US embassy cable - 03TEGUCIGALPA825

UNCLAS TEGUCIGALPA 000825 
 
SIPDIS 
 
FOR WHA/PDA  (BUCKLEY), WHA/CEN, PD TASK FORCE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OIIP, PREL, KPAO, PGOV, IZ, HO 
SUBJECT:  MEDIA REACTION ON IRAQ, APRIL 2, 2003 
 
 
1. Regular columnist Wilmer Perez Regalado in liberal 
party San Pedro Sula-based daily "La Prensa," 4/2 - 
"Madness - War machine of war:" "In the war of George Bush 
against Saddam Hussein, for both "axes of evil".. apparently 
the God they implore and at times manipulate to do what they 
want is a sanguinary, genocidal and blind God that has no 
love for humanity. It is a God called Yahv or Al  brought 
down to the size of their hallucinating minds". 
 
"Bush led a unruly adolescent life, the product of his 
father's money, which was dedicated to the exploitation of 
U.S. oil. He gave up amphetamines and alcohol when he was 
forty years old; then he turned political and was elected 
governor of Texas and then President.  After giving up 
addiction, he became religious, which now permits him to 
"talk" to his God and consult him about personal decisions 
and, more gravely, political plans." 
 
On the other hand Saddam, a fanatic Muslim accustomed of 
war, is an orphan who grew up with an uncle with pro-nazi 
ideas who taught him a purified nationalism. His ascent to 
power was fed by the western powers providing him raw 
material to build chemical and biological weapons in the 
fight against the Khomeni of Iran, enemy of the U.S., then 
against Kurds and Shiites. He considers himself as a Jihad 
or "holy war" spiritual leader against the infidels.  Saddam 
and Bush are two peas in a pod, or two tears in an 
unredeemed world. 
 
 
2. President of the Honduran Council of Private Enterprise 
Jacobo Regalado was interviewed for "La Prensa" daily 
economic section, 4/2 - "War in Iraq still has not impacted 
national commerce-- we can confirm that there hasn't been 
any negative impact that could affect our business in the 
international market.  That is because in the first days of 
the war saw a positive impact in the reduction of oil prices 
to $26.99.  However, some analysts have raised the 
possibility that if the conflict takes a long time, oil 
prices could increase." 
 
3. Regular columnist Mario Alvarado in "El Heraldo" moderate 
Tegucigalpa-based daily, 4/2 - "The other Globalization": 
the garb of the current globalization project depends on the 
system developed by the western social-political forces: 
Democracy. After the collapse of East European socialism, 
societies in a large part of the world have tried to find a 
solution to their economic social, and political problems 
within this system. But it also has served international 
capitalists interests that have shaped the system to its 
service.  In the name of globalization, today proponents of 
globalism attack economically, socially and politically 
small nations or "peripheral nations" to take their 
industries and natural resources using the excuse of "free 
market." 
 
"In this context the rapine war against Iraq is a 
manifestation of the most virulent aspect of globalization. 
But it is also an aspect that has served more to unite 
millions of women and men around the world against this war 
of conquest.  Humanity has already said no to globalization; 
today it has said no to the War.  Certainly, the new Hitler 
could occupy Iraq and steal its oil, but he can't stop 
history." 
 
Palmer