US embassy cable - 05PARIS2535

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PARIS 002535 
 
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 - MIDDLE EAST ISSUES EUROPE AND 
THE CHINESE ARMS EMBARGO 
PARIS - THURSDAY, APRIL 14, 2005 
 
 
(A) SUBJECTS COVERED IN TODAY'S REPORT: 
 
1. MIDDLE EAST ISSUES 
2. EUROPE AND THE CHINESE ARMS EMBARGO 
 
B) SUMMARY OF COVERAGE: 
 
THE BATTLE FOR THE EUROPEAN CONSTITUTION AND THE REFERENDUM 
ARE TODAY'S MAJOR LEAD STORY AS PRESIDENT CHIRAC BEGINS HIS 
CAMPAIGN IN FAVOR OF THE `YES' WITH A TELEVISED DEBATE THIS 
EVENING ON TF ONE. THE FORMAT OF THE DEBATE, WITH PRE-SELECTED 
STUDENTS, THE MODERATORS, COMING FOR THE MOST PART FROM 
TELEVISION ENTERTAINMENT RATHER THAN JOURNALISM, AND THE 
CHOICE OF A PRIVATE NETWORK RATHER THAN THE PUBLIC SERVICE 
TELEVISION NETWORK ARE ALL SUBJECTS FEEDING THE CONTROVERSY. 
 
RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE FIGARO CARRIES AN OP-ED BY NICOLAS SARKOZY, 
FORMER INTERIOR MINISTER AND NOW PRESIDENT OF CHIRAC'S PARTY, 
THE UMP, ON WHY HE WILL VOTE `YES' AND WHY THE FRENCH, WHO 
FAVOR A STRONGER EUROPE SHOULD ALSO VOTE `YES': "THE FRENCH 
WANT A EUROPE THAT WILL ADDRESS THEIR CONCERNS ABOUT 
EMPLOYMENT AND SOCIAL JUSTICE. THEY WANT A EUROPE CAPABLE OF 
WEIGHING IN AGAINST SUCH GIANTS AS THE U.S., CHINA AND INDIA. 
AND TO BE TREATED AS AN EQUAL. THEY WANT FREE TRADE AND 
COMPETITIVENESS TO SERVE HUMAN BEINGS, NOT THE OPPOSITE. I 
BELIEVE THE EUROPEAN CONSTITUTION WILL ANSWER THESE 
CONCERNS..." 
 
FINANCIAL LA TRIBUNE CARRIES A TWO-PAGE REPORT ON PAUL 
WOLFOWITZ TITLED: "THE WORLD BANK PREPARING FOR THE WOLFOWITZ 
HURRICANE." "ALTHOUGH UNANIMOUSLY ELECTED, HE WILL BE WELCOMED 
BY A TEAM THAT ADMITS TO FEELING SOMEWHAT OVERWHELMED. HIS 
DETRACTORS EMPHASIZE HIS LACK OF DIPLOMATIC EXPERIENCE. WITH 
THIS NOMINATION, IT IS SUGGESTED THAT THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION 
WANTS TO TURN THE WORLD BANK INTO AN INSTRUMENT OF HIS 
`CRUSADE' FOR IMPOSED DEMOCRACY, IF NECESSARY BY FORCE." 
 
THE POLITICAL STALEMATE IN LEBANON IS REPORTED. IN CATHOLIC LA 
CROIX AGNES ROTIVEL REPORTS ON THE OPEN LETTER FROM THE LEADER 
OF HEZBOLLAH, HASSAN NASRALLAH, PUBLISHED IN LEBANON AND 
ASKING FRANCE TO "INTERCEDE TO FACILITATE THE INTERNAL 
LEBANESE DIALOGUE AND TO DISASSOCIATE ITSELF FROM THE U.S." 
THE SITUATION IN LEBANON, BUT ALSO IRAQ AND THE MIDDLE EAST IN 
GENERAL WILL BE "ON TODAY'S MENU WHEN PRINCE ABDALLAH OF SAUDI 
ARABIA MEETS WITH PRESIDENT CHIRAC." (SEE PART C) 
 
IN ECONOMIC LES ECHOS JEAN-PIERRE NEU PENS AN ANALYSIS OF 
FRANCE'S COMPLICATED POSITION ON THE LIFTING OF THE CHINESE 
ARMS EMBARGO AND ITS ROLE IN THE EU. (SEE PART C) 
 
(C) SUPPORTING TEXT/BLOCK QUOTES: 
 
MIDDLE EAST ISSUES 
 
"THE MIDDLE EAST ON THE SAUDI PRINCE'S FRENCH MENU" 
PIERRE PRIER IN RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE FIGARO (04/14): "THE WORLD 
AFTER 9/11 WILL BE AT THE HEART OF TODAY'S FRANCO-SAUDI TALKS. 
LEBANON WILL BE THE CENTERPIECE, WITH SAUDI ARABIA AND FRANCE 
ON THE SAME WAVELENGTH REGARDING SYRIA AND THE UN RESOLUTION 
FOR ITS WITHDRAWAL. BUT SAUDI ARABIA IS ALSO CONCERNED ABOUT 
THE UN'S GROWING PRESSURE ON THE ARAB WORLD TO MAKE REFORMS. 
SAUDI ARABIA, WHICH IS ITSELF BEING URGED BY PRESIDENT BUSH TO 
MAKE REFORMS, WILL LET FRANCE KNOW THE EXTENT OF ITS CONCERNS 
ON THIS PARTICULAR SUBJECT. THE POLITICAL VACUUM WHICH APPEARS 
TO BE SETTLING OVER LEBANON IS OF PARTICULAR CONCERN TO RIYADH 
BECAUSE IN ITS VIEW IT CARIES THE MAKINGS OF RENEWED 
HOSTILITIES BETWEEN THE SHIITES AND THE SUNNIS. THIS NEW 
RISING SHIITE POWER, FROM LEBANON TO IRAQ, IS PARTICULARLY 
WORRISOME FOR THE SUNNI SAUDI KINGDOM." 
 
EUROPE AND THE CHINESE ARMS EMBARGO 
"FRANCE TAKINGS RISKS OVER THE LIFTING OF THE CHINESE ARMS 
EMBARGO" 
JEAN-PIERRE NEU IN RIGHT-OF-CENTER LES ECHOS (04/14): 
"FRANCE'S VOICE IN FAVOR OF LIFTING THE ARMS EMBARGO IS A NEW 
OPPORTUNITY FOR PARIS TO MAKE FRANCE'S SINGULAR VOICE HEARD IN 
ITS FIGHT FOR A MULTIPOLAR WORLD. BUT CHIRAC'S POSITION IS 
RAISING EYEBROWS IN WASHINGTON AS WELL AS IN EUROPE. THE 
LIFTING OF THE EMBARGO, WHICH REMAINS VERY SYMBOLIC, CAN PUT 
IN THE BALANCE THE FUTURE OF EU-U.S. RELATIONS AND CAN SHATTER 
EUROPE'S JOINT DEFENSE POLICY. AFTER SECRETARY ZOELLICK'S 
REMARKS IN BRUSSELS ABOUT ENDANGERING THE TRANSFER OF 
TECHNOLOGY. THE RISKS FOR EUROPEAN DEFENSE INDUSTRIALISTS WHO 
WOULD LOVE TO PIGGYBACK ON U.S. MILITARY PROGRAMS ARE 
ENORMOUS. WHATEVER PARIS DOES, WHETHER IT BRINGS EUROPE AROUND 
TO ITS CHINESE VIEWS OR WHETHER IT FAILS, IT WILL NOT BE PAID 
BACK, NOT IN CHINA, JAPAN, KOREA OR THE U.S." LEACH