US embassy cable - 05PARIS3391

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PARIS 003391 
 
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 - GUANTANAMO - KORAN 
DESECRATION - NEWSWEEK REPORT UZBEKISTAN - INTERNATIONAL 
REACTIONS DARFUR - NATO 
PARIS - WEDNESDAY, MAY 18, 2005 
 
 
(A) SUBJECTS COVERED IN TODAY'S REPORT: 
 
1. GUANTANAMO - KORAN DESECRATION - NEWSWEEK REPORT 
2. UZBEKISTAN - INTERNATIONAL REACTIONS 
3. DARFUR - NATO 
 
B) SUMMARY OF COVERAGE: 
 
THE REFERENDUM ON THE EU CONSTITUTION CONTINUES TO BE A LEAD 
STORY. PM RAFFARIN'S TELEVISED APPEAL LAST EVENING IN FAVOR OF 
THE `YES' IS FRONT-PAGED IN LE FIGARO WHILE LE MONDE CARRIES 
THE RESULTS OF THE LATEST POLL WHICH INDICATE THAT THE `NO' IS 
ONCE AGAIN IN THE LEAD WITH 53 PERCENT. LIBERATION REPORTS ON 
SQUABBLES WITHIN FRENCH FAMILIES DIVIDED OVER THE VOTE, USING 
THE MITTERRAND FAMILY AS AN EXAMPLE. IN OTHER EUROPEAN NEWS, 
BRUSSELS'S DECISION TO THREATEN CHINA WITH TEXTILE QUOTAS IS 
WIDELY REPORTED AND THE U.S. IS COMMENDED FOR ITS QUICK 
RESPONSE. SAYS ENRI EMMANUELLI, A SOCIALIST PARLIAMENTARY 
REPRESENTATIVE IN FAVOR OF THE `NO' VOTE: "LOOK HOW RIDICULOUS 
WE ARE. THE U.S. AND TURKEY DECIDED TO IMPOSE QUOTAS IN JUST 
EIGHT DAYS. IN EUROPE OUR LEADERS ARE THINKING AND WRITING 
ABOUT WHETHER AN INQUIRY IS NECESSARY." IN ITS EDITORIAL LE 
FIGARO COMMENTS: "AFTER THE U.S. , EUROPE. EVEN IF CHINA IS 
CALLING THE MEASURES `TREASON.' IF THERE IS ONE COUNTRY THAT 
PROFITS FROM GLOBALIZATION IT IS CHINA. THESE SAFEGUARDS ARE 
INDEED NECESSARY. BUT OTHERS IN OTHER SECTORS ARE JUST AS 
NEEDED. FURTHERMORE, ONLY A RE-EVALUATION OF THE YUAN CAN 
HELP. BUT BEIJING IS NOT EAGER TO TRAVEL THAT ROAD. CLEARLY 
CHINA IS NOT READY TO EVOLVE. AND CERTAINLY NOT UNDER 
PRESSURE." 
 
TWO MAJOR INTERNATIONAL STORIES ARE WIDELY COVERED: THE 
CONTROVERSY OVER ALLEGATIONS ABOUT THE DESECRATION OF THE 
KORAN IN GUANTANAMO AND INTERNATIONAL REACTIONS TO 
UZBEKISTAN'S DEMONSTRATIONS AND KARAMOV'S SUBSEQUENT 
REPRISALS. (SEE PART C) 
 
THE SITUATION IN DARFUR AND NATO'S POSSIBLE INVOLVEMENT IS 
REPORTED IN LE FIGARO (SEE PART C) WHICH ALSO ANSWERS THE 
QUESTION OF WHETHER EU DEFENSE WOULD BE SUBORDINATE TO NATO, 
AS PART OF A SERIES ABOUT THE EU CONSTITUTION: ALEXANDRINE 
BOUILHET'S ANSWER IS `NO.' "FAR FROM SUBORDINATING EUROPEAN 
DEFENCE TO NATO OF WHICH IT IS TODAY A COMPONENT, THE 
CONSTITUTION WOULD PROMOTE A MORE AUTONOMOUS AND AMBITIOUS 
DEFENCE POLICY WHILE PRESERVING TIES WITH THE U.S." 
(C) SUPPORTING TEXT/BLOCK QUOTES: 
 
GUANTANAMO - KORAN DESECRATION - NEWSWEEK REPORT 
 
"THE RUMOR FROM GUANTANAMO" 
DOMINIQUE QUINIO IN CATHOLIC LA CROIX (05/18): "VERY LITTLE IS 
NEEDED TO SPARK ANTI-AMERICANISM IN MANY COUNTRIES. 
DESECRATION OF THE KORAN IS NOT `LITTLE.' IN MATTERS OF 
TORTURE, THERE ARE ACTS OF PHYSICAL VIOLENCE, AND ACTS WHICH 
ARE PSYCHOLOGICALLY DESTRUCTIVE. THEY HURT THOSE WHO ARE 
SUBMITTED TO THEM, AND DEBASE THOSE WHO COMMIT THEM. DID THE 
AMERICANS COMMIT SUCH ACTS? THIS IS WHAT NEWSWEEK SAID. THE 
RUMOR, WHICH WAS ALREADY BEING CIRCULATED AMONG FORMER 
PRISONERS, HAS SPARKED SERIOUS DEMONSTRATIONS IN AFGHANISTAN. 
AMERICAN OFFICIALS, CONCERNED ABOUT AMERICA'S IMAGE BEING ONCE 
AGAIN TARNISHED IN MUSLIM PUBLIC OPINION, DENIED NEWSWEEK'S 
ALLEGATIONS AND NEWSWEEK HAS RETRACTED. BUT THE HARM IS DONE. 
ANGER IS SPREADING IN THE MUSLIM WORLD. WE MUST ALSO WONDER 
ABOUT NEWSWEEK'S EXECUTIVES WHO DID NOT MEASURE THE 
CONSEQUENCES OF PUBLISHING SUCH STORIES. IN GUANTANAMO, A 
PLACE WHERE THERE IS NO LAW, THE LACK OF TRANSPARENCY THAT 
SURROUNDS THE PRISONERS' CONDITIONS OF DETENTION OPENS THE 
DOOR TO ALL SORTS OF RUMORS AND PROPAGANDA. AND ALLOWS EVERY 
DOUBT TO EXIST. TRUTH OR LIES? AMERICA'S DEFENSE OF DEMOCRACY 
WHICH IT WANTS TO PROMOTE EVERYWHERE IS SINGULARLY WEAKENED." 
 
"THE U.S. PRESS ON THE BENCH OF THE ACCUSED" 
JEAN-LOUIS TURLIN IN RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE FIGARO (05/18): "IS 
THE PEN MIGHTIER THAN THE SWORD? TRUE OR FALSE, THE 
`INFORMATION' CAME FROM A SINGLE SOURCE, AN ANONYMOUS `U.S. 
OFFICIAL.' DETAILS OF THE CONTROVERSY OVER NEWSWEEK'S 
REVELATIONS TAKES NOTHING AWAY FROM THE FACT THAT SUCH 
INCIDENTS COULD HAVE TAKEN PLACE; THE MAGAZINE IS NOT THE 
FIRST TO HAVE REPORTED CASES OF DESECRATION OF THE KORAN. 
FURTHERMORE, NEWSWEEK GAVE AN ADVANCE COPY OF ITS ARTICLE TO 
THE PENTAGON, WHICH DID NOT CRITICIZE THAT PARTICULAR ASPECT 
OF THE ARTICLE." 
 
"AN S.O.B. ." 
PIERRE MARCELLE IN LEFT-OF-CENTER LIBERATION (05/18): "THE 
PENTAGON'S WAY OF MAKING NEWSWEEK AND THE U.S. PRESS IN 
GENERAL RESPONSIBLE FOR ITS DISASTROUS HANDLING OF IRAQ AND 
AFGHANISTAN IS MUCH LIKE PATTON'S TANKS. ON MONDAY A PENTAGON 
OFFICIAL ALLEGEDLY CALLED NEWSWEEK'S INFORMANT `AN S.O.B.' ALL 
U.S. OFFICIALS, FROM THE PENTAGON TO THE WHITE HOUSE HAVE 
QUICKLY GIVEN IN TO THE TEMPTATION OF MAKING NEWSWEEK AND THE 
U.S. PRESS RESPONSIBLE FOR TOO MANY OF THEIR BLUNDERS, FROM 
ABU GHARAIB TO GUANTANAMO. SEVERAL PREVIOUS REPORTS FROM 
GAUNTANAMO PRISONERS WHICH TEND TO GIVE CREDIT TO NEWSWEEK'S 
REPORT DO NOT SEEM TO HAVE TROUBLED THESE OFFICIALS." 
 
UZBEKISTAN - INTERNATIONAL REACTIONS 
 
"OF REBELS AND TYRANTS" 
PATRICK SABATIER IN LEFT-OF-CENTER LIBERATION (05/18): 
"UZBEKISTAN IS FAR AND ITS FATE APPEARS DISCONNECTED FROM 
EUROPE'S CONCERNS. WRONGLY, BECAUSE IT IS THE MOST POPULATED 
COUNTRY IN CENTRAL ASIA AND THE KEYSTONE OF A DANGEROUS 
REGION. RUSSIA, CHINA, INDIA, TURKEY, IRAN, THE ARAB-MUSLIM 
WORLD, BUT ALSO THE U.S. ARE FIGHTING FOR INFLUENCE IN THE 
LATEST ROUND OF THE GREAT GAME. KARIMOV IS A TYRANT, BUT HIS 
ENEMIES, ISLAMIC RADICALS LINKED TO THE TALIBAN AND BIN 
LADEN'S NETWORK, ARE JUST AS BAD. YET THE TYRANT CAN COUNT ON 
NON-INTERFERENCE FROM ALL THOSE WHO ARE AT WAR AGAINST ISLAMIC 
TERRORISM: CHINA, RUSSIA, AND THE U.S. NO ONE WILL HEAR BUSH 
CALL FOR A DEMOCRATIC CRUSADE IN TASHKENT. HE DOES NOT WANT A 
REVOLUTION SIMILAR TO THE ONES IN GEORGIA, UKRAINE OR 
KIRGHIZSTAN. IT IS PROBABLY BECAUSE, LIKE ROOSEVELT WHEN HE 
SPOKE OF STALIN, BUSH NO DOUBT THINKS KARIMOV IS `AN S.O.B. 
BUT HE IS OUR S.O.B.' IN THIS GREAT GAME, CYNICISM MAY SEEM 
LIKE A TRUMP CARD. BUT ONLY UNTIL THE TYRANT FALLS, TOPPLED BY 
THE REBELS WHO WILL THEN TURN AGAINST THOSE WHO STOOD BY 
IDLE." 
 
DARFUR - NATO 
 
"NATO READY TO INTERVENE `VERY QUICKLY'" 
ALEXANDRINE BOUILHET IN RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE FIGARO (05/18): 
"FOR THE FIRST TIME IN THE HISTORY OF NATO, THIS INSTITUTION 
COULD SET FOOT IN BLACK AFRICA. THE REQUEST MADE BY THE 
PRESIDENT OF THE AFRICAN UNION IS PROOF THAT THE AU HAS FAILED 
IN DARFUR. NATO'S INVOLVEMENT ON THE AFRICAN CONTINENT, WHICH 
WOULD ONLY INVOLVE LOGISTICAL SUPPORT BUT NO DEPLOYMENT OF 
WESTERN TROOPS, IS A CONTROVERSIAL TOPIC IN AFRICA. AND IN 
SPITE OF NATO'S ASSURANCES, NATO'S INTERVENTION IN AFRICA 
CONTINUES TO UPSET FRENCH AND EUROPEAN SENSITIVITIES. FM 
BARNIER REITERATED THAT `NATO WAS NOT THE SHERIFF OF THE 
WORLD' BUT HE HAS BEEN UNABLE TO STOP THE ANGLO-SAXON TSUNAMI 
IN AFRICA. FRANCE WILL TRY, AS IT DID WITH NATO'S INTERVENTION 
IN IRAQ, TO REDUCE NATO'S VISIBILITY IN SUDAN WHILE BOOSTING 
THE ROLE OF THE EU. BUT THIS TIME FRANCE HAS DECIDED NOT TO 
TURN DARFUR INTO A SOURCE OF CONFLICT WITH WASHINGTON." WOLFF