US embassy cable - 05PARIS794

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PARIS 000794 
 
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 - SECRETARY OF STATE RICE TO 
MIDDLE EAST - EUROPE MIDDLE EAST SUMMIT 
PARIS - TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 08, 2005 
 
(A) SUBJECTS COVERED IN TODAY'S REPORT: 
 
1. SECRETARY OF STATE RICE TO MIDDLE EAST - EUROPE 
2. MIDDLE EAST SUMMIT 
 
B) SUMMARY OF COVERAGE: 
 
THE MIDDLE EAST SUMMIT IN SHARM EL-SHEIK, SECRETARY RICE'S 
VISIT TO THE REGION AND TO PARIS TODAY ARE PROMINENTLY FRONT- 
PAGED WITH ACCOMPANYING PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE SECRETARY OF STATE 
WITH MAHMUD ABBAS (RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE FIGARO AND CATHOLIC LA 
CROIX). LE FIGARO'S FRONT-PAGE TITLE/CUM PHOTO CAPTION READS: 
"CONDI RICE TO SPONSOR ABBAS-SHARON TRUCE." LEFT-OF-CENTER 
LIBERATION CARRIES THE STORY WITH A SIMILAR PHOTOGRAPH ON PAGE 
4. EDITORIAL COMMENTATORS AGREE THAT "ALTHOUGH SYMBOLIC, THE 
SUMMIT IS A FIRST STEP AND A TURNING POINT." (SEE PART C) 
 
AFTERNOON PAPER LE MONDE YESTERDAY CARRIED ON ITS FRONT-PAGE A 
REPORT ENTITLED "SCIENCE PO UNDER HIGH SURVEILLANCE" AS IT 
EXPLAINED THE EXTRAORDINARY SECURITY MEASURES TAKEN WHERE THE 
SECRETARY OF STATE WILL GIVE HER LANDMARK POLICY SPEECH. 
 
SIPDIS 
 
REPORTS ON THE RICE VISIT TO PARIS RECALL PAST TENSION OVER 
IRAQ AND SECRETARY RICE'S PHRASE ABOUT "PUNISHING FRANCE." 
(SEE PART C) 
 
THE REGIONAL PRESS IS ALSO VERY FOCUSED ON THE VISIT AND 
TRANSATLANTIC RELATIONS. THE EDITORIAL IN MARSEILLES' "LA 
DEPECHE DU MIDI" (CIRC. 200,000) IS ENTITLED "AN AMERICAN IN 
PARIS." RENNE'S OUEST-FRANCE (CIRC. 800,000) NOTES ON ITS 
FRONT PAGE: "CONDOLEEZA RICE WELCOMED TONIGHT AT THE ELYS " 
AND HEADLINES ON PAGE 2: "FRANCE-U.S: A NEW WARMING?" 
BORDEAUX'S SUD-OUEST (CIRC. 315, 000) CARRIES A FRONT-PAGE 
PHOTOGRAPH OF SECRETARY OF STATE RICE GREETING MAHMOUD ABBAS, 
WITH THE HEADLINE: "PAX AMERICANA."  EDITORIALIST PATRICK 
BERTHOMEAU COMMENTS: "AMERICA IS BACK, THE AMERICANS ARE 
TAKING THINGS IN HAND AND INTEND TO PUSH THEIR ADVANTAGE IN 
THE SHORTEST POSSIBLE TIME." LILLE'S LA VOIX DU NORD (CIRC. 
316,000) HEADLINES ON PAGE 20: "CONDOLEEZA RICE IS COMING TO 
REVIVE TRANSATLANTIC RELATIONS." EDITORIALIST MICHEL VAGNER IN 
STRASBOURG'S L'EST R UBLICAIN (CIRC. 320,000) WRITES: "IS THE 
`WARRIOR PRINCESS' NOW, AS HER MUSICAL NAME SUGGESTS, CON- 
DOLCEZZA? NOT SO SURE. HER NICKNAME IS ALSO `HER MASTER'S 
VOICE,' ALTHOUGH IT IS HARD TO TELL WHO HAS MORE INFLUENCE 
OVER THE OTHER." 
 
(C) SUPPORTING TEXT/BLOCK QUOTES: 
 
SECRETARY OF STATE RICE TO MIDDLE EAST - EUROPE 
 
SIPDIS 
 
"BARNIER IN RICE'S FOOTSTEPS" 
PIERRE ROUSSELIN IN RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE FIGARO (02/08): 
"WALKING IN RICE'S FOOTSTEPS, FM BARNIER WAS TRYING TO IMPOSE 
EUROPE AS A `PARTNER' IN THE MIDDLE EAST PEACE PROCESS. THE 
MOMENT FOR MAJOR INTERNATIONAL INITIATIVES IS NOT UPON US YET, 
BUT MICHEL BARNIER WANTS TO `ENCOURAGE AND ACCOMPANY' THE NEW 
DIALOGUE BEING ESTABLISHED IN ORDER TO BE IN A BETTER POSITION 
TO WEIGH IN LATER. HIS PRESENCE ALONE WAS MEANT TO SIGNIFY 
THAT THE U.S. IS NOT THE SOLE INTERNATIONAL PLAYER IN THESE 
PEACE TALKS. THE FRENCH AND THE AMERICANS HAVE VERY DIFFERENT 
APPROACHES, PROVED BY THE FACT THAT BARNIER PAID TRIBUTE TO 
ARAFAT BY VISITING HIS TOMB, WHILE THE RICE MOTORCADE SPED BY 
WITHOUT SLOWING DOWN." 
 
"RICE IN PARIS TO TURN A PAGE" 
GILLES BIASSETTE IN CATHOLIC LA CROIX (02/08): "IS IT JUST A 
FAADE OR DOES THE SECOND BUSH ADMINISTRATION TRULY WANT TO 
RENEW ITS TIES WITH THE EUROPEAN UNION AND FRANCE? SECRETARY 
OF STATE RICE'S MUCH AWAITED SPEECH THIS AFTERNOON MAY GIVE 
SOME ELEMENTS OF RESPONSE. THE FACT THAT FRANCE HAS BEEN 
CHOSEN FOR SUCH A SPEECH IS IN ITSELF A SIGN OF GOODWILL. 
NEVERTHELESS CERTAIN EUROPEAN CAPITALS REGRET COLIN POWELL'S 
DEPARTURE, ALTHOUGH IT WAS NOT A SURPRISE. NO ONE HAS 
FORGOTTEN THE LINE OF CONDUCT CONDOLEEZZA RICE SUGGESTED OVER 
IRAQ: `PUNISH FRANCE, IGNORE GERMANY AND FORGIVE RUSSIA.' 
TODAY, THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION SEEMS TO WANT TO PLACE 
RESTORATION OF TRANSATLANTIC TIES AT THE HEART OF BUSH'S 
SECOND TERM. ON THE FRENCH SIDE, THERE IS DESIRE FOR A `NEW 
START' AND AS FM BARNIER SAID IN AN INTERVIEW ON MONDAY IN 
LIBERATION: `IT IS IN THE U.S. INTEREST TO UNDERSTAND THAT 
NEITHER THE EUROPEANS NOR THE AMERICANS CAN DEAL WITH WORLD 
CHALLENGES ALONE.'" 
 
"RICE TAKES THE INITIATIVE" 
POPULAR RIGHT-OF-CENTER FRANCE SOIR (02/08): "THE CHOICE OF 
PARIS FOR A LANDMARK POLICY SPEECH IS NOT INNOCUOUS SINCE 
FRANCE TOOK THE LEAD AGAINST THE WAR IN IRAQ." 
 
MIDDLE EAST SUMMIT 
 
"A CEASE-FIRE: FIRST STEP TO SETTING PEACE TALKS BACK ON 
TRACK" 
PATRICK SAINT-PAUL IN RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE FIGARO (08/02): 
"SHARON SEES ABBAS AS A POTENTIAL PARTNER. NEVERTHELESS THE 
SUMMIT WILL BE MORE SYMBOLIC THAN ANYTHING ELSE. IT WILL MARK 
THE BEGINNING OF NEW CONSULTATIONS, BUT PEACE WILL NOT BE ON 
TRACK YET. THE U.S. SEEMS READY TO GET INVOLVED ONCE AGAIN: AN 
INVITATION TO WASHINGTON FOR ABBAS AND SHARON WAS MADE AND THE 
NOMINATION OF A U.S. MONITOR FOR SECURITY IN THE REGION WAS 
ANNOUNCED. ABBAS AND SHARON CAN BECOME PARTNERS FOR PEACE, BUT 
ONLY IF THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION FORCES THEM TO." 
 
"ASSETS" 
GERARD DUPUY IN LEFT-OF-CENTER LIBERATION (02/08): "WE SHOULD 
NOT EXPECT TOO MUCH FROM TODAY'S SUMMIT IN SHARM EL-SHEIK. WE 
MUST NOT ASSUME THAT ARAFAT WAS THE OBSTACLE TO PEACE. THE 
CONTRADICTIONS WHICH MADE THE OSLO ACCORDS FAIL WERE REAL 
CONTRADICTIONS. THESE NEED TO BE OVERCOME. PRESIDENT BUSH MADE 
THE TOPPLING OF SADDAM AND HIS REGIME A NECESSARY CONDITION TO 
DEMOCRATIZATION IN THE MIDDLE EAST. TODAY, PEACE IN THE MIDDLE 
EAST CONFLICT APPEARS TO BE A PREAMBLE TO WASHINGTON'S 
DISENGAGEMENT FROM IRAQ. BUSH'S SUPPORT FOR THE PEACE EFFORT 
CARRIES ITS OWN ULTERIOR MOTIVES. THE BEST ASSET OF THE SUMMIT 
IS TODAY'S LARGE SPECTRUM OF POLITICAL SUPPORTERS FOR THE 
CREATION OF A PALESTINIAN STATE. AND THE FACT THAT AMONG THE 
PALESTINIANS SO MANY ARE DOUBTING THAT ARMED STRUGGLE IS THE 
BEST WAY TO CREATE A VIABLE PALESTINIAN STATE." 
 
"PEACE TO BE PLAYED OUT IN EGYPT" 
HENRI VERNET IN POPULAR RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE PARISIEN (02/08): 
"SHOULD WE EXPECT A MIRACLE? WHO KNOWS? BUT THE FACT IS THAT 
THIS SUMMIT MARKS A DECISIVE AND SYMBOLIC TURNING POINT. LET 
US THEN AVOID TRIUMPHANT ATTITUDES BUT LET US ALSO BE 
DECIDEDLY OPTIMISTIC. MANY THINGS HAVE CHANGED. INCLUDING THE 
ARRIVAL OF A NEW SECRETARY OF STATE WHO IS RE-DISCOVERING 
MULTILATERALISM. WHILE ARAFAT WAS NOT SOMEONE WASHINGTON 
WANTED TO SPEAK TO, (CONTRARY TO FM BARNIER, RICE DID NOT 
DEPOSIT FLOWERS ON HIS TOMB) ABBAS IS A PROPER INTERLOCUTOR. 
HE HAS BEEN INVITED TO WASHINGTON. FACED WITH THE AMERICAN 
BULLDOZER, FM BARNIER IS TRYING TO MAKE FRANCE AND THE 
EUROPEAN UNION EXIST." LEACH