US embassy cable - 03TEGUCIGALPA1542

UNCLAS TEGUCIGALPA 001542 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR WHA/PDA, IIP/G/WHA, AND WHA/CEN 
EMBASSIES FOR PAS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OIIP, KPAO, PREL, MOPS, HO 
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTIONS ON DAN FISK'S OP-ED, JUNE 30, 2003 
 
1. Op-ed by Rodolfo Pastor Fasquelle (former Minister of Culture 
in a Liberal Party administration) in San Pedro Sula-based 
liberal daily "Tiempo" (owned by former and future Liberal Party 
presidential candidate Jaime Rosenthal) on 6/30 entitled 
"Honduras and the U.S.: Stick and Carrot II".  "I believe the 
U.S. has the right to ask us to help them improve their security, 
if they actually help us solve our most urgent problems." 
 
"Mr. Fisk inappropriately uses the words `us' and `we' as if he 
was part of the collectivity he is referring to.  I find this 
condescending." 
 
"U.S. policy doesn't have to be the best according to our 
interests, it is just what it is.  We need to go further, rebuild 
the Central American state, which will increase our chances to 
effectively face criminal governments dominated by a militarist 
and corrupt elite.  Only when we have a united Central American 
state we can sit down with Mr. Under-secretary to tell him that 
economic integration can go on." 
 
"I agree with Mr. Fisk that it is key to dispose of any surplus 
personnel within our armies and all secret arsenals, even though 
it is paradoxical that this comes from the government that 
formed, trained and armed our armed forces. the most evident 
threat for Central America is not any terrorist organization, it 
is our hunger and structural hopelessness." 
 
" I'm delighted that the U.S. wants to support the political 
reforms we urgently need and I don't disagree with their 
prescription: demilitarization, training, coordination and 
reequipping police personnel to face the new challenges, among 
them fighting against corruption." 
 
2. Op-ed by Edgardo Dumas Rodriguez (former Minister of Security 
in a Liberal Party administration) in Tegucigalpa-based liberal 
daily "La Tribuna" on 6/30 entitled "The military's raison 
d'etre". " Definitely, Mr. Fisk describes an innovative vision of 
what our American friends think of how the Central American 
militaries should be constituted." 
 
"Undoubtedly, we have made efforts whose results are obvious. 
It's up to us to decide if we are pleased and satisfied with 
them, or, if on the other hand. it's urgent to take the 
appropriate steps to overcome this crisis, to ensure auspicious 
and peaceful expectations by having security forces such as those 
proposed by Mr. Fisk." 
 
"Finally, it's worthwhile reminding ourselves that the U.S. has 
always helped us to shape our armed forces.  Will they be willing 
to help us prepare the armed forces we need now?" 
 
 
Palmer