US embassy cable - 05PARIS495

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PARIS 000495 
 
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 EUROPEAN-AMERICAN 
RELATIONS 
PARIS - THURSDAY, JANUARY 27, 2005 
 
 
(A) SUBJECTS COVERED IN TODAY'S REPORT: 
 
IRAQ AND EUROPEAN-AMERICAN RELATIONS 
 
B) SUMMARY OF COVERAGE: 
 
FRONT PAGES ARE OVERWHELMINGLY DEVOTED TO THE 60TH ANNIVERSARY 
OF THE LIBERATION OF AUSCHWITZ. COMMENTARIES AND REPORTS 
ABOUND ON THE NAZI CAMPS AND "EUROPE'S NEED TO REMEMBER" 
(CATHOLIC LA CROIX). THE DAVOS WORLD ECONOMY FORUM IS ALSO A 
MAJOR STORY. IN RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE FIGARO, EDITORIALIST YVES 
THREARD COMMENTS: "THERE WILL BE THOSE WHO WILL MOCK PRESIDENT 
CHIRAC'S DAVOS SPEECH. BUT WHAT HE HAS GOING FOR HIM IS 
REALITY. GEORGE BUSH IS SO HATED OUTSIDE HIS OWN COUNTRY THAT 
ONE CAN GIVE THE IMPRESSION OF BEING APPEALING IF ONE WORKS AT 
ESTABLISHING ONE'S DIFFERENCE WITH BUSH. CHIRAC IS RAISING THE 
BANNER OF WISDOM AS A COUNTER PROPOSAL TO PRESIDENT BUSH'S 
WARRIOR APPROACH." 
 
BUT IRAQ, THE COMING ELECTIONS AND YESTERDAY'S VIOLENCE ARE 
BOTH THE SUBJECTS OF GRIM FACTUAL REPORTS AND OPINION COLUMNS 
WHICH INCLUDE COMMENTARY ABOUT PRESIDENT BUSH'S "FIRST PRESS 
CONFERENCE" SINCE HIS INAUGURATION. RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE FIGARO 
TITLES ON ITS FRONT PAGE: "THE BLOODIEST DAY FOR AMERICANS IN 
IRAQ." IN LEFT-OF-CENTER LIBERATION EDITORIALIST JACQUES 
AMALRIC PENS AN OP-ED TITLED "GEORGE W. BUSH AND THE CONCEALED 
IRAQI QUAGMIRE." RIGHT-OF-CENTER WEEKLY LE POINT'S 
EDITORIALIST CLAUDE IMBERT WHOSE COLUMN IS ENTITLED "A 
DEPRESSION OVER THE ATLANTIC" WRITES: "IF TODAY BUSH IS 
SMILING AT EUROPE, IT IS ESSENTIALLY BECAUSE THE IRAQI 
QUAGMIRE IS TURNING INTO A CALAMITY." (SEE PART C) 
 
IN LEFT-OF-CENTER WEEKLY LE NOUVEL OBSERVATEUR REPORTER SARA 
DANIEL WRITING FROM BAGHDAD COMMENTS: "IN IRAQ, WHERE THE 
SPECTER OF A RELIGIOUS CONFLICT BETWEEN SUNNIS AND SHIITES MAY 
WELL TURN INTO A CIVIL WAR, EVERYONE IS EXPECTING A BLOODBATH 
ON THE DAY OF THE ELECTIONS. NO ONE HAS MUCH HOPE." 
 
REPORTING ON THE EFFORTS FOR A TRUCE IN THE MIDDLE EAST 
CONFLICT, CHRISTOPHE AYAD WRITES IN LEFT-OF-CENTER LIBERATION: 
"THE PROCESS UNDERWAY MAY BE, AS WASHINGTON'S SPECIAL ENVOY 
WILLIAM BURNS SAYS, `THE MOST PROMISING OPPORTUNITY FOR PEACE 
IN THE MIDDLE EAST,' BUT IT IS STILL A VERY TENUOUS ONE, WHICH 
CAN FAIL AT ANY MOMENT." 
(C) SUPPORTING TEXT/BLOCK QUOTES: 
 
IRAQ AND EUROPEAN-AMERICAN RELATIONS 
 
"THE BLOODIEST DAY IN IRAQ FOR AMERICANS" 
PHILIPPE GELIE IN RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE FIGARO (01/27): "IN A 
LANDSCAPE WHICH IS ALREADY VERY SOMBER, YESTERDAY WAS ONE OF 
THE DARKEST DAYS FOR AMERICANS IN IRAQ. IN THE FACE OF SUCH 
VIOLENCE, PRESIDENT BUSH CALLED UPON EVERY IRAQI TO VOTE ON 
SUNDAY AND TO `CHALLENGE THE TERRORISTS.' PRESIDENT BUSH IS 
NOT KEEN ON PRESS CONFERENCES. IF HE DECIDED TO GIVE ONE, IT 
IS BECAUSE HE NEEDED TO SEND A MESSAGE TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE. 
SINCE HIS INAUGURAL ADDRESS, THERE ARE THOSE WHO REMAIN 
PERPLEXED ABOUT AMERICAN'S FOREIGN POLICY. BUT YESTERDAY 
PRESIDENT BUSH WAS NOT READY TO ANSWER QUESTIONS. JUST TO 
COMMUNICATE." 
 
"BUSH CALLS ON IRAQIS TO `CHALLENGE THE TERRORISTS'" 
PASCAL RICHE IN LEFT-OF-CENTER LIBERATION (01/27): "PRESIDENT 
BUSH DOES NOT REGRET ANYTHING HE SAID DURING HIS INAUGURAL 
ADDRESS. DURING YESTERDAY'S PRESS CONFERENCE HE REITERATED HIS 
MESSAGE ABOUT `PLANTING THE BANNER OF LIBERTY.' BUT OTHER THAN 
REPEATING THAT PARTICULAR PHRASE, PRESIDENT BUSH ESSENTIALLY 
TRIED TO ERASE THE NAIVE IMPRESSIONS LEFT BY HIS `PYROMANIAC' 
SPEECH. AND THE FEELING THAT HE IS TOTALLY DISCONNECTED FROM 
REALITY." 
 
"A DEPRESSION OVER THE ATLANTIC" 
CLAUDE IMBERT IN RIGHT-OF-CENTER WEEKLY LE POINT (01/27): 
"WORLD EVENTS SPEAK IN FAVOR OF BETTER WEATHER BETWEEN AMERICA 
AND EUROPE. YET NATIONAL AND POPULAR BELIEFS TEND TO SEPARATE 
RATHER THAN BRING EUROPE CLOSER TO AMERICA. IF PRESIDENT BUSH 
IS SMILING AT EUROPE TODAY, IT IS ESSENTIALLY BECAUSE THE 
IRAQI QUAGMIRE IS TURNING INTO A CALAMITY WHICH IS FANNING THE 
FIRES OF ANTI-AMERICANISM AROUND THE WORLD. VOTING BOOTHS FOR 
THE IRAQI ELECTIONS ARE BEING SET UP AMONG CAR BOMBINGS AND 
SUICIDE ATTACKS. THIS IS A MEDIOCRE SHOWCASE FOR DEMOCRACY. 
ALTHOUGH PRESIDENT BUSH IS SENDING MORE TROOPS TO IRAQ, HE IS 
ALSO THINKING ABOUT LEAVING THIS LAND COVERED WITH LANDMINES. 
EUROPE IS BEING COURTED FOR ITS ARAB CONTACTS AND ITS EUROS. 
THIS WILL BE THE EXTENT OF ITS INVOLVEMENT. AS FOR MORE 
GENERAL ISSUES, BOTH WILL PROBABLY BACK DOWN A LITTLE: 
WASHINGTON WILL MAKE SOME SACRIFICES TO MULTILATERALISM. AND 
EUROPE WILL CONCEDE THAT MULTILATERALISM IS BETTER FITTED TO 
WORDS THAN TO ACTION. BUT OVERALL, PRESIDENT BUSH WILL NOT 
CHANGE. ABOUT THE ROLE OF THE MILITARY. THIS IS PARTICULARLY 
CLEAR ABOUT IRAN. EUROPE AND THE U.S. CONTINUE TO HAVE 
DIFFERENT VISIONS OF THE WORLD AND ITS FUTURE. FOR AMERICA, 
LIBERTY IS PART OF THE `AMERICAN DREAM.' THERE IS NO `EUROPEAN 
DREAM.' EUROPE'S MILITARY LETHARGY AND LOVE OF MANKIND HAS 
TURNED EUROPE INTO A SOFTY. AMERICA SEES AN ABSOLUTE `EVIL' IN 
ISLAMIC TERRORISM, WHILE FOR EUROPE IT IS A RELATIVE `EVIL' 
THAT CAN BE ERADICATED WITH A FIGHT AGAINST POVERTY. A RECENT 
REPORT BY THE CIA MENTIONS CHINA AND INDIA AS FUTURE WORLD 
POWERS, BUT NOT EUROPE. THE REPORT ALSO MENTIONS EUROPE'S 
`CONTINUING EXPANSION' AS A DISSOLVING FACTOR FOR EUROPE'S 
UNITY AND AS AN OBSTACLE TO ITS AMBITION TO BECOME A WORLD 
POWER. THIS IS PROBABLY A FAIR PROGNOSIS. BUT A STINGING ONE 
NEVERTHELESS WHEN ONE CONSIDERS THAT THE U.S. IS ARDENTLY 
PREACHING FOR TURKEY'S EU MEMBERSHIP!" 
 
"GEORGE BUSH AND THE CONCEALED IRAQI QUAGMIRE" 
JACQUES AMALRIC IN LEFT-OF-CENTER LIBERATION (01/27): "WHAT 
PRESIDENT BUSH DOES NOT SAY, EITHER BECAUSE HE DOES NOT THINK 
IT OR BECAUSE IT WOULD AFFECT THE LOGIC OF HIS REASONING, IS 
THAT ONE CANNOT EQUATE THE FALL OF TYRANNY AND THE 
ORGANIZATION OF ELECTIONS TO THE BEGINNING OF DEMOCRACY. THIS 
CAN BE VERIFIED IN IRAQ, BUT ALSO IN AFGHANISTAN, AND EVEN IN 
PUTIN'S RUSSIA. DEMOCRACY IMPLIES TOLERANCE AND RESPECT; IT 
REQUIRES TIME AND CONSTANCY. IT REQUIRES COUNTER-POWERS AND AN 
INDEPENDENT JUSTICE SYSTEM. BECAUSE HE HAS FOR TOO LONG 
CONCEALED THE FACT THAT THE FIGHT AGAINST TERRORISM IS IN FACT 
A FIGHT AGAINST TYRANNY AND FOR THE DEFENSE OF AMERICA'S 
INTERESTS, HE HAS FORGOTTEN A MAJOR INGREDIENT ALONG THE WAY: 
THE FIGHT AGAINST INJUSTICE. IT IS AS IF PRESIDENT BUSH'S 
`LIBERTY' DID NOT INCLUDE THE CHECHENS, OR THE UZBECKS. THIS 
IS WHY WE CANNOT BELIEVE IN PRESIDENT BUSH'S SINCERITY." LEACH