US State Department obsessed curiosity with Argentina’s “First couple”
Amongst the 250,000 documents released by the WikiLeaks organization is a cable that shows the intention of the White House of “preparing a written product examining the interpersonal dynamics between the Argentine governing tandem” (“ruling couple” or First couple”) Cristina and Nestor Kirchner, according to the published material.
The document states that Washington “analysts” were looking to profile Cristina Fernández de Kirchner by gathering more information about her and her policies. The profile request was from State Department Secretary Hillary Clinton who a few months later visited Buenos Aires where she met the target of her singular curiosity.
The particular document is divided into three sets of questions: mental state and health, and political views. The first section includes questions about stress levels and possible medication intake, such as: “Under what circumstances is she best able to handle stresses?” How does such a stress situation influence her advisors and/or the decision making process? What measures does CFK or her advisors adopt to help her cope with stress? Is she medicated? When does she best control stress? How do they affect her emotions during a decision making process and how does she contain tension when anguished? How is Nestor Kirchner gastro-intestinal problem? Does it continue? Is he medicated? Knowing his character, is there evidence he oscillates between emotional extremes? Which are the most common targets of Nestor Kirchner’s bouts of fury?
In the second set of questions curiosity is centred in whether CFK prefers tactic or strategic visions and if her approach is black or white, or a more blended one? Does she share the confrontational political vision of her husband? or does she try to moderate Mr. Kirchner’ approach.
Finally the questions refer to Cristina Fernández and her now late husband Néstor Kirchner, and how tasks were divided between them. One question asks “Which issues does she leave to Néstor Kirchner?”
The document (31 December 2010) described as ‘secret’ says that the State Department Operations and Intelligence Office was looking to “develop a more well-rounded view of Cristina Fernández de Kirchner's personality” since “we already have a more solid knowledge about the style and personality of Nestor Kirchner.
Although both the deceased former president Kirchner was known to suffer from high blood pressure (that finished killing him) and other problems, and Mrs Kirchner has long been diagnosed as a bi-polar case (which needs lithium treatment), it is also a fact and should not come as a surprise that the “First couple” (two presidents) and the frustrated “Clinton couple” (one president and a hopeful) in spite of the distance and different scenarios felt a natural attraction.
No wonder then such specific questions on a particular leader and the Argentine governing “tandem” should come from a former US presidential candidate. Such curiosity is quite a curiosity in itself.
Regarding other issues, Bolivia for example, former Under Secretary for the Western Hemisphere Thomas Shannon (currently ambassador in Brazil) had a close relation with the Kirchners to the extent that (on September 2008) a message states that “CFK is ready to cooperate with the US in Bolivia, but it must not look as a “political operation” against the government given “Evo Morales deep suspicions”. Shannon also reveals that the US had assured CFK of Bolivia’s territorial integrity and was unsuccessfully trying to convince President Morales that Washington “wasn’t against him”.
As to the coup in Honduras and ousting of President Jose Manuel Zelaya, the US embassy in Buenos Aires cabled the State Department that President CFK acted against the advice of her Foreign Secretary, who was contrary to her travelling to the area unless there was “something (diplomatically) pre-cooked”. This episode is evidence of the “ineptitude of the Kirchners in foreign policy”.
The document suggests CFK decided to fly anyway in an attempt to have her husband’s defeat in the mid term elections relegated by other more impacting headlines.
Precisely following those mid term elections and the defeat of Mr. Kirchner, the US embassy calls for the State Department to act with caution and forecasts Argentina “will not become more Bolivarian (Venezuelan influence)”. Among the reasons, according to Brazilian sources “Argentina has become as strategic to Brazil as Mexico to the US”. Additionally CFK is clearly looking for an opportunity to associate with President Obama. “The intensity of that wish opens opportunities for us”.
The US embassy also downplayed reports in Washington about the “precarious psyche” of the First Couple as highly “speculative and anecdotal”. The couple has not changed much in the last few years, ‘they have always been acid, extremely thin-skinned and intolerant of perceived criticism, impermeable to advice and paranoiac about power. It has been so during these last six years in office and they continue in Casa Rosada”.
In another incident regarding relations with the US, CFK took advantage of a visiting delegation of US lawmakers, mainly Democrats, to express disappointment with the Obama administration. During the two hours meeting CFK recalled that in spite of political differences, her husband former President Nestor Kirchner was received at the White House by George Bush a month after his election, while she had been unable to hold a meeting with Obama. “Other Latinamerican leaders have been to the White House but Argentina in spite of her strong stand against Iran and in combating terrorism has yet to be invited”.
CFK mentioned the case of Brazil’s Lula da Silva who in spite of his close approach with Teheran and having voted against at the Atomic Energy Agency had already visited the White House. “It’s difficult to understand why this is so”. CFK also complains about the attitude of the new Western Hemisphere Under Secretary Arturo Valenzuela.
Taking advantage of Uruguayan president Jose Mujica taking office ceremony in Montevideo on March first 2010 the “First Couple” and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton hold a first brief meeting. Encouraged, Mrs Clinton includes a brief stop in Buenos Aires in her regional tour, before flying to quake stricken Chile. At Casa Rosada CFK again brings up the Obama meeting issue and requests support for Argentina’s Falklands/Malvinas’ claim.
The meeting was described by the US embassy as “warm and wide ranging” and Hillary Clinton congratulated Argentina for the struggle in support of human rights.
Finally on March 12 CFK is in Washington for the Nuclear Security Summit, where she is received by President Obama. The US leader publicly praises Argentina for her position against Iran and standing support in combating terrorism, plus recalling that the country is an active member of the G.20 group.
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American concessions after this embarrasment?
(”support for Argentina’s Falklands/Malvinas’ )
The Yanks need us far more than they need you :-)
OHHHHHHHHHHHHH……..You mean she is Bipolar ???
Like Winston Churchill ???
Like Theodore Roosevelt ???
GOOOOOOOOODDDDDD………
;-)
Ohhhhh……..She’s Bipolar ???
Like Jean-Claude Van Damme ???
Like Sinéad O’Connor ???
Cristina can do both then; kick your ass and sing you out of the house :-)
“bi-polar case (which needs lithium treatment) “ I read the whole document in English and I didn’t found that??? May be Mercopress is confused with Lilita Carrió.
“who was contrary to her travelling to the area unless there was “something (diplomatically) pre-cooked”. This episode is evidence of the “ineptitude of the Kirchners in foreign policy”.”
Coming from US, should her takes it as a compliment? At least she hasn’t any wikileaks like Hilary had. haha
“Secretary Arturo Valenzuela”
This guy needs a special chapter the Chilean born Yank wannabe has inferiority complex and wanted to lectured Us about law in Argentina.
And he got a kick in his back lower part and was sent back to Miami where he belongs with a recrimination about what it is the line that should never cross.
Then he wrote: “The United States celebrates the leadership of Argentina in a number of areas, including fighting terrorism, drug trafficking, and nuclear nonproliferation. During my first official visit to South America..”
Like Leon Panetta The CIA gordo boy director who has to publicly apologizes for his verborragic excess.
The CIA's Panetta begs Argentina's forgiveness
www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=405x12286
The Us is a joke
I would think we would have more postings saying CFK was somewhat sane rather than all the Argies agreeing she is nuts.
BTW Nico: Maybe instead of reading wiki you should read about the leakage in Argentina blogs.ft.com/beyond-brics/2010/11/30/after-kirchner-scandal-rocks-argentina/
Yet another scandal brewing, oh when will they end in this forsaken place? Why doesn't CFK take her stolen millions and live move to Caracas? Maybe they don't have the right psycho-meds in Venezuela.
“Snapped the duke: 'No surprise there. The Americans don't understand geography. Never have”
We already know that, 37% of Americans can not find their own country on a map!
www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2010/nov/29/wikileaks-cables-rude-prince-andrew
www.youtube.com/watch?v=dTG4toZtg4c
www.youtube.com/watch?v=lj3iNxZ8Dww
Marcos, What is your point? 64% of Argentinians have not graduated from high school! And...
Programme for International Student Assessment, which surveyed 400,000 15-year-old students in 57 countries, placed Argentina nearly at the bottom of the scale in terms of performance in all of the areas studied: math (52nd place), science (51st) and reading (53rd).
I guess that is why they mow lawns and clean our houses.
I could only tell by the broken English and the poor phrasing it was you on FB Elias. I think you are too morochito to be calling yourself a porteno. When did you move to the big city patoruzito?
Try to deserve to post here.
Cristina Kirchner doesn't get it or doesn't want to get it.
Lula was invited first because he is considered by Washington DC, the leader of Latin America. Second, Brazil is a net creditor (US owes them lots of money). Argentina isn't and owes the US lots of money. Nations who don't want to pay or cannot pay yet, aren't invited easily or in front of the cameras.
“KKK-Nigro”-new version?
Better to apologize than insist in mistake.
Bye.
Don't get too worked up. He's just a dirty ass wetback mexican living ilegally in the US.
Yeap! what can we do?
Anyway Glenn Beck talking about the mess in US enjoy it
watchglennbeck.com/
A zamba pa' ti Alfredo, you don't deserve it ni ahí man, sung by La Negra querida, la única, Mercedes Sosa:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=3nCWma5mZF0
¡Malvinas Argentinas!
Tucumano believe what you want, if you would like to visit me send me an email through FB and I will respond. Can you get a visa to the USA? Oh probably not, sorry.
Newton is a lovely quite place in Argentina, good people, great people, horses, cows, some sheeps, domestical fowls, blue skies, aire con olor a campo! It's a small country inside another country, yes, a beautiful little country, that is ;)
Here is a link with some images of the old Estación Newton.
museoferroviario.flavam.com/galestnewton.html
I am glad you like the town you were born it but seriously if you think that is nice you need to get out more. It looks like it should be condemned and torn down. I am only guessing but I bet you don't have paved roads, possibly the main one in the town and then all the rest are dirt? Am I right? I don;t understand why you get about 50 miles outside of BA and it still looks like the early 1900s it is very strange.
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