US embassy cable - 05PARIS2373

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PARIS 002373 
 
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 - U.S. REPRESENTATION AT JOHN 
PAUL II FUNERAL IRAQ  - FORMATION OF NEW GOVERNMENT 
PARIS - FRIDAY, APRIL 08, 2005 
 
 
(A) SUBJECTS COVERED IN TODAY'S REPORT: 
 
1. U.S. REPRESENTATION AT JOHN PAUL II FUNERAL 
2. IRAQ  - FORMATION OF NEW GOVERNMENT 
 
B) SUMMARY OF COVERAGE: 
 
THE SEA OF FAITHFUL FOLLOWERS FLOCKING TO ROME IS TODAY'S LEAD 
STORY. RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE FIGARO HEADLINES: "THE WORLD UNITED 
AROUND JOHN PAUL II." AN ARTICLE BY WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT 
PHILIPPE GELIE REPORTING ON THE U.S. DELEGATION TO THE VATICAN 
EMPHASIZES THE NEW HISTORIC ERA BETWEEN THE U.S. AND THE 
VATICAN, IN CONTRAST WITH THE KENNEDY DAYS, "WHEN JFK WAS 
SUSPECTED OF BEING MANIPULATED BY ROME." IN POPULAR RIGHT-OF- 
CENTER FRANCE SOIR THOMAS DE ROCHECHOUART NOTES THE EARLY 
ARRIVAL OF THE U.S. DELEGATION IN ROME, "BEFORE ALL THE 
OTHERS" (SEE PART C) 
 
THE SECOND MAJOR STORY ELICITING REPORTS AND COMMENTARIES IS 
THE FORMATION OF IRAQ'S NEW GOVERNMENT. AN EDITORIAL IN LEFT- 
OF-CENTER LE MONDE UNDERSCORES THE "HISTORIC" NATURE OF IRAQ'S 
"REPRESENTATIVE ASSEMBLY, WHICH IS RATHER RARE FOR THE 
REGION." (SEE PART C) 
 
THE TERRORIST ATTACK IN CAIRO IS WIDELY REPORTED, WITH SOME 
STORIES REPORTING THE AS YET UNCONFIRMED DEATH OF AN AMERICAN 
IN ADDITION TO THE CONFIRMED DEATH OF A FRENCH WOMAN. POPULAR 
RIGHT-OF-CENTER FRANCE SOIR INTERVIEWS ROLAND JACQUARD, AN 
EXPERT ON ISLAMIC TERRORISM AND A CONSULTANT TO UN SECURITY 
COUNCIL MEMBERS: "TERRORIST NETWORKS IN EGYPT CONTINUE TO BE 
VERY ACTIVE, IN SPITE OF MAJOR ARRESTS. WE MUST NOT FORGET 
THAT AL-QAEDA'S NUMBER TWO IS EGYPTIAN. ACTIVISTS WANT TO HIT 
MODERATE ARAB COUNTRIES WHICH COOPERATE WITH THE WEST IN THE 
FIGHT AGAINST TERRORISM. BECAUSE TOURISM IS CRUCIAL FOR 
EGYPT'S ECONOMY, TOURISM HAS BECOME AL-QAEDA'S NUMBER ONE 
TARGET. THERE IS AN ULTRA RADICAL BRANCH OF JAMAA ISLAMIYA IN 
EGYPT. IT HAS JUST HIT A TOURIST TARGET IN EGYPT, WHICH IS IN 
THE MIDST OF A MAJOR DEBATE ABOUT MUBARAK'S POLITICAL 
SUCCESSION." 
 
(C) SUPPORTING TEXT/BLOCK QUOTES: 
 
U.S. REPRESENTATION AT JOHN PAUL II FUNERAL 
 
"THREE U.S. PRESIDENTS PRAYING TOGETHER" 
PHILIPPE GELIE IN RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE FIGARO (04/08): "THE 
THREE PRESIDENTS WHO PRAYED TOGETHER BEFORE THE POPE'S REMAINS 
ON WEDNESDAY EVENING ILLUSTRATED THAT THE U.S. WAS ONE OF THE 
MOST FAITHFUL `DAUGHTERS' OF THE CHURCH. FOR A NATION FOUNDED 
ON PROTESTANTS WHO FLED RELIGIOUS REPRESSION, THIS IS QUITE A 
CHANGE. IF PRESIDENT BUSH DECIDED TO MAKE THE TRIP, IT WASN'T 
JUST TO PLEASE THE HISPANIC AMERICANS, A MINORITY BUT AN 
IMPORTANT ONE. THE VALUE OF THE GESTURE GOES WELL BEYOND THAT. 
PRESIDENT BUSH'S PRESENCE CONFIRMS THAT THE RELATIONSHIP 
BETWEEN THE U.S. AND THE VATICAN HAS OVERCOME ITS TRADITIONAL 
COMPLEX. THIS CONTRASTS WITH THE KENNEDY ERA, WHEN THE 
PRESIDENT WAS THEN SUSPECTED OF ` BEING MANIPULATED BY ROME.'" 
 
"BUSH BEFORE EVERYONE ELSE" 
THOMAS DE ROCHECHOUART IN RIGHT-OF-CENTER FRANCE SOIR (04/08): 
"THE U.S. PRESIDENT'S EAGERNESS TO PAY TRIBUTE TO THE POPE IS 
ALL THE MORE OUT OF PLACE BECAUSE HE IS PROTESTANT. WHILE 
PRESIDENT BUSH HAS NEVER HIDDEN HIS RELIGIOUS BELIEFS, THIS 
MIXTURE OF THE POLITICAL WITH THE RELIGIOUS IS DANGEROUS. AND 
WHAT CAN WE SAY ABOUT THE HOLY SEE GRANTING EARLY PRIVILEGES 
FOR THE VISIT, WHICH LOOKS VERY MUCH LIKE A `UNION OF 
CHRISTIAN FORCES' UNDER THE TWO BANNERS, THE VATICAN'S AND THE 
U.S. FLAG.?" 
 
IRAQ  - FORMATION OF NEW GOVERNMENT 
 
"A KURD FOR IRAQ" 
LEFT-OF-CENTER LE MONDE IN ITS EDITORIAL (04/08): "THE 
ELECTION OF JALAL TALABANI IS AN UNPRECEDENTED EVENT IN MORE 
THAN ONE WAY. IT IS THE FIRST TIME A KURD BECOMES PRESIDENT OF 
IRAQ, AND THE FIRST TIME A NON-ARAB PRESIDES OVER A COUNTRY 
WHERE THERE IS A MAJORITY ARAB POPULATION. JALAL TALABANI WILL 
ALSO BE THE FIRST DEMOCRATICALLY ELECTED PRESIDENT OF IRAQ. 
EVEN IF IRAQ'S JANUARY 30 ELECTIONS COULD NEVER SERVE AS A 
MODEL FOR WESTERN DEMOCRACIES. BUT IN THE CHAOTIC SITUATION OF 
IRAQ, WHERE VIOLENCE HAS NOT RELENTED SINCE THE END OF THE 
AMERICAN-LED WAR, THE ELECTIONS HAVE NEVERTHELESS GIVEN THAT 
NATION A REPRESENTATIVE ASSEMBLY, A RATHER RARE FEAT FOR THE 
REGION. WHILE THE COLLEGIAL NATURE OF THE PRESIDENCY COULD BE 
A HANDICAP FOR THE COUNTRY, IT ALSO PROVES THAT THE THREE 
COMMUNITIES ARE DETERMINED TO WORK TOGETHER. THE NOMINATION OF 
A KURDISH PRESIDENT PROVES ALSO A DESIRE TO MAINTAIN IRAQ'S 
UNITY AND TO AVOID, AT LEAST FOR THE TIME BEING, AN 
INDEPENDENT KURDISTAN. THE MOST URGENT MATTER AT HAND FOR THE 
NEW AUTHORITIES IS CURBING TERRORISM. TALABANI HAS ALREADY 
MADE A DISTINCTION BETWEEN TERRORISTS SUPPORTED AND FINANCED 
FROM ABROAD, AND `IRAQIS BEARING ARMS AGAINST FOREIGN TROOPS.' 
THIS NEW STYLE WOULD INDICATE A DESIRE TO INTEGRATE THE LATTER 
GROUP IN THE COUNTRY'S POLITICAL PROCESS, IF THE GROUP AGREES 
TO GIVE UP ON VIOLENCE. IN THIS CASE A NEW PAGE WOULD BE 
TURNED ON THE ROAD TO IRAQ'S STABILIZATION." LEACH