US embassy cable - 05PARIS3231

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PARIS 003231 
 
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 - PRESIDENT BUSH - FOREIGN 
POLICY 
PARIS - THURSDAY, MAY 12, 2005 
 
 
(A) SUBJECTS COVERED IN TODAY'S REPORT: 
 
PRESIDENT BUSH - FOREIGN POLICY 
 
B) SUMMARY OF COVERAGE: 
 
A VARIETY OF DOMESTIC AND EUROPEAN STORIES MAKE TODAY'S 
HEADLINES, INCLUDING INTERIOR MINISTER DE VILLEPIN'S PLAN TO 
REDUCE ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION (LIBERATION); THE CANNES FILM 
FESTIVAL (LE FIGARO); PARIS AND THE OLYMPIC GAMES OF 2012 
(FRANCE SOIR). FINANCIAL LA TRIBUNE DEVOTES ITS LEAD TO THE 
CONTINUING BATTLE AT THE HELM OF EADS AND AIRBUS WHILE 
ECONOMIC LES ECHOS LEADS WITH FRANCE'S DROP IN INDUSTRIAL 
OUTPUT FOR THE FIRST QUARTER OF 2005. BUT BOTH DAILIES DEVOTE 
THEIR EDITORIALS TO THE EXECUTIVE LIFE TRIAL: THE 
"IRRATIONALITY" OF AMERICAN COURTS (LA TRIBUNE) AS WELL AS THE 
OUTCOME OF A "BALANCED VERDICT AFTER THE CRIMINAL TRIAL'S 
MIXED JUSTICE OF REVENGE AND FOREIGN POLICY - AN ANTI-FRENCH 
CAMPAIGN ON THE EVE OF THE IRAQ CONFLICT." (LES ECHOS) 
 
WITH GERMANY'S RATIFICATION OF THE EU CONSTITUTION TODAY, 
REPORTS ON FRANCE'S TUG-OF-WAR ON THE REFERENDUM CONTINUE. ONE 
ARTICLE IN LE FIGARO REPORTS ON FORMER MINISTER AND FORMER 
PRESIDENT OF THE EU PARLIAMENT SIMONE VEIL, WHO IS PRO THE 
CONSTITUTION BUT AGAINST TURKEY'S MEMBERSHIP IN THE UNION. THE 
ARTICLE TITLED: "SIMONE SAYS NO TO ANKARA" ADDS: "THE ONLY 
ISSUE OVER WHICH THE `EURO-SKEPTICS' AND THE `EUROPHILES' 
AGREE IS THEIR OPPOSITION TO TURKEY'S EU MEMBERSHIP." 
 
PRESIDENT BUSH'S POLICY IN FAVOR OF DEMOCRATIZATION IS PRAISED 
IN LE FIGARO'S EDITORIAL (SEE PART C) WHILE LE MONDE CARRIES A 
FRONT-PAGE ARTICLE TITLED "AMERICAN `HAWKS' STEP BACK." 
CORRESPONDENT CORINE LESNES WRITES: "THE TENORS OF NEO- 
CONSERVATISM HAVE LEFT THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION. WHILE AT THE 
SENATE THE DEMOCRATS ARE DELIVERING A HARSH BATTLE TO STOP 
BOLTON FROM BEING CONFIRMED. WASHINGTON'S HAWKS HAVE LOST SOME 
OF THEIR COMBATIVENESS, PARTICULARLY CONSIDERING THAT IN IRAQ, 
THERE ARE FEW OCCASIONS TO CROW." 
 
YESTERDAY'S TERRORIST ATTACKS IN IRAQ ARE WIDELY REPORTED, 
WITH TITLES SUCH AS: "NEW CARNAGE IN IRAQ: 84 DEAD" (LE 
FIGARO); "ANOTHER DEADLY DAY IN IRAQ" (LIBERATION); FRANCE 
SOIR HEADLINES "BLOOD BATH IN IRAQ." CATHOLIC LA CROIX TITLES 
ITS PIECE "NUMEROUS ATTACKS CAUSE 400 CASUALTIES IN 8 DAYS." 
THE `MATADOR' OFFENSIVE AGAINST THE GUERRILLAS IS REPORTED IN 
LE MONDE AS BEING THE "PENTAGON'S NEW STRATEGY" TO SQUASH THE 
UPRISING. LE MONDE ALSO REPORTS: "IN THE SPAN OF TWO YEARS THE 
`COALITION OF THE WILLING' HAS LOST HALF OF ITS MEMBERS." LEFT- 
OF-CENTER WEEKLY LE NOUVEL ONBSERVATEUR INTERVIEWS PASCAL 
BONIFACE, DIRECTOR OF IRIS (INSTITUTE FOR INTERNATIONAL 
STRATEGIC RELATIONS) ON THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION'S APPROACH TO 
INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM AND THE IMPACT OF THE MIDDLE EAST 
CONFLICT ON THE "SHOCK BETWEEN CIVILIZATIONS." IN THE 
INTERVIEW, TITLED "MIDDLE EAST: IF BUSH ONLY WANTED." BONIFACE 
STATES: "THE FIGHT AGAINST INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM IS NOT, 
LIKE THE U.S. IS SAYING, THE FOURTH WORLD WAR. IN FACT TO SAY 
THIS IS INTELLECTUAL FRAUD. THE POINT IS TO CONVINCE THE WORLD 
WE ARE IN GREAT DANGER. LET'S BE CLEAR ABOUT ONE THING: 
RESOLUTION OF THE MIDDLE EAST CONFLICT WOULD NOT SOLVE 
EVERYTHING. TERRORISM WOULD NOT BE ERADICATED AS IF BY 
MIRACLE. BUT WHILE WE APPLAUD THE UN RESOLUTION FORCING SYRIA 
TO WITHDRAW FROM LEBANON. WE ALSO WONDER WHY THE 1967 
RESOLUTION ON THE ISRAELI PULL OUT FROM THE OCCUPIED 
TERRITORIES IS NOT BEING IMPLEMENTED? IT IS CLEAR THAT THE 
AMERICANS HAVE GIVEN THEIR UNCONDITIONAL SUPPORT TO ISRAEL AT 
THE UN. BUSH HOLDS ALL THE CARDS IN FAVOR OF A RESOLUTION OF 
THE CONFLICT. BUT IS HE READY TO PLAY HIS HAND?" 
 
(C) SUPPORTING TEXT/BLOCK QUOTES: 
 
PRESIDENT BUSH - FOREIGN POLICY 
 
"A NEW BUSH" 
PIERRE ROUSSELIN IN RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE FIGARO (05/12): "IT IS 
A NEW BUSH WE DISCOVERED DURING HIS RECENT TRIP TO THE FORMER 
SOVIET UNION WHICH ENDED IN TRIUMPH IN GEORGIA. PRESIDENT 
BUSH, LIKE KENNEDY AND REAGAN, HAS ADOPTED DEMOCRATIZING THE 
WORLD AS HIS LINE OF ACTION. A STRONG ACTION WHICH IS 
REGISTERING UNDENIABLE SUCCESSES. HIS FIRST TERM WAS 
CHARACTERIZED BY THE FIGHT AGAINST TERRORISM, WITH THE TERM 
`CRUSADE' AS A MISNOMER. WHILE THE FIGHT CONTINUES IN 
AFGHANISTAN AND IRAQ, THE WHITE HOUSE IS NO LONGER OBSESSED 
WITH THIS MONO-MANIA. THIS IS IN ITSELF A SUCCESS. PRESIDENT 
BUSH'S RE-ELECTION HAS CHANGED ALL THAT. PUTTING AN END TO 
TYRANNY AROUND THE WORLD IS HIS NEW CREDO. AND DEMOCRATIZATION 
HAS INDEED SCORED SOME POINTS. THE U.S. ADMINISTRATION, WHICH 
IS BY NATURE INTERVENTIONIST, HAS BEEN INSTRUMENTAL IN THESE 
CHANGES. WHILE IT IS DIFFICULT TO SEE SUCH ADVANCES IN THE 
MIDDLE EAST, PRESIDENT BUSH VERY CLEVERLY MANAGED TO BE 
PROCLAIMED THE WORLD'S `DEMOCRATIZOR' DURING HIS VISIT IN 
GEORGIA AND THE BALTIC NATIONS. THIS IS WHERE HE HOLDS THE 
STRONGEST SUIT. IT IS TIME TO TAKE THE MEASURE OF THE NOBLE 
AMBITION THAT GEORGE W. BUSH HAS GIVEN HIMSELF FOR HIS SECOND 
TERM.  LET'S STOP SEEING HIM ONLY AS THE MAN WHO LET LOOSE WAR 
IN IRAQ.  THE STRUGGLE AGAINST TYRANNY IS NOT JUST A SLOGAN 
PULLED FROM THE NEO-CONSERVATIVE CATECHISM. IT'S ALSO A REAL 
LINE OF ACTION.  IT WOULD BE GOOD TO JOIN IN, WITHOUT SECOND 
THOUGHTS, AN UNDERTAKING THAT FASCINATES ALL THE COUNTRIES 
RECENTLY LIBERATED FROM THE YOKE OF DICTATORSHIPS. BECAUSE, 
WHEN IT COMES TO DEMOCRACY, EUROPE AND FRANCE SHOULD NOT 
ACCEPT TO BE OUTDISTANCED BY THE UNITED STATES. BE IT IN 
UKRAINE OR IN GEORGIA OR EVEN IN TOGO." WOLFF