US embassy cable - 05PARIS2136

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PARIS 002136 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
DEPT FOR INR/R/MR; IIP/RW; IIP/RNY; BBG/VOA; IIP/WEU; AF/PA; 
EUR/WE /P/SP; D/C (MCCOO); EUR/PA; INR/P; INR/EUC; PM; OSC ISA 
FOR ILN; NEA; WHITE HOUSE FOR NSC/WEUROPE; DOC FOR ITA/EUR/FR 
AND PASS USTR/PA; 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 - UN - KOFI ANNAN AND FOOD FOR 
OIL CONTROVERSY 
PARIS - WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 2005 
 
 
(A) SUBJECTS COVERED IN TODAY'S REPORT: 
 
UN - KOFI ANNAN AND FOOD FOR OIL CONTROVERSY 
 
B) SUMMARY OF COVERAGE: 
 
DOMESTIC POLITICS DOMINATE TODAY'S FRONT PAGES, WITH SEVERAL 
REPORTS, POLLS AND OPINION COLUMNS STILL BEING DEVOTED TO THE 
EUROPEAN CONSTITUTION AND THE TREND IN FRANCE IN SUPPORT OF 
THE "NO." THE MOST PROMINENT INTERNATIONAL STORY REVOLVES 
AROUND KOFI ANNAN, HIS SON'S INVOLVEMENT IN THE `OIL FOR FOOD' 
CONTROVERSY AND THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE U.S. AND THE UN. 
FOR LEFT-OF-CENTER LIBERATION AND RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE FIGARO, 
ANNAN IS "WEAKENED" BY THE SCANDAL INVOLVING HIS SON, BUT, AS 
LIBERATION PUT IT: "PRESIDENT BUSH IS NOT ABOUT TO THROW OIL 
ON THIS PARTICULAR FIRE. THE UN REFORMS ANNAN HAS PROPOSED ARE 
BEGINNING TO ELICIT SOME INTEREST IN WASHINGTON." (SEE PART C) 
IN RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE FIGARO, GEORGE MALBRUNOT TITLES HIS 
REPORT ON THE HISTORY OF THE `OIL FOR FOOD' PROGRAM: "IRAQ, 
THE WORLD'S GUILTY CONSCIENCE." "IN IRAQ, THE INTERNATIONAL 
COMMUNITY ERECTED A UNIQUE HUMANITARIAN PROGRAM IN THE HISTORY 
OF THE UN. INDEED, THE COUNTRIES RECEIVING AID WERE ALSO THOSE 
FINANCING THE AID PROGRAM. WITH COLOSSAL AMOUNTS INVOLVED. AND 
IRAQ, DEPRIVED OF ITS RIGHT TO VOTE AT THE UN, WAS ONE OF THE 
MAIN CONTRIBUTORS TO THE UN." 
 
LIBERATION CONTINUES WITH ITS SECOND INSTALLMENT OF JOE 
SACCO'S COMIC STRIP RENDITION OF THE WAR IN IRAQ. IN THE 
SECOND PART OF HIS INTERVIEW, SACCO SAYS: "FROM WHAT I HAVE 
SEEN, I WOULDN'T SAY THE AMERICANS ARE WINNING. WHEN, AFTER 
TWO YEARS, YOU ARE STILL SCARED OF GOING INTO A TOWN WITHOUT 
AIRCRAFT PROTECTION, IT IS NOT VERY PROMISING. I HAVE SEEN 
IRAQI TROOPS BEING TRAINED, AND THEY DO NOT LOOK LIKE A VERY 
HIGH QUALITY ARMY. MY FEELING IS THE AMERICANS ARE MIRED IN 
IRAQ." 
 
THE ABDUCTION OF THREE ROMANIAN JOURNALISTS IN IRAQ IS 
REPORTED, AS WELL AS THE FRENCH PRIME MINISTER'S REMARKS AT 
THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY YESTERDAY ABOUT THE FRENCH JOURNALIST 
STILL IN CAPTIVITY: "THE FRENCH GOVERNMENT HAS REASSURING 
INFORMATION WHICH GIVES US A MEASURE OF HOPE." 
 
(C) SUPPORTING TEXT/BLOCK QUOTES: 
 
UN - KOFI ANNAN AND FOOD FOR OIL CONTROVERSY 
 
"SUSPICION" 
PATRICK SABATIER IN LEFT-OF-CENTER LIBERATION (03/30): "TWO 
THINGS ARE CERTAIN. THE FIRST IS THAT THE UN WILL SURVIVE IN 
SPITE OF THE CORRUPTION AND FRAUD NOTED IN THE REPORT. THEY 
ARE NOT THE FIRST AND WILL NOT BE THE LAST. IN SPITE OF 
REPEATED CRITICISM OF THE UN IN THE U.S., THE UN IS MUCH TOO 
USEFUL, INCLUDING IN WASHINGTON, FOR THE WORLD'S MAJOR NATIONS 
TO LET IT DISAPPEAR LIKE ITS PREDECESSOR, THE SOCIETY OF 
NATIONS. THE SECOND IS THAT KOFI ANNAN, WHILE HE WILL NOT BE 
FORCED TO RESIGN, IS NEVERTHELESS WEAKENED THROUGH HIS SON'S 
DOINGS. THROUGH LACK OF DISCIPLINE, ANNAN IS NOW EXPOSED TO 
SUSPICIONS OF NEPOTISM AND CONFLICT OF INTEREST. ALTHOUGH A 
MAJORITY OF THE MEMBERS, INCLUDING FRANCE, HAVE GIVEN ANNAN 
THEIR SUPPORT, THE UN SECRETARY GENERAL WILL BE HARD-PRESSED 
TO OPPOSE U.S. PRESSURE TO BEND THE UN TO AMERICA'S 
INTERESTS." 
 
"BUSH OPTS FOR CAUTION" 
PASCAL RICHE IN LEFT-OF-CENTER LIBERATION (03/30): "THE UN IS 
HARDLY POPULAR IN THE AMERICAN RIGHT. BUT PRESIDENT BUSH HAS 
REITERATED THAT HE WANTS A STRONG UN. RELATIONS BETWEEN THE UN 
AND WASHINGTON HAVE IMPROVED, AFTER THEIR COMMON EFFORTS IN 
SUPPORT OF THE TSUNAMI VICTIMS AND THE SUCCESSFUL AFGHAN 
ELECTIONS. BUT WITH THE NOMINATION OF JOHN BOLTON AS U.S. 
AMBASSADOR TO THE UN, PRESIDENT BUSH IS ALSO SAYING HE SHARES 
SOME OF THE FEELINGS HIS FELLOW AMERICANS HAVE FOR THE UN. 
BOLTON HAS NEVER HIDDEN HIS CONTEMPT FOR THE UN. STILL, FOR 
THE TIME BEING, THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION IS GIVING SUPPORT TO 
THE UN AND ITS SECRETARY GENERAL. ONE OF THE REASONS FOR THIS 
IS PROBABLY THAT THE REFORMS PROPOSED BY KOFI ANNAN HAVE 
FINALLY TRIGGERED A MEASURE OF INTEREST IN THE U.S. ALSO, IF 
ANNAN WERE TO RESIGN, WASHINGTON WOULD HAVE TO DEAL WITH 
SOMEONE LESS EASY TO MANEUVER. FOR THE AMERICANS, KOFI ANNAN 
IS NOT THE WORST CHOICE, AND HIS DESIRE FOR REFORM IS 
GENUINE." LEACH