US embassy cable - 05PARIS985

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PARIS 000985 
 
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 - LEBANON: ASSASSINATION OF 
HARIRI - SYRIA KYOTO U.S - EUROPEAN RELATIONS 
PARIS - WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2005 
 
(A) SUBJECTS COVERED IN TODAY'S REPORT: 
 
1. LEBANON: ASSASSINATION OF HARIRI - SYRIA 
2. KYOTO 
3. U.S - EUROPEAN RELATIONS 
 
B) SUMMARY OF COVERAGE: 
 
EXECUTIVE LIFE IS TODAY'S TOP HEADLINE STORY, WITH LE FIGARO, 
LA TRIBUNE AND LES ECHOS REPORTING THAT FRANCE IS READY TO PAY 
THE CALIFORNIA INSURANCE COMMISSION BETWEEN 525 AND 600 
MILLION DOLLARS TO AVOID A CIVIL SUIT. 
 
THE SECOND STORY ELICITING MUCH COMMENTARY IS THE AFTERMATH OF 
HARIRI'S ASSASSINATION IN LEBANON, WITH QUESTIONS ABOUT 
SYRIA'S INVOLVEMENT, AND THE IMPLICATIONS FOR LEBANON'S 
ELECTIONS. (SEE PART C) 
 
AS THE KYOTO PROTOCOL GOES INTO EFFECT TODAY, MANY REPORTS AND 
COMMENTARIES ANALYZE THE IMPACT OF ITS IMPLEMENTATION, 
"WITHOUT THE GREATEST POLLUTER OF THEM ALL, THE U.S" AS WELL 
AS THE TEATY'S LIMITATIONS. OVERALL, MOST AGREE "IT WAS ABOUT 
TIME." (SEE PART C) IN CATHOLIC LA CROIX, FORMER SOCIALIST 
PRIME MINISTER LAURENT FABIUS PENS AN OP-ED IN WHICH HE CALLS 
FOR "ACTION RATHER THAN WORDS." "WE MUST REJOICE OVER THE 
KYOTO PROTOCOL'S IMPLEMENTATION, EVEN IF IT IS ONLY PARTIAL 
AND COMES LATE. BUT WHAT IS IMPORTANT IS TO ACT. INCLUDING IN 
FRANCE, WHERE THERE IS A MAJOR DISCREPANCY BETWEEN PRESIDENT 
CHIRAC'S WORDS AND FRANCE'S REDUCED ENVIRONMENTAL BUDGET, 
WHICH HAS EARNED US LAST PLACE IN EUROPE." 
 
RIGHT-OF-CENTER LES ECHOS INTERVIEWS DEFENSE MINISTER ALLIOT- 
MARIE: "THE TRANSATLANTIC RELATIONSHIP IS FUNDAMENTAL FOR US, 
ESPECIALLY IN DEFENSE MATTERS. AND NATO IS JUST AS IMPORTANT 
FOR HOW WE CONCEIVE EUROPE'S DEFENSE. I DO NOT BELIEVE THERE 
IS A NEED FOR FRANCE TO RE-ENGAGE IN NATO. FRANCE IS A FULL 
CONTRIBUTOR TO NATO. EUROPE'S DEFENSE INITIATIVE IS ALSO A 
PLUS FOR NATO BECAUSE IF WE ARE STRONGER, WE CAN MORE EASILY 
TAKE OUR PLACE IN NATO OPERATIONS. EUROPE'S DEFENSE IS NOT 
IMPLEMENTED AGAINST NATO. THERE WAS AN ERROR IN THE MINDS OF 
SOME AMERICANS. WHICH HAS BEEN CLEARED UP." 
 
DANIEL VERNET IN LEFT-OF-CENTER LE MONDE PREVIEWS PRESIDENT 
BUSH'S TRIP TO EUROPE AND SAYS EUROPEANS NEED TO FIND 
AGREEMENT ON THEIR MESSAGES TO THE PRESIDENT IN ORDER TO BE 
TAKEN SERIOUSLY. 
 
(C) SUPPORTING TEXT/BLOCK QUOTES: 
LEBANON: ASSASSINATION OF HARIRI - SYRIA 
 
"WASHINGTON WANTS TO PUNISH SYRIA" 
PHILIPPE GELIE IN RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE FIGARO (02/16): 
"WASHINGTON DOES NOT KNOW WHO IS BEHIND HARIRI'S 
ASSASSINATION, BUT IT HAS FOUND A TARGET FOR ITS ANGER: SYRIA. 
IN THE EYES OF THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION, SYRIA HAS ENOUGH 
FAULTS TO WARRANT WASHINGTON'S ANGER AND TO PAY FOR THE 
CONSEQUENCES OF THIS ASSASSINATION, WHETHER IT IS BEHIND IT OR 
NOT. IF WASHINGTON'S STANCE BECOMES HARSHER, ESPECIALLY WITH 
ITS SYRIA ACCOUNTABILITY ACT, ONE MAY CONCLUDE THAT EL-ASSAD 
HAS MADE THE WORST POSSIBLE POLICY CHOICE VIS-A-VIS 
WASHINGTON. THE LIST OF CONFLICTS WAS ALREADY LONG. BUT NOW 
THAT THE PEACE PROCESS IN THE MIDDLE EAST IS COMING OUT OF ITS 
COMA, SYRIA'S AMBIVALENCE IS MAKING AMERICANS AND ISRAELIS 
VERY NERVOUS." 
 
"WHY WAS HARIRI KILLED?" 
ALEXANDRE ADLER IN RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE FIGARO (02/16): "THE 
U.S. AND FRANCE WILL PROBABLY NOT GIVE UP ON THEIR UN 
RESOLUTION AGAINST DAMASCUS. AND SO THE ONLY CONCLUSION ONE 
CAN ARRIVE AT IS THAT (BEHIND THIS ASSASSINATION) THERE IS THE 
IN-FIGHTING FOR POWER IN DAMASCUS. OUR TEMPORARY CONCLUSION IS 
THAT THE TARGET BEHIND HARIRI'S TERRIBLE ASSASSINATION IS 
BACHAR EL-ASSAD AND DAMASCUS'S MODERATES. THE ASSASSINATION 
ANNOUNCES A MAJOR STRATEGIC BREAK BETWEEN TWO OLD ALLIES: 
SYRIA AND IRAN. THE ONE CANNOT ACCEPT THE FACT THAT IRAQ HAS 
FALLEN INTO THE HANDS OF THE SHIITES AND THE OTHER CANNOT HELP 
BUT GIVE IT ITS SUPPORT, MORE FOR REASONS OF TRADITION THAN 
FOR REASONS OF STRATEGY." 
 
KYOTO 
"CONSERVATION" 
PATRICK SABATIER IN LEFT-OF-CENTER LIBERATION (02/16): 
"REPHRASING A FAMOUS SAYING, IT IS A SMALL STEP FOR DIPLOMACY 
AND A BIG STEP FOR MANKIND. THE KYOTO PROTOCOL'S GESTATION WAS 
LONG AND PAINFUL. AFTER TWENTY YEARS, SOME POLITICIANS 
-PRESIDENT BUSH THE FIRST OF MANY - ARE STILL NOT CONVINCED OF 
THE URGENCY OF THE MATTER. WE CANNOT EXPECT MIRACLES FROM 
KYOTO, AT BEST IT IS A FIRST STEP. MODERN SOCIETIES ARE BUILT 
ON THE CONSUMPTION OF NATURAL RESOURCES, WITH THE U.S. SHOWING 
THE WAY. THE POLITICAL REVOLUTION WILL BE TO IMPOSE THE NEED 
TO MASTER ENERGY CONSUMPTION AND TO BASE ALL POLICIES ON THE 
NEED TO CONSERVE ENERGY RESOURCES. IN THIS ERA, BEING 
CONSERVATIVE IS REALLY REVOLUTIONARY." 
 
"KYOTO, FINALLY" 
LEFT-OF-CENTER LE MONDE IN ITS EDITORIAL (02/16): "THINGS ARE 
CHANGING IN THE U.S. THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION IS GOING TO HAVE 
TO COME TO TERMS WITH ITS ISOLATION ON THE INTERNATIONAL ARENA 
- SOMETHING PRESIDENT BUSH IS FAMILIAR WITH - BUT ALSO WITH 
AMERICAN PUBLIC OPINION. PRESIDENT CHIRAC'S GOAL IS TO INCLUDE 
THE U.S. IN THE FIGHT AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE IN SPITE OF HIS 
OBVIOUS DISREGARD FOR THIS ISSUE." 
 
U.S -EU RELATIONS 
 
"THE EU 25 AND THE BUSH REVOLUTION" 
DANIEL VERNET IN LEFT-OF-CENTER LE MONDE (02/16): "THE 
EUROPEANS HAVE A PRETTY GOOD IDEA OF WHAT PRESIDENT BUSH WILL 
TELL THEM NEXT WEEK. SECRETARY RICE ALREADY GAVE THEM A 
PREVIEW OF THE MAJOR THEMES. ALONG WITH THE PRESIDENT'S 
INAUGURAL SPEECH, THESE TWO TEXTS SUMMARIZE THE NEO- 
CONSERVATIVE RHETORIC OF THE ADMINISTRATION. ARROGANCE. HAS 
BEEN REPLACED WITH RECONCILIATION AND DIALOGUE WITH THE 
EUROPEANS. BUT THE FUNDAMENTALS REMAIN THE SAME. THE U.S. IS 
NOT A NATION OF STATUS QUOS. IT WANTS TO CHANGE THE WORLD AND 
DO AWAY WITH TYRANNIES. WHAT IS NEW IS THAT THE U.S. WANTS TO 
DO IT WITH EUROPE. AND THAT THE U.S. RECOGNIZES IT NEEDS THE 
EUROPEANS. THE TIME HAS COME NOW FOR THE EUROPEANS TO ANSWER 
THE AMERICANS. PRESIDENT BUSH IS COMING TO EUROPE, NOT TO 
REPEAT WHAT HE AND CONDOLEEZZA RICE HAVE ALREADY SAID, BUT TO 
LISTEN TO WHAT THE EUROPEANS HAVE TO SAY. THE EUROPEANS ARE 
FOR THE MOST PART AGAINST THE TYPE OF IDEOLOGICAL LANGUAGE 
PRESIDENT BUSH USES. FOR THEM, DEFENDING THE STATUS QUO IS A 
NATURAL. IT IS A TOKEN OF STABILITY. THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION 
DISTURBS THE EUROPEANS, WITH ITS MIX OF CHRISTIAN LANGUAGE AND 
DEMOCRATIC MESSIANISM. WITH ALL THIS, ONE WONDERS WHETHER RE- 
SHAPING THE TRANSATLANTIC RELATIONSHIP IN DEPTH WILL BE A 
REALITY OR JUST SOMETHING DONE ON THE SURFACE. IF THE EU HOPES 
TO BE TAKEN SERIOUSLY BY THE U.S. PRESIDENT, ALL OF ITS 
MEMBERS NEED TO MEET AND AGREE ON WHAT THEY WILL SAY TO HIM. 
THEY HAVE A WEEK TO DO IT." LEACH