US embassy cable - 05PARIS2989

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PARIS 002989 
 
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 - FRANCO-AMERICAN RELATIONS: FM 
BARNIER TO WASHINGTON 
PARIS - TUESDAY, MAY 03, 2005 
 
(A) SUBJECTS COVERED IN TODAY'S REPORT: 
 
FRANCO-AMERICAN RELATIONS: FM BARNIER TO WASHINGTON 
 
B) SUMMARY OF COVERAGE: 
 
A WIDE VARIETY OF DOMESTIC STORIES APPEAR ON TODAY'S FRONT 
PAGES, WITH LEFT-OF-CENTER LE MONDE THE ONLY EXCEPTION: 
"LEBANON: THE DIFFICULT TASK OF RETURNING TO FREEDOM." LE 
MONDE DEVOTES A REPORT TO LEBANON'S POLITICAL DIVISIONS, WHILE 
IN AN INTERVIEW, THE LEBANESE PRIME MINISTER NAGIB MIQATI 
SAYS, PRIOR TO HIS VISIT TO DAMASCUS: "IT IS NATURAL THAT MY 
FIRST TRIP SHOULD BE TO DAMASCUS. IN THE INTEREST OF LEBANON 
OUR RELATIONS WITH SYRIA MUST BE THE BEST POSSIBLE RELATIONS." 
ON HEZBOLLAH HE ALSO ADDED: "THE DISARMING OF HEZBOLLAH IS A 
STRICTLY DOMESTIC ISSUE." 
 
THE EUROPEAN CONSTITUTION AND THE REFERENDUM CONTINUE TO 
ELICIT ATTENTION. THE THREE LATEST POLLS SHOW THE "YES" IS 
GAINING GROUND. THE ISPOS POLL FOR LE FIGARO AND EUROPE 1 
RADIO SHOWS THAT 53 PERCENT OF RESPONDENTS WOULD VOTE "YES." 
THIS IS THE FIRST POLL WHICH PUTS THE "YES" AHEAD, AFTER 
TWENTY-THREE SUCH POLLS SINCE MID-MARCH. ACCORDING TO POPULAR 
RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE PARISIEN 51 PERCENT OF RESPONDENTS WOULD 
VOTE "YES." BUT FOR LIBERATION, THE "YES" VOTE RISES FROM 47 
(IN MID-APRIL) TO 49 PERCENT, WHILE THE "NO," STILL IN THE 
LEAD, DROPS TO 51 PERCENT. COMMENTATORS AGREE THAT THE TREND 
HAS SHIFTED IN FAVOR OF THE `YES' FOR THE FIRST TIME. THIS 
EVENING PRESIDENT CHIRAC WILL BE INTERVIEWED ON FRANCE 2 
TELEVISION DURING THE 8PM EVENING NEWS BROADCAST. 
 
IN LEFT-OF-CENTER LIBERATION CORRESPONDENT PASCAL RICHE NOTES 
THAT "THE U.S. PRESS IS IGNORING THE DEBATE ON THE EU 
CONSTITUTION, ALTHOUGH IT IS VERY MUCH DISCUSSED AMONG THINK 
TANKERS." HE QUOTES SECRETARY RICE: "THE U.S., SINCE THE 
BEGINNING, HAS SUPPORTED EUROPEAN INTEGRATION." 
 
FM BARNIER'S VISIT TO WASHINGTON, HIS IMPROMPTU MEETING WITH 
PRESIDENT BUSH AND IMPROVED FRANCO-AMERICAN RELATIONS ARE THE 
BASIS FOR TWO REPORTS IN LE FIGARO AND LIBERATION, WHICH USES 
A QUOTE FROM FORMER AMBASSADOR LEACH IN ITS HEADLINE: "BETWEEN 
FRANCE AND THE U.S., THE DAYS OF `BROKEN CHINA' ARE OVER." THE 
ARTICLE MENTIONS THE NOMINATION OF AMBASSADOR-DESIGNATE CRAIG 
STAPLETON. (SEE PART C) 
 
(C) SUPPORTING TEXT/BLOCK QUOTES: 
 
FRANCO-AMERICAN RELATIONS: FM BARNIER TO WASHINGTON 
 
"BARNIER TO WASHINGTON IN A PEACEFUL ATMOSPHERE" 
PHILIPPE GELIE IN RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE FIGARO (05/03): "BETWEEN 
FRANCE AND THE U.S. THE RETURN TO ROUTINE VISITS IS IN ITSELF 
A SIGN OF DIPLOMATIC SUCCESS. FM BARNIER'S QUICK STOP IN 
WASHINGTON STANDS WITNESS TO CALMER BILATERAL RELATIONS. 
BARNIER ALSO MET WITH THE PRESIDENT IN AN IMPROMPTU VISIT FOR 
ABOUT A HALF HOUR. BARNIER'S ARRIVAL IN WASHINGTON DID NOT 
MAKE NEWS IN THE LOCAL PRESS. AFTER TWO YEARS OF HARSH 
RELATIONS THIS IS, IN ITSELF, A MAJOR ACHIEVEMENT. THE TONE OF 
THE VISIT WAS ONE OF HARMONY AND COOPERATION. EVEN IF THERE 
ARE NUANCES OF APPROACH TO CERTAIN ISSUES, AND EVEN SOME 
DISSENSION BETWEEN THE TWO CAPITALS. WASHINGTON SUPPORTS 
FRANCE'S DIPLOMATIC EFFORTS WITH IRAN, ALTHOUGH IT IS 
CONVINCED THE DIALOGUE WITH TEHERAN IS VOWED TO FAIL, LEAVING 
EUROPE NO ALTERNATIVE AS TO THE IDEA OF SANCTIONS. EVEN OVER 
LEBANON THERE ARE DISAGREEMENTS. BUT ALLIANCES EXIST TO 
OVERCOME THESE SMALL DISAGREEMENTS. RELATIONS WITH WASHINGTON 
ARE IMPORTANT ENOUGH FOR THE FOREIGN MINISTER TO HAVE TAKEN 
TIME OUT FROM THE CAMPAIGN FOR THE REFERENDUM. ON THIS ISSUE 
SECRETARY RICE EXPRESSED `AMERICA'S SUPPORT FOR EUROPE'S 
 
SIPDIS 
INTEGRATION' AND EXPRESSED THE HOPE THAT THE `EUROPEAN PROJECT 
WILL SUCCEED.'" 
 
"NO MORE `BROKEN CHINA' BETWEEN FRANCE AND THE U.S." 
PASCAL RICHE IN LEFT-OF-CENTER LIBERATION (05/03): "AFTER 
BEING `THE IMPOSSIBLE ALLY' OF THE U.S., FRANCE IS DREAMING OF 
BECOMING `THE INDISPENSABLE PARTNER.' WHILE LUNCHING WITH 
SECRETARY RICE, FM BARNIER WAS SURPRISED BY AN INVITATION TO 
 
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MEET WITH PRESIDENT BUSH FOR A HALF-HOUR. SEVERAL FRENCH 
DIPLOMATS ARE ALREADY GLOATING: `IN THE END, WE ARE THE ONES 
TO TAKE THE PLACE BLAIR WAS DREAMING OF. THAT OF A PRIVILEGED 
PARTNER OF THE U.S. .' FOR MONTHS NOW FRANCE AND THE U.S. HAVE 
TRIED TO RESOLVE, HIDE OR POSTPONE THEIR DIFFERENCES. THE TWO 
COUNTRIES HAVE REACHED COMPROMISES ON SENSITIVE ISSUES, SUCH 
AS THE TRIALS OF SUDANESE FOR MASSACRES IN DARFUR. IN EXCHANGE 
THE FRENCH DID NOT OPPOSE THE NOMINATION OF PAUL WOLFOWITZ AT 
THE WORLD BANK. TO QUOTE FORMER U.S. AMBASSADOR LEACH, THE TWO 
COUNTRIES ARE TRYING TO AVOID `BROKEN CHINA.' WITH LEACH'S 
DEPARTURE, PRESIDENT BUSH HAS NOMINATED 55-YEAR-OLD CRAIG 
STAPLETON TO REPLACE HIM. A WEALTHY BUSINESSMAN FROM 
CONNECTICUT, STAPLETON HAS RAISED FUNDS FOR THE PRESIDENT'S 
CAMPAIGN EVEN IF HE IS STILL A REGISTERED DEMOCRAT. HE WAS 
AMBASSADOR TO PRAGUE FROM 2000 TO 2004, WHERE DIPLOMATIC 
CAUTIOUSNESS WAS NOT WHAT HE WAS BEST KNOWN FOR." ROSENBLATT