US embassy cable - 05PARIS601

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 PARIS 000601 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/31/2015 
TAGS: PREL, IZ, FR 
SUBJECT: FRANCE WELCOMES IRAQI ELECTIONS AS VICTORY FOR 
IRAQI PEOPLE, INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY 
 
Classified By: Political Minister-Counselor Josiah Rosenblatt, reasons 
1.4 (b) and (d). 
 
1. (C) Summary: Senior French officials publicly welcomed 
Iraq's election as a victory for the Iraqi people and the 
international community, while voicing caution on future 
necessary steps in Iraq's political transition, including an 
eventual withdrawal of foreign troops.  President Chirac told 
visiting Codel Smith January 31 that he was happy and not 
surprised by the successful elections, which marked a failure 
for terrorists and a victory for the U.S.  Chirac also 
stressed the need for a greater UN role, a more broadly-based 
government, and a way to ensure that the new constitution did 
not lead to an Islamic republic.  Chirac stressed GoF 
willingness to help Iraq by any means short of sending 
troops, reiterating the standing French offer to train Iraqi 
police outside Iraq and stressing that the Iraq debt relief 
compromise came at significant cost to France.  Chirac's 
spokesman later January 31 offered greater nuance on the 
terrorism angle, noting that the successful elections meant 
that terrorists' strategy had "partly failed."  End summary. 
 
 
 
POSITIVE PUBLIC STATEMENTS 
------------------- 
 
2. (SBU) FM Barnier welcomed the January 30 Iraqi election as 
a "first victory for the Iraqi people," and called the 
electoral process a "defeat for terrorism," during a Europe-1 
radio interview early January 31.  Barnier cited further 
necessary steps in Iraq's "fragile" political process, such 
as the drafting of the constitution, which should provide for 
"equitable representation of all communities in Iraq," 
elections for a permanent government, and the withdrawal of 
foreign troops, without citing a precise date for the latter. 
 French government spokesman Jean-Francois Cope, in a 
preliminary reaction January 30, described the Iraqi 
elections as a "great victory" for the international 
community and said the turnout rate, if confirmed, was good 
news.  The MFA Iraq desk stressed to us January 31 that the 
GoF reaction to the elections was intended to be very 
positive, and that election day violence had been less than 
the GoF expected.   French press reaction (ref a) to the 
elections has been grudgingly positive, commending the 
courage of the Iraqi people and the higher than expected 
participation amid continued violence, while pointing out the 
difficulties that remain ahead. 
 
CHIRAC COMMENDS OUTCOME, CITES CHALLENGES AHEAD 
----------------------------------- 
 
3. (C) During a January 31 meeting with Codel Smith (septel), 
President Chirac stressed his happiness with the 
well-organized and successful election, which he did not find 
surprising.  The elections marked a failure for terrorist 
groups and a victory for the U.S.; Chirac said he would tell 
President Bush the same thing by phone later that day.  The 
elections were an encouraging sign for the future, though not 
all problems were solved and difficulties remained ahead. 
Chirac said the elections had accelerated Iraq's integration 
into the international democratic community, and called for 
giving the UN a greater role in the political transition, 
opening the political process to all groups who reject 
violence, and seeing to it that the drafting of the 
constitution does not lead to establishment of an Islamic 
republic.  On the latter point, Chirac referred to a January 
31 statement by Ayatollah Sistani (NFI) which he found 
"worrying."  Chirac also cautioned that the drafters of 
Iraq's constitution would have to ensure that all non-violent 
groups were included and that Iraq's unity remained intact. 
The Kurds, he added, were seeking autonomy, something which 
would create problems for Turkey. 
 
4. (C) Chirac also affirmed to Codel Smith GoF willingness to 
contribute to Iraq's reconstruction and stability, asserting 
that France had refused only to send troops to Iraq -- it 
remained ready to contribute in other ways.  He cited the 
French decision, at U.S. request, to cancel "almost all" of 
Iraq's debt, which he said cost the GoF some 4.5 billion 
euros.  The GoF had told PM Allawi nine months earlier (July 
2004) of its willingness to train Iraqi gendarmes, with no 
response despite repeated reminders.  Chirac said he repeated 
the training offer to IIG President Yawer earlier in January 
in the form of a written proposal, clarifying that the GOF 
would be willing to train some 1,500 Iraqi gendarmes over an 
18-period in France or Qatar. 
 
5. (U) President Chirac's spokesman Jerome Bonnafont, 
commenting January 31 on Chirac's meeting with Codel Smith 
and phone call earlier that day with President Bush, appeared 
to offer more nuance on the terrorism issue and slightly less 
enthusiastic language.  Bonnafont described participation and 
technical organization of the elections as "satisfactory," 
and added that, according to Chirac, "the strategy of 
terrorist groups has partly failed." 
 
6. (C) Comment: The positive French reaction to the Iraqi 
election, combined with new momentum from the GoF in 
implementing its long-standing police training offer, point 
to a shift from France's "wait and see" attitude towards more 
concrete support for Iraq's new government.   The main 
potential problem we see in the French approach is the degree 
to which the GoF continues to call for a year-end withdrawal 
date for foreign troops as the final step of the political 
process outlined in UNSCR 1546; it will be important to keep 
emphasizing to the GoF that building Iraq's security 
capacity, not setting artificial deadlines, will make it 
possible for Iraq to take full responsibility for its own 
security.  End comment. 
 
7. (U) This cable was not cleared by Codel Smith. Baghdad 
minimize considered. 
Leach