US embassy cable - 05PARIS856

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PARIS 000856 
 
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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 RICE TO EUROPE 
IRAQ 
PARIS - THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2005 
 
 
(A) SUBJECTS COVERED IN TODAY'S REPORT: 
 
1. SECRETARY RICE TO EUROPE 
2. IRAQ 
 
B) SUMMARY OF COVERAGE: 
 
DOMESTIC STORIES DOMINATE TODAY'S FRONT PAGES, EXCEPT FOR LE 
FIGARO WHICH DEVOTES ITS LEAD TO THE "THREAT FROM RADICALISM" 
IN THE MIDDLE EAST, AFTER THE SHARM EL-SHEIK CEASE-FIRE 
AGREEMENT. "PUTTING THE PEACE PROCESS BACK ON TRACK WILL VERY 
MUCH DEPEND ON EXTREMISTS ON BOTH SIDES." IN LEFT-OF-CENTER 
WEEKLY LE NOUVEL OBSERVATEUR, WHICH IS DEVOTED TO THE HISTORY 
OF FRANCE'S RELATIONS WITH ISRAEL AND THE ARAB WORLD, 
EDITORIALIST JEAN DANIEL WONDERS ABOUT FRANCE AND EUROPE'S 
POSSIBLE ROLES IN THE MIDDLE EAST. "WHAT IF EUROPE COULD BE 
THE GUARANTOR OF THE FUTURE BOUNDARIES BETWEEN ISRAEL AND THE 
PALESTINIANS, NOW THAT FRANCO-ISRAELI RELATIONS HAVE IMPROVED 
AND THAT FRANCO-AMERICAN TIES ARE LESS TENSE?" 
 
SECRETARY RICE'S VISIT TO BRUSSELS, AND SECRETARY RUMSFELD'S 
 
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VISIT TO NICE ARE REPORTED. IN LE FIGARO, CORRESPONDENT 
ALEXANDRINE BOUILHET NOTES THAT "SECRETARY RICE'S TONE IN 
BRUSSELS IS HARSHER THAN WHEN SHE SPOKE IN PARIS." IN CATHOLIC 
LA CROIX EDITORIALIST BRUNO FRAPPAT COMMENTS ON THE 
"MAGISTERIAL LECTURE SHE GAVE IN PARIS" AND ON THE "A LA 
CARTE" APPROACH TO TYRANNY AND FREEDOM PRESENTED BY THE U.S.: 
"A VAST ALLIANCE OR A MORE RESTRICTED CIRCLE, DEPENDING ON 
U.S. INTERESTS." (SEE PART C) 
 
FRANCOIS HEISBOURG, DIRECTOR OF THE FOUNDATION FOR STRATEGIC 
RESEARCH, IS INTERVIEWED IN CATHOLIC LA CROIX, FURTHER TO 
SECRETARY RICE'S SPEECH ON U.S. FOREIGN POLICY: "THE GOOD NEWS 
 
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IS THAT THE AMERICANS ARE COMING WITH AN EXTENDED HAND. BUT 
THEIR VISION FOR SPREADING FREEDOM IS STILL NOT A STRATEGY. 
EUROPE AND THE U.S. STILL DIFFER ON SEVERAL ISSUES. IRAN IS 
ONE OF THEM. HERE THE EUROPEANS AND THE AMERICANS ARE SEEKING 
VERY DIFFERENT STRATEGIC GOALS. WHAT I BELIEVE IS THAT THE 
EUROPEANS CAN EXPECT A MORE DISTANT AMERICA, AND HEAVIER 
RESPONSIBILITIES FOR WHICH THEY ARE NOT PREPARED. IN THE 
MIDDLE EAST, AMERICAN POLICY IS CREATING THE CONDITIONS FOR A 
SHOCK BETWEEN CIVILIZATIONS, MADE WORSE BY GROWING HYPER- 
TERRORISM. THE EUROPEANS HAVE A CHOICE BETWEEN SUPPORTING U.S. 
POLICY AND BEING SWALLOWED BY THE SHOCK BETWEEN CIVILIZATIONS, 
OR TAKING THEIR DISTANCE, WITH THE RISK OF A SERIOUS 
TRANSATLANTIC CRISIS." 
 
REPORTING ON THE NATO SUMMIT IN NICE, ARNAUD DE LA GRANGE 
WRITES: "THE BAD BOY OF THE ALLIANCE IS HOSTING THE BIG GUYS 
OF THE MILITARY ORGANIZATION. WE CAN SPEAK ABOUT 
NORMALIZATION, BUT NOT OF FULL CONVERGENCE OF VIEWS, 
PARTICULARLY OVER IRAQ." IN HIS REPORT DE LA GRANGE QUOTES 
GUILLAUME PARMENTIER OF IFRI (FRENCH INSTITUTE ON 
INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS): "FRANCE'S POSITION IS A BALANCED 
ONE. PARIS IS NO LONGER OPPOSED TO NATO GETTING INVOLVED WHEN 
IT IS APPROPRIATE. BUT IT IS IMPORTANT TO KEEP THE ALLIANCE 
FROM BECOMING A FIG LEAF FOR AMERICAN INTERVENTIONS AROUND THE 
GLOBE." 
 
(C) SUPPORTING TEXT/BLOCK QUOTES: 
 
SECRETARY RICE TO EUROPE 
 
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"A MAGISTERIAL LECTURE" 
BRUNO FRAPPAT IN CATHOLIC LA CROIX (02/10): "A MAGISTERIAL 
LECTURE IS USEFUL ONLY IF IT IS FOLLOWED BY A PRACTICAL 
SESSION. THIS GOES FOR SECRETARY RICE'S SPEECH AT SCIENCE PO. 
WHERE SHE DEVELOPED PRESIDENT BUSH'S MESSIANIC DOCTRINE. THE 
PRINCIPLE IS FREEDOM. THE TOOL: PARTNERSHIPS. BUT THE ABSOLUTE 
PRINCIPLE FAILS WHEN GEOGRAPHICAL VARIABLES ARE PRACTICED: 
TYRANNY IN IRAN, BUT NOT IN LIBYA? TYRANNY IN SYRIA, BUT NOT 
IN CHINA? . AMERICA'S STRATEGIC DOCTRINE IS THE EXACT OPPOSITE 
OF THE UN'S UNIVERSALISM AND MULTILATERALISM, WITH ALLIANCES 
BUILT `A LA CARTE.' AT TIMES IT WILL BE A LARGE ALLIANCE, AT 
OTHERS A RESTRICTED CIRCLE, DEPENDING ON THE SITUATION AND THE 
INTERESTS AT STAKE. THIS IS THE PREROGATIVE OF THE MIGHTY: TO 
CALL ON THE OTHERS ONLY WHEN THEY CANNOT DO OTHERWISE. 
AMERICAN-STYLE PARTNERSHIP HAS TWO PILLARS: THE CONVICTION OF 
BEING RIGHT AND THE KNOWLEDGE IT IS ALL-POWERFUL. THE PARTNERS 
HAVE A CHOICE BETWEEN BEING OBEDIENT OR PRETENDING TO PROTEST. 
A GREAT LECTURE INDEED." 
 
"PRESSURE ON THE EUROPEANS" 
ALEXANDRINE BOUILHET IN RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE FIGARO (02/10): 
"AFTER PLAYING HER SOFT MUSIC IN PARIS, AMERICA'S CHIEF OF 
DIPLOMACY WENT ON THE OFFENSIVE IN BRUSSELS. RAISING ISSUES OF 
DISSENSION SUCH AS IRAN, IRAQ AND THE EMBARGO AGAINST CHINA. 
WASHINGTON THINKS THAT ON THESE THREE ISSUES EUROPE IS TOO 
SOFT, TOO COMPLAISANT, IN SHORT NOT AGGRESSIVE ENOUGH. HER 
COMMENTS ABOUT IRAN ARE A SEVERE LESSON IN DIPLOMACY ADDRESSED 
TO FRANCE, GREAT BRITAIN AND GERMANY. LATER, SECRETARY RICE 
VOICED WASHINGTON'S CONCERNS ABOUT THE LIFTING OF THE EMBARGO 
AGAINST CHINA. SHE PRESSURED THE EU, REMINDING ITS MEMBERS 
THAT THE LIFTING OF THE EMBARGO WAS `VERY ILL-PERCEIVED' BY 
THE U.S. AND JAPAN. BUT IN SPITE OF THE PRESSURE, THE EU IS 
READY TO GO AHEAD (WITH LIFTING THE EMBARGO) AFTER PRESIDENT 
BUSH'S TRIP." 
 
IRAQ 
 
"GREATNESS AND CONSTRAINTS OF AMERICA'S RISK TAKING" 
CLAUDE IMBERT IN RIGHT-OF-CENTER WEEKLY LE POINT (02/10): "THE 
IRAQIS HAVE VOTED, AND VOTED EN MASSE. IN BAGHDAD, AND AGAINST 
THE PESSIMISTIC PROGNOSIS, AMERICAN ACTIVISM HAS REGISTERED A 
FIRST WIN. THIS DOES NOT MEAN THAT THE HAPPY `RESHAPING' OF 
THE GREATER MIDDLE EAST WILL FOLLOW. BUT WE MUST ADMIT THAT 
THE ADVENTURE WHICH STARTED UNDER THE BANNER OF YET-TO-BE- 
FOUND WMD, AND WAS LATER STRATEGICALLY ILL-MANAGED, HAS NOT 
LED CHAOS. WE WILL REMEMBER THAT AMERICA'S VITALITY, CONSTANCY 
AND POWER PREVAILED. AND WE WILL LEARN NOT TO UNDERESTIMATE 
THE STRENGTH OF AMERICA'S DREAM OF `LIBERTY LIGHTING THE WAY.' 
IN IRAQ, THE DOOR IS AJAR, BUT DEMOCRACY IS NOT BEHIND THE 
DOOR. STILL THE PREMISES ARE THERE. WHAT WE CAN FEAR IS THE 
TEARING APART OF THE THREE RELIGIOUS COMMUNITIES. IF WE MUST 
ACCEPT AN INTERIM MODERATE ISLAM IN ORDER TO FINALLY BURY THE 
ISLAM OF FUNDAMENTALISTS, THEN I WILL RESIGN MYSELF TO THIS." 
LEACH