US embassy cable - 05PARIS3276

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PARIS 003276 
 
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 - IRAN - NUCLEAR ESCALATION 
BOLTON NOMINATION OIL FOR FOOD REPORT IRAQ - BUSH AND BLAIR 
PARIS - FRIDAY, MAY 13, 2005 
 
 
(A) SUBJECTS COVERED IN TODAY'S REPORT: 
 
IRAN - NUCLEAR ESCALATION 
BOLTON NOMINATION 
OIL FOR FOOD REPORT 
IRAQ - BUSH AND BLAIR 
 
B) SUMMARY OF COVERAGE: 
 
WHILE EU ISSUES CONTINUE TO DOMINATE PRESS REPORTS AND 
COMMENTARIES, IRAN'S LATEST NUCLEAR THREAT, THE BOLTON 
NOMINATION HEARINGS AND THE REPORT ON OIL FOR FOOD ARE TODAY'S 
THREE MAJOR INTERNATIONAL STORIES. CATHOLIC LA CROIX HEADLINES 
"IRAN SPEEDS UP ITS NUCLEAR RACE" WHILE EDITORIALIST FRANCOIS 
ERNENWEIN CALLS IRAN'S POSITION "A THREAT FOR THE WEST" WHICH 
SHOULD LEAD "THE EUROPEANS AND AMERICANS TO WORK CLOSER 
TOGETHER." IN RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE FIGARO ISABELLE LASSERRE 
QUESTIONS TEHERAN'S MOTIVATIONS AND ASKS: "ARE THE THREATS ON 
THE LEVEL OR IS TEHERAN BLUFFING?" (SEE PART C) 
 
IN LA CROIX BRUNO TERTRAIS OF THE FOUNDATION FOR STRATEGIC 
RESEARCH LINKS THE TWO THREATS, FROM IRAN AND NORTH KOREA AND 
COMMENTS: "THE THREATS COMING FROM THESE TWO COUNTRIES ARE 
DIFFERENT, BUT IT IS NO MERE COINCIDENCE IF THEY ARE BOTH 
SPEAKING UP AT THE SAME TIME. WITH THE IRANIAN AND NORTH 
KOREAN EXAMPLES, WE DO RUN THE RISK OF A NEW WAVE OF NUCLEAR 
PROLIFERATION BY WAY OF A DOMINO EFFECT." 
 
LEFT-OF-CENTER LIBERATION DEVOTES ITS LEAD STORY TO THE OIL 
FOR FOOD REPORT AND ITS ACCUSATIONS AGAINST CHARLES PASQUA. IN 
HIS EDITORIAL PATRICK SABATIER SUGGESTS THAT ALTHOUGH PASQUA 
IS NOT COMPLETELY INNOCENT, "THE AMERICAN SENATORS' TRUE 
TARGETS ARE THE UN AND FRANCE." (SEE PART C) 
 
THE BOLTON NOMINATION ELICITS EXTENSIVE COVERAGE. IN LEFT-OF- 
CENTER LE MONDE, CORINE LESNES TITLES HER ARTICLE: "JOHN 
BOLTON, THE VOICE OF AMERICAN UNILATERALISM WANTS TO IMPOSE 
HIS IDEAS ON THE UN." BUT HER REPORT QUOTES FRENCH DIPLOMATS 
AS SAYING HE IS A "DIFFICULT NEGOTIATOR BUT A REAL 
PROFESSIONAL." FORMER DCM TO PARIS AVIS BOHLEN CALLS HIM A 
"BULLY" AND RECOUNTS HIS EFFORTS TO SINK THE TREATY ON 
VERIFICATION OF BIOLOGICAL WEAPONS. LES ECHOS'S UNFLATTERING 
PROFILE CALLS BOLTON A "MUSTACHIO-ED TROUBLEMAKER" AND LISTS 
HIS OTHER NICKNAMES SUCH AS "THE GUIDED MISSILE," "ANTI- 
DIPLOMAT," AND "TREATY-KILLER" PUTTING HIM AT ODDS WITH THE 
PERSONALITY NEEDED FOR A UN FUNCTION.  FOR ANYONE WHO WANTS TO 
CHARM THE UN, ONE COULD NOT IMAGINE BETTER NEGATIVE PUBLICITY 
FOR THE US POSITION. FOR LE FIGARO THE DELAY IS A "SLIGHT TO 
PRESIDENT BUSH, THE FIRST OF THIS SECOND TERM." (SEE PART C) 
 
IN HIS WEEKLY WRAP-UP NOTES IN RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE FIGARO IVAN 
RIOUFOL CHASTISES THE FALSE PROPHETS WHO PREDICTED THAT THE 
WAR IN IRAQ WOULD BE THE FALL OF BOTH BUSH AND BLAIR, A 
DIFFERENT TAKE FROM THE EDITORIAL IN THIS WEEK'S POPULAR 
WEEKLY PARIS MATCH. (SEE PART C) 
 
(C) SUPPORTING TEXT/BLOCK QUOTES: 
 
IRAN - NUCLEAR ESCALATION 
 
"SORCERER'S APPRENTICES" 
FRANCOIS ERNENWEIN IN CATHOLIC LA CROIX (05/13): "IRAN HAS 
CHOSEN TO TORPEDO THE NEGOTIATIONS WITH FRANCE, GERMANY AND 
BRITAIN. THIS HARSH LINE ON THE PART OF IRAN OPENS THE DOOR TO 
A WORRISOME TUG-OF-WAR, EVEN IF IT IS PART OF THE ELECTORAL 
CAMPAIGN. ALTHOUGH THE EUROPEAN APPROACH DIFFERED FROM THAT OF 
THE U.S., BOTH SHARED THE SAME OBJECTIVES. AND WERE 
COMPLEMENTARY. SINCE YESTERDAY, TEHERAN'S ATTITUDE MEANS THAT 
IT IS LEADING UP TO A CONFRONTATION. THE NEW TONE ADOPTED BY 
IRAN DOES NOT HERALD ANYTHING GOOD, JUST WHEN EVERYONE THOUGHT 
IT HAD LEARNED ITS LESSON FROM THE IRAQI CRISIS. THIS NEW TURN 
OF EVENTS SHOULD MAKE AN AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE EUROPEANS AND 
THE AMERICANS EVEN MORE PRESSING. FOR THE WEST, IT IS 
ABSOLUTELY UNACCEPTABLE TO HAVE A COUNTRY LIKE IRAN POSSESS 
NUCLEAR CAPABILITIES IN SUCH A TROUBLED REGION." 
 
"IRAN BRANDISHES ATOMIC THREAT" 
ISABELLE LASSERRE IN RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE FIGARO (05/13): "THE 
IRANIAN CRISIS IS A NEW REVERSAL FOR EUROPEAN DIPLOMACY. 
PRESIDENT BUSH, AFTER HAVING DRAGGED HIS FEET. FINALLY RALLIED 
WITH THE EUROPEAN TROIKA. BUT IN REALITY, THE U.S. ALWAYS 
BELIEVED THAT IRAN WAS PLAYING A DOUBLE GAME WITH THE 
INTENTION OF BUILDING A NUCLEAR BOMB. IF THIS IS THE CASE, 
DIPLOMATIC PRESSURE WILL NOT SUFFICE. IT IS CLEAR THAT IF THE 
U.S. HAD BEEN ALONE ON THIS, IT WOULD ALREADY HAVE PUT THE 
ISSUE IN THE HANDS OF THE UNSC. IF IRAN TURNS ITS THREAT INTO 
REALITY, THE EUROPEANS WILL HAVE NO CHOICE BUT TO GO ALONG 
WITH THE AMERICANS. BUT WHAT REMAINS TO BE SEEN IS WHETHER THE 
IRANIAN THREAT IS ON THE LEVEL OR WHETHER THEY ARE BLUFFING." 
 
BOLTON NOMINATION 
 
"THE TRIBULATIONS OF BUSH'S CANDIDATE" 
PHILIPPE GELIE IN RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE FIGARO (05/13): "IF JOHN 
BOLTON DOES GET TO THE UN, HE WILL HAVE BEEN PRECEDED BY HIS 
REPUTATION. AND FOR PRESIDENT BUSH THIS IS A SLIGHT, THE FIRST 
OF HIS SECOND TERM. WHILE BOLTON WAS FEELING THE WEIGHT OF THE 
ACCUSATIONS AGAINST HIM, HIS CAUSE IS NOT TOTALLY LOST. BUT 
HIS PRESTIGE AND HIS CREDIT COME OUT OF THE ARENA DURABLY 
TARNISHED. SOME UN DIPLOMATS ARE ALREADY TALKING ABOUT A 
`DISASTER.'" 
 
OIL FOR FOOD REPORT 
 
"VIRTUE AND CORRUPTION" 
PATRICK SABATIER IN LEFT-OF-CENTER LIBERATION (05/13): "ONE 
WOULD HAVE TO BE NAIVE TO THINK THAT THE SENATORS WHO HAVE 
FINGERED CHARLES PASQUA WANTED TO SAFEGUARD THE VIRTUOUS 
NATURE OF INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS. THEIR TRUE TARGETS GO WELL 
BEYOND THIS FORMER MINISTER OF PRESIDENT CHIRAC, THEY ARE THE 
UN AND FRANCE - THE SENATORS MAY EVEN HAVE MISTAKENLY BELIEVED 
THAT PASQUA WAS AN ANAGRAM FOR CHIRAC. IN THE SENATORS' EYES, 
BOTH THE UN AND FRANCE ARE GUILTY OF HAVING COUNTERED 
AMERICA'S INTERESTS IN IRAQ. ONE NEED ONLY LOOK AT THE 
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE BUSH CLAN AND AMERICA'S OIL BARONS TO 
SMILE AT WASHINGTON'S INDIGNATION TOWARDS PASQUA'S CORRUPTION. 
EVEN IF WE CANNOT BE NAIVE TO THE POINT OF BELIEVING HE IS 
COMPLETELY VIRTUOUS." 
 
IRAQ - BUSH AND BLAIR 
 
"BUSH-BLAIR: SAME SUCCESS" 
IVAN RIOUFOL IN RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE FIGARO (05/13): "TO THE 
FALSE PROPHETS WHO PREDICTED THAT THE WAR IN IRAQ WOULD LEAD 
TO THE FALL OF BOTH BUSH AND BLAIR: NOT ONLY DID BUSH GET 
EASILY RE-ELECTED IN 2004, BLAIR WAS ALSO RE-ELECTED TO A 
THIRD TERM. AN ADDED SOURCE OF UNHAPPINESS FOR THE ANTI-BUSH 
CLAN: THE TRIUMPH HE RECEIVED IN GEORGIA, WHICH IS THE FIRST 
CIS NATION TO HAVE PEACEFULLY ACHIEVED ITS REVOLUTION WITH THE 
HELP OF THE U.S." 
 
"BLAIR RE-ELECTION, IN SPITE OF IRAQ" 
ALAIN GENESTAR IN WEEKLY PARIS MATCH (05/13): "BLAIR SERIOUSLY 
HURT HIS IMAGE BY ASSOCIATING WITH BUSH THE WARMONGER. BUT THE 
FACT THAT HE WAS ABLE TO OVERCOME THIS MAJOR ERROR ON HIS PART 
PROVES THAT HIS ECONOMIC POLICY IS UNIMPEACHABLE. HIS MILITARY 
COMMITMENT ALONGSIDE THE U.S. SHOULD HAVE COST HIM HIS 
POSITION. IF HE WAS ABLE TO SAVE HIS JOB, ALBEIT WITH THE LOSS 
OF A FEW FEATHERS, AND IF HIS WAR IN IRAQ DID NOT KILL HIM 
POLITICALLY, IT IS BECAUSE HE WAS ABLE TO WIN THAT OTHER WAR 
WHICH HAS CAUSED SO MANY CASUALTIES IN BRITAIN AND ELSEWHERE: 
THE WAR AGAINST UNEMPLOYMENT." WOLFF