US embassy cable - 03OTTAWA2173

UNCLAS OTTAWA 002173 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR WHA/CAN, WHA/PDA 
WHITE HOUSE PASS NSC/WEUROPE, NSC/WHA 
 
E.O. 12958:  N/A 
TAGS: KPAO, KMDR, OIIP, OPRC, CA, TFUS01, TFUS02, TFUS03 
SUBJECT:  MEDIA REACTION: AFRICA; ECONIMIC ISSUES/WTO; 
MIDDLE EAST 
 
AFRICA 
1.   "The Plague" 
Editorialist Mario Roy wrote in the centrist La Presse 
(7/29): "Five years ago the main obstacle to fighting 
AIDS was the cost: $10,000 per year per patient. Today 
AIDS victims can be treated for less than a dollar a 
day. Important financial contributions are presently 
being made: the main donors are the United States, 
Great Britain, the World Bank and the Gates Foundation. 
More have been announced: the White House pledged $15 
billion over the next five years - although Congress 
has pared down that figure - and the E.U. has pledged 
$5 billion. Other problems remain: patents...logistics 
and culture. The latter two being the most difficult to 
solve.... Speaking before the African Union early this 
month, Kofi Annan said Africa has to take its own 
responsibilities and that at all levels, the fight 
against AIDS should be the top priority. This implies 
defusing conflicts, democratizing and fighting 
corruption. That is a much taller order than smashing 
shop windows, but it is the only thing that can really 
work." 
 
ECONIMIC ISSUES/WTO 
2.   "Leaving the jungle behind" 
Editorialist Jean-Marc Salvet wrote in the centrist Le 
Soleil (7/29): "The UN Report points out that the 
subsidies given to the American cotton farmers are 
three times bigger than American Aid to sub-Saharan 
Africa. And that each European dairy cow gets more 
support than Europe gives to each human being in that 
same African region.... Unless one prefers the law of 
the jungle, it goes without saying that an agreement on 
agriculture and drugs will be better than no agreement 
at all. Not to discuss these topics would favor the 
status quo. The Montreal mini-summit is not a calamity 
but an opportunity. We need to strive for more 
regulations of international trade; we need fair 
regulations. Otherwise the law of the jungle will keep 
on prevailing." 
 
MIDDLE EAST 
3.   "Ariel Sharon and the wall" 
Editorialist Serge Truffaut wrote in the liberal Le 
Devoir (7/29): "In Washington, Mahmoud Abbas' message 
was clearly heard. To wit, President Bush has been 
hammering the point that a wall winding its way through 
the West Bank would considerably slow down the trust 
being developed between the parties.... These past two 
days the Sharon government has had to make concessions 
to...maintain the credibility or the sympathy it had in 
the days of Yasser Arafat. Several experts have noted 
that the Palestinian cause is perceived differently 
since Abbas has taken over.... Abbas has even been able 
to manoeuvre with enough craftsmanship to contain his 
troops without having his leadership strongly 
challenged. It is now up to Sharon to show some 
goodwill. He eventually will have to pledge to stop the 
construction of the wall. It remains to be seen if he 
will be able to convince the extremists in his 
coalition. If that is not the case, there will be new 
elections within twelve months." 
 
CELLUCCI