US embassy cable - 05SANTIAGO1595

UNCLAS SANTIAGO 001595 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR IIP/G/WHA, INR/R/MR, WHA/BSC, WHA/PDA 
STATE FOR INR/IAA, L/WHA, DRL, S/P 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OPRC, KMDR, KPAO, PHUM, CI, TERRORISM 
SUBJECT:  MEDIA REPORT - GLOBAL WAR ON TERRORISM 
 
 
1.   On July 26, conservative afternoon "La Segunda" 
(circ. 31,834) carried an editorial entitled, 
"Consistency in the Fight Against Terrorism."  Quote: 
 
"It's important to maintain a fair balance between an 
active counter-terrorism policy and respect for ethical 
principles.  At the same time, this effort calls for a 
basic sense of solidarity from all governments.  We must 
repudiate terrorism under any regime and regardless of 
the ideology or excuse invoked to justify it.  But Chile, 
for example, has not always found this solidarity in 
other nations that claim to be its friends.  More than 
once other nations have refused to extradite individuals 
who have committed crimes, even in a democracy, as if 
there were no rule of law in this country.  Just 
yesterday, Switzerland granted political asylum to a 
Chilean charged and sentenced for terrorist acts. This 
lack of consistency in the fight against the greatest 
evils of modern times is no doubt a grave offense for our 
country and its government." 
 
2.   On July 27, conservative, independent "La Tercera" 
(circ. 102,000) carried a column by staff writer with the 
acronym IHL entitled, "Does Containment Work?"  Quote: 
 
"After 9-11, George W. Bush presented the world with the 
`axis of evil'...formed by sui generis countries such as 
Iraq, North Korea, and Iran.  But although Saddam was 
defeated, the two remaining nations still have nuclear 
programs....  The easiest solution is to remove these 
`hateful regimes," but influential U.S. analyst Richard 
Haass...proposes applying the lessons of the Cold War: 
Initially, Washington confronted the U.S.S.R. militarily, 
but soon realized diplomacy and other means were key to 
influencing the Soviet regime and introduced a 
`containment' policy.  It's true that accomplishing the 
objective took four decades, but as Haass recalls, the 
results are visible: the fall of the U.S.S.R., a victory 
for the United States and, most importantly, a peaceful 
victory. 
 
KELLY