these instances and sanction the
networks if necessary. Likewise, it urges the Human Rights
Ombudsman to protect citizens "from discriminatory messages
that disrupt peace and social harmony." In its
recommendations the Committee advocated that the AG's Office
open an investigation against the individuals mentioned and
present criminal charges if warranted.
¶7. (SBU) The Committee also repeatedly made mention of the
USG's supposed efforts to finance destabilization projects
against the GBRV. The report named local NGO partners and
accused them of carrying out the "empire's" agenda. The
CARACAS 00001676 002.2 OF 002
report called on the government to investigate the USG's
installation of five "virtual consulates (American Corners)
without the permission of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs."
According to the report, the USG fears the repercussions that
the Bolivarian Revolution could have in the region and around
the world, as motives for its purported actions against
Venezuela.
---------------------------------
Tascon: Report Doesn't Hold Water
---------------------------------
¶8. (SBU) According to the media, NA Deputy and expelled PSUV
member Luis Tascon, creator of the infamous Tascon List, said
the report "lacked substance" and requested that the
Committee be allowed more time to present evidence against
the supposed conspirators. He warned that the report would
be used against the NA because the arguments presented were
too weak. Nevertheless, the report was approved by all
deputies, with the exception of the Podemos party.
¶9. (SBU) After releasing the report, deputies from the
pro-government NA set out to formulate a proposal to amend
the constitution to allow for Chavez's indefinite reelection.
Chavez originally granted his PSUV party permission to take
up the issue via a signature drive. The NA, however,
recently agreed to assume the task. According to the
constitution, thirty parliamentarian are needed to approve
the measure, which will later be put to a popular referendum.
¶10. (C) Comment: The GBRV routinely employs a variety of
tactics to discredit its adversaries. In this instance, the
National Assembly has synthesized a series of politically
motivated charges without presenting any real evidence.
Moreover, this case is significant given that the government
has requested the formal investigation of several prominent
business, media, and civil society leaders. The GBRV's
release of private conversations in the public media is
particularly worrisome and confirms reports we've heard from
contacts that the government is actively conducting
surveillance on opposition members. End Comment.
GENNATIEMPO
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
VZCZCXYZ0004
OO RUEHWEB
DE RUEHIL #1574/01 1951034
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 141034Z JUL 09
FM AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 3771
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK IMMEDIATE 9781
RUEHNO/USMISSION USNATO IMMEDIATE 5503
RHEHAAA/THE WHITE HOUSE WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC IMMEDIATE
RHMFISS/HQ USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL//CCPA// IMMEDIATE
RHMFIUU/HQ PACAF HICKAM AFB HI//CCPA// IMMEDIATE
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 0902
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 7578
RUEHMO/AMEMBASSY MOSCOW 1574
RHHMUNA/HQ USPACOM HONOLULU HI
UNCLAS ISLAMABAD 001574
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KMDR KPAO OIIP OPRC PGOV PREL PK
SUBJECT: PAKISTAN MEDIA REACTION: JULY 14, 2009
Summary: Reports and photographs of the return of 195 families
"displaced by fighting in Swat" dominated front pages in all
newspapers on Tuesday. Pegged to it were President Zardari's
remarks declaring the rehabilitation process "a huge challenge."
Reports on the arrest of "13 suspected Al Qaeda militants" near Dera
Murad Jamali (Balochistan) also received prominent coverage. Also
highlighted were reports that "seven children among 12 were killed
in a seminary blast in the Punjab area of Mian Channu." Newspapers
gave prominent coverage to Interior Minister Rehman Malik's claim
that "militants in Swat have been defeated." Most dailies reported
the "visit of a UN expert prior to the arrival of a fact-finding
mission to start investigation into the assassination of former
Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto."
Most major dailies ran critical editorials on the government's
latest decision to make "ill-motivated and concocted stories against
the civilian leadership and the security force" via cell phone text
messaging and emails punishable offence carrying up to 14 years of
imprisonment. The English daily, "Dawn," noted that "this borders
on officially sanctioned censorship of the free flow of ideas and
the people's right to engage in debate over the actions of the
government and its institutions." Another English daily, "The
Nation," observed that "the campaign launched by (the government)
against the emails and SMSs considered anti-government is in
violation of the freedom of expression. It runs counter to the
spirit of the Constitution." The second largest Urdu daily,
"Nawa-i-Waqt" wrote: "Instead of scaring the people on
anti-government messaging and emails, the government should improve
its working and give relief to the people.... Even otherwise,
computer technology cannot be blocked." End Summary.
-----------------
News Stories
-----------------
"Journey Back Home Begins" "Dawn" (07/14)
"People displaced by fighting in Swat began returning to their homes
on Monday under a government repatriation program. About 195
families left the Jalozai camp by buses escorted by police. The
Emergency Response Unit (REU) had made arrangements for over 2,000
families to leave the camp on Monday, but a large number of them did
not leave. The (REU) spokesman Adnan Khan said that the government
would not force anyone to leave camps."
"Rehabilitation A Huge Challenge: Zardari" "Dawn" (07/14)
"The government would now focus on rehabilitating the displaced
people and rebuilding the damaged infrastructure in Malakand
Division, President Asif Ali Zardari said on Monday. He was
addressing representatives of international donors, NGOs and members
of the civil society who have been helping the displaced people.
President said that rehabilitation of the displaced people was a
huge challenge which required collective national efforts and help
of the international community."
"12 Foreigners, One Local Al Qaeda Suspects Held; Arms Seized"
"Dawn" (07/14)
"Security agencies arrested on Monday at least 13 suspected Al Qaeda
militants from a place near Dera Murad Jamali. Security personnel
intercepted a bus going to Multan from Quetta after receiving
information about the movement of militants and found three Turks,
two Saudis, two Kuwaitis and five Afghan nationals and a Pakistani
in the vehicle. The suspects were carrying five suicide vests and
an 11-kilogramme bomb in their baggage."
"Seven Children Among 12 Killed In Seminary Blast" "Dawn" (07/14)
"At least 12 people, seven children among them, were killed and over
50 injured when a large quantity of explosives stored in a house
which also had a seminary exploded in a village near Mian Channu,
about 45km from Khanewal, on Monday morning, Khanewal DPO Mohammad
Kamran Khan told 'Dawn.'"
"Six Suicide Attacks Foiled By Islamabad Police: Taliban Defeated In
Swat, Claims Interior Minister" "Dawn" (07/14)
"Interior Minister Rehman Malik has said that militants in Swat have
been defeated and security forces were in control of the region.
Several militant commanders had been killed and Swat Taliban chief
Maulana Fazlullah injured, he said while talking to reporters in
Islamabad."
"Benazir Probe: UN Official Visits Liaquat Bagh" "Dawn" (07/14)
"A UN expert visited Liaquat Bagh on Monday - prior to the arrival
of a fact-finding mission to start an investigation into the
assassination of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto. The
three-member UN commission is expected in Islamabad on July 16."
"S. Waziristan Peace Deal Ineffective: Militant" "Dawn" (07/14)
"A militant leader in South Waziristan, who is said to be in the
good books of the government, said on Monday that the peace
agreement in the agency had been 'ineffective'. Abdul Haq, a
spokesman for 'Maulvi' Nazir said that security forces were
attacking the Taliban despite the fact that they had 'maintained
peace in the agency during the past two years.'"
"8 Militants Killed" "Dawn" (07/14)
"Eight militants were killed and three others injured in a clash
with a lashkar in the Mohmand tribal region on Monday. Two
militants were captured, Assistant political agent Rasool Khan
said."
"Taliban Behead Tribal Elder In Orkazai" "Dawn" (07/14)
"Taliban militants beheaded a prominent pro-government tribal elder
in Dabori area of Upper Orakzai Agency on Monday. Sources told
'Dawn' that Taliban had been warning the elder, Habibullah, against
supporting government for some time."
"Two 'Militants' Found Hanging" "Dawn" (07/14)
"Two suspected militants were found hanged at two main squares of
the Malakand division as a convoy of about 200 vehicles carrying
back displaced persons from Swat crossed Batkhela on Monday. A
banner found with the body read: 'Those found to have links with
militants will meet the same fate.'"
"Taliban Commander Mullah Ubaid Arrested With 20 Aides" "The News"
(07/14)
"Taliban commander Mullah Ubaidully alias Baidoo has been captured
along his 20 aides by the Quetta police and a large number of
weapons were recovered from their possession, DIG operations Shahid
Nizam Durrani said."
"Mysterious Fire Destroys NATO Tanker" "Dawn" (07/14)
"An oil tanker supplying fuel for NATO forces in Afghanistan caught
fire in the Hayatabad township in Peshawar on Monday morning. The
tanker (TKV-763) was going from Rawalpindi to Kabul, police said.
The fire also damaged a house and a power transformer in the area."
"Obama Orders Inquiry Into Taliban Massacre" "Dawn" (07/14)
"President Obama has ordered U.S. security officials to look into
allegations that the Bush administration resisted efforts to
investigate a CIA-backed Afghan warlord over the killings of
hundreds of pro-Taliban prisoners in 2001. The victims included
hundreds of Pakistani citizens whose killings contributed to the
emergence of Maulana Fazlullah as a militant leader in Swat. 'The
indication that this had not been properly investigated just
recently was brought to my attention,' President Obama told CNN's
Anderson Cooper in an exclusive interview during the president's
visit to Ghana."
"Taliban Reject U.S. Probe Into 2001 Mass-Killing As Ploy" "The
News" (07/14)
"Talking to the Afghan Islamic Press (AIP), Qari Muhammad Yousaf
Ahmad, spokesman for Taliban, on Monday, rejected the U.S. President
Barack Obama directives to probe mass killing of the Taliban
prisoners in 2001 as U.S. ploy to absolve it of any involvement."
"Hillary Clinton To Land With New Approach" "The News" (07/14)
"The U.S. Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton is expected to visit
Pakistan also as she descends in the region on her official visit to
India later this month, it was learned reliably. According to
sources, 'U.S. Special Representative for Pakistan and Afghan
Richard Holbrooke is paying a very important visit to Afghanistan
this week before coming to Pakistan to finalize agenda of the
expected visit of Hillary Clinton and for the purpose he will hold
meetings with members of diplomatic corps in Islamabad.'"
"World Must Do More To Assist Pak Reconstruction Efforts: U.S." "The
news" (07/14)
"Pakistan has successfully rolled back the Taliban gains in Swat and
the international community needs to do more to assist Islamabad in
rebuilding lives and damaged areas in Malakand, a senior US diplomat
Paul Jones, Deputy Special Representative for Afghanistan and
Pakistan, at the State Department told a Congressional hearing."
"Pakistan Being Blamed For U.S. Failures: Mushahid" "The News"
(07/14)
"The distrust in Pakistan-U.S. relations stem from the self-serving
U.S. foreign policy objectives as well as the failure of most
Pakistani leaders to secure good bargains for the state beyond
pleasing Washington. Both countries need to move from their
disagreement over the definition of 'good and bad Taliban' into a
long-term strategic and purposeful relationship. This advice
resonated several times during a seminar 'Pakistan-American
Relations - the Element of Mistrust' arranged by the Centre for
Research and Security Studies (CRSS), says a press release."
---------------------
Editorials/Op-eds
---------------------
"Bordering On Censorship," an editorial in the Karachi-based
center-left independent national English daily "Dawn" (cir. 55,000)
(07/14)
"According to the interior ministry, the government is initiating a
campaign against 'ill-motivated and concocted stories against the
civilian leadership and the security forces.' This borders on
officially sanctioned censorship of the free flow of ideas and the
people's right to engage in debate over the actions of the
government and its institutions. Indeed, the decision carries
disturbing echoes of past attempts at censorship, for email and SMS
messages are now an important means through which the voice of the
people makes itself heard.... By criminalizing what is essentially
the people's freedom to debate and comment, the government exposes
itself to the charge of stifling political opposition rather than
changing or reconsidering policy."
"Shameful Act," an editorial in the center-right national English
daily "The Nation" (cir. 20,000) (07/14)
"The campaign launched by Interior Minister Rehman Malik against the
emails and SMSs considered anti-government is in violation of the
freedom of expression. It runs counter to the spirit of the
Constitution, which entitles the people to express their opinions in
a peaceful way.... This amounts to invading people's privacy. It
would provoke popular resentment against the PPP-led set-up."
"Decision To Enforce Strict Penalties On Anti-Government Messaging,"
an editorial in the second-largest, center-right nationalist Urdu
daily "Nawa-i-Waqt" (cir. 150,000) (07/14)
"Instead of scaring the people on anti-government messaging and
emails, the government should improve its working and give relief to
the people.... Even otherwise, computer technology cannot be
blocked."
"No Need To Be Afraid Of Emails And SMS," an editorial in the
leading mass circulation populist, often sensational Urdu daily
"Jang" (cir. 300,000) (07/15)
"... In these circumstances if the government diverts the energies
of one of its law enforcement agencies towards checking obnoxious
e-mails and SMS, it will not only open another front but would also
shaken people's confidence over the government. If the government
could respond to the public criticism over its policies on
electronic and print media then it should not face any difficulty in
responding to it on internet as well. If the government policy is
good, it is in line with public interest and also conforms to the
electoral pledges of the rulers then definitely this SMS messaging
would also highlight that aspect. The government is well advised to
pay attention to the actual reasons of terrorism and try to
eliminate it instead of such type of unjustified reservations."
"We're Watching!," an editorial in the populist, often sensational
national English daily "The News" (cir. 55,000) (07/14)
"Ours is an increasingly 'watched' society, and the means of
watching is changing and advancing all the time. Some have the
misfortune to be watched by drones, with disaggregation a
consequence.... There are undoubtedly illegal and
dangerous-to-the-state activities involving the mobile phone network
and the internet. They need to be stopped, fast, and the
perpetrators brought to book; but we do wonder precisely what level
of threat is perceived in a cheeky SMS or email - so remember;
they're watching."
"Make Text Messaging Investigation Transparent," an editorial in the
Lahore-based independent Urdu daily "Din" (cir. 10,000) (07/14)
"Those emails and messages should be punishable which come under the
purview of Anti-Pakistan propaganda.... FIA and the Interior
Minister should take action against obscene and anti-Pakistan
communication."
"Interior Ministry's Appreciable Step," an editorial in the
Lahore-based populist center-right Urdu daily "Khabrain" (cir.
50,000) (07/14)
"This is appreciable that the government has taken note of
anti-Pakistan propaganda.... This propaganda with global outreach
was activated against Pakistan after May, 1998 nuclear tests....
The government should take stricter measures in this respect."
"Mian Channu Blast: A Moment Of Reflection," an editorial in the
second-largest, center-right nationalist Urdu daily "Nawa-i-Waqt"
(cir. 150,000) (07/14)
"The real picture will emerge after completion of investigation, but
according to some eye-witnesses something coming from the sky fell
on Madarassa owner Riaz's house.... Jamaat-i-Islami Ameer Syed
Munnawar Hassan, addressing a public meeting in Karachi, alleged
that under the 'do more policy' America is trying to bring so-called
war on terror to Punjab province. Mian Channu blast gives credence
to the allegation.... If it really was a missile then it could be
the doing of a drone."
"Mian Channu Blast," an editorial in the Lahore-based liberal
English daily "The Post" (cir. 5,000) (07/14)
"The neglect of the law and order agencies towards these banned
organizations, throws up a big challenge to the government and it
has so far unsuccessfully tried to extinguish the fire of sectarian
hatred. Operating under the religious garb, those behind these
organizations are self-seeking persons who want to achieve their
objectives. The government must take step to stop their activities
of having stored explosive material for achieving their activities
and launch a crackdown against these organizations."
"The Pakhtun Conundrum," an editorial in the Karachi-based
center-left independent national English daily "Dawn" (cir. 55,000)
(07/14)
"The Pakhtun conundrum that need to be addressed in order to bring
peace to this area. The first is to recognize that there are many
genuine grievances felt by this community concerning the way power
has been apportioned by the Karzai regime among different segments
of the Afghan society. Second, Pakistan has to show resolve that it
will not allow those now generally referred to as stateless actors
to pursue their own agendas against the country's neighbors. Third,
it also needs to make sure that the law of the land is respected by
all segments of society. Finally, there must be a clear
understanding with India on what are its legitimate interests in
Afghanistan. Pakistan has to recognize that India is a regional
power with regional interests. At the same time India has to pay
heed to Pakistan's security interests."
"Turning Of Tables On American Forces In Afghanistan?," an editorial
in the Karachi-based, pro-Taliban Jihadi Urdu daily "Islam" (cir.
15,000) (07/15)
"After the signing of an agreement between the U.S. and Russia for
the provision of supply route to NATO forces in Afghanistan through
Russian territory, Taliban and Hizb-e-Islami and other Afghan
resistance forces have started strengthening their networks in
Baghlan, Qandooz, and Parwan besides Helmand. Not only that they
are also preparing to drag the war with the U.S. from South Eastern
and Eastern Afghanistan to North because the suggested supply route
from Russia passes from Tajikistan to Hizbe Islami's Gulbadeen
Hikmatyar's ancestral province of Qandooz. The Afghan Mujahideen
are not only very well aware of this supply route but they have a
25-year experience of destroying and stopping arms and supplies
coming through this route."
"Claiming 'Victory' Too Early," an op-ed by Rahimullah Yusufzai in
the populist, often sensational national English daily "The News"
(cir. 55,000) (07/14)
"In fact, greater media access to the conflict zones would provide a
credible portrayal of the situation and help remove the cloud of
doubts regarding the military operations and the claims about the
army's battleground achievements. Instead of declaring premature
victory, the ANP leadership should admit that the war is not over
yet and that it is going to be long and bitter. There is no harm in
conceding that the situation is still precarious, that the Taliban
leadership in Swat and the rest of Malakand region has largely
survived the military action.... Those pronouncing the start of the
repatriation process of the IDPs as a signal of victory would be
well-advised to keep their celebrations on hold, as it isn't over
yet."
"Af-Pak Strategy And Pakistan," an op-ed by Gen. (R) Mirza Aslam Beg
in the center-right national English daily "The Nation" (cir.
20,000) (07/14)
"After the declaration of the Af-Pak strategy, very different trends
have emerged and Pakistan now finds itself facing serious challenges
to its security.... The Pakistani government, despite being a
'Compliant State' is under pressure to concede more and allow the
Americans to establish a 'spy-network within the premises of
Islamabad diplomatic enclave.'... The facilities and the personnel
belonging to CIA, FBI, the Marines as well as the Blackwater
Security Consultants (BSC) will be housed there.... Their target is
not only Pakistan, but all the neighbors, particularly Iran and
China.... And the new partnership, now developing between U.S. and
Russia, will cause greater instability in South Asia in particular."
"New Road To Kabul," an op-ed by Dr. Rashid Ahmad Khan in the
center-right national English daily "The Nation" (cir. 20,000)
(07/14)
"In the view of many an observer, the decision to send troops and
military supplies through the route passing through the Russian
territory is fraught with dangerous implications for the long-term
strategic interests of the U.S. not only in Afghanistan but also in
Central Asia. It may lead to an increased U.S. dependence on Russia
for fighting the war in Afghanistan, and ultimately, may enable the
Russians to stage a comeback in the region from where they were
forcibly ousted two decades ago."
(All circulation figures are based on estimation)
Patterson
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
VZCZCXRO0678
PP RUEHBI RUEHCI RUEHNEH
DE RUEHNE #2111/01 2881151
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 151151Z OCT 09
FM AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 8268
INFO RUCPDOC/USDOC WASHDC
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC
RHHJJPI/PACOM IDHS HONOLULU HI
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC
RUEHLM/AMEMBASSY COLOMBO 2044
RUEHCG/AMCONSUL CHENNAI 5175
RUEHCI/AMCONSUL KOLKATA 4406
RUEHNEH/AMCONSUL HYDERABAD 1024
RUEHKA/AMEMBASSY DHAKA 2442
RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD 6365
RUEHKT/AMEMBASSY KATHMANDU 2887
RUEHKP/AMCONSUL KARACHI 9747
RUEHBI/AMCONSUL MUMBAI 4217
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 6875
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 8537
RHOVVKG/COMSEVENTHFLT
RHMCSUU/HQ USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 NEW DELHI 002111
SIPDIS
STATE FOR NP, AC, PM
STATE FOR INR/MR
STATE FOR SCA/INS, PM/CBM, PM/PRO
STATE FOR SCA/PPD, PA/RRU
STATE FOR AID/APRE-A
USDOC FOR 4530/IEP/ANESA/OSA FOR BILL MURPHY
E.O. 12958:N/A
TAGS: KMDR KPAO PGOV PREL IN
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION: PRESIDENT OBAMA'S NOBEL PRIZE,
SINO-INDIA RELATIONS; NEW DELHI.
This countrywide cable reports on relevant media
reaction/opinion from India's large non-English press.
The Mission reports on English-language media via email
through the daily "Early Edition" summary.
-----------------------------
PRESIDENT OBAMA'S NOBEL PRIZE
-----------------------------
¶1. "RESPONSIBILITY OF THE AWARD RECIPIENT," editorial
in October 14 independent Bengali daily, ANANDABAZAR
PATRIKA: "President Obama should have declined the
Nobel Prize, because the U.S. is still engaged in
Afghanistan and is accused of not withdrawing troops
from Iraq. However, now that the award is already
given, the world can only expect that the President's
words will translate into action... President Obama is a
much-awaited, much sought after harbinger of change.
Let this untimely award signal the change."
¶2. "NOBEL OBAMA," editorial in October 14 Leftist
Bengali daily, AAJKAAL: "Couldn't the Nobel committee
wait at least for a year before awarding him? Let us
hope President Obama will make himself worthy of it by
his deeds and actions."
¶3. "AUDACITY OF HOPE," editorial in October 13 Assamese
centrist daily, DAINIK ASAM: "So far Obama has followed
the path of understanding rather than conflict. His
address to the Muslim world helped generate positive
environment in the region. By strongly denouncing the
politics of race, religion and color, Obama has ushered
in new hope of a world order based on understanding and
tolerance. He deserves the recognition."
¶4. "OBAMA'S RESPONSIBILITIES HAVE INCREASED NOW," op-ed
in October 15, right-of-center Urdu daily HAMARA SAMAJ:
"It would have been better to wait a few years before
Obama the award, but that does not mean he didn't
deserve the Nobel. Obama is the first ever winner of
the Nobel peace prize who has yet no charges of
breaching peace or spreading violence. We must hope
that he would be able to meet the challenges and
fulfill the responsibilities that have increased
manifold for him."
--------------------
SINO-INDIA RELATIONS
--------------------
¶5. "SILENCE OVER CHINA: WHAT DOES IT MEAN?" editorial
in October 15 right-of-center Urdu daily HAMARA SAMAJ:
"China's objection to PM Manmohan Singh's visiting
Arunachal Pradesh shows Beijing's nefarious designs on
our motherland. For the first time our Foreign Ministry
has given a harsh reaction against China without
mincing words. Our leaders should keep in mind which of
our neighbors is looking for opportunities to take
advantage of our softness."
¶6. "ARUNACHAL PRADESH CONTROVERSY" editorial in October
NEW DELHI 00002111 002 OF 002
15 right-of-center Gujarati daily, GUJARAT SAMACHAR:
"The Indian foreign policy establishment seems to be
becoming ineffective. So far we were grappling with
Pakistan. Now China is added to our list of worries.
Having to reinforce that Arunachal Pradesh is an
integral part of India is in itself an embarrassment;
it shows the frailty of our foreign policy approach....
How long will we continue to be silent spectators? The
government has to shed its escapist attitude and get
working."
¶7. "THE CHEEKY DRAGON," editorial in October 15
centrist Marathi daily SAKAAL: "Chinese objection to
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's visit to Arunachal
Pradesh is another ridiculous refusal by an immature
neighbor to recognize the borders that separate India's
border states from China. Such objections do no good to
the ongoing bilateral talks between India and China. On
the contrary, India is baffled by China's decision to
escalate the border dispute. In fact Beijing seems
serious and the row could lead to a significant
deterioration in diplomatic relations..."
ROEMER
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~