US embassy cable - 05PARIS2175

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PARIS 002175 
 
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 - CIA REPORT - WOLFOWITZ 
APPOINTMENT 
PARIS - FRIDAY, APRIL 01, 2005 
 
 
(A) SUBJECTS COVERED IN TODAY'S REPORT: 
 
  1.   CIA REPORT 
2.   WOLFOWITZ APPOINTMENT 
 
(B) SUMMARY OF COVERAGE: 
 
FRONT PAGES TODAY ARE DOMINATED BY DOMESTIC STORIES RANGING 
FROM FRANCE'S RISING UNEMPLOYMENT LEVEL TO NICOLAS SARKOZY'S 
TAKING ANOTHER STEP TOWARD A PRESIDENTIAL BID IN 2007. 
SARKOZY, DURING A TELEVISED INTERVIEW YESTERDAY ON STATE-RUN 
FRANCE 2, STATED THAT IT SHOULD BE POSSIBLE IN 2007 TO HAVE 
SEVERAL UMP (HIS AND PRESIDENT CHIRAC'S PARTY) CANDIDATES ON 
THE TICKET. 
 
THE INDEPENDENT COMMISSION'S REPORT OF CIA FAILURES CONCERNING 
THE PRESENCE OF WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION IN IRAQ IS WIDELY 
REPORTED. CALLING THE CIA THE "CENTRAL INCOMPETENCE AGENCY," 
POPULAR RIGHT-OF-CENTER FRANCE SOIR HEADLINES: "THE CIA WAS 
DEAD WRONG ON IRAQ." (SEE PART C) 
 
THE WORLD BANK BOARD'S UNANIMOUS VOTE FOR PAUL WOLFOWITZ TO 
BECOME THE NEW HEAD OF THE INSTITUTION PROMPTS COMMENTARIES IN 
THE PRINT AND ELECTRONIC MEDIA. LEFT-OF-CENTER LIBERATION'S 
WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENTS INTERVIEWED WORLD BANK EMPLOYEES WHO 
TEND TO SEE THIS APPOINTMENT AS THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION'S WAY 
OF "INFILTRATING" THE WORLD BANK AND DECRY THE "GUILTY 
ACCEPTANCE" OF THE NOMINATION ON THE PART OF EUROPE. (SEE PART 
C) 
 
LEFT-OF-CENTER LE MONDE CARRIES A FULL-PAGE BOOK REVIEW OF 
"THE NEW AMERICAN NATIONALISM" BY BRITISH JOURNALIST ANATOL 
LIEVEN. LE MONDE'S ALAIN FRANCHON PRAISES THE BOOK'S CLEAR 
EXPLANATION OF THE PERCEPTION THAT THE U.S. IS "A ARROGANT, 
BRUTAL AND SCORNFUL OF OTHERS." 
 
(C) SUPPORTING TEXT/BLOCK QUOTES: 
 
CIA REPORT 
 
"THE MISTAKES OF AMERICAN SPIES STIGMATIZED IN A REPORT" 
WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENTS FOR RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE FIGARO OPINED 
(04/01): "AMERICAN SPIES HAD NO CLUE THAT SEPTEMBER 11, 2001 
WAS LOOMING, THEY WERE WRONG ABOUT THE WEAPONS OF MASS 
DESTRUCTION THAT SADDAM HUSSEIN WAS SUPPOSED TO HAVE, WILL 
THEY SHOW THE SAME LEVEL OF INCOMPETENCE WITH REGARD TO THE 
IRANIAN AND NORTH KOREAN NUCLEAR ARSENALS? THIS IS THE 
QUESTION THAT WE READ IN BETWEEN THE LINES OF THE 600-PAGE 
REPORT SUBMITTED YESTERDAY TO PRESIDENT BUSH. 
 
"CIA: CENTRAL INCOMPETENCE AGENCY" 
THOMAS DE ROCHECHOUART IN POPULAR RIGHT-OF-CENTER FRANCE SOIR 
(04/01): "CIA: THESE THREE LETTERS SYMBOLIZE THE POWER AND THE 
MIGHT OF THE U.S.. AND TO A CERTAIN EXTENT ITS INVINCIBILITY. 
BUT IN THE REPORT THAT WAS SUBMITTED YESTERDAY TO GEORGE W. 
BUSH, THE SPIES BEAR MORE RESEMBLANCE TO INSPECTOR GADGET THAN 
TO THE SPIES IN JOHN LE CARRE OR TOM CLANCY'S NOVELS. WHAT 
EXPLANATION CAN BE FOUND FOR THIS ENORMOUS BLUNDER. WHICH IS 
NOT THE AGENCY'S FIRST IF WE TAKE INTO ACCOUNT SEPTEMBER 11? 
AMERICAN INTELLIGENCE APPEARS TO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR TWO MAJOR 
CRISES THAT HAVE HAD INTERNATIONAL REPERCUSSIONS AND 
DESTABILIZED THE PLANET OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS." 
 
WOLFOWITZ APPOINTMENT 
 
DOMINIQUE BROMBERGER TOLD LISTENERS LAST NIGHT ON STATE-RUN 
FRANCE INTER RADIO (03/31): "HE IS CONSIDERED TO BE THE MAIN 
IDEOLOGUE OF AMERICAN FOREIGN POLICY. HE IS WITHOUT A DOUBT 
THE INSPIRATION FOR THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION'S 
UNILATERALISM, CONVINCED THAT WHAT IS GOOD FOR AMERICA IS GOOD 
FOR THE REST OF THE WORLD. THE CONCERN IS THAT PAUL WOLFOWITZ 
AT THE HEAD OF THE WORLD BANK WILL FAVOR DEVELOPING NATIONS 
THAT ARE ACCOMMODATING TO WASHINGTON AND MAYBE FIND NEW 
CONTRACTS FOR COMPANIES WITH WHICH HE HAS CLOSE TIES SUCH AS 
HALLIBURTON AND BECHTEL. ONLY EUROPE, IF IT HAD SHOWN THE 
COURAGE, COULD HAVE OPPOSED THIS NOMINATION. IN THIS CASE 
AGAIN, WE ARE RIDICULED AND SHAMED. NOTWITHSTANDING, PAUL 
WOLFOWITZ'S APPOINTMENT IS FURTHER PROOF OF THE EVOLUTION OF 
AMERICAN DIPLOMACY. SOME OF THE MOST HARD-LINE HAWKS, 
WOLFOWITZ, BOLTON AND FEITH, HAVE BEEN REMOVED FROM THE CENTER 
OF POWER AND PLACED WITHIN INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS. SINCE 
UNILATERALISM HAS SHOWN ITS LIMITATIONS, THE ADMINISTRATION IS 
NOW ATTEMPTING ACTIVE MULTILATERALISM, THAT IS TO SAY, THANKS 
TO AMERICAN FINANCIAL, POLITICAL AND MILITARY POWER, THE U.S. 
IS AIMING FOR RESULTS WITHIN THE INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS 
THAT SERVE IT." 
 
"GEORGE BUSH PLACES PAUL WOLFOWITZ AT THE HEAD OF THE WORLD 
BANK" 
PIERRE-YVES DUGUA IN RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE FIGARO (04/01): "MANY 
OBSERVERS IN WASHINGTON BELIEVE THAT THE CHOICE OF PAUL 
WOLFOWITZ. WAS DICTATED BY SECRETARY OF STATE CONDOLEEZZA RICE 
TO INDIRECTLY REMOVE THIS HAWK FROM THE PRESIDENT'S CIRCLE OF 
INFLUENCE. IN EUROPE, WOLFOWITZ WHO WAS A FORMER U.S. 
AMBASSADOR TO INDONESIA, WHO FOR FOUR YEARS MANAGED A 400 
BILLION DOLLAR BUDGET AT THE PENTAGON, IS SEEN AS A CAPABLE 
LEADER FOR AN ORGANIZATION THAT REGROUPS 184 COUNTRIES. THE 
IMPRESSION, HOWEVER, THAT IT IS THE RICH COUNTRIES THAT HOLD 
ALL OF THE POWER WITHIN THE WORLD'S VARIOUS MULTILATERAL 
ORGANIZATIONS WITHOUT CONSULTING WITH THE POOR COUNTRIES, IS 
REINFORCED WITH THIS APPOINTMENT." LEACH