US embassy cable - 03TEGUCIGALPA859

UNCLAS TEGUCIGALPA 000859 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR WHA/PDA (MBUCKLEY); WHA/CEN, PD TASK FORCE 
 
E.O. 12958:  N/A 
TAGS: OIIP, PREL, KPAO, PGOV, IZ, HO 
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION ON IRAQ, APRIL 5-8, 2003 
 
 
1. Four dailies, TV and radio continue carrying numerous 
photos and reports of the war, taken from international 
reports.  On Saturday April 5th, four dailies dedicated 
special sections to the war. 
 
2. Sample coverage front-page of liberal "Tiempo" has a 
special extra 8 pages called "Tiempo Magazine" with a 
headline - "16 days of war" - with a chronology of the war in 
a two-column capsule. The photos show citizens of Diwaniya, 
Iraq watching a U.S. convoy, also a Red Cross car arriving in 
Basra to supply one of the local hospitals. The section 
includes a half page photo of a British soldier chatting with 
an Iraqi child. 
 
3. Liberal daily "La Prensa" had front page headline "airport 
controlled" with five inside pages of reports and photos of 
the war, on page four appeared Secretary of State Colin 
Powell's remarks after he met with President Bush last 
Friday, entitled  "Powell: exiles will have a very important 
role post-war Iraq."  Page five: Iraq used "mustard gas" 
against Iran troops during the 1980-1988 conflict 1980. 
 
4. Moderate daily "El Heraldo" had ten pages of coverage 
including front-page photo showing soldiers taking Baghdad 
airport - "Close to take down of Iraqi power-- Baghdad 
isolated" 
 
5. Liberal daily "La Tribuna" also had front page coverage 
with a headliner "the final assault" with seven inside pages 
of coverage-some of the pages show coalition soldiers when 
arriving at Baghdad airport with a headline "Iraqi chain of 
command is debilitated", "U.S. ready to take Baghdad", 
"Possible chemical weapons found in Baghdad", "Victory in 
Iraq does not depend on Saddam Hussein's destiny" 
 
6. On Sunday and Monday media had a couple of pages on the 
war because leading news was the death of 66 people in a jail 
riot in northern Honduras. 
 
7. Even though, there were just a few reports on Iraq, four 
dailies carried op-eds during the weekend and Monday.  "La 
Tribuna" carried piece called -"Balance"; "El Heraldo" - "The 
reengineering of United Nations"; Is United Nations 
agonizing?" "La Prensa" - "The cost of  war"; "Tiempo" - "The 
progress of war", reports of these op-ed pieces will follow. 
 
Palmer