US embassy cable - 05PARIS1466

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 PARIS 001466 
 
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 - LIBERATION OF GIULIANA 
SGRENA LEBANON - SYRIA'S WITHDRAWAL IRAN EURO-AMERICAN 
RELATIONS 
PARIS - MONDAY, MARCH 07, 2005 
 
 
(A) SUBJECTS COVERED IN TODAY'S REPORT: 
 
IRAQ - LIBERATION OF GIULIANA SGRENA 
LEBANON - SYRIA'S WITHDRAWAL 
IRAN 
EURO-AMERICAN RELATIONS 
 
B) SUMMARY OF COVERAGE: 
 
THE MEDIA ON MONDAY, AS IT DID OVER THE WEEKEND, DEVOTES WIDE 
COVERAGE AND EDITORIAL COMMENTARY TO THE LIBERATION OF ITALIAN 
JOURNALIST GIULIANA SGRENA AND TO THE CONTROVERSY SURROUNDING 
AN ATTACK ON HER AIRPORT-BOUND CONVOY, WHICH LEFT ONE ITALIAN 
SECRET SERVICE AGENT DEAD. LEFT-OF-CENTER LIBERATION, WHOSE 
 
SIPDIS 
JOURNALIST FLORENCE AUBENAS IS HELD HOSTAGE IN IRAQ, HEADLINES 
"IN IRAQ, AN INVESTIGATION INTO A BLUNDER" AND EDITORIALIST 
PATRICK SABATIER TITLES HIS COLUMN: "INEXCUSABLE." WHILE 
SABATIER ACKNOWLEDGES THAT THE SITUATION IN IRAQ REMAINS 
"COMPLEX," HE NEVERTHELESS POINTS A FINGER AT THE "GIS WHO 
FIRED WITHOUT WARNING AND WITHOUT REASON: THIS IS 
INEXCUSABLE." RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE FIGARO CARRIES TWO 
CONFLICTING REPORTS ABOUT THE INCIDENT, ONE FROM THEIR ROME 
CORRESPONDENT, ONE FROM A NEW YORK CORRESPONDENT.  (SEE PART 
C) 
 
SYRIA AND ITS PROGRESSIVE WITHDRAWAL FROM LEBANON ARE TODAY'S 
SECOND MAJOR STORY. FOR CATHOLIC LA CROIX, "SYRIA IS BARTERING 
ITS WITHDRAWAL FROM LEBANON," WHILE FOR LE FIGARO, "SYRIA IS 
LETTING GO" BECAUSE OF INTERNATIONAL PRESSURE. BUT IN HIS 
COMMENTARY PIERRE ROUSSELIN WARNS AGAINST "REJOICING 
PREMATURELY: HEZBOLLAH CAN STILL STAND IN THE WAY OF LEBANON'S 
SOVEREIGNTY." (SEE PART C) 
 
IN LEFT-OF-CENTER LE MONDE, SYLVIE KAUFFMAN PENS A FRONT-PAGE 
ANALYSIS ON EURO-AMERICAN RELATIONS, "AFTER HURRICANE BUSH." 
SHE ACKNOWLEDGES THAT "A COMMUNITY OF INTERESTS HAS LED TO A 
RECONCILIATION. BUT THE RECONCILIATION IS ON TERMS IMPOSED BY 
THE U.S." (SEE PART C) 
 
THE SITUATION WITH TEHERAN OVER ITS NUCLEAR PROGRAM IS THE 
SUBJECT OF AN EDITORIAL COMMENTARY IN LA CROIX. JEAN- 
CHRISTOPHE PLOQUIN WARNS THAT "TEHERAN'S COMPLEX POWER 
STRUCTURES SHOULD LEAD EVERYONE TO BE VERY CAUTIOUS." (SEE 
PART C) 
 
ON THE DOMESTIC FRONT, THE CAMPAIGN FOR AND AGAINST THE 
EUROPEAN CONSTITUTION IS ON, NOW THAT THE DATE FOR THE 
REFERENDUM, MAY 29, HAS BEEN SET. 
 
(C) SUPPORTING TEXT/BLOCK QUOTES: 
 
IRAQ - LIBERATION OF GIULIANA SGRENA 
 
"INEXCUSABLE" 
PATRICK SABATIER IN LEFT-OF-CENTER LIBERATION (03/07): "THE 
TRAGEDY WHICH SURROUNDED SGRENA'S LIBERATION CAN SERVE AS A 
METAPHOR TO THE HORRENDOUS COMPLEXITY OF THE SITUATION IN 
IRAQ. AND TO THE WAY AMERICAN TROOPS ARE PARADOXICALLY 
AGGRAVATING THE TERRORIST SITUATION WHICH THEY ARE FIGHTING. 
THE GIS WHO FIRED WITHOUT REASON OR WARNING COMMITTED AN 
INEXCUSABLE ERROR. THERE IS AT THIS TIME NO FACTUAL CLUE TO 
VERIFY GIULIANA SGRENA'S TALE OF A DELIBERATE ATTACK ON THE 
CONVOY. BUT THE U.S. ARMY IS ON THE BENCH OF THE ACCUSED. THE 
U.S. HAS LIED TOO OFTEN IN THE PAST FOR ANYONE TO ACCEPT ITS 
VERSION OF THE FACTS WITHOUT AN INTERNATIONAL INVESTIGATION. 
THIS BLUNDER IS ALL THE MORE SERIOUS BECAUSE IT IS ONE MORE 
EXAMPLE OF THE VIOLENCE IRAQI CIVILIANS MUST ENDURE, COMING 
FROM SOLDIERS WHO LACK PROPER TRAINING AND ARE TOO TRIGGER- 
HAPPY. THEY ARE FOMENTING ANTI-AMERICAN FEELINGS IN THE IRAQI 
POPULATION, IN ITALY AND ELSEWHERE." 
 
"SILENCE AND EMBARRASSMENT IN WASHINGTON" 
GUILLEMETTE FAURE IN RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE FIGARO (03/07): "THE 
U.S. ARMY IS KEEPING SILENT ABOUT THE BLUNDER THAT WOUNDED 
GIULIANA SGRENA AND KILLED AN ITALIAN SECRET SERVICE AGENT. IN 
BAGHDAD, AP REQUESTED TO VIEW THE VEHICLE WHICH SUSTAINED THE 
ATTACK: THE U.S. ARMY RESPONDED IT DID NOT KNOW WHERE IT WAS." 
 
LEBANON - SYRIA'S WITHDRAWAL 
 
"THE HEZBOLLAH THREAT" 
PIERRE ROUSSELIN IN RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE FIGARO (03/07): "SYRIA 
HAS NO OTHER CHOICE BUT TO WITHDRAW FROM LEBANON. BEIRUT IS 
THE STAGE WHERE THE FUTURE OF DEMOCRACY IN THE ARAB WORLD IS 
BEING PLAYED. THIS IS A GOOD THING, BECAUSE WHY SHOULD THE 
ARAB WORLD STAY OUT OF THE DEMOCRATIC WAVE GRIPPING THE 
WESTERN WORLD? AS IN KIEV, IN BEIRUT FEAR IS CHANGING SIDES. 
THIS IS SO TRUE THAT FROM RIYADH TO CAIRO MOST ARAB CAPITALS 
HAVE ADVISED DAMASCUS TO GIVE IN. STILL, WE CANNOT AFFORD TO 
REJOICE PREMATURELY. THE GAME BEING PLAYED OUT IN LEBANON IS 
VERY COMPLEX AND CANNOT BE DISASSOCIATED FROM ITS REGIONAL 
CONTEXT. BACHAR EL-ASSAD WAS CONVINCED THAT THE U.S. WOULD BE 
MIRED IN IRAQ AND NEVER IMAGINED THAT FRANCE WOULD SIDE WITH 
WASHINGTON TO DEMAND SYRIA'S WITHDRAWAL FROM LEBANON. SYRIA IS 
NOW IN THE POSITION OF HAVING TO GIVE IN TO GROWING PRESSURE, 
BUT IT HAS NOT UTTERED ITS FINAL WORD. HEZBOLLAH, WHICH IS THE 
CENTERPIECE OF THE ALLIANCE BETWEEN TEHERAN AND DAMASCUS AS 
WELL AS THE ISLAMIC REPUBLIC'S KEY INSTRUMENT IN THE REGION, 
CAN STILL STAND IN THE WAY OF LEBANON'S SOVEREIGNTY." 
 
"BUSH REJECTS HALF-MEASURES" 
JEAN-LOUIS TURLIN IN RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE FIGARO (03/07): 
"POLITICALLY SPEAKING, HEZBOLLAH, WHICH THE U.S. HAS PLACED ON 
THE LIST OF TERRORIST ORGANIZATIONS, MAY BECOME A POINT OF 
CONTENTION BETWEEN WASHINGTON AND THE EUROPEANS, WHO HAVE 
EMPHASIZED THAT THE ORGANIZATION, WHICH HAS BEEN CONDEMNED FOR 
ITS TERRORIST ACTIVITIES, ALSO HAS ELECTED REPRESENTATIVES IN 
THE LEBANESE PARLIAMENT." 
 
IRAN 
 
"IRANIAN THREATS" 
JEAN-CHRISTOPHE PLOQUIN IN CATHOLIC LA CROIX (03/07): "TEHERAN 
IS RAISING ITS VOICE AGAINST THE EUROPEANS OVER ITS NUCLEAR 
PROGRAM. ON SATURDAY, THE VERY-WELL REGARDED HASSAN ROHANI 
WARNED ABOUT USING OIL AS REPRISAL IF THE UNSC WERE TO GET A 
HOLD OF IRAN'S NUCLEAR ISSUE. HE ALSO ADDED THAT `THE REGION 
WOULD BE WEAKENED AND THAT THE U.S. WOULD BE THE FIRST TO 
SUFFER.' THIS IS IRAN'S WAY OF REMINDING EVERYONE THAT IRAN'S 
CONTROL INTO IRAQ GOES FAR AND THAT IT CONSIDERS AMERICAN 
TROOPS IN IRAQ TO BE `AN OCCUPATION FORCE.' RAFSANJANI HAS 
HIMSELF ARGUED THAT EUROPE AND THE U.S. WOULD BE BEGGING FOR 
TROUBLE IF THEY ASKED IRAN TO STOP ITS PLUTONIUM ENRICHMENT 
PROGRAM. THE EUROPEANS RECENTLY ASKED PRESIDENT BUSH FOR HELP 
IN THEIR APPROACH WITH TEHERAN. ALONE, THE EUROPEANS CANNOT DO 
MUCH, OTHER THAN GAIN SOME TIME. BUT ALSO WASTE TIME BECAUSE 
THE IRANIANS WILL CONTINUE TO PLAY THEIR DOUBLE GAME UNTIL THE 
ELECTIONS ON JUNE 17. TEHERAN'S COMPLEX POWER STRUCTURES 
SHOULD INCITE EVERYONE TO BE VERY CAUTIOUS." 
 
EURO-AMERICAN RELATIONS 
 
"AFTER HURRICANE BUSH" 
SYLVIE KAUFFMANN IN LEFT-OF-CENTER LE MONDE (03/07): "IT IS 
OFFICIAL: WE ARE FRIENDS AGAIN. CONDOLEEZZA RICE'S CHARM 
OFFENSIVE WAS A SUCCESS. AS WAS PRESIDENT BUSH'S INTELLIGENTLY 
PLANNED AND ORCHESTRATED EUROPEAN TRIP. THE BUSH 
ADMINISTRATION GAVE IT ALL IT'S WORTH AND THE SUCCESS OF THIS 
MAJOR DIPLOMATIC OPERATION IS INDISPUTABLE. WHILE IT CANNOT BE 
SAID THAT ALL IS FORGOTTEN., THERE IS TODAY A COMMUNITY OF 
INTERESTS AND A CONJUNCTION OF POSITIVE FACTORS WHICH ARE 
PUSHING FOR RECONCILIATION. BUT IT IS CLEAR THAT THIS 
RECONCILIATION IS BEING IMPLEMENTED ON TERMS DICTATED BY THE 
WORLD'S ONLY SUPERPOWER, WITH A EUROPEAN PARTNER WHICH, 
ALTHOUGH MORE UNITED, IS SOMEWHAT DISCONCERTED AND LACKING IN 
IMAGINATION. IT IS ONE THING TO SHOW ONE'S FRIENDSHIP TOWARDS 
PUTIN AND BUTEFLIKA, BUT NO MATTER WHAT ONE THINKS ABOUT 
PRESIDENT BUSH, IS IT NOT A FACT THAT THE FRENCH HAVE MORE IN 
COMMON WITH THE AMERICANS THAN WITH THE RUSSIANS OR THE 
ALGERIANS?" LEACH