US embassy cable - 05PARIS1630

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 PARIS 001630 
 
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 
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BRUSSELS/PA; USVIENNA FOR USDEL OSCE. 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OPRC, KMDR, FR 
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION REPORT - BUSH POLICY - IRAQ - LEBANON 
- SYRIA U.S. WITHDRAWAL FROM WORLD COURT JURISDICTION OVER 
CAPITAL CASES 
PARIS - FRIDAY, MARCH 11, 2005 
 
 
(A) SUBJECTS COVERED IN TODAY'S REPORT: 
 
1. BUSH POLICY - IRAQ - LEBANON - SYRIA 
2. U.S. WITHDRAWAL FROM WORLD COURT JURISDICTION OVER CAPITAL 
CASES 
 
B) SUMMARY OF COVERAGE: 
 
TWO MAJOR STORIES DOMINATE TODAY'S FRONT PAGES AND 
COMMENTARIES: THE CONSEQUENCES OF YESTERDAY'S DAY OF SOCIAL 
PROTEST AND TODAY'S COMMEMORATION OF THE FIRST ANNIVERSARY OF 
THE MADRID TRAIN BOMBINGS. IN CONNECTION WITH THIS 
ANNIVERSARY, TERRORISM EXPERTS ARE INTERVIEWED. IN POPULAR 
RIGHT-OF-CENTER FRANCE SOIR, FRANCOIS HEISBOURG OF THE 
FOUNDATION FOR STRATEGIC RESEARCH: "THERE IS YET INSUFFICIENT 
COORDINATION IN TERMS OF THE EU'S POLICY TO FIGHT AGAINST 
TERRORISM. THE U.S. SUFFERED A TERRIBLE BLOW WITH 9/11, AND 
CANNOT BE FAULTED FOR ITS INTERVENTION IN AFGHANISTAN. 
CONVERSELY, IRAQ HAS TURNED INTO A SUPERMARKET FOR JIHADDISTS, 
REPLACING AFGHANISTAN. IN THIS REGARD, THE INVASION OF IRAQ 
HAS AGGRAVATED THE JIHADDISTS' ROLE." IN POPULAR RIGHT-OF- 
CENTER LE PARISIEN, CLAUDE MONIQUET OF THE BRUSSELS-BASED 
EUROPEAN CENTER FOR INTELLIGENCE AND SECURITY: "EVEN IF FRANCE 
IS NOT IN IRAQ, ITS INVOLVEMENT IN AFGHANISTAN AND BOSNIA 
MAKES IT A TARGET FOR TERRORISM, IN ADDITION TO OTHER REASONS, 
SUCH AS THE LAW ON THE MUSLIM SCARF OR ITS POSITION ON 
ALGERIA. THE DANGER COMES FROM NEW AND YOUNGER GENERATIONS OF 
DISSATISFIED YOUTH. THEY HAVE A SCORE TO SETTLE WITH SOCIETY." 
 
LE FIGARO COLUMNIST IVAN RIOUFOL CALLS PRESIDENT BUSH'S MIDDLE 
EAST POLICY A "SUCCESS" AND CRITICIZES THE "OTHERWORLDNIESS" 
OF FRANCE'S PREFERENCE FOR "SOFT POWER" COCKTAIL OF PACIFICM 
AND MULTILATERALISATION. (SEE PART C) 
 
IN CATHOLIC LA CROIX JEAN-CHRISTOPHE PLOQUIN ANALYSES THE 
LEBANESE CRISIS AND ITS IMPLICATIONS FOR THE REGION. (SEE PART 
C) 
 
SEVERAL REPORTS ARE DEDICATED TO THE U.S. DECISION TO WITHDRAW 
FROM THE OPTIONAL PROTOCOL TO THE VIENNA CONVENTION, WHICH 
GIVES THE WORLD COURT SOME JURISDICTION OVER CAPITAL CASES ON 
THE ISSUE OF FOREIGN NATIONALS' CONSULAR ACCESS. IN RIGHT-OF- 
CENTER LE FIGARO, PHILIPPE GELIE READS INTO THE DECISION "A 
SIGNAL TO THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY THAT SETS THE 
LIMITATIONS TO WASHINGTON'S RETURN TO MULTILATERALISM." LE 
MONDE'S REPORT EMPHASIZES HOW THIS STEP "DEPRIVES ADVERSARIES 
TO THE DEATH PENALTY OF A MEANS TO THEIR END." (SEE PART C) 
(C) SUPPORTING TEXT/BLOCK QUOTES: 
 
BUSH POLICY - IRAQ - LEBANON - SYRIA 
 
"BUSH'S SUCCESSES IN THE MIDDLE EAST" 
IVAN RIOUFOL IN RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE FIGARO (03/11): "THE 
ASSERTIONS MADE ABOUT IRAQ NEED TO BE REVISED. EVERY POLITICAL 
COMMENTATOR PREDICTED A REVOLUTION OF THE ARAB STREET AND A 
SHOCK BETWEEN CIVILIZATIONS. THESE CERTAINTIES MUST BE RE- 
ASSESSED. FACTS DO NOT FIT WITH THESE PREDICTIONS. SOME STILL 
SAY THAT THE ELECTIONS IN PALESTINE AND THE LIBERATION OF 
LEBANON ARE MERE COINCIDENCES. FM BARNIER ACKNOWLEDGES ONLY 
THE REVOLUTION IN UKRAINE AS A SOURCE OF INSPIRATION FOR THE 
`CEDAR REVOLUTION.' IF ONE LOOKS AT RECENT EVENTS, WE MUST 
NECESSARILY ACKNOWLEDGE THAT PRESIDENT BUSH HAS SCORED POINTS, 
EVEN IF HE MADE MISTAKES. THE FIRST RESULTS (EMANATING FROM 
THE WAR IN IRAQ) EMPHASIZE FRANCE'S PREFERENCE FOR `SOFT 
POWER.' THE MIDDLE EAST'S ASPIRATIONS FOR CHANGE PROVE THAT 
PARIS WAS WRONG TO FEAR A WAR BETWEEN CULTURES. WHAT WE MUST 
FEAR IS BACKWARD ISLAMISM. THIS IS WHY WE MUST REFRAIN FROM 
TOO MUCH EUPHORIA, IN LIGHT OF THE ARAB WORLD'S ASPIRATION FOR 
DEMOCRACY. WE MUST REJOICE IN FRANCE AND GERMANY'S ALLIANCE 
WITH THE U.S. IN ASKING SYRIA TO WITHDRAW `COMPLETELY' FROM 
LEBANON. EVEN IF THE THREAT OF HARSH FUNDAMENTALIST REACTIONS 
REMAINS." 
"FROM LEBANON TO IRAN" 
JEAN-CHRISTOPHE PLOQUIN IN CATHOLIC LA CROIX (03/11): 
"LEBANON'S FATE DEPENDS TO A LARGE EXTENT ON HEZBOLLAH. THE 
SUCCESS OF THE `CEDAR REVOLUTION' WILL DEPEND ON THE 
OPPOSITION'S ABILITY TO CONVINCE HEZBOLLAH TO REMAIN 
RELATIVELY NEUTRAL IN THE POWER STRUGGLE WITH SYRIA. WALID 
JUMBLATT SAID IN BRUSSELS THAT THE LEBANESE `CANNOT GET 
INVOLVED IN THE ADVENTURE OF DISARMING HEZBOLLAH.' FRANCE IS 
ALSO CONVINCED OF THIS. IT IS NOW TRYING TO BRING AROUND THE 
U.S. TO TONE DOWN ITS HOSTILITY TOWARDS A GROUP, WHICH IT HAS 
BLACKLISTED AS A TERRORIST GROUP. ANY AGREEMENT WITH AND ABOUT 
HEZBOLLAH WILL NECESSARILY INVOLVE IRAN. WITH IRAN IN THE 
EQUATION, THE LEVEL OF NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE U.S. AND THE 
EUROPEANS MOVES TO A HIGHER LEVEL, TO INCLUDE IRAN'S NUCLEAR 
PROGRAM, THE END OF TERRORISM AGAINST ISRAEL, THE 
STABILIZATION PROCESS IN IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN AND THE PRICE OF 
OIL. NEGOTIATIONS WITH HEZBOLLAH CAN REDEFINE STRATEGIES IN 
THE MIDDLE EAST. THIS IS WHY THE RETURN OF OMAR KARAME ON THE 
POLITICAL SCENE IS ONLY A TEMPORARY INCIDENT. IT PROVES THAT 
SYRIA HAS FEW TRUMP CARDS WHEN IT COMES TO LEBANON." 
 
U.S. WITHDRAWAL FROM WORLD COURT JURISDICTION OVER CAPITAL 
CASES 
 
"WASHINGTON REJECTS FOREIGN INTERVENTION" 
PHILIPPE GELIE IN RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE FIGARO (03/11): "IT IS 
NOT AS BIG A DEAL AS THE WITHDRAWAL FROM THE KYOTO PROTOCOL, 
BUT THE MESSAGE SENT TO THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY IS 
SIMILAR. IT SETS THE LIMITATIONS FOR WASHINGTON'S RETURN TO 
MULTILATERALISM. THE ISSUE IS A COMPLEX ONE AND BEGAN WITH 
SECRETARY RICE'S LETTER TO KOFI ANNAN ON MONDAY. THE U.S. IS 
 
SIPDIS 
WITHDRAWING FROM A CONVENTION THE AMERICANS INITIATED IN 1963, 
RATIFIED IN 1969, AND INAUGURATED WITH SUCCESS IN THE U.S. 
HOSTAGE SITUATION WITH TEHERAN. THIS TIME IT REVOLVES AROUND 
51 MEXICAN DEATH ROW CONVICTS WHO PROFIT FROM THIS PROTOCOL. 
PRESIDENT BUSH HAS GRANTED THESE CONVICTS THE RIGHT TO A NEW 
TRIAL, AS STIPULATED BY THE INTERNATIONAL COURT OF JUSTICE. 
BUT IT IS ONLY THE VISIBLE PART OF THE ICEBERG. THE SECOND 
PART OF THE U.S. STRATEGY IS TO `PROTECT THE U.S. FROM FUTURE 
DECISIONS THAT MAY UPSET THE U.S. PENAL SYSTEM IN A WAY WE DID 
NOT FORESEE WHEN WE SIGNED THE CONVENTION' AS DANA JORDAN 
EXPLAINED. IN OTHER WORDS, AS THE WASHINGTON POST EXPLAINED: 
`IF WE LOSE, WE STOP PLAYING.' THIS IS ONE MORE STEP IN THE 
U.S. REJECTION OF FOREIGN INTERVENTION INTO ITS JUDICIAL 
SYSTEM. PRESIDENT BUSH'S DECISION IS A SLAP IN THE FACE OF THE 
INTERNATIONAL JUSTICE SYSTEM, BUT HAS DOMESTIC MOTIVATIONS. IN 
A FEDERAL SYSTEM WHERE THE DEATH PENALTY IS LEFT TO FEDERAL 
LEGISLATION, THE TEXAS PROSECUTOR HAS COMPLAINED ABOUT THE 
PRESIDENT INTERVENING IN THE REVISION OF JOSE MEDELLIN'S 
TRIAL, WHICH IS THE SOURCE OF THE INITIAL COMPLAINT TO THE 
INTERNATIONAL COURT OF JUSTICE. SECRETARY RICE WAS TO RAISE 
THIS IN MEXICO YESTERDAY." 
 
"WASHINGTON WITHDRAWS FROM INTERNATIONAL JURISDICTION" 
CECILE CHAMBRAUD IN LEFT-OF-CENTER LE MONDE (03/11): "THE U.S. 
HAS TAKEN ONE MORE STEP TO PROTECT ITSELF FROM DECISIONS TAKEN 
BY AN INTERNATIONAL JUDICIAL INSTITUTION. THE STORY GOES BACK 
TO JANUARY 2003. THIS PAST FEBRUARY THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION 
GRANTED 51 MEXICANS ON DEATH ROW THE RIGHT TO NEW TRIALS ON 
THE BASIS THAT THEY DID NOT HAVE ACCESS TO THEIR CONSULAR 
RIGHTS. IN 2001, THE U.S. HAD BEEN SUED BEFORE THE SAME COURTS 
BY GERMANY OVER A GERMAN DETAINEE WHO HAS SINCE BEEN EXECUTED. 
THE DEATH PENALTY HAS BEEN CAUSING TENSION BETWEEN MEXICO AND 
THE U.S. IN AUGUST 2002, MEXICAN PRESIDENT VINCENTE FOX 
CANCELLED A TRIP TO WASHINGTON OVER THE EXECUTION OF A 33-YEAR 
OLD MEXICAN ACCUSED OF A CRIME HE COMMITTED WHEN HE WAS 19." 
LEACH