US embassy cable - 05PARIS4162

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 PARIS 004162 
 
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 - NORTH KOREA - SIX PARTY TALKS 
LEBANESE ELECTIONS GUANTANAMO EU AFFAIRS - TURKEY 
PARIS - TUESDAY, JUNE 14, 2005 
 
 
(A) SUBJECTS COVERED IN TODAY'S REPORT: 
 
1. NORTH KOREA - SIX PARTY TALKS 
2. LEBANESE ELECTIONS 
3. GUANTANAMO 
4. EU AFFAIRS - TURKEY 
 
B) SUMMARY OF COVERAGE: 
 
THE AFTERMATH OF THE LIBERATION OF FLORENCE AUBENAS STILL 
CAPTURES THE MOST FRONT-PAGE ATTENTION TODAY. THE CONDITIONS 
UNDER WHICH THE FRENCH HOSTAGE WAS RELEASED LEAD MANY 
COMMENTATORS TO WONDER ABOUT HER CAPTORS, ABOUT THE ROLE OF 
SYRIA IN HER LIBERATION, AND ABOUT WHETHER A RANSOM WAS PAID. 
LEFT-OF-CENTER LIBERATION, LIKE YESTERDAY'S LE FIGARO, REPORTS 
ON "SYRIA'S SHADY ROLE IN THE KIDNAPPING." THE ROLE OF PUBLIC 
AND MEDIA SUPPORT FOR HOSTAGES IS ALSO ANALYZED, WITH SOME 
COMMENTATORS ARGUING THAT PUBLIC SUPPORT BOOSTS THE HOSTAGES' 
MORALE, WHILE OTHERS CONTEND THAT IT GIVES HOSTAGE-TAKERS 
HIGHER VISIBILITY. LEFT-OF-CENTER LE MONDE CARRIES AN 
INTERVIEW OF HUSSEIN HANOUN, AUBENAS'S IRAQI GUIDE AND 
INTERPRETER, TITLED: "OUR KIDNAPERS WERE ANTI-AMERICAN 
ISLAMISTS." 
 
THE TIME MAGAZINE REPORT ON GUANTANAMO IS THE SUBJECT OF TWO 
ARTICLES, IN LE FIGARO AND LA CROIX ABOUT "INTIMIDATION 
TECHNIQUES" AND "AMERICA'S IMAGE WAR." (SEE PART C) 
 
THE RE-ELECTION OF MOHAMMED EL-BARADEI IS NOTED IN LE FIGARO: 
"HE STARTED OUT WITH A TERRIBLE HANDICAP: THE IRE OF 
WASHINGTON'S `HAWKS.' FOR THE PAST TWO YEARS HE WAS THEIR BETE 
NOIRE FOR HAVING AIRED HIS DOUBTS ABOUT THE WAR IN IRAQ. NOW 
THAT HE HAS BEEN RE-ELECTED, EL-BARADEI KNOWS WHAT IS AT 
STAKE: REVIVE THE NPT AND FORCE IRAN AND NORTH KOREA TO FALL 
IN STEP. AND HE MUST DO THIS WITHOUT ALIENATING THE U.S." 
 
THE SITUATION WITH NORTH KOREA IS THE SUBJECT OF A MAJOR 
REPORT IN LA CROIX, WHICH CONTENDS THAT WASHINGTON "HAS 
SOFTENED ITS POSITION VIS-A-VIS PYONGYANG." (SEE PART C) 
 
THE PARIS AIR SHOW CONTINUES TO BE WIDELY COVERED, WITH THE 
BOEING-AIRBUS COMPETITION SERVING AS BACKDROP. POPULAR RIGHT- 
OF-CENTER FRANCE SOIR HEADLINES "WHEN FRANCE CHALLENGES 
AMERICA." THE COMPETITION BETWEEN THE A350 AND B787 IS A MAJOR 
STORY IN LE FIGARO ECONOMIE, WHICH QUOTES AIRBUS PRESIDENT 
NOEL FORGEARD: "THE A350 WILL FLY WITH OR WITHOUT PUBLIC 
SUBSIDIES." 
 
LEFT-OF-CENTER LE MONDE CARRIES A FRONT-PAGE OP-ED BY FORMER 
FRENCH AMBASSADOR TO WASHINGTON FRANCOIS BUJON DE L'ESTANG 
TITLED: "A POLITICAL SPACE STRATEGY: TIME FOR MAKING 
DECISIONS." "THE U.S. HAS OPERATED A MAJOR REVOLUTION IN 
MILITARY AFFAIRS WHERE SATELLITE SPACE SYSTEMS PLAY A MAJOR 
ROLE: SPACE OPERATIONS ARE AN INTEGRAL PART OF AMERICA'S 
DETERRENCE SYSTEM. THERE IS A GAP BETWEEN FRANCE AND EUROPE ON 
ONE SIDE AND THE U.S. ON THE OTHER, IN MATTERS OF STRATEGY AS 
WELL AS PROGRAMS. THIS SITUATION EXPOSES FRANCE TO THE RISK OF 
NOT BEING ABLE TO CONCRETELY PARTICIPATE IN INTERNATIONAL 
POLICE OPERATIONS. THERE IS A NEED FOR A REAL DUAL SPACE 
STRATEGY THAT CAN HELP OUR FORCES AND BE ATTRACTIVE TO OUR 
PARTNERS. BUT IT IS OUT OF THE QUESTION FOR FRANCE TO OPERATE 
THIS EFFORT ON ITS OWN. THIS MUST BE A COMBINED EUROPEAN 
EFFORT INTEGRATING THE `CIVILIAN-MILITARY DUALITY.' IT WILL BE 
THE TASK OF THE EUROPEAN DEFENSE AGENCY TO RELAY THE NECESSARY 
POLITICAL IMPETUS. THE STAKES IN TERMS OF DEFENSE STRATEGY AND 
INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT ARE MAJOR. UNLESS DECISIONS ARE MADE 
RAPIDLY, THE GAP WITH THE U.S. WILL BECOME EVEN GREATER." 
 
GENERAL AOUN'S ELECTORAL VICTORY IN LEBANON IS ONE OF TODAY'S 
INTERNATIONAL STORIES (SEE PART C), WHILE LIBERATION CARRIES 
AN OP-ED TITLED "TURKEY: AN ALIBI FOR THE `YES' AND `NO' 
VOTERS TO THE REFERENDUM." (SEE PART C) 
 
(C) SUPPORTING TEXT/BLOCK QUOTES: 
NORTH KOREA - SIX PARTY TALKS 
 
"SOUTH KOREA AND U.S. WANT TO REASSURE PYONGYANG" 
DORIAN MALOVIC IN CATHOLIC LA CROIX (06/14): "IT IS CLEAR THAT 
THE TONE HAS CHANGED. AFTER THE SUMMIT IN WASHINGTON BETWEEN 
SOUTH KOREA AND THE U.S., THE IMPRESSION IS THAT THE 
DIFFERENCES HAVE BEEN ERASED, AT LEAST FOR THE TIME BEING, IN 
ORDER TO FACILITATE NORTH KOREA'S RETURN TO THE NEGOTIATING 
TABLE. THE U.S., WHICH FOR THE PAST WEEKS HAS BEEN PARALYZED 
IN ITS APPROACH, SEEMS TO SHOW A DESIRE TO SOFTEN ITS APPROACH 
AND TO STOP ITS THREAT AND VERBAL ABUSE. A NEW STRATEGY 
APPEARS TO BE IN THE WORKS IN ORDER NOT TO PROVOKE PYONGYANG. 
THUS PRESIDENT BUSH HAS STOPPED TALKING ABOUT COERCIVE 
MEASURES. AND ADDRESSED KIM JONG-IL AS `SIR.'" 
 
LEBANESE ELECTIONS 
"FRAGILE LEBANON" 
GUILLAUME GUIBERT IN CATHOLIC LA CROIX (06/14): "THE ATTENTION 
FOCUSED ON LEBANON CANNOT BE EXPLAINED BY EITHER ITS SIZE OR 
THE SIZE OF ITS POPULATION. ITS BOUNDARIES WITH ISRAEL AND THE 
MANY PALESTINIAN REFUGEES LIVING IN LEBANON ARE A PARTIAL 
EXPLANATION. BUT IT IS MAINLY THE DIVERSE RELIGIOUS MAKE UP OF 
ITS POPULATION, WHICH IS MAINLY MUSLIM, THAT EXPLAINS WHY 
LEBANON IS SEEN AS AN EXAMPLE THAT CAN PROVE WHETHER A PEOPLE 
MADE UP OF CHRISTIANS AND MUSLIMS CAN, OR NOT, LIVE IN PEACE. 
THE WIND OF HOPE FOR NATIONAL UNITY THAT BEGAN THIS SPRING DID 
NOT SURVIVE THE TEST OF THE BALLOTS. THE POLITICAL 
ARRANGEMENTS THAT HAVE LED TO AN ELECTORAL VICTORY WEAKEN THE 
COUNTRY. AOUN'S VICTORY WAS ACHIEVED THANKS TO HIS ALLIANCE 
WITH SUPPORTERS OF THE SYRIAN NEIGHBOR. THIS IS A SAD PARADOX 
FOR THE MAN WHO, FOR THE PAST FIFTEEN YEARS, SYMBOLIZED 
RESISTANCE TO DAMASCUS." 
 
"AOUN'S NEWS ALLIES" 
ISABELLE DELLEBRA IN LEFT-OF-CENTER LIBERATION (06/14): 
"GENERAL AOUN, WHO DID NOT MANAGE TO REACH AN AGREEMENT WITH 
THE OPPOSITION, DECIDED TO GO IT ALONE, BUT NOT TOTALLY ALONE. 
IN REALITY HE HAS MADE A PACT WITH PRO-SYRIAN FORMER LEADERS 
WHO LAST MARCH WERE PARADING IN THE STREETS IN SUPPORT OF 
SYRIA." 
 
GUANTANAMO 
 
"NEW QUESTIONS ABOUT GUANTANAMO INTERROGATION METHODS" 
PHILIPPE GELIE IN RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE FIGARO (06/14): "THE 
DEBATE IN THE U.S. OVER METHODS USED IN GUANTANAMO WAS SLOW TO 
START BUT IT IS NOW LAUNCHED IN THE POLITICAL ARENA. WITH THE 
POSSIBILITY OF A CONGRESSIONAL INVESTIGATION BEING OPENED. 
WHILE THE PENTAGON HAS DECLARED THAT ITS PRISON IN CUBA `HAS 
HELPED TO SAVE AMERICAN LIVES,' THE REVELATIONS MADE IN TIME 
MAGAZINE LEAD ONE TO AMBIGUOUS CONCLUSIONS: WHILE IT IS CLEAR 
THAT THE DETAINEES IN GUANTANAMO ARE NO ANGELS, THE METHODS 
USED BY THE ARMY ARE UNJUSTIFIABLE." 
 
EU AFFAIRS - TURKEY 
 
"TURKEY: AN ALIBI FOR THE `YES' AND `NO' VOTERS TO THE 
REFERENDUM" 
MICHEL WIEVIORKA IN LEFT-OF-CENTER LIBERATION (06/14): "A 
PROCESS OF CLARIFICATION CONCERNING TURKEY AND ITS REJECTION 
MUST BE CLARIFIED. THE FIRST STEP IS TO WEED OUT WHAT, IN 
TURKEY'S REJECTION, STEMS FROM RACISM, EXCESSIVE NATIONALISM 
OR XENOPHOBIA. THIS IS THE EASIEST, AND IT SHOULD BE 
RECOGNIZED BY ALL DEMOCRATIC AND PRO-EUROPEAN PROTAGONISTS IN 
THE DEBATE ON TURKEY. LATER IT WILL BE NECESSARY TO CLARIFY 
WHAT ARE VIABLE PROJECTS FOR EUROPE. IN THIS RESPECT TURKEY 
MUST NOT SERVE AS THE SCARECROW FOR SOME AND THE FAVORITE 
CHILD FOR OTHERS. IT IS NOT THE ROLE OF THOSE WHO TRULY WANT 
TO BUILD EUROPE TO GIVE GOOD OR BAD MARKS TO TURKEY. THEIR JOB 
IS TO CLEARLY DEFINE WHAT KIND OF EUROPE THEY WANT. IT WILL BE 
UP TO TURKEY LATER TO CONFORM TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE 
CLARIFIED EUROPEAN PROJECT, IF IT STILL WANTS TO." WOLFF