US embassy cable - 05PARIS427

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 PARIS 000427 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
DEPT FOR INR/R/MR; IIP/RW; IIP/RNY (FRANK); BBG/VOA; IIP/WEU; 
AF/PA; EUR/WE (DEBORAH MENNUTI)/P/SP; D/C (MCCOO); EUR/PA 
(BERBENA); INR/P; INR/EUC; PM; OSC ISA FOR ILN; NEA; WHITE 
HOUSE FOR NSC/WEUROPE; DOC FOR ITA/EUR/FR AND PASS USTR/PA 
(ANN LUZZATO); USINCEUR FOR PAO; NATO/PA; MOSCOW/PA; ROME/PA; 
BRUSSELS/PA; USVIENNA FOR USDEL OSCE. 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OPRC, KMDR, FR 
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION REPORT - PRESIDENT BUSH INAUGURATION 
MIDDLE EAST PEACE PROCESS 
PARIS - MONDAY, JANUARY 24, 2005 
 
 
(A) SUBJECTS COVERED IN TODAY'S REPORT: 
 
1. PRESIDENT BUSH INAUGURATION 
2. MIDDLE EAST PEACE PROCESS 
 
B) SUMMARY OF COVERAGE: 
 
HOPE FOR PEACE IN THE MIDDLE EAST, THE INTERNATIONAL 
CONFERENCE ON BIODIVERSITY HOSTED BY PRESIDENT CHIRAC AT 
UNESCO AND A NUMBER OF DOMESTIC STORIES MAKE UP TODAY'S FRONT- 
PAGE STORIES. 
RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE FIGARO HEADLINES "A GLIMMER OF HOPE IN THE 
MIDDLE EAST" AND EDITORIALIST MICHEL SCHIFRES WRITES: "SUNDAY 
JANUARY 23 MAY BE REMEMBERED AS A CORNERSTONE." (SEE PART C) 
 
LEFT-OF-CENTER LIBERATION DEVOTES ITS LEAD TO BIODIVERSITY AND 
PRESIDENT CHIRAC'S ATTEMPTS TO "HALT THE DECLINE OF 
BIODIVERSITY" AS SET BY THE 1992 CONFERENCE IN RIO. BUT 
EDITORIALIST JEAN-MICHEL THENARD IS CRITICAL: "IF THERE IS ONE 
SPECIES WHICH IS NOT THREATENED WITH EXTINCTION, IT IS THE 
SPECIES `INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE.' IT IS AS IF THESE SERVED 
TO ILLUSTRATE THE WORLD'S GOOD CONSCIENCE. AND TO PROVE TO 
WORLD OPINION THAT IT IS ENOUGH TO SAY THINGS FOR THEM TO 
HAPPEN. IN THIS AREA PRESIDENT CHIRAC IS AN EXPERT." 
 
SEVERAL EDITORIALS ARE DEVOTED TO PRESIDENT BUSH'S APPROACH AS 
DEFINED IN HIS INAUGURAL ADDRESS. IN LEFT-OF-CENTER LE MONDE 
THE EDITORIAL WARNS THAT "IN PRESIDENT BUSH'S EYES, THE 
CRITERIA OF TYRANNY MAY BE DEFINED BY THE LEVEL OF HOSTILITY 
TOWARDS THE U.S." IN CATHOLIC LA CROIX JEAN CHRISTOPHE PLOQUIN 
ASKS: "HOW TO WORK WITH GEORGE W. BUSH, WHEN IT IS BELIEVED 
THAT HIS PRIORITY IS TO DEFEND AMERICA'S GEO-STRATEGIC 
INTERESTS AND TO DO IT ALONE IF NEED BE?" LES ECHOS'S CARRIES 
AND EDITORIAL BOARD OP-ED TITLED "AMERICA, IT IS STILL FAR." 
THE UNSIGNED OP-ED CONTENDS THAT "THE NOTION OF LIBERTY IS 
DIFFERENT ON EACH SIDE OF THE ATLANTIC." (SEE PART C) 
 
POPULAR RIGHT-OF-CENTER FRANCE SOIR DEVOTES IS FRONT PAGE TO 
ONE ASPECT OF THE CIA'S REPORT "MAPPING THE GLOBAL FUTURE," 
AND HEADLINES: "THE CIA REPORT WHICH CONDEMNS TURKEY." INSIDE, 
THOMAS DE ROCHECHOUART WRITES: " IN THIS REPORT'S VIEW, 
TURKEY'S EU MEMBERSHIP WILL BE EUROPE'S DOWNFALL. IF, AS THE 
CIA REPORT CONTENDS, TURKEY'S EU MEMBERSHIP MARKS THE DECLINE 
OF EUROPE, WHY DOES WASHINGTON SUPPORT ISTANBUL? IS THIS 
WASHINGTON'S WAY OF DIVIDING AND WEAKENING EUROPE? THE FACT IS 
THAT EUROPE'S CONSTRUCTION IS A MATTER OF CONCERN FOR THE U.S. 
. WASHINGTON IS CONVINCED THAT THE TWO FRIENDS AND ALLIES, THE 
U.S. AND EUROPE, ARE DESTINED TO BECOME RIVALS. TURKEY'S EU 
MEMBERSHIP WOULD HELP IT ACQUIRE LIBERTY AND DEMOCRACY. IT 
WOULD ALSO, MAYBE, HELP TO WEAKEN THE UNITED STATES OF 
EUROPE." 
 
(C) SUPPORTING TEXT/BLOCK QUOTES: 
 
PRESIDENT BUSH INAUGURATION 
 
"BUSH, UNAVOIDABLE" 
JEAN-CHRISTOPHE PLOQUIN IN CATHOLIC LA CROIX (01/24): "HOW TO 
WORK WITH GEORGE W. BUSH? TWICE THIS PAST WEEK HE REITERATED 
THAT HIS GOAL IN FOREIGN POLICY IS TO MAKE THE WORLD SAFER FOR 
THE U.S. . PRESIDENT BUSH HAS DRAWN A PORTRAIT OF HIS COUNTRY 
AS HERALDING DEMOCRACY AND FREEDOM ACROSS THE WORLD. THIS 
VISION OF THE WORLD IS NOT SOMETHING HE HOPES FOR, BUT RATHER 
IT IS HIS BELIEF. THIS IS WHERE THE PROBLEMS BEGIN. HOW TO 
WORK WITH GEORGE W. BUSH, WHEN IT IS BELIEVED THAT HIS 
PRIORITY IS TO DEFEND AMERICA'S GEO-STRATEGIC INTERESTS AND TO 
DO IT ALONE IF NEED BE? . FRANCE HAS REITERATED IT INTENDS TO 
BE PRAGMATIC, WHILE CALLING FOR `MUTUAL RESPECT.' AS REGARDS 
THE FIGHT AGAINST TERRORISM, IN AFGHANISTAN AND AFRICA, FRENCH 
AND AMERICAN DIPLOMATS AGREE TO A HIGH DEGREE OF COOPERATION. 
PARIS AND WASHINGTON SHARE THE SAME CONCERNS ABOUT THE 
PROLIFERATION OF WMD. YET MANY BONES OF CONTENTION REMAIN. IN 
THE SHORT TERM THERE IS IRAQ. THERE IS IRAN, AND WASHINGTON'S 
DOUBTS ABOUT THE EUROPEANS' ABILITY TO STOP TEHERAN'S NUCLEAR 
GAME. AND THERE IS CHINA AND THE ARMS EMBARGO. IN THE LONGER 
TERM, PARIS AND WASHINGTON WILL CONTINUE TO OPPOSE EACH OTHER 
HARSHLY OVER EUROPE'S CONSTRUCTION. THE U.S. DOES NOT WANT A 
EUROPE DEFINED AS A POLE OF INFLUENCE DISTINCT FROM THE U.S. 
AND FRANCE BELIEVES THAT THE ALLIANCE BUILT OVER THE ATLANTIC 
DURING THE COLD WAR MUST EVOLVE TOWARDS A REAL PARTNERSHIP." 
 
"A BACKWARDS `NEW DEAL'" 
LEFT-OF-CENTER LE MONDE IN ITS EDITORIAL (01/22): "AS HIS 
SECOND TERM BEGINS, PRESIDENT BUSH IS IN NO WAY TURNING HIS 
BACK TO THE MISSIONARY SPIRIT WHICH COLORED HIS FIRST TERM. HE 
IS FULLY CONVINCED THAT AMERICA'S VOCATION IS TO FIGHT 
`TYRANNY' THE WORLD OVER. IN PRESIDENT BUSH'S EYES, THE 
CRITERIA OF TYRANNY MAY BE DEFINED BY THE LEVEL OF HOSTILITY 
TOWARDS THE U.S. AND HE MAY BE INCLINED TO IGNORE GOVERNMENTS 
WHO LACK IN DEMOCRACY BUT PROVE TO BE COOPERATIVE. PRESIDENT 
BUSH DEVOTED HIS ENTIRE INAUGURAL SPEECH TO AMERICA'S ROLE IN 
THE WORLD, LEAVING ASIDE HIS AMBITIOUS PROGRAM OF SOCIAL 
REFORM. PROBABLY BECAUSE THE FIRST REACTIONS TO HIS PROGRAM 
HAVE BEEN LESS THAN ENTHUSIASTIC. BUSH I CHANGED THE NATURE OF 
AMERICA'S FOREIGN POLICY. BUSH II WANTS TO CHANGE AMERICA'S 
SOCIAL CONTRACT. THE POOR RESULTS PRESIDENT BUSH ACHIEVED IN 
FOREIGN POLICY PREDICT SIMILAR TRAUMAS IN MATTERS OF DOMESTIC 
POLICY." 
 
"AMERICA, IT IS STILL FAR" 
FAVILLA, LES ECHOS'S EDITORIAL BOARD, PENS AN OP-ED (01/24): 
"LIBERTY DOES NOT HAVE EXACTLY THE SAME MEANING ON EACH SIDE 
OF THE ATLANTIC. WE ON THIS SIDE TRY TO SAFEGUARD THE FREEDOM 
OF THE LESS FORTUNATE AS WELL AS THEIR RIGHT TO HEALTH 
INSURANCE. IN THE NAME OF FREEDOM, THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION HAS 
ANNOUNCED SOCIAL REFORM PLANS WHICH HAVE EVEN REPUBLICANS 
CONCERNED. OUR UNIONS SPEAK OUT, BUT AMERICAN UNIONS ARE VERY 
QUIET. AMERICA HAS TURNED ITS BACK TO ALL THINGS `SOCIAL' IN 
FAVOR OF A MARKET ECONOMY. WE ARE BATTLING TO REDUCE THE 
DEFICIT, WHILE AMERICA IS ALLOWING IT TO GROW. WE TRY TO BE 
MORE LIBERAL, AMERICA IS GETTING READY TO NAME TO THE SUPREME 
COURT ENEMIES OF ABORTION AND SUPPORTERS OF THE DEATH PENALTY. 
WE ARE UNDOUBTEDLY PLAGUED BY TOO MUCH DOUBT, BUT AMERICA 
NEVER DOUBTS. AT THIS RATE AMERICANS WILL POSSIBLY REMAIN OUR 
FRIENDS, BUT THEY ARE NO LONGER OUR COUSINS." 
 
MIDDLE EAST PEACE PROCESS 
 
"A HOPEFUL SUNDAY" 
MICHEL SCHIFRES IN RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE FIGARO (01/24): "THE 
TERM `PERIOD OF QUIET' MUST BE TAKEN FOR WHAT IT IS, NOT A 
TRUCE AND EVEN LESS A DEFINITIVE END TO CONFRONTATION. BUT THE 
FACT THAT HAMAS AND ISLAMIC JIHAD HAVE AGREED TO STOP, FOR THE 
TIME BEING, THEIR CAMPAIGN OF ATTACKS AGAINST ISRAEL IS IN 
ITSELF AN UNDENIABLE SIGN OF PROGRESS. IF THE PERIOD OF QUIET 
CONTINUES IN THE COMING WEEKS, THIS SUNDAY, JANUARY 23 WILL 
HAVE TO BE CONSIDERED AS A MAJOR STEP. IF CONFIRMED, THIS 
SUCCESS WILL BE MAHMUD ABBAS'S SUCCESS. ABBAS MUST STILL WORK 
HARD TO BE CONVINCING: AT TIMES IT IS EASIER TO REACH AN 
UNDERSTANDING WITH A DECLARED OUTSIDE ADVERSARY THAN WITH AN 
INSIDE UNDECLARED ENEMY. ESPECIALLY WHEN THIS ENEMY IS AIDED 
AND ABATED BY OUTSIDE GOVERNMENTS. HOPE IS THEREFORE TENUOUS. 
AND ONCE AGAIN WE TURN TO THE U.S. ITS POWER PUTS IT IN A 
POSITION TO DECIDE WHETHER THIS MINISCULE HOPE CAN GROW AND 
REACH A TANGIBLE SETTLEMENT. ALTHOUGH THE IRAQI QUAGMIRE 
REMAINS, PRESIDENT BUSH HAS NOW A FREE HAND. IF HE DOES NOT 
WANT HIS SECOND TERM TO BE AS DOMINATED BY ANTI-AMERICANISM AS 
HIS FIRST, HE MUST DO EVERYTHING HE CAN TO RESOLVE THIS 
CONFLICT." LEACH