US embassy cable - 05PARIS525

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PARIS 000525 
 
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 
PARIS - FRIDAY, January 28, 2005 
 
 
(A) SUBJECTS COVERED IN TODAY'S REPORT: 
 
 IRAQ 
 
B) SUMMARY OF COVERAGE: 
 
CATHOLIC LA CROIX FEATURES AN OP-ED BY AMBASSADOR LEACH 
ENTITLED "DEMOCRACY AND COURAGE IN IRAQ" PRAISING THE COURAGE 
OF IRAQIS WHO WILL VOTE ON SUNDAY TO PROMOTE DEMOCRACY IN 
THEIR COUNTRY: "THE IRAQI PEOPLE WILL DEMONSTRATE THEIR 
COURAGE TO MOVE FORWARD AND CAST THEIR BALLOTS FOR A 
DEMOCRATIC IRAQ. WE SHOULD SUPPORT THEIR EFFORTS AND HONOR 
THEIR RESOLVE IN MAKING THIS TRANSITION TO DEMOCRACY." 
AMBASSADOR LEACH'S VIEWPOINT IS SHARED BY IVAN RIOUFOL IN 
RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE FIGARO. (SEE PART C) 
 
MANY FRONT PAGES ARE DEVOTED TO IRAQ AND THE SECURITY 
SITUATION ON THE EVE OF THE FIRST IRAQI DEMOCRATIC ELECTION. 
RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE FIGARO HEADLINES "ZARQAWI, THE MAN 
CHALLENGING DEMOCRACY IN IRAQ." POPULAR RIGHT-OF-CENTER FRANCE 
SOIR TITLES "ZARQAWI, THE NEW BIN LADEN HAUNTING AMERICA." 
CATHOLIC LA CROIX LEADS WITH "THE IRAQIS, BETWEEN BOMBS AND 
BALLOTS" WHILE EDITORIALIST BRUNO FRAPPAT URGES EVERYONE TO 
SHARE WITH THE AMERICANS "A WAGER WHICH CARRIES NO CERTAINTIES 
BUT WHICH MUST BE SUPPORTED WITHOUT HESITATION." COMMUNIST 
L'HUMANITE HEADLINES "IRAQ: BLOOD ON THE BALLOTS." RIGHT-OF- 
CENTER ECONOMIC LES ECHOS TITLES "IRAQ'S ELECTIONS IN A 
CLIMATE OF EXTREME VIOLENCE." FOR LEFT-OF-CENTER LIBERATION, 
"THERE IS A SACRED UNION IN IRAQI KURDISTAN, WHERE THERE ARE 
NO SKIRMISHES, INCLUDING IN THE VOTING CENTERS." (SEE PART C) 
 
RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE FIGARO CARRIES AN OP-ED BY POLITICAL EXPERT 
ZAKI LAIDI TITLED "IRAQ AND THE `NESCAFE DEMOCRACY.'" LAIDI 
EXPLAINS WHY `INSTANT' DEMOCRACY CANNOT BE EXPORTED ANYWHERE, 
AS THE AMERICANS BELIEVE: "AMERICA'S POLITICAL ATTITUDE IS 
BASED ON A SIMPLISTIC BELIEF: DEMOCRACY IS A UNIVERSAL ASSET 
WHICH TRANSCENDS CULTURE AND HISTORY, ITS IMPLEMENTATION BEING 
A MATTER OF WILL. IN THIS LIGHT DEMOCRACY IS A VALUE WITHOUT A 
PAST WHICH IS CONSIDERED AS THE OPPOSITE OF TYRANNY. BUT TO 
IMPLEMENT DEMOCRACY, THREE THINGS ARE NEEDED: FITTING 
DEMOCRACY TO THE HOST NATION; A SOCIAL CLASS OF IMPORTERS (OF 
DEMOCRACY) WHOSE INTEREST IT IS TO PROMOTE A PLURALISTIC 
APPROACH; A WORLDWIDE CLIMATE THAN CAN ACCOMPANY SUCH A 
MUTATION THROUGH SUPPORT RATHER THAN THREAT. THIS IS WHY NO 
IRAQI REGIME HAS THE HOPE OF BEING SOVEREIGN ITS SOLE 
DEFINITION LIES IN CONFORMING TO AMERICAN POLICY. DEMOCRACY 
REQUIRES A NATIONAL PROJECT." 
 
(C) SUPPORTING TEXT/BLOCK QUOTES: 
 
IRAQ 
 
"HOPE IN IRAQ" 
IVAN RIOUFOL IN RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE FIGARO (01/29): "THERE ARE 
STILL THOSE WHO REVEL IN THE FACT THAT THE AMERICANS ARE 
FACING DIFFICULTIES IN IRAQ, REAPING WHAT THEY HAVE SOWN. BUT 
IN TRUTH A MAJORITY OF THE IRAQIS WANT AND HOPE FOR DEMOCRACY. 
THE ATTACKS ARE ESSENTIALLY BY IRAQIS AGAINST THE IRAQIS 
THEMSELVES. THOSE WHO WANT TO VOTE WILL NEED MUCH COURAGE. DE 
GAULLE ONCE SAID THAT IT IS WHEN FACING DANGER THAT WE MUST 
STAND ERECT. THIS IS WHAT THE AMERICANS AND THE BRITISH ARE 
DOING IN IRAQ, WHERE THEY ARE DEALING, ALONG WITH THEIR 
ALLIES, WITH `NAZISLAMISM,' THIS NEW ENEMY OF MODERATE ISLAM 
AND THE WEST." 
 
"A WAGER TO BE SHARED" 
BRUNO FRAPPAT IN CATHOLIC LA CROIX (01/29): "EVEN IF DEMOCRACY 
COMES TO IRAQ IN A SOMEWHAT SHAKY MANNER, NO ONE SHOULD 
CRITICIZE THE PROCESS. DEMOCRACY, WHICH IS IN ITSELF 
IMPERFECT, WILL BE EVEN MORE SO WHEN AT ITS BIRTH IT IS 
ACCOMPANIED BY VIOLENCE, TERROR, INTIMIDATION AND DEATH 
THREATS. `FREEDOM' IS ALSO AMBIGUOUS, WHEN IT IS THE RESULT OF 
A FOREIGN INTERVENTION DECIDED UNILATERALLY, WITHOUT UNIVERSAL 
LEGITIMACY. NEVERTHELESS, THIS HAVING BEEN SAID, HOW CAN WE 
NOT HOPE FOR THESE ELECTIONS TO HAVE AT LEAST THE PREMISES OF 
DEMOCRACY? . IRAQ'S DEMOCRATIZATION PROCESS WOULD CARRY MORE 
WEIGHT AND LEGITIMACY IF IT COULD HAVE BEEN THE RESULT OF A 
UNANIMOUS AGREEMENT BETWEEN NATIONS, WITHOUT HUMILIATING IRAQ, 
OR DIVIDING ITS PEOPLE. IT IS NOW TOO LATE FOR ALL THAT. WE 
MUST LOOK TO IRAQ'S FUTURE AND THAT OF AN ENTIRE REGION. 
AMERICA'S WAGER ON JANUARY 30TH CAN BE NOTHING ELSE THAN A 
SHARED WAGER. A WAGER WITHOUT CERTAINTY, WITHOUT EXCESSIVE 
JOY, BUT WITHOUT HESITATION." 
 
"HINDERED SOVEREIGNTY" 
PIERRE LAURENT IN COMMUNIST L'HUMANITE (01/29): "IRAQ NEEDS 
DEMOCRACY AND FREE ELECTIONS WITHOUT FOREIGN OCCUPATION. 
AMERICA'S WAR CAN ONLY BRING IRAQ ELECTIONS SMEARED WITH 
BLOOD." 
 
"THE MAN CHALLENGING DEMOCRACY IN IRAQ" 
ARNAUD DE LA GRANGE IN RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE FIGARO (01/29): "ONE 
MAN HAS PROMISED TO MAKE THE ELECTIONS IN IRAQ FAIL THIS 
SUNDAY, BY PLUNGING THE COUNTRY INTO EVEN MORE CHAOS. SOME 
BELIEVE THAT ZARQAWI'S REPUTATION HAS SURPASSED THE MAN 
HIMSELF. REALITY IS SOMEWHERE IN THE MIDDLE, BETWEEN FACTS AND 
FANTASY. HE IS A FERVENT ISLAMIC FUNDAMENTALIST WHO HAS BEEN 
TURNED INTO A MYTH BY HIS OWN ADVERSARY, THUS GRANTING HIM 
INCREDIBLE STATURE. THE MAN IS SAID TO HAVE GREAT OPERATIONAL 
TALENTS, BUT NOT MUCH IDEOLOGY, AND EVEN LESS SPIRITUALITY. 
HIS ONLY STRATEGY IS CHAOS." LEACH