US embassy cable - 05PARIS3056

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PARIS 003056 
 
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 - EUROPE: UK ELECTIONS, CAPTURE 
OF AL-LIBBI 
 
 
PARIS - MAY 6, 2005 
 
(A) SUBJECTS COVERED IN TODAY'S REPORT: 
 
  1.   UK ELECTIONS 
2.   CAPTURE OF AL-LIBBI 
 
(B) SUMMARY OF COVERAGE: 
 
TONY BLAIR'S RE-ELECTION AND THE ANNIVERSARY OF PRESIDENT 
CHIRAC'S TEN YEARS AT THE ELYSEE ARE THE PRINCIPAL FRONT-PAGE 
STORIES TODAY. CENTRIST BUSINESS-ORIENTED LA TRIBUNE CALLS THE 
PARALLEL BETWEEN THE RE-ELECTION AND THE ANNIVERSARY 
"PAINFUL." "TONY BLAIR HAS SET GREAT BRITAIN ON THE COURSE TO 
GROWTH. WHILE JACQUES CHIRAC'S ACHIEVEMENTS ARE DECIDEDLY LESS 
BRILLIANT." (SEE PART C) 
 
THE ANNIVERSARY OF JACQUES CHIRAC'S PRESIDENCY PROMPTS A 
NUMBER OF COMMENTATORS TO FOCUS ON FRANCE'S FOREIGN POLICY 
OVER THE LAST DECADE. 
 
IN CATHOLIC LA CROIX'S EDITORIAL, FRANCOIS ERNEWEIN OPINES 
CONCERNING PRESIDENT CHIRAC'S TEN-YEARS IN OFFICE: "THE 
ASSESSMENT OF HIS LAST TEN YEARS IN OFFICE WILL GREATLY HINGE 
ON THE OUTCOME OF THE REFERENDUM ON MAY 29. IF THE YES VOTE 
TAKES IT, THE PRESIDENT'S WORK OVER THE LAST DECADE WILL BE 
JUSTIFIED. A NO VOTE HOWEVER WOULD MARK THE SECOND MAJOR 
FAILURE OF HIS MANDATE AFTER THE FAILED DISSOLUTION OF 1997." 
 
FRENCH HISTORIAN NICOLAS BAVEREZ IS INTERVIEWED IN RIGHT-OF- 
CENTER LE FIGARO ON PRESIDENT CHIRAC'S TEN-YEAR ANNIVERSARY IN 
LIGHT OF HIS FOREIGN POLICY. BAVEREZ CRITICIZES FRENCH FOREIGN 
POLICY AS BEING A "RHETORIC OF POWER WITHOUT THE INSTRUMENT OF 
POWER" AND ADDS: "FRANCE REMAINS CLOSED IN ITS POSITION OF AN 
OLD NOSTALGIC COUNTRY OF LOST GRANDEUR ON THE MARGINS OF 
EUROPE, SPECTATOR OF CURRENT HISTORY BEING WRITTEN IN SPITE OF 
HER. THE DEADLOCK THAT FRANCE WAS IN FOLLOWING THE RADICAL 
POSITION IT ADOPTED DURING THE WAR IN IRAQ IS, THANKFULLY, 
RIGHTING ITSELF DUE TO THE RECONCILIATION EFFORT LED BY GEORGE 
W. BUSH AFTER HIS RE-ELECTION; THE END OF THE SYRIAN 
OCCUPATION OF LEBANON. PROVES THAT THE TWO COUNTRIES CAN 
OBTAIN POSITIVE RESULTS WHEN THEY WORK TOGETHER." 
 
DORIAN MALOVIC IN CATHOLIC LA CROIX ALSO ANALYZES THIS 
ANNIVERSARY FROM THE STANDPOINT OF FRENCH DIPLOMACY. "A STUDY 
BY THE PROGRAM ON INTERNATIONAL POLICY ATTITUDES AT THE 
UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND SHOWS THAT THERE IS A VERY POSITIVE 
PERCEPTION OF FRENCH DIPLOMACY IN THE WORLD. WITH THE 
NOTEWORTHY EXCEPTION OF THE UNITED STATES WHERE A MAJORITY OF 
PUBLIC OPINION CONTINUES TO HAVE A NEGATIVE OUTLOOK ON 
FRANCE." IN ECONOMIC RIGHT-OF-CENTER LES ECHOS' FOREIGN 
AFFAIRS EDITORIALIST JACQUES HUBERT-RODIER WRITES IN AN 
ANALYSIS ENTITLED "JACQUES CHIRAC OR TEN YEARS OF CONSTANCY IN 
FOREIGN POLICY," "BEFORE LEAVING HIS POST A FEW WEEKS AGO U.S. 
AMBASSADOR TO FRANCE HOWARD H. LEACH STATED: `NO OTHER FRENCH 
LEADER HAD EVER ACTIVELY WORKED AGAINST U.S. INTERESTS. WHEN A 
FRIEND WORKS ACTIVELY AGAINST YOU IT NOT ONLY HURTS YOUR 
FEELINGS, IT MAKES YOU ANGRY.' DID JACQUES CHIRAC GO TOO FAR 
IN 2003 BY BRANDISHING THE THREAT OF VETOING ANY RESOLUTION 
THAT AUTHORIZED USING MILITARY FORCE?" 
 
THE FRIDAY EDITION OF LEFT-OF-CENTER LE MONDE LEADS WITH THE 
ARREST IN PAKISTAN OF AL QAEDA LEADER ABOU FARAJ AL-LIBBI AND 
PUTS FORWARD THAT "THIS ARREST GIVES NEW HOPE TO THE AMERICANS 
IN THEIR HUNT FOR OSSAMA BEN LADEN." (SEE PART C) 
 
(C) SUPPORTING TEXT/BLOCK QUOTES: 
 
UK ELECTIONS 
"THE BRITISH LESSON" 
THE EDITORIAL IN RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE FIGARO BY PIERRE ROUSSELIN 
(0506): "THE SUCCESS OF THE LABOUR PARTY IS AS MUCH THE 
SUCCESS OF GORDON BROWN AS IT IS OF TONY BLAIR. THE PRIME 
MINISTER HAS HAD THE WISDOM TO ACKNOWLEDGE THIS AND TO PUSH 
HIS PROBABLE SUCCESSOR TO THE FRONT LINES AWARE THAT HIS 
POPULARITY HAD SERIOUSLY SUFFERED AFTER THE WAR IN IRAQ WHICH 
A MAJORITY OF BRITISH WERE OPPOSED TO." 
"THE BRITISH FIRE" 
PATRICK SABATIER'S EDITORIAL IN LEFT-OF-CENTER LIBERATION 
(05/06): "TONY BLAIR CRUSHED HIS HOPES TO PLACE GREAT BRITAIN 
AT THE HEART OF EUROPE BY SEEKING TO ESTABLISH A `SPECIAL 
RELATIONSHIP' WITH THE U.S." 
 
CAPTURE OF AL-LIBBI 
 
"THE CAPTURE OF AL-LIBBI" 
IN REGIONAL LA NOUVELLE REPUBLIQUE DU CENTRE OUEST, JEAN- 
CLAUDE ARBONA WRITES (05/06): "THIS CAPTURE UNDERSCORES THE 
AMERICAN DETERMINATION TO DEFEAT AL QAEDA THAT WAS THE SOURCE 
OF ITS HUMILIATION IN 2001. WILL THIS CAPTURE PUT THE U.S. ON 
THE TRACK OF BEN LADEN? WHATEVER THE OUTCOME, IT IS PROOF OF 
THE PARTNERSHIP THAT THE U.S. HAS ESTABLISHED WITH A NUMBER OF 
COUNTRIES IN THE WAR ON TERRORISM." 
 
"PAKISTANI SUCCESS AGAINST AL QAEDA" 
MARIE-FRANCE CALLE IN RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE FIGARO (05/05): "IT 
IS A REAL SUCCESS STORY FOR ISLAMABAD AND WASHINGTON. A 
VICTORY IN THE WAR ON TERROR ON THE VERY HAZY BORDER THAT 
SEPARATES PAKISTAN AND AFGHANISTAN. THIS CAPTURE WAS MADE 
POSSIBLE THANKS TO THE COLLABORATIVE EFFORTS OF ISLAMABAD WITH 
AMERICAN INTELLIGENCE. TODAY IT WILL BE UP TO THE VERY ANTI- 
AMERICAN PAKISTANI PUBLIC OPINION TO JUDGE THIS COLLABORATIVE 
EFFORT. MUSHARRAF HAS PRACTICALLY TURNED THE HUNT FOR AL QAEDA 
INTO A PERSONAL MATTER. BUT THIS IS INCONSEQUENTIAL WHEN WHAT 
REALLY MATTERS IS AL QAEDA'S ELIMINATION IN PAKISTAN."