US embassy cable - 05PARIS444

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PARIS 000444 
 
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 - IRAQ AND THE BUSH DOCTRINE 
MIDDLE EAST 
PARIS - TUESDAY, JANUARY 25, 2005 
 
 
(A) SUBJECTS COVERED IN TODAY'S REPORT: 
 
1. IRAQ AND THE BUSH DOCTRINE 
2. MIDDLE EAST 
 
B) SUMMARY OF COVERAGE: 
 
DOMESTIC POLICY ISSUES LEAD ON TODAY'S FRONT PAGES, AS THE 
NATIONAL ASSEMBLY EMBARKS ON THE PRELIMINARY PROCESS TO REVISE 
FRANCE'S CONSTITUTION. THE PROCESS AIMS TO MAKE THE 
CONSTITUTION MORE COMPATIBLE WITH THE EUROPEAN CONSTITUTION 
AND WILL LEAD TO A REFERENDUM THIS SPRING. 
 
EDITORIAL COMMENTARY FOCUSES ON THIS POLITICAL EXERCISE AND ON 
THE REPERCUSSIONS, INCLUDING TURKEY'S EU MEMBERSHIP. IN RIGHT- 
OF-CENTER LE FIGARO ALEXIS BEZET WARNS AGAINST TOO MUCH 
OPTIMISM, "AS WAS THE CASE FOR THE MAASTRICHT REFERENDUM, 
WHICH IN THE END WAS ADOPTED BY A NARROW MARGIN. ONE MUST ALSO 
REMEMBER THAT THE ISSUE OF TURKEY COMPLICATES THINGS, LEADING 
THE NEW EURO CONVERTS TO DOUBT. BY INCLUDING IN FRANCE'S 
CONSTITUTION THE PROMISE OF A REFERENDUM ON TURKEY, CHIRAC HAS 
INDICATED THAT HE WANTED TO DISCONNECT THE TWO ISSUES. BUT THE 
ANTI-TURKISH MOOD OF THE MAJORITY PROVES THAT VICTORY IS FAR 
FROM BEING ACQUIRED." 
 
OTHER STORIES INCLUDE THE IRAQI ELECTIONS AND THE THREAT OF A 
BOYCOTT, AS ANNOUNCED ON LE FIGARO'S FRONT PAGE, (SEE PART C) 
AS WELL AS THE IRAQI HOSTAGE SITUATION AND THE MEDIA'S 
CONCERNS FOR THEIR CORRESPONDENTS. LEFT-OF-CENTER LIBERATION, 
WHOSE JOURNALIST FLORENCE AUBENAS HAS BEEN MISSING IN IRAQ FOR 
THE PAST THREE WEEKS, DEVOTES ITS LEAD TO A MOVEMENT OF 
SOLIDARITY FROM MEDIA EDITORS AND BUREAU CHIEFS. THE EDITORIAL 
ASKS THE UNDERLYING QUESTION OF "HOW TO COVER IRAQ" WHILE ALSO 
"INSURING THE SAFETY OF THE JOURNALISTS." CATHOLIC LA CROIX 
EXPLAINS IN ITS FRONT-PAGE EDITORIAL WHY IT HAS DECIDED "FOR 
THE TIME BEING" NOT TO SEND ANYONE TO IRAQ. "WE BELIEVE THAT 
THE RISK IS DISPROPORTIONATE WITH THE NEED TO INFORM." 
 
LEFT-OF-CENTER LIBERATION DEVOTES A MAJOR ARTICLE TO THE 
ADVANCES MADE BETWEEN MAHMUD ABBAS AND ISLAMIC GROUPS (SEE 
PART C). 
 
IN RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE FIGARO CORRESPONDENT PHILIPPE GELIE 
REPORTS ON A BUSH-CHIRAC DINNER IN BRUSSELS: "FRANCE, WHICH 
DOES NOT FIGURE IN PRESIDENT BUSH'S FIRST EUROPEAN TRIP AFTER 
HIS RE-ELECTION IS THUS GRATIFIED WITH SPECIAL TREATMENT. THE 
PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE TWO LEADERS IS STILL 
SUFFERING FROM THEIR DISAGREEMENT OVER IRAQ. PRESIDENT BUSH IS 
COMING TO EUROPE WITH AN EXTENDED HAND, BUT ALSO WITH THE HOPE 
OF RECEIVING CONCRETE SUPPORT IN IRAQ. THIS DINNER WILL BE 
BUSH'S FIRST OFFICIAL GESTURE UPON LANDING IN BRUSSELS, AND 
THE ONLY BILATERAL DINNER." 
 
(C) SUPPORTING TEXT/BLOCK QUOTES: 
 
IRAQ AND THE BUSH DOCTRINE 
 
"THE BUSH DOCTRINE PUT TO THE TEST" 
PHILIPPE GELIE IN RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE FIGARO (01/25): 
"PRESIDENT BUSH'S VISION OF `LIGHTING THE FIRES OF LIBERTY' 
HAS A DATE NEXT SUNDAY WITH THE HARSH REALITY OF IRAQ. THIS 
SHOCK BETWEEN WORLD EVENTS IS THE BIGGEST RISK TAKEN BY THE 
PRESIDENT IN HIS INAUGURAL SPEECH. HAVING REPEATED THE WORD 
`LIBERTY' 49 TIMES IN 19 MINUTES, THE MAGIC WORD HAD INITIALLY 
A HYPNOTIC EFFECT ON AMERICAN PUBLIC OPINION. BUT NOW THAT THE 
FIRST EMOTION HAS PASSED, HIS PROMISE TO `END TYRANNY IN THE 
WORLD' IS APPRECIATED ONLY BY THE NEO-CONS WHO PARTICIPATED IN 
ITS FORMULATION. POLITICAL EXPERTS ARE CONTINUOUSLY POINTING 
TO THE CONTRADICTIONS OF AN ADMINISTRATION WHICH GOES EASY ON 
VERY UN-DEMOCRATIC REGIMES IN THE NAME OF THE FIGHT AGAINST 
TERRORISM. SOON THE VERDICT WILL BE IN THE HANDS OF THE IRAQIS 
WHO ARE BEING CALLED TO VOTE AND CONFIRM THE PRESIDENT'S 
CERTAINTY THAT `FREEDOM IS HUMANITY'S PERMANENT HOPE.'" 
 
MIDDLE EAST 
 
"A CONDITIONAL MONTH-LONG TRUCE" 
CHRISTOPHE AYAD IN LEFT-OF-CENTER LIBERATION (01/25): 
"OFFICIALLY, IT IS NOT A TRUCE. BUT ON THE GROUND IT IS 
ALREADY A REALITY. MAHMUD ABBAS HAS MADE SIGNIFICANT PROGRESS. 
AND ISLAMIC GROUPS HAVE IN PRINCIPLE ACCEPTED THE IDEA OF A 
TRUCE. IT WOULD SEEM THAT MAHMUD ABBAS IS ABOUT TO WIN THE 
FIRST PART OF HIS WAGER: TO SILENCE THE `CHAOS OF WEAPONS' IN 
ORDER TO RETURN TO THE NEGOTIATING TABLE. THE SECOND HALF OF 
THE EQUATION IS IN THE HANDS OF ISRAEL AND THE INTERNATIONAL 
COMMUNITY. BUT THE MEMORY OF MISSED PAST OPPORTUNITIES FOR A 
TRUCE REMIND US THAT VERY LITTLE IS NEEDED FOR THE CYCLE OF 
VIOLENCE TO BEGIN AGAIN. ONE OF ABBAS'S TRUMP CARDS IS THE 
FACT THAT HAMAS WANTS TO TAKE PART IN THE LEGISLATIVE 
ELECTIONS: ABBAS IS BETTING THAT HIS ISLAMIC RIVALS WILL 
PREFER TO DEVOTE THEMSELVES TO THE ELECTION CAMPAIGN RATHER 
THAN HARASS THE ISRAELI ARMY AND SETTLERS. BOTH ABBAS AND 
SHARON NEED A PERIOD OF PEACE SO THAT THE WITHDRAWAL FROM GAZA 
CAN GO AHEAD. FOR ABBAS, IT IS A WAY OF REKINDLING THE ROADMAP 
PROCESS, WHILE FOR SHARON THE WITHDRAWAL IS A WAY TO ALLEVIATE 
THE PRESSURE HE IS UNDER FROM THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY." 
LEACH