US embassy cable - 05PARIS4258

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PARIS 004258 
 
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 - UN REFORM - OIL FOR FOOD 
SCANDAL EU ISSUES - EU SUMMIT - EU CONSTITUTION U.S.-ISRAEL 
RELATIONS: TENSION OVER CHINA 
PARIS - THURSDAY, JUNE 16, 2005 
 
(A) SUBJECTS COVERED IN TODAY'S REPORT: 
 
1. UN REFORM - OIL FOR FOOD SCANDAL 
2. EU ISSUES - EU SUMMIT - EU CONSTITUTION 
3. U.S.-ISRAEL RELATIONS: TENSION OVER CHINA 
 
B) SUMMARY OF COVERAGE: 
 
"EUROPE PARALYZED" AND "EUROPE IN CRISIS" ARE TWO OF TODAY'S 
MOST USED HEADLINES TO CHARACTERIZE THE STATUS OF THE EU AS 
THE EUROPEAN SUMMIT GETS UNDERWAY TODAY IN BRUSSELS. FOR LE 
FIGARO IT IS "A CRISIS SUMMIT" WHILE FOR LIBERATION CHIRAC "IS 
ARRIVING AT THE SUMMIT VERY MUCH WEAKENED." THE STORY IN 
FRANCE SOIR IS TITLED: "EUROPE IN TWENTY-FIVE PIECES." LE 
PARISIEN REPORTS: "THE SUMMIT IS SAID TO BE DIPLOMATICALLY 
DIFFICULT." IN ITS EDITORIAL TITLED "EUROPE AT A STANDSTILL," 
LE FIGARO CALLS FOR A "FUNDAMENTAL DEBATE ON THE EU'S BORDERS" 
WHILE LIBERATION WARNS THAT "WE ARE ENTERING A GLACIAL ERA." 
IN AN OP-ED IN LIBERATION, JACQUES AMALRIC COMMENTS ON 
WASHINGTON'S CONCERNS OVER THE STALLED EU CONSTRUCTION. (SEE 
PART C) 
 
LE FIGARO CARRIES A MAJOR INTERVIEW OF KOFI ANNAN: "I AM 
DETERMINED TO WORK WITH MEMBER COUNTRIES TO IMPLEMENT UN 
REFORMS. I HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO INTENTION OF RESIGNING." (Q: ARE 
THE CONCLUSIONS OF THE CONGRESSIONAL REPORT A SIGN OF CONSTANT 
PRESSURE EXERCISED BY THE U.S.?) A: "THIS HAS HAPPENED BEFORE. 
TODAY WE ARE FACING A NEW THREAT FROM CONGRESS ABOUT THE U.S. 
CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE UN IN ORDER TO GET THE REFORMS 
(WASHINGTON WANT.) THIS DOES NOT FACILITATE THE PROCESS. IT IS 
GOOD FOR A COUNTRY LIKE THE U.S. TO PROPOSE REFORMS AND SHOW 
ITS COMMITMENT. BUT THE PROPOSALS MUST BE DISCUSSED WITH ALL 
THE MEMBER COUNTRIES. WITHOUT BEING SUBJECTED TO THREATS". 
JEAN-LOUIS TURLIN REPORTS ON THE CONGRESSIONAL STUDY MADE 
PUBLIC YESTERDAY ON UN REFORMS. THE ARTICLE IS TITLED 
"REBUILDING UNDER U.S. PRESSURE." (SEE PART C) 
 
A "CHILL" IS REPORTED IN LE FIGARO IN RELATIONS BETWEEN THE 
U.S. AND ISRAEL FURTHER TO ISRAEL'S SALE OF A STEALTH FIGHTER 
AIRCRAFT TO CHINA. (SEE PART C) MOST OUTLETS ANNOUNCE 
PRESIDENT CHIRAC'S INVITATION MADE TO ISRAELI PM SHARON TO 
VISIT PARIS TO `CONSOLIDATE THE FRANCO-ISRAELI PARTNERSHIP' 
AND TO DISCUSS THE ISRAELI WITHDRAWAL FROM GAZA. SHARON HAS 
ACCEPTED IN PRINCIPLE, BUT NO DATE HAS BEEN SET. 
A REPORT IN LE MONDE ON THE LUIS POSADA CARRILES CONTROVERSY 
BETWEEN CASTRO AND THE U.S. IS TITLED: "CASTRO WANTS TO 
EMBARRASS BUSH." "JUST LIKE FIVE YEARS AGO, WITH THE CASE OF 
ELIAN GONZALEZ, CASTRO HAS IN HIS HANDS A NEW AFFAIR THAT CAN 
MOBILIZE SYMPATHIZERS AND CAUSE EMBARRASSMENT TO THE U.S. 
GOVERNMENT." 
 
THE ECONOMIC PRESS REPORTS EXTENSIVELY ON THE AIRBUS-BOEING 
DUEL AT THE PARIS AIR SHOW. ACCORDING TO THE LATEST FIGURES 
FROM YESTERDAY, AND AS REPORTED IN LIBERATION AND LE FIGARO 
ECONOMIE, AIRBUS IS SAID TO BE AHEAD OF BOEING IN FIRM SALES, 
BOOSTED BY THE FIRST ORDER FOR A380 AIRCRAFT FROM A LOW COST 
AIRLINE, KINGFISHER. 
 
(C) SUPPORTING TEXT/BLOCK QUOTES: 
 
UN REFORM - OIL FOR FOOD SCANDAL 
 
"REBUILDING UNDER U.S. PRESSURE" 
JEAN-LOUIS TURLIN IN RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE FIGARO (06/16): "KOFI 
ANNAN HAS REASONS TO REJOICE AND TO FEEL UNHAPPY UPON READING 
THE CONGRESSIONAL REPORT ON UN REFORMS. HE WILL BE ABLE TO SEE 
THAT A LARGE PORTION OF HIS OWN PROPOSALS FOR REFORMS ARE 
ADOPTED IN THE REPORT. BUT THE DOWN SIDE IS THAT THE `UN'S 
RECEPTIVENESS TO REFORMS' IS CONSIDERED TO BE A DIRECT 
CONSEQUENCE OF THE SCANDALS THAT HAVE SHAKEN THE UN. THE 
REPORT IS CONSTRUCTIVE AND INVITES KOFI ANNAN TO PURSUE HIS 
EFFORTS. AND WHILE THE REPORT DOES NOT TAKE A STAND ON THE 
EXPANSION OF THE UNSC, IT IS GENERALLY A PUSH IN FAVOR OF KOFI 
ANNAN'S PLANS." 
 
EU ISSUES - EU SUMMIT - EU CONSTITUTION 
 
"EUROPE'S RETREAT" 
JACQUES AMALRIC IN LEFT-OF-CENTER LIBERATION (06/16): "THE 
EU'S RETREAT AND THE OPEN FIGHT OVER THE EU BUDGET COULD WELL 
PARALYZE EUROPE'S CONSTRUCTION FOR A LONG TIME AND SEND THE 
DREAM OF A EUROPE-POWER INTO THE TRASHCANS OF HISTORY. 
PARADOXICALLY, THIS COULD ALSO SLOWDOWN THE DE-CONSTRUCTION OF 
EUROPE AS A VAST MARKET. THIS IS WHAT WASHINGTON SEEMS TO FEAR 
AT THIS POINT, WHERE MANY ARE BEGINNING TO REALIZE THAT THE 
U.S. DESIRE OF A DOCILE EUROPE SPREADING FROM TURKEY TO 
UKRAINE AND GEORGIA IS NOT AS REALISTIC AS IT FIRST APPEARED." 
 
"EUROPE AT A STANDSTILL" 
PIERRE ROUSSELIN IN RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE FIGARO (06/16): "THE 
`PAUSE' SUGGESTED BY TONY BLAIR SHOULD FIRST AND FOREMOST 
CONCERN THE ISSUE OF NEW EU MEMBERSHIPS. THE DEBATE ABOUT EU 
BOUNDARIES CANNOT BE POSTPONED. THE RELATIONSHIP WITH UKRAINE 
AND TURKEY MUST BE REDEFINED IN REALISTIC TERMS AND IT MUST BE 
DONE AFTER LISTENING TO PUBLIC OPINION. FOR EUROPE NOT TO 
REVISE ITS APPROACH WOULD MEAN TO ACT AS IF MAY 29 NEVER 
HAPPENED. WILL THE EU-25 HAVE THE COURAGE TO SEND A CLEAR 
MESSAGE ABOUT THIS?" 
 
"BARTERING" 
DOMINIQUE QUINIO IN CATHOLIC LA CROIX (06/16): "IT IS NORMAL 
FOR EVERY COUNTRY TO DEFEND ITS NATIONAL INTERESTS. BUT IN 
EVERY NEGOTIATION THERE IS A NEED FOR COMPROMISE. THE QUESTION 
IS WHETHER THE 25 MEMBERS OF THE EU STILL WANT TO TAKE FURTHER 
STEPS TOGETHER. A PAUSE IS NEEDED. BUT A PAUSE TO BOUNCE BACK 
OR A PAUSE TO GIVE UP?" 
 
U.S.-ISRAEL RELATIONS: TENSION OVER CHINA 
 
"A CHILL BETWEEN THE U.S. AND ISRAEL" 
PATRICK SAINT-PAUL IN RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE FIGARO (06/16): 
"ISRAELI INDUSTRIALISTS IN THE WEAPONS SECTOR PRESENT AT THE 
PARIS AIR SHOW ARE CAREFUL NOT TO BE SEEN WITH CHINESE BUYERS. 
THIS IS THE LATEST TANGIBLE SIGN OF THE CRISIS BETWEEN ISRAEL 
AND THE U.S. AFTER ISRAEL'S WEAPONS SALE TO CHINA. THE STORY 
IS MAKING NOISE IN ISRAEL WHERE EVERYONE IS ALWAYS CAREFUL NOT 
TO ANTAGONIZE WASHINGTON. BUT ISRAEL CONSIDERS WASHINGTON'S 
LATEST ADMONITIONS ON THE SUBJECT TO BE OUT OF PLACE. AN 
ISRAELI HIGH OFFICIAL IS QUOTED AS SAYING THAT `IT IS TIME FOR 
THE PM TO TELL THE AMERICANS AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL THAT THEY 
HAVE GONE TOO FAR AND THAT ISRAEL IS A SOVEREIGN NATION NOT A 
LAND OF PUPPETS.' BUT THE U.S. CONTENDS THAT A CONTRACT HAS 
BEEN SIGNED BEHIND ITS BACK WITH A POTENTIAL RIVAL. ISRAELI 
OFFICIALS, UNDER THE COVER OF ANONYMITY, CLAIM THE U.S. 
REACTION IS TRIGGERED SOLELY BY ITS OWN ECONOMIC INTERESTS: IT 
IS THREATENED BY THE GROWING ISRAELI WEAPON'S INDUSTRY AND 
SALES TO CHINA, A MAJOR POTENTIAL U.S. CUSTOMER." WOLFF