US embassy cable - 05PARIS2635

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PARIS 002635 
 
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; USVIENNA FOR USDEL OSCE. 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OPRC, KMDR, FR 
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION REPORT - IRAQ - THE MYSTERIOUS AFFAIR 
AT MADAEN 
PARIS - TUESDAY, APRIL 19, 2005 
 
 
(A) SUBJECTS COVERED IN TODAY'S REPORT: 
 
IRAQ - THE MYSTERIOUS AFFAIR AT MADAEN 
 
B) SUMMARY OF COVERAGE: 
 
THE QUARREL BETWEEN PRIME MINISTER RAFFARIN AND INTERIOR 
MINISTER DE VILLEPIN, WHO IS SAID TO BE MANEUVERING FOR THE 
POSITION OF PRIME MINISTER AFTER AN ANTICIPATED, POST- 
REFERENDUM CABINET RE-SHUFFLE, IS TODAY'S MAJOR FRONT-PAGE 
STORY. LEFT-OF-CENTER LIBERATION HEADLINES "MAY THE WORST MAN 
WIN" OVER A PHOTOGRAPH OF THE TWO PLAYERS. FOR POPULAR RIGHT- 
OF-CENTER FRANCE SOIR, IT IS "PANIC AT THE SUMMIT" WHILE LE 
PARISIEN TITLES "THE CLASH." RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE FIGARO 
HEADLINES "THE DE VILLEPIN-RAFFARIN BATTLE" AS IT PUBLISHES 
THE LATEST POLL ON VOTER INTENTION FOR THE REFERENDUM, WHICH 
SHOWS ONCE AGAIN THAT THE `NO' IS AHEAD, WITH 55 PERCENT OF 
VOTER INTENTION; THE `YES' GETS 45 PERCENT. LEFT-OF-CENTER LE 
MONDE HEADLINES: "THE PERSISTING `NO' INCREASES PRESSURE ON 
CHIRAC." EDITORIALS ARE OVERWHELMINGLY DEVOTED TO THE 
GOVERNMENT CONTROVERSY AND THE REFERENDUM. 
 
CATHOLIC LA CROIX CARRIES AN INTERVIEW WITH FM BARNIER: "ON 
MAY 29, VOTERS MUST VOTE SOLELY ON THE CONSTITUTION. WHEN IT 
COMES TO TURKEY'S MEMBERSHIP FOR EXAMPLE, THE QUESTION WILL BE 
DEALT WITH IN FIFTEEN YEARS FROM NOW OR MORE, AND FRENCH 
CITIZENS WILL GIVE THEIR OPINION THROUGH A REFERENDUM. IF THE 
`NO' WINS, THOSE WHO ARE DREAMING OF A FREE TRADE ZONE/EUROPE, 
OF A EUROPE/SUPERMARKET, WILL HAVE WON. THE PROJECT FOR A 
POLITICAL EUROPE WILL BE STALLED AND FRANCE'S INFLUENCE WILL 
BE REDUCED. WE MUST BE WATCHFUL OF THE WORLD AROUND US. I DO 
NOT WANT THE FUTURE OF MY COUNTRY TO BE DETERMINED ON WALL 
STREET AND UNDONE IN BEIJING." 
 
TODAY'S MAJOR INTERNATIONAL STORY REVOLVES AROUND CHINA AND 
JAPAN. LEFT-OF-CENTER LIBERATION INTERVIEWS CHINA EXPERT 
VALERIE NIQUET ON THE REASONS BEHIND CHINA'S GROWING ANGER 
AGAINST JAPAN: "BEHIND CHINA'S ANGER WE MUST SEE THE FACT THAT 
BEIJING DOES NOT WANT JAPAN TO HAVE A PERMANENT SEAT AT THE 
UNSC. THE REFORM HAS BEEN UNDER DISCUSSION FOR THE PAST TEN 
YEARS. BUT IT SEEMED THAT A RESOLUTION WAS NEAR AND JAPAN HAD 
A CHANCE FOR A PERMANENT SEAT. CHINA WANTS TO SAFEGUARD ITS 
POSITION OF INFLUENCE ON THE INTERNATIONAL SCENE, AND IN ASIA 
IN PARTICULAR." 
 
RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE FIGARO INTERVIEWS ISRAELI DEPUTY PRIME 
MINISTER SHIMON PERES: "THE FUTURE LIES WITH THE ROADMAP. BUT 
BEFORE WE CAN BEGIN TO IMPLEMENT IT, THE ISSUE OF TERRORISM 
MUST BE RESOLVED. I BELIEVE WE NEED TO HELP MAHMOUD ABBAS EVEN 
MORE, AND WE WILL DO THAT. ALL THOSE WHO WANT PEACE MUST HELP 
HIM. AS LONG AS HAMAS BEARS ARMS, IT WILL BE OUT OF THE 
QUESTION TO NEGOTIATE WITH THEM." 
 
THE MYSTERIOUS HOSTAGE-TAKING INCIDENT IN MADAEN IS RELATED IN 
LIBERATION AND FRANCE SOIR. BOTH OUTLETS SUGGEST THERE MAY 
HAVE BEEN MANIPULATION BEHIND THE STORY TO FOMENT DISAGREEMENT 
BETWEEN THE SUNNI AND SHIITE COMMUNITIES. (SEE PART C) 
 
(C) SUPPORTING TEXT/BLOCK QUOTES: 
 
IRAQ - THE MYSTERIOUS AFFAIR AT MADAEN 
 
"A HOSTAGE SITUATION WITHOUT HOSTAGES" 
SACHA BALIT VANDERBROUCK IN RIGHT-OF-CENTER FRANCE SOIR 
(04/19): "THE OUTCOME OF THE IMAGINARY HOSTAGE TAKING 
SITUATION IS AN INDICATION OF THE EXTREME TENSION ON THE 
GROUND. THE FACT THAT OVER EIGHTY PEOPLE COULD POSSIBLY HAVE 
BEEN KIDNAPPED AT ONCE CAME AS NO SURPRISE, AND THE OVERLOAD 
IN RUMORS AS WELL AS IN DISINFORMATION ARE FEEDING INTO 
GROWING SUSPICION BETWEEN THE DIFFERENT COMMUNITIES. THE 
QUESTION REALLY IS `WHO IS PULLING THE STRINGS?' THE SHIITES 
ARE SCREAMING `SCANDAL' WHILE THE SUNNIS TALK OF MANIPULATION. 
WHAT IS CERTAIN IS THAT NO ONE CAN SEE CLEARLY. BUT THE CHOICE 
OF MADAEN IS NO COINCIDENCE: BECAUSE IT HAS A MIXED POPULATION 
OF SHIITES AND SUNNIS, IT IS THE IDEAL PLACE TO IGNITE A FIRST 
FIRE THAT CAN SPREAD THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE COUNTRY." WOLFF