US embassy cable - 05PARIS1344

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 PARIS 001344 
 
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 - IRAQ - FRENCH HOSTAGE - 
VIDEOTAPE MIDDLE EAST - LEBANON - SYRIA - GREATER MIDDLE EAST 
U.S. - EU AND THE TRANSATLANTIC ALLIANCE 
PARIS - WEDNESDAY, MARCH 02, 2005 
 
 
(A) SUBJECTS COVERED IN TODAY'S REPORT: 
 
1. IRAQ - FRENCH HOSTAGE - VIDEOTAPE 
2. MIDDLE EAST - LEBANON - SYRIA - GREATER MIDDLE EAST 
3. U.S. - EU AND THE TRANSATLANTIC ALLIANCE 
 
B) SUMMARY OF COVERAGE: 
 
TODAY'S FRONT PAGES ARE OVERWHELMINGLY DEVOTED TO FLORENCE 
AUBENAS, THE FRENCH LIBERATION JOURNALIST HELD HOSTAGE IN 
IRAQ. YESTERDAY, THE VIDEOTAPE SHOWN TO THE PUBLIC WAS THE 
FIRST INDICATION THAT THE KIDNAPPED JOURNALIST WAS ALIVE. 
 
A NUMBER OF EDITORIALS COMMENT ON THE MESSAGE READ BY AUBENAS 
AND ON THE POSSIBILITY OF NEGOTIATIONS BY THE FRENCH 
GOVERNMENT. NATIONAL ASSEMBLY MEMBER DIDIER JULIA, THE 
CONTROVERSIAL FIGURE WHO WAS INVOLVED IN THE PREVIOUS CHESNOT 
AND MALBRUNOT NEGOTIATIONS, IS BACK IN THE NEWS, WITH AUBENAS 
CITING HIM IN HER MESSAGE. (SEE PART C) POPULAR RIGHT-OF- 
CENTER FRANCE SOIR CARRIES A SPECIAL 5-PAGE REPORT BY THOMAS 
DE ROCHECHOUART FROM AMMAN, IN WHICH THE CORRESPONDENT 
EXPLAINS HOW THE VIDEOTAPE WAS FIRST OFFERED TO FRANCE SOIR BY 
THE ISLAMIC ARMY, WHICH CLAIMS TO BE HOLDING AUBENAS, BEFORE 
BEING GIVEN TO AL-JAZIRA. FRANCE SOIR WAS ULTIMATELY ONLY 
GIVEN A COMMUNIQU  WHICH IS REPRODUCED IN TRANSLATION: 
".CONTRARY TO WHAT THE MEDIA REPORTED AT THE TIME OF THE 
CHESNOT AND MALBRUNOT LIBERATION, IT WAS NOT FM BARNIER'S 
INTERVENTION, OR THAT OF THE AMERICANS. WHICH BROUGHT ABOUT 
THEIR LIBERATION. IT WAS JULIA'S INITIATIVE. WE REITERATE OUR 
REQUEST TO FRANCE TO STAY AWAY FROM IRAQ, BECAUSE THE 
SITUATION DOES NOT WARRANT IT." 
 
TWO COLUMNS, IN LE FIGARO AND LES ECHOS, EMPHASIZE THE ROLE OF 
"A DEMOCRATIC AWAKENING" IN THE MIDDLE EAST AS PARTLY 
RESPONSIBLE FOR LEBANON'S "CEDAR REVOLUTION." FOR ALEXANDRE 
ADLER IN LE FIGARO, THE ELECTIONS IN AFGHANISTAN, THE U.S. 
VICTORY IN IRAQ AND EVENTS IN PALESTINE "CREATED A CHAIN 
REACTION IN A REGION WHERE THE STATUS QUO OF OLD REGIMES IS NO 
LONGER TOLERATED." FOR JACQUES HUBERT-RODIER IN LES ECHOS, 
"WASHINGTON MAY BE REACHING ITS GOAL IN THE GREATER MIDDLE 
EAST." (SEE PART C) 
 
LEFT-OF-CENTER LE MONDE CARRIES AN ANALYSIS ON THE PROPOSAL OF 
A EUROPEAN CAUCUS WITHIN NATO BY DANIEL VERNET TITLED 
"ORGANIZING THE DIALOGUE BETWEEN THE U.S. AND EUROPE." (SEE 
PART C) 
 
THE DECISION BY THE U.S. SUPREME COURT TO BAR CAPITAL 
PUNISHMENT FOR MINORS IS REPORTED. RADIO COMMENTATOR DOMINIQUE 
BROMBERGER SAID ON FRANCE INTER THAT "THIS WAS A BREAKTHROUGH 
FOR DEATH PENALTY ABOLITIONISTS." REGIONAL OUEST FRANCE 
COMMENTED: "THOSE WHO OPPOSE THE DEATH PENALTY SCORED A GREAT 
VICTORY YESTERDAY IN THE UNITED STATES. IN THAT COUNTRY, WHICH 
REMAINS ONE OF THE LAST TO EXECUTE ITS JUVENILE CRIMINALS, THE 
SUPREME COURT ABOLISHED THE DEATH PENALTY FOR THOSE UNDER 18 
YEARS OLD. THIS ADVANCE MADE BY THE COURT ALSO REFLECTS A 
GENERAL DECLINE OF THE DEATH PENALTY IN THE UNITED STATES. 
WHILE THE MAJORITY OF AMERICANS REMAIN FAVORABLE, DEATH 
SENTENCES AS WELL AS EXECUTIONS HAVE DECREASED SINCE 1999." 
 
REPORTS ON THE LONDON PALESTINIAN AID CONFERENCE INDICATE THAT 
"THE PRESENCE OF SECRETARY RICE AND UN SECRETARY GENERAL KOFI 
ANNAN GAVE SUBSTANCE TO THE CONFERENCE." (LIBERATION.) IN LE 
FIGARO, PAUL CECONI REPORTS ON FM BARNIER'S PROPOSAL FOR AN 
INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON THE MIDDLE EAST, "DURING THE 
SECOND HALF OF 2005." HE COMMENTS: "THE PROPOSAL WAS NOT 
ACKNOWLEDGED BY THE U.S. BECAUSE IT CLASHES WITH WASHINGTON'S 
AMBITION TO CONTROL THE MIDDLE EAST AGENDA." 
(C) SUPPORTING TEXT/BLOCK QUOTES: 
 
IRAQ - FRENCH HOSTAGE - VIDEOTAPE 
"50 SECONDS" 
ANTOINE GAUDEMAR IN LEFT-OF-CENTER LIBERATION (03/02): "THE 
HARSH AND CRUEL FIFTY SECONDS OF THE TAPE ARE AN INDICATION OF 
THE CONDITIONS UNDER WHICH AUBENAS IS BEING HELD. FIFTY 
SECONDS WHICH GIVE NO PRECISE INFORMATION ON THE KIDNAPERS, OR 
THEIR DEMANDS. ON THE CONTRARY, THE MESSAGE COMPLICATES EVEN 
MORE THEIR SADISTIC SKEIN, WITH THE MENTION OF DIDIER JULIA, 
WHICH IS IN ITSELF AN INDICATION THAT AUBENAS'S MESSAGE WAS 
DICTATED TO HER BY HER KIDNAPPERS. BUT THESE 50 SECONDS ARE 
ALSO THE SIGN THAT A NEGOTIATION MAY HAVE BEGUN BETWEEN THE 
KIDNAPERS AND THE FRENCH AUTHORITIES." 
 
MIDDLE EAST - LEBANON - SYRIA - GREATER MIDDLE EAST 
 
"THE CEDAR REVOLUTION VERSUS `PAX SYRIANA'" 
JACQUES HUBERT-RODIER IN RIGHT-OF-CENTER LES ECHOS (03/02): 
"SYRIA IS TODAY IN THE EYES OF THE LEBANESE OPPOSITION, OF 
WASHINGTON AND PARIS, THE MAIN SUSPECT BEHIND HARIRI'S DEATH. 
THE FIRST ERROR OF APPRECIATION WHICH EL-ASSAD MADE WAS ABOUT 
THE TOPPLING OF SADDAM HUSSEIN AND THE PRESENCE OF THE 
COALITION TROOPS AT SYRIA'S DOOR. WASHINGTON NEVER DENIED THAT 
SYRIA WAS IN ITS LINE OF FIRE. AND THE OPPOSITION MOVEMENT IN 
BEIRUT MAY WELL BECOME THE SYMBOL OF WASHINGTON'S FINAL 
OBJECTIVE OF BRINGING DEMOCRACY TO THE MIDDLE EAST. ELECTIONS 
HAVE TAKEN PLACE IN IRAQ AND IN PALESTINE. EGYPT IS ALSO ON 
THE MOVE. ANOTHER NEGATIVE SIGN FOR DAMASCUS IS THE ALLIANCE 
BETWEEN PRESIDENTS BUSH AND CHIRAC AGAINST DAMASCUS, IN SPITE 
OF THEIR OPPOSITION ON IRAQ, AND EVEN IF THEIR MOTIVATIONS ARE 
NOT IDENTICAL. FEBRUARY 28, 2005 WILL BE REMEMBERED AS THE 
FIRST TIME AN ARAB REGIME HAS BEEN TOPPLED BY THE POWER OF THE 
STREET." 
 
"CHAIN REACTION" 
ALEXANDRE ADLER IN RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE FIGARO (03/02): "THE 
VICTORY BY THE LEBANESE OPPOSITION OPENS THE DOOR TO RESOLVING 
THE CRISIS WITH SYRIA'S REGIME. UNKNOWINGLY, THE U.S. AND IRAN 
FIND THEMSELVES ON THE SAME SIDE. THE LEBANESE REVOLUTION IS 
THE RESULT OF A CHAIN REACTION OF EVENTS, WHICH INCLUDE THE 
SUCCESS OF THE ELECTIONS IN AFGHANISTAN, DUE MOSTLY TO A 
CONVERGENCE BETWEEN U.S. AND IRANIAN POLICIES, TO IRAQ'S 
SHIITES AND KURDS MAKING USE OF THE DEMOCRATIC POTENTIAL 
OFFERED BY THE U.S. VICTORY IN IRAQ. AND TO EVENTS IN 
PALESTINE. THE DOUBLE INFLUENCE OF THE U.S. MILITARY THREAT 
AND IRAN'S PRESSURE HAS LED TO A TURNAROUND IN DAMASCUS AND 
SYRIA ABANDONING THE LEBANESE REGIME." 
 
U.S. - EU AND THE TRANSATLANTIC ALLIANCE 
 
"U.S. - EU AND THE TRANSATLANTIC ALLIANCE" 
DANIEL VERNET IN LEFT-OF-CENTER LE MONDE (03/02): "THE MORE 
EUROPE MOVES TOWARDS INTEGRATION, THE MORE THE EU DEVELOPS ITS 
JOINT SECURITY AND DEFENSE POLICY, AND THE MORE IT BEGINS TO 
ASSUME THE BURDEN OF POLITICAL AND MILITARY TASKS, THE MORE IT 
SHOULD, AS A UNION, BECOME AN INTERLOCUTOR FOR THE U.S. IN 
OTHER WORDS THE AMERICANS WILL HAVE IN FRONT OF THEM LESS OF A 
MULTITUDE OF INDIVIDUAL PARTNERS AND MORE OF A STRUCTURED 
ENTITY. WHILE IT WILL NOT BE A RIVAL, BY SIMPLE VIRTUE OF THE 
DISCREPANCY IN FORCES, THE INFLUENCE THAT THE EU WILL CARRY AS 
A UNION WILL BE GREATER THAN THE WEIGHT OF THE SUM OF ITS 
MEMBERS. FOR THIS NOT TO REMAIN IN THE SPHERE OF POLITICAL 
FICTION, THE 25 NEED TO AGREE AMONG THEMSELVES. BUT THE TRUTH 
IS THAT IN MATTERS RELATING TO NATO, EUROPEAN CONSULTATIONS 
ARE NOTHING NEW. THE U.S. HAS ALWAYS OPPOSED THE IDEA OF A 
EUROPEAN CAUCUS. FOR REASONS OF EFFECTIVENESS. BUT IN REALITY 
IT IS EASIER FOR WASHINGTON TO CONVINCE INDIVIDUAL PARTNERS 
THAN MANEUVERING WITH A EUROPE, WHICH HAS REACHED CRITICAL 
SIZE. HENCE SCHROEDER'S RELUCTANCE TO SPEAK ABOUT A CAUCUS; 
INSTEAD HE FAVORS A TRANSATLANTIC FORUM. SO DOES FRANCE. WILL 
THE AMERICANS LISTEN? FOR THE TIME BEING THEY ARE IGNORING THE 
ISSUE. THEY SEE NO REASON TO CHANGE STRUCTURES THEY CAN USE OR 
IGNORE AS THEY PLEASE. THE REAL TRANSATLANTIC PARTNERSHIP IS 
STILL AT THE BEGINNING STAGES." LEACH