US embassy cable - 05PARIS1011

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PARIS 001011 
 
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 - SYRIA U.S. 
DIPLOMACY 
PARIS - THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2005 
 
 
(A) SUBJECTS COVERED IN TODAY'S REPORT: 
 
1. LEBANON - SYRIA 
2. U.S. DIPLOMACY 
 
B) SUMMARY OF COVERAGE: 
 
FRONT PAGES ARE OVERWHELMINGLY DEVOTED TO THE LEBANESE 
PEOPLE'S ANGER TOWARD SYRIA AFTER THE ASSASSINATION OF RAFIK 
HARIRI: "ANTI-SYRIAN ANGER" (LE FIGARO); "ANTI-SYRIAN REVOLT" 
(LIBERATION); "ANGER RISING IN BEIRUT AGAINST SYRIA" (LA 
CROIX); "LEBANON REBELS AGAINST SYRIA" (FRANCE SOIR). 
 
IN COMMENTARIES, EDITORS EMPHASIZE SYRIA'S AMBIGUOUS PAST, THE 
DANGERS FOR THE MIDDLE EAST PEACE PROCESS AND THE NEW ALLIANCE 
BETWEEN PARIS AND WASHINGTON OVER THE UN RESOLUTION ON SYRIA. 
(SEE PART C) 
 
IN POPULAR RIGHT-OF-CENTER FRANCE SOIR RESEARCHER BARAH MIKAIL 
OF IRIS (INSTITUTE FOR INTERNATIONAL AND STRATEGIC RELATIONS) 
SAYS: "MANY PLAYERS IN THE REGION CAN PROFIT FROM 
DESTABILIZING LEBANON. OUT OF ALL OF THESE, SYRIA IS THE ONE 
THAT HAS THE LEAST TO GAIN FROM THIS ASSASSINATION. IT IS VERY 
INTERESTING TO SEE HOW PARIS AND WASHINGTON DEAL WITH SYRIA 
AND WHY. WITH THE UN RESOLUTION, PARIS WANTS TO IMPOSE THE EU 
AS A PLAYER IN THE MIDDLE EAST; THIS IS WHY IT IS TRYING TO 
GET CLOSE TO THE U.S. IN THE REGION. FOR THEIR PART, THE 
AMERICANS AREN'T VERY INTERESTED IN WHAT HAPPENS IN LEBANON. 
BUT THEY ARE INCREASING THEIR PRESSURE ON DAMASCUS BECAUSE OF 
SYRIA'S INFLUENCE OVER IRAQ. IRAQ IS THEIR PRIORITY. THE 
CRISIS IN LEBANON GIVES THEM A PRETEXT TO BARE THEIR TEETH." 
IN LEFT-OF-CENTER LIBERATION, LEBANON'S FORMER PRESIDENT, 
AMINE GEMAYEL SAYS: "ONE CAN SIN THROUGH THOUGHT, ACTION OR 
OMISSION. IF SYRIA DID NOT SIN BY ITS ACTIONS, IT CERTAINLY 
HAS COMMITTED THE SIN OF OMISSION." 
 
IN LEFT-OF-CENTER WEEKLY LE NOUVEL OBSERVATEUR EDITORIALIST 
JEAN DANIEL COMMENTS ON SECRETARY RICE'S SPEECH IN PARIS AND 
AMERICA'S DESIRE TO "CHANGE THE WORLD." (SEE PART C) 
 
ALSO IN LE NOUVEL OBSERVATEUR CORRESPONDENT VINCENT JAUVERT 
WRITES A REPORT ON THE BUSH-CHIRAC RELATIONSHIP, WHICH HE 
CALLS: "CORDIAL MISTRUST." IN REGIONAL OUEST FRANCE, PIERRE DE 
CHARENTENAY WRITES ABOUT THE FUNDAMENTAL DIFFERENCES BETWEEN 
AMERICA AND EUROPE: "SINCE WE ARE ON SUCH DIFFERENT PATHS, HOW 
CAN DIALOGUE BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES AND FRANCE BE SERENE?" 
(SEE PART C) 
 
(C) SUPPORTING TEXT/BLOCK QUOTES: 
 
LEBANON - SYRIA 
 
"SYRIA'S POWER PLAY" 
GERARD DUPUY IN LEFT-OF-CENTER LIBERATION (02/17): "THE 
SYRIANS KNOW EXACTLY WHAT THE LEBANESE THINK ABOUT THEM. 
DAMASCUS'S INTENTION WAS PROBABLY TO PREVENT THE LEBANESE FROM 
MAKING THEIR FEELINGS KNOWN IN THE COMING ELECTIONS. THE 
LEBANESE GOVERNMENT'S REJECTION OF AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE 
ASSASSINATION WILL NOT QUELL THE ALMOST UNANIMOUS ACCUSATIONS 
AGAINST SYRIA. ALMOST UNANIMOUS, BECAUSE THE ANGER AND 
INDIGNATION FELT ALL AROUND HAS NOT DETERRED THE RUSSIAN 
DEFENSE MINISTER FROM CONFIRMING THE SALE OF CONTROVERSIAL 
WEAPONS TO DAMASCUS, OR THE IRANIAN VICE-PRESIDENT TO EXPRESS 
HIS SOLIDARITY WITH SYRIA. THIS IS JUST A REMINDER THAT THE 
SYRIANS HAVE ALWAYS KNOWN HOW TO USE THE REGIONAL POLITICAL 
PLAYERS TO THEIR OWN END. WITH THE IRAQI ELECTIONS OVER, THE 
SHIITE MOVEMENT MAY WELL NOW HAVE AT ITS DISPOSAL TERRITORIAL 
CONTINUITY STRETCHING FROM KHORASSAN TO THE BEKAA VALLEY. IT 
IS CLEAR THAT THE ASSASSINATION OF HARIRI, FOR THE 
PERPETRATORS THEMSELVES, HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH A LOCAL CRIME, 
BUT IS RATHER A FORM OF REGIONAL BLACKMAIL IN THE MIDDLE EAST. 
SYRIA CAN STILL PROVE ITS INNOCENCE BY COMPLYING WITH 
RESOLUTION 1559. OTHERWISE THE WEST WILL HAVE TO PUT ITS MONEY 
WHERE ITS MOUTH IS." 
"RE-ACQUAINTANCE" 
BRUNO FRAPPAT IN CATHOLIC LA CROIX (02/17): "IT IS MUCH TOO 
SOON TO SAY WHETHER HARIRI'S FUNERAL WILL MARK THE BEGINNING 
OF SYRIA'S WITHDRAWAL FROM LEBANON AND LEBANON'S RE- 
ACQUAINTANCE WITH ITSELF. HARIRI'S DEATH HAS ALSO ALLOWED 
FRANCE AND THE U.S. TO RE-AFFIRM THEIR ENTENTE OVER THE ONLY 
POSSIBLE OUTCOME TO THE CRISIS: SYRIA'S DEPARTURE. BUT SYRIA 
IS A HEREDITARY DICTATORSHIP, AND DICTATORSHIPS, ONCE THEY ARE 
LOCKED IN THEIR BUNKERS, HAVE A HARD TIME LISTENING." 
 
U.S. DIPLOMACY 
 
"CHANGING THE WORLD" 
JEAN DANIEL IN LEFT-OF-CENTER WEEKLY LE NOUVEL OBSERVATEUR 
(02/17): "THE PHRASE I FOUND MOST REVEALING IN SECRETARY 
RICE'S SPEECH IN PARIS WAS HER LYRICAL CALL `TO CHANGE THE 
WORLD.' AT THAT POINT I BEGAN TO UNDERSTAND WHAT DONALD 
RUMSFELD MEANT WHEN HE SPOKE ABOUT `OLD EUROPE.' IT IS TRUE 
THAT EUROPEANS WANT TO PROTECT AND REFORM THE WORLD, NOT 
CHANGE IT. SECRETARY RICE'S MESSIANIC FAITH IN DEMOCRACY AND 
HER DETERMINATION TO SAVE THE WORLD BY EXPORTING DEMOCRACY 
ILLUSTRATE HOW MUCH OF AN AMERICAN SHE IS. SHE DOES CONCEDE 
THAT DEMOCRACY CANNOT BE `IMPOSED' FROM THE OUTSIDE. BUT THIS 
IS JUST A TRICK., BECAUSE ONE CAN ALWAYS FIND A GROUP OF 
OPPONENTS TO SUPPORT AND DECIDE THEY ARE A REPRESENTATIVE 
GROUP. WHILE SECRETARY RICE IS RIGHT TO SHOW SATISFACTION FOR 
THE FREE ELECTIONS IN AFGHANISTAN, PALESTINE AND IRAQ, SHE DID 
NOT SAY WHETHER THE LOSS OF HUMAN LIVES AND THE TRAUMA MIGHT 
HAVE BEEN LESSENED. MOSTLY SHE FORGOT TO SAY WHETHER THE 
LEADERS OF A NATION WHO HAVE LIED. ARE THE BEST PLACED TO PUT 
THEMSELVES FORWARD AS AN EXAMPLE TO CIVILIZATIONS DEEMED TO BE 
INFERIOR." 
 
"AMERICAN ASSERTION AND EUROPEAN DOUBTS" 
PIERRE DE CHARENTENAY IN REGIONAL OUEST-FRANCE (02/17): "SINCE 
WE ARE ON SUCH DIFFERENT PATHS, HOW CAN DIALOGUE BETWEEN THE 
UNITED STATES AND FRANCE BE SERENE? IN FACT NOT ONLY ARE WE 
SEPARATED BY DIFFERENT POLICIES, WE ARE ALSO SEPARATED BY 
DIFFERENT CULTURES, ON ONE SIDE ACTION AND ON THE OTHER SIDE 
INTROSPECTION AND DISCUSSION, WITH ALL THE HESITATIONS THAT 
COME WITH THEM. THIS DOESN'T MEAN THAT AMERICAN CERTAINTY HAS 
A BETTER FUTURE TO OFFER THAN EUROPEAN DOUBTS. THE ISOLATION 
OF THE UNITED STATES WILL ONLY LEAD TO AN OVERLOAD OF 
RESPONSIBILITIES. MANY BOOKS HAVE ALREADY PREDICTED, MAYBE A 
BIT SOON, THE END OF AMERICA'S LEADERSHIP. CONVERSELY, 
EUROPEAN UNCERTAINTIES ARE BUILT ON LAW AND EXPECTATIONS FOR A 
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT WHICH ARE THE CORNERSTONES FOR 
BUILDING THE FUTURE, AND ON A SENSE OF COMMUNITY THAT OFFERS A 
LIFESTYLE THAT SO MANY STRIVE FOR. BY REFUSING THE PATH TO 
POWER, THE EUROPEANS ARE PROBABLY CHOOSING THE ONE TO 
ENDURANCE. BEFORE NEXT WEEK'S MEETING BETWEEN THE UNITED 
STATES AND FRANCE, ONE CAN MAKE TWO PROPOSALS: THAT THE UNITED 
STATES WONDER ABOUT ITS DREAM AND THAT EUROPE MAKE NO SECRET 
OF ITS WILLINGNESS TO ACT WITH MORE DETERMINATION."  LEACH