US embassy cable - 05PARIS2800

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PARIS 002800 
 
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 - LEBANON - SYRIAN PULLOUT EU 
ISSUES: CHINESE TEXTILES WAR AGAINST TERROR - MOUSSAOUI TRIAL 
PARIS - TUESDAY, APRIL 26, 2005 
 
 
(A) SUBJECTS COVERED IN TODAY'S REPORT: 
 
1. LEBANON - SYRIAN PULLOUT 
2. EU ISSUES: CHINESE TEXTILES 
3. WAR AGAINST TERROR - MOUSSAOUI TRIAL 
 
B) SUMMARY OF COVERAGE: 
 
THE EUROPEAN CONSTITUTION AND THE EUROPEAN TEXTILE INDUSTRY'S 
PLIGHT IN THE FACE OF CHINESE EXPORTS ARE TODAY'S MAJOR FRONT- 
PAGE STORIES. LEFT-OF-CENTER LIBERATION HEADLINES "CHINESE 
TEXTILES: WHEN EUROPE FINALLY WAKES UP." AND EDITORIALIST 
PATRICK SABATIER CLEARLY FAULTS THE EUROPEANS FOR NOT BEING 
PREPARED TO DEAL WITH A SITUATION THEY KNEW WAS COMING. (SEE 
PART C) 
 
TWO POLLS ON THE EU CONSTITUTION MAKE TODAY'S FRONT PAGES. 
RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE FIGARO HEADLINES "THE `YES' RISES THANKS TO 
THE RIGHT." ACCORDING TO LE FIGARO'S LATEST POLL, THE `NO' 
DROPS FROM 55 TO 52 PERCENT, AND THE `YES' GAINS, FROM 45 TO 
48 PERCENT. CATHOLIC LA CROIX CARRIES A POLL ON VOTER 
INTENTION AMONG CATHOLICS: 53 PERCENT OF PRACTICING CATHOLICS 
SAY THEY WILL SUPPORT THE EU CONSTITUTION, BUT AMONG NON- 
PRACTICING CATHOLICS THE `NO' LEADS. 
 
SYRIA'S PULLOUT FROM LEBANON IS ANALYZED IN LEFT-OF-CENTER 
LIBERATION, WITH AN EDITORIAL COMMENTARY BY GERARD DUPUY WHO 
WRITES: "DAMASCUS HAS FINALLY GIVEN IN TO U.S. PRESSURE. NOW 
THE LEBANESE ARE FACE TO FACE WITH THEMSELVES AND HAVE NO 
LONGER A PRETEXT TO CONTINUE TO DO NOTHING." (SEE PART C) 
 
THERE ARE SEVERAL REPORTS ON MOUSSAOUI'S GUILTY PLEA. IN 
POPULAR RIGHT-OF-CENTER FRANCE SOIR MARIE NOSSEREAU TITLES HER 
ARTICLE: "IS MOUSSAOUI GOING TO DIE?" HIS MOTHER'S APPEAL IS 
NOTED AS WELL AS HIS FRENCH LAWYERS' CALL ON THE FRENCH 
FOREIGN MINISTER TO INTERVENE. REGIONAL L'INDEPENDENT DEVOTES 
ITS EDITORIAL TO MOUSSAOUI'S PLEA. EDITORIALIST BERNARD REVEL 
WONDERS ABOUT MOUSSAOUI'S STATE OF MIND AFTER FOUR YEARS IN 
SOLITARY CONFINEMENT. (SEE PART C) 
 
SECRETARY OF STATE RICE'S TRIP TO LATIN AMERICA IS NOTED IN LE 
 
SIPDIS 
FIGARO, WHICH TITLES: "BUSH WANTS TO BYPASS CHAVEZ, THE 
OBSTACLE." IN HIS REPORT PHILIPPE GELIE COMMENTS: "IN MILITARY 
TERMS, THE MANEUVER IS ONE OF ENCIRCLEMENT. SECRETARY RICE'S 
LATIN AMERICAN TOUR INCLUDES FOUR NATIONS THAT ENCIRCLE WHAT 
IS A MAIN AMERICAN PREOCCUPATION, BUT WHICH IS NOT INCLUDED IN 
THE OFFICIAL PROGRAM: CHAVEZ'S VENEZUELA. THE STRATEGY IS ONE 
OF `CONTAINMENT AND ISOLATION' OF THE LATIN AMERICAN BLACK 
SHEEP." 
 
(C) SUPPORTING TEXT/BLOCK QUOTES: 
 
LEBANON - SYRIAN PULLOUT 
 
"A NEW START" 
GERARD DUPUY IN LEFT-OF-CENTER LIBERATION (04/26): "THE ASSAD 
DYNASTY HAS BASED ITS INFLUENCE, BOTH INSIDE AND OUTSIDE, ON 
THE UNSCRUPULOUS USE OF POWER. BUT THE SYSTEM HAS BROKEN DOWN: 
CAUGHT IN AN ECONOMIC SEMI-QUAGMIRE, CONCERNED ABOUT ITS 
KURDISH MINORITY'S AWAKENING, DESTABILIZED SINCE SADDAM 
HUSSEIN'S FALL AND IRAQ'S OUTLINE FOR DEMOCRACY, DAMASCUS HAS 
FINALLY REACTED TO PRESSURE FROM AMERICA, BELATEDLY HELPED BY 
FRANCE. THE LEBANESE OPPOSITION IS UNITED IN ITS REJECTION OF 
SYRIA, BUT HAS NO UNIFIED PLANS. THE COUNTRY IS IN DIRE NEED 
OF NEW INSTITUTIONS IF IT HOPES TO GET A NEW START WITH 
LASTING RESULTS. WITH THEIR DEPARTURE, THE SYRIANS ARE LEAVING 
BEHIND MANY HIDDEN LANDMINES AND UNCERTAINTIES. BUT NOW THE 
LEBANESE ARE FACE TO FACE WITH THEMSELVES AND HAVE NO LONGER A 
PRETEXT TO CONTINUE TO DO NOTHING." 
 
EU ISSUES: CHINESE TEXTILES 
 
"THE EUROPEANS' FAULT" 
PATRICK SABATIER IN LEFT-OF-CENTER LIBERATION (04/26): "IF 
FRANCE'S PROTECTIONIST REACTION TO CHINESE TEXTILE EXPORTS IS 
THE GOVERNMENT'S WAY TO SAVE THE EU CONSTITUTION, THE MEASURE 
IS BOTH WRONG AND DANGEROUS. BEIJING'S WTO MEMBERSHIP WAS A 
STRATEGIC DECISION TAKEN KNOWINGLY BY THE WEST, AS TO THE 
IMPACT OF A NEW ECONOMIC AND MILITARY POWER ARRIVING ON THE 
SCENE. THE FACT REMAINS THAT CHINA'S DEVELOPMENT IS THE BEST 
GUARANTEE FOR PEACE AND LASTING DEVELOPMENT IN ASIA. AND THIS 
BENEFITS ALL. WE WILL NOT BE ABLE TO SELL AIRBUSES TO CHINA IF 
WE DO NOT BUY SHIRTS `MADE IN CHINA.' EUROPE'S AND FRANCE'S 
MISTAKE IS NOT THAT THEY ARE DOING TOO LITTLE TODAY. IT IS 
THAT THEY DID NOT PREPARE ADEQUATELY YESTERDAY FOR TODAY'S 
INTRUSION OF THE CHINESE ELEPHANT IN EUROPE'S CLOTHING STORES 
TO PROTECT THEIR EMPLOYEES." 
 
WAR AGAINST TERROR - MOUSSAOUI TRIAL 
 
"THE MOUSSAOUI ENIGMA" 
BERNARD REVEL IN REGIONAL L'INDEPENDANT (04/26): "THE LAW 
CANNOT RESOLVE ENIGMAS. IT NEEDS FACT. BY PLEADING GUILTY 
MOUSSAOUI HAS GIVEN THE JUSTICE SYSTEM AN UN-HOPED FOR HELPING 
HAND. THE FACT THAT A JURY WILL DECIDE ON THE DEATH PENALTY 
FOR MOUSSAOUI IN VIRGINIA, ONE OF AMERICA'S MOST CONSERVATIVE 
STATES, LEAVES NO DOUBT AS TO THE OUTCOME. MOUSSAOUI'S 
ATTITUDE DOES NOT PLEAD IN HIS FAVOR. HE HAS MADE HIS LAWYERS' 
TASK IMPOSSIBLE. BUT CAN ONE EXPECT A MAN WHO HAS BEEN IN 
SOLITARY CONFINEMENT FOR ALMOST FOUR YEARS TO ACT RATIONALLY? 
THIS IS ALSO PART OF THE MOUSSAOUI ENIGMA." 
 
"IS MOUSSAOUI GOING TO DIE?" 
MARIE NOSSEREAU IN POPULAR RIGHT-OF-CENTER FRANCE SOIR 
(04/26): "MOUSSAOUI HAS JUST HELPED THOSE WHO WANT HIM DEAD. 
HE COULD HAVE PLEA-BARGAINED, `BUT THAT IS NOT THE SOLUTION HE 
HAS CHOSEN,' SAYS HIS FRENCH LAWYER. HIS MOTHER SAYS SHE NO 
LONGER RECOGNIZES HER OWN SON. `HE HAS DECIDED TO GET IT OVER 
WITH, ONE WAY OR ANOTHER' SHE SAYS. CAN FRANCE SAVE MOUSSAOUI 
FROM THE DEATH PENALTY? YESTERDAY, FM BARNIER THOUGHT IT 
USEFUL TO MAKE THE FOLLOWING CLARIFICATION: `THE FRENCH 
AUTHORITIES CANNOT INTERVENE IN A JUDICIAL PROCESS, WHETHER IN 
FRANCE OR ABROAD.' BUT HIS LAWYER CONTESTS THIS ARGUMENT: `IF 
WE ARE TALKING ABOUT A TRIAL, I CAN ACCEPT THE ARGUMENT. BUT 
WHEN IT IS THE ATTORNEY GENERAL HIMSELF, A POLITICIAN, WHO 
ASKS FOR THE DEATH PENALTY, I EXPECT HIS FRENCH COUNTERPART TO 
REACT. FOR THE TIME BEING THERE IS ONLY SILENCE.'" WOLFF