US embassy cable - 05PARIS878

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PARIS 000878 
 
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 - NORTH KOREA 
PARIS - FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2005 
 
 
(A) SUBJECTS COVERED IN TODAY'S REPORT: 
 
NORTH KOREA 
 
B) SUMMARY OF COVERAGE: 
 
THE FRONT-PAGE OF RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE FIGARO ANNOUNCES 
SECRETARY OF STATE RICE'S ROUNDTABLE YESTERDAY IN LUXEMBOURG 
 
SIPDIS 
WITH SEVERAL EUROPEAN EDITORS AND JOURNALISTS AS "WASHINGTON'S 
TRANSATLANTIC CREDO." THE FULL TRANSCRIPT IS CARRIED ON PAGE 
THREE, WHERE THE INTERVIEW'S TITLE IS A QUOTE FROM SECRETARY 
RICE: "WITH EUROPE, WE CANNOT AGREE ON EVERYTHING." 
 
ALTHOUGH FRENCH SOCIAL ISSUES AND THE EUROPEAN CONSTITUTION 
ARE MAJOR FRONT-PAGE STORIES, THE INTERNATIONAL PAGES FOCUS ON 
THE NEW THREAT FROM NORTH KOREA. LE FIGARO, LIBERATION AND LA 
CROIX DEVOTE EXTENSIVE ANALYSES TO THE REALITY OF NORTH 
KOREA'S NUCLEAR STATUS AND HOW PYONGYANG IS USING NUCLEAR 
THREAT AS A BARTERING TOOL (SEE PART C). IN LEFT-OF-CENTER 
LIBERATION BRUNO TERTRAIS OF THE FOUNDATION FOR STRATEGIC 
RESEARCH CALLS NORTH KOREA'S ATTITUDE "THE SURVIVAL WEAPON OF 
A PARANOID REGIME." 
 
A SEPARATE ARTICLE IN LE FIGARO ON NUCLEAR ISSUES RETRACES THE 
ANTAGONISM BETWEEN THE U.S. AND MOHAMMED EL-BARADEI OF THE 
INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY. 
 
LE FIGARO'S REPORT ON THE NATO DEFENSE MINISTERS MEETINGS IN 
NICE IS ENTITLED: "NATO HARD-PRESSED TO MOBILIZE AROUND IRAQ." 
"WHILE REACHING A CONSENSUS OVER AFGHANISTAN WAS EASY, IT IS 
MUCH MORE DIFFICULT WHEN IT COMES TO IRAQ. NEVERTHELESS THE 
NICE MEETING TOOK PLACE IN A MORE PEACEFUL TRANSATLANTIC 
ATMOSPHERE, AFTER THE HARSHNESS PROVOKED BY THE WAR IN IRAQ." 
 
FRENCH DEFENSE MINISTER MICHELE ALLIOT-MARIE IS QUOTED: "THAT 
EVERYBODY SHOULD LOVE ONE ANOTHER IS FUNDAMENTAL, BUT THAT 
EVERYTHING SHOULD BE FORGOTTEN, NO. I DO NOT THINK WE MUST 
FORGET, BUT I BELIEVE THAT THESE PERIODS OF TENSION HAVE FOR A 
LONG TIME BEEN PART OF OUR TRANSATLANTIC RELATIONS. OUR 
ABILITY TO OVERCOME THE DIFFERENCES WE HAVE AT TIMES IS WHAT 
MAKES OUR RELATIONSHIP STRONG." 
 
RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE FIGARO CARRIES AN OP-ED ENTITLED "BUSH- 
SHARON SUPERSTARS?" BY JEAN D'ORMESSON OF THE FRENCH ACADEMY. 
D'ORMESSON BELIEVES THE FRENCH "HAVE A TRADITION OF WRONGLY 
ASSESSING U.S. PRESIDENTS. THE WORLD MISS-READ PRESIDENT BUSH 
AND THE FRENCH WERE AT THE HEAD OF THE CLASS. IF PRESIDENT 
BUSH MANAGES TO ACHIEVE ANYTHING AKIN TO APPEASEMENT IN IRAQ 
AND BETWEEN ISRAEL AND THE PALESTINIANS, HE WILL GO FROM BEING 
AN OUTCAST TO A GREAT MAN. EVERYTHING SEEMED LOST FOR SHARON 
AND BUSH. THEY ARE BACK IN THE FOREFRONT OF HISTORY." 
 
(C) SUPPORTING TEXT/BLOCK QUOTES: 
 
NORTH KOREA 
 
"PYONGYANG'S ATOMIC THREAT" 
ARNAUD DE LA GRANGE IN RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE FIGARO (02/11): 
"THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THE NORTH-KOREANS ARE AS DIRECT AND ON 
THE OFFENSIVE. THE TONE AND THE MOMENT PICKED FOR THIS 
ESCALATION HAS SURPRISED EVERYONE. THE MAIN QUESTION IS 
DECIPHERING WHAT THESE MASTERS OF BLACKMAIL HAVE IN MIND. 
ACCORDING TO THINK TANKER BRUNO TERTRAIS, `IT IS EITHER A 
CONTINUATION OF THE NORTH KOREAN STRATEGY OF BLOWING HOT AND 
COLD, OR IT IS A STRATEGIC DECISION AFTER CONCLUDING THAT 
NEGOTIATIONS ARE LEADING NOWHERE.' THE WEST'S WORST NIGHTMARE 
IS SEEING NORTH KOREA BEGIN TO EXPORT NOT ONLY DANGEROUS 
EQUIPMENT BUT ALSO FISSILE MATERIAL TO DANGEROUS COUNTRIES. 
ARE THE NORTH KOREANS PARANOID OR VERY SKILFUL DIPLOMATS?" 
 
"DEADLY CYCLE" 
JEAN-CHRISTOPHE PLOQUIN IN CATHOLIC LA CROIX (02/11): "A 
DANGEROUS SCENARIO SEEMS TO BE TAKING SHAPE IN EAST ASIA. THE 
AFFIRMATION MADE BY NORTH KOREA THAT IT IS AN ATOMIC REGIONAL 
POWER COULD HAVE PROLIFERATION CONSEQUENCES: SOUTH KOREA AND 
JAPAN, WHO ENJOY AMERICA'S PROTECTION, MAY BEGIN TO WANDER IF 
THIS IS ENOUGH. BOTH COULD CONSIDER THEY NEED TO ACQUIRE AN 
ATOMIC ARSENAL IN ORDER TO ESTABLISH A BALANCE OF TERROR. ALL 
EYES ARE ON THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION, WHICH IS AT ODDS WITH A 
SITUATION IT HAS NO CONTROL OVER." 
 
"NORTH KOREA'S BLACKMAIL" 
BERNARD GUETTA ON GOVERNMENT-RUN FRANCE INTER RADIO (02/11): 
"THE PROBLEM OF NORTH KOREA IS SO REAL THAT NO GOVERNMENT 
CONTESTS THE SERIOUSNESS OF WHAT IS AT STAKE. THE ECONOMIC 
ISOLATION OF PYONGYANG IS SUCH A NIGHTMARE THAT THE ONLY 
POSSIBLE SOLUTION IS TO NEGOTIATE. THE U.S. KNOWS THIS. BUT IT 
IS NOT EASY TO NEGOTIATE WITH A COUNTRY THAT WANTS EVERYTHING 
AND INTENDS TO GET IT. NORTH KOREA ALSO WANTS TO BE TREATED 
PROPERLY, TO BE LISTENED TO, AND TO BE TALKED ABOUT. THIS IS 
THE MESSAGE IT HAS JUST SENT. IT IS AN ANSWER TO PRESIDENT 
BUSH WHO INCLUDED NORTH KOREA IN THE LIST OF `TYRANNIES.' NOW 
THE TWO COUNTRIES ARE IN A GAME OF RECIPROCAL DETERRENCE. ONE 
WAY OR ANOTHER NEGOTIATIONS WILL HAVE TO RESUME. BUT THERE IS 
AN ADDED DIFFICULTY: CHINA ALONE CAN HELP TO GLUE THE PIECES 
BACK TOGETHER. AND THE CHINESE WILL NOT DO IT FOR FREE: THEY 
HAVE THEIR PRICE." LEACH