US embassy cable - 05PARIS2489

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PARIS 002489 
 
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 - IRAQ - SECRETARY RUMSFELD TO 
BAGHDAD LEBANON 
PARIS - WEDNESDAY, APRIL 13, 2005 
 
 
(A) SUBJECTS COVERED IN TODAY'S REPORT: 
 
1. IRAQ - SECRETARY RUMSFELD TO BAGHDAD 
2. LEBANON 
 
B) SUMMARY OF COVERAGE: 
 
AMBASSADOR LEACH'S DEPARTURE FROM PARIS IS ANNOUNCED IN LE 
FIGARO AND POPULAR LE PARISIEN. PRESIDENT BUSH'S NOMINATION OF 
CRAIG ROBERT STAPLETON TO REPLACE AMBASSADOR LEACH IS ALSO 
NOTED. 
 
DOMESTIC POLITICS AND SOCIAL ISSUES DOMINATE TODAY'S FRONT 
PAGES AND EDITORIALS. THE MAIN INTERNATIONAL STORIES INCLUDE 
SECRETARY RUMSFELD'S VISIT TO BAGHDAD, POLAND'S DECISION TO 
 
SIPDIS 
WITHDRAW FROM IRAQ AT THE END OF THE YEAR, WHICH LEADS POPULAR 
RIGHT-OF-CENTER FRANCE SOIR TO TITLE: "THE AMERICANS 
INCREASINGLY ALONE IN IRAQ," THE AMBIVALENT READINGS OF THE 
MEETING BETWEEN SHARON AND PRESIDENT BUSH AND LEBANON'S 
PRECARIOUS SITUATION. ON THE 30TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE OUTBREAK 
OF LEBANON'S CIVIL WAR, LEFT-OF-CENTER LIBERATION DEVOTES A 
COMMENTARY TO LEBANON'S "RENAISSANCE" IN WHICH PATRICK 
SABATIER WRITES: "LET US HOPE THE NEW GENERATION OF LEBANESE 
WILL NOT BE SWAYED BY SYRIA'S `DAMASCUS OR CHAOS' ATTITUDE." 
(SEE PART C) 
 
IN AN INTERVIEW IN LEFT-OF-CENTER LIBERATION, IRAQ'S PRESIDENT 
JALAL TALABANI SAYS: "ISLAM WILL BE ONE SOURCE AMONG MANY 
OTHERS FOR THE LEGISLATIVE CONSTITUTION IN IRAQ. WHEN OUR 
FORCES ARE READY TO TAKE OVER IRAQ'S SECURITY, WE WILL ASK 
FOREIGN TROOPS TO WITHDRAW. THAT WILL NOT HAPPEN BEFORE THE 
END OF 2006." 
 
RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE FIGARO INTERVIEWS DEFENSE MINISTER MICHELE 
ALLIOT-MARIE ON THE SITUATION IN COTE D'IVOIRE. ASKED ABOUT 
THE GROWING U.S. PRESENCE IN AFRICA, SHE COMMENTS: "AMERICA'S 
PRESENCE IN AFRICA IS GROWING, PARTICULARLY IN DJIBOUTI, AS 
PART OF THE FIGHT AGAINST TERRORISM. WHEN THE AMERICANS ARE 
PRESENT SOMEWHERE, THEY DO NOT AFFECT THE HOST COUNTRY VERY 
MUCH. CONTRARY TO FRENCH MILITARY BASES AND THEIR IMPACT ON 
THE LOCAL POPULATION, AMERICAN MILITARY PERSONNEL LIVE IN 
ALMOST COMPLETE SELF-SUFFICIENCY; THIS LIMITS THEIR 
INFLUENCE." 
 
IN A SEPARATE REPORT ON EU PRESENCE IN AFRICA, PIERRE AVRIL 
WRITES IN LE FIGARO: "IN AFRICA, THE EU WANTS TO COMPETE WITH 
THE U.S., WHOSE INFLUENCE ON THE CONTINENT IS GROWING. THE EU 
CONSIDERS ITS PROPOSALS FOR AFRICA TO CARRY AN `ADDED VALUE,' 
AS OPPOSED TO WASHINGTON'S. `WE DO NOT PURSUE A UTILITARIAN 
VISION,' SAID EU COMMISSIONER LOUIS MICHEL. `WE ARE 
MULTILATERALISTS, COMMITTED AND RESPONDING TO POVERTY WHEREVER 
IT EXISTS.'" 
 
RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE FIGARO ECONOMIE CARRIES A FRONT-PAGE 
ARTICLE BY ISABELLE LASSERRE TITLED "EADS WILL NOT SELL 
WEAPONS TO CHINA." LASSSERRE WRITES: "EUROPEAN ARMAMENT 
EXECUTIVES WILL SOON HAVE TO DECIDE BETWEEN TWO PROMISING 
MARKETS: CHINA AND THE U.S. EADS, THE LARGEST EUROPEAN 
AEROSPACE AND DEFENSE GROUP HAS ALREADY MADE ITS CHOICE: EVEN 
IF THE EU LIFTS THE ARMS EMBARGO WITH CHINA, IT WILL NOT SELL 
MILITARY EQUIPMENT TO BEIJING." 
 
(C) SUPPORTING TEXT/BLOCK QUOTES: 
 
IRAQ - RUMSFELD TO BAGHDAD 
 
"SECRETARY RUMSFELD WARNS AGAINST `HOUSECLEANING'" 
GEORGES MALBRUNOT IN RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE FIGARO (04/13): "FOR 
HIS NINTH VISIT TO BAGHDAD SINCE THE FALL OF SADDAM, SECRETARY 
RUMSFELD WARNED THE SHIITES AGAINST CERTAIN PITFALLS. `MY 
CONCERN IS THAT THEY MAY BE TEMPTED TO DO SOME HOUSECLEANING.' 
THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THE MESSAGE HAS BEEN SENT WITH SUCH 
CLARITY. FOR MONTHS NOW, OBSERVERS HAVE BEEN CONCERNED WITH 
THE GROWING NUMBER OF RELIGIOUS-RELATED PERSONNEL PLACED IN 
CERTAIN MINISTRIES. THE AMERICANS THEMSELVES HAVE REASON TO BE 
CONCERNED. MEMBERS OF THE UNIFIED ALLIANCE HAVE CALLED FOR A 
PURGE IN THE MINISTRY OF THE INTERIOR. THEY ARE SAYING, AND 
NOT WITHOUT REASON, THAT THIS PARTICULAR MINISTRY HAS BEEN 
INFILTRATED WITH FORMER BAATH MEMBERS, RECRUITED BY FORMER 
PRIME MINISTER ALLAWI. THE AMERICANS ARE NOW BACKTRACKING IN 
THE FACE OF GROWING SIGNS OF A WITCH HUNT." 
"THE AMERICANS INCREASINGLY ALONE IN IRAQ" 
THIERRY DE ROCHECHOUART IN RIGHT-OF-CENTER FRANCE SOIR 
(04/13): "DURING HIS SURPRISE VISIT TO BAGHDAD, SECRETARY 
RUMSFELD INDICATED THE AMERICANS HAD NO EXIT STRATEGY FROM 
IRAQ. THIS REMARK CAME AS POLAND ANNOUNCED ITS DECISION TO 
WITHDRAW ITS TROOPS AT THE END OF THE YEAR. THIS IS A SERIOUS 
REVERSAL FOR THE U.S. OTHER ALLIES HAVE ALREADY DECIDED TO 
LEAVE IRAQ, UKRAINE, THE NETHERLANDS, HUNGARY, BULGARIA; EVEN 
ITALY IS THINKING ABOUT IT." 
 
LEBANON 
 
"RENAISSANCE" 
PATRICK SABATIER IN LEFT-OF-CENTER LIBERATION (04/13): "THE 
POST-CIVIL WAR GENERATION SURPRISES US BY ITS ARDOR, ITS UNITY 
AND ITS PEACEFUL DETERMINATION. BUT IT SHOULD NOT IGNORE WHAT 
ITS ELDERS EXPERIENCED. FOR THE PAST FIFTEEN YEARS LEBANON HAS 
BEEN A LABORATORY FOR EVERY POSSIBLE HORROR. TODAY, THERE ARE 
THOSE WHO IN THE SHADOWS ARE WORKING TO AWAKEN THE SPECTERS OF 
CIVIL WAR. THE BOMBINGS, JUST LIKE THE POLITICAL STALEMATE, 
SOUND LIKE SO MANY WARNING SIGNALS OF A SYRIA, WHICH, HAVING 
BEEN FORCED TO LET GO, IS PLAYING A STRATEGY OF TENSION UNDER 
THE BANNER OF `DAMASCUS OR CHAOS.' LET US HOPE THE LEBANESE 
WILL NOT LISTEN." LEACH