US embassy cable - 05PARIS4424

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PARIS 004424 
 
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 - IRAQ - INTERNATIONAL 
CONFERENCE EUROPE: BLAIR - CHIRAC CONFRONTATION 
PARIS - THURSDAY, JUNE 23, 2005 
 
(A) SUBJECTS COVERED IN TODAY'S REPORT: 
 
1. IRAQ - INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE 
2. EUROPE: BLAIR - CHIRAC CONFRONTATION 
 
B) SUMMARY OF COVERAGE: 
 
DOMESTIC SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC STORIES DOMINATE FRONT PAGES, 
WHILE A NUMBER OF EDITORIALS ARE DEVOTED TO THE CONTINUING 
CONFRONTATION BETWEEN BLAIR AND CHIRAC AS PM BLAIR GETS READY 
TO ADDRESS THE EU PARLIAMENT PRIOR TO TAKING OVER THE EU 
PRESIDENCY. (SEE PART C) POPULAR RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE PARISIEN 
INTERVIEWS BRITISH AMBASSADOR TO FRANCE SIR JOHN HOLMES: 
"BECAUSE OF PAST HISTORY, THE MEDIA TENDS TO EMPHASIZE OUR 
DISAGREEMENTS. BUT IN REALITY WE WANT TO COOPERATE WITH 
FRANCE. WHEN WE OPPOSE EACH OTHER WE BOTH LOSE. THE COMMON 
AGRICULTURAL POLICY WAS A MAJOR STAKE FORTY OR FIFTY YEARS 
AGO. TODAY WHAT IS IMPORTANT IS RESEARCH, INNOVATION AND 
EDUCATION. WE MUST AVOID AN IDEOLOGICAL CONFRONTATION BETWEEN 
THOSE WHO SUPPOSEDLY FAVOR LIBERALISM AND THOSE WHO ARE FOR 
THE ALL-SOCIAL. IT IS BEST TO ADAPT TO GLOBALIZATION RATHER 
THAN TRYING TO PROTECT OURSELVES FROM IT." 
 
TODAY'S MAJOR INTERNATIONAL NEWS STORY IS THE INTERNATIONAL 
CONFERENCE ON IRAQ. WHILE REPORTS ARE FOR THE MOST PART 
CONGRATULATORY, SEEING THE CONFERENCE AS A POLITICAL SUCCESS, 
LE MONDE'S EDITORIAL CALLS ON EUROPE TO HELP IRAQ, "A COUNTRY 
IN CHAOS AND RUINS." LE MONDE ALSO CARRIES A FRONT PAGE OP-ED 
PENNED BY IRAQ'S FOREIGN AFFAIRS MINISTER TITLED: "HELPING THE 
IRAQIS, CONCRETELY!" IN REGIONAL L'ALSACE THE EDITORIAL ALSO 
CALLS FOR HELP FOR THE IRAQIS, "BECAUSE A VICTORY FOR THE 
TERRORISTS IN IRAQ WOULD NOT ONLY BE A FAILURE FOR AMERICA BUT 
THE WORST POSSIBLE SIGN OF ENCOURAGEMENT TO THE PROPONENTS OF 
A `CLASH BETWEEN CIVILIZATIONS.'" (SEE PART C) 
 
THE ECONOMIC PRESS CONFIRMS THAT THE JAPANESE HAVE OFFICIALLY 
GIVEN UP ON THE ITER PROJECT IN EXCHANGE FOR COMMERCIAL 
OFFSETS, AS PREVIOUSLY REPORTED IN THE JAPANESE PRESS. 
 
(C) SUPPORTING TEXT/BLOCK QUOTES: 
 
IRAQ - INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE 
 
"A MASS FOR BAGHDAD" 
ANDRE SCHLECHT IN REGIONAL L'ALSACE (06/23): "BAGHDAD DESERVES 
A BIG MASS. AFTER THE CONFRONTATION OVER THE `ILLEGAL' WAR 
AGAINST IRAQ, THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY HAS COME TOGETHER 
FOR ITS RECONSTRUCTION. THE DISSENSION WITH WASHINGTON AND THE 
CONTROVERSY ABOUT `OLD EUROPE' AND `NEW EUROPE' HAVE BEEN 
ERASED. SO MUCH SO THAT SYMBOLISM IS THE ONLY CONCRETE RESULT 
OF THE CONFERENCE. EVERYONE WILL BE MEETING AGAIN IN JORDAN TO 
CONCRETIZE ITS COMMITMENTS. THE IRAQIS DESERVE THESE EFFORTS. 
THE LONG LINES OF VOTERS LAST JANUARY PROVED TO WHAT EXTENT 
THEY ARE ATTACHED TO DEMOCRACY AND HOPE. AMERICA'S STRATEGY 
SEEMS THEREFORE TO BE PAYING OFF, A STRATEGY DEFINED BY THE 
PENTAGON AS COMPRISING FOUR PHASES: LIBERATION, OCCUPATION, 
PARTNERSHIP AND AFFIRMATION OF IRAQI SOVEREIGNTY. WE ARE AT 
THE BEGINNING OF THE THIRD PHASE, A CRUCIAL PHASE DURING WHICH 
IRAQ NEEDS TO BE CONSOLIDATED FROM WITHIN. THERE IS MUCH TO BE 
DONE. BUT A FEW HARD GRAINS OF SAND HAVE COME BETWEEN THE 
AMERICAN SCENARIO AND REALITY ON THE GROUND. THE `PANDORA'S 
BOX' THAT ACCORDING TO CHIRAC WAS OPENED WITH A WAR WAGED 
WITHOUT THE UN'S GO-AHEAD, IS STILL WIDE OPEN. DAILY ATTACKS 
AND BOMBINGS ARE IMPEDIMENTS TO HELPING IRAQ. FURTHERMORE, THE 
IRAQIS' ABILITY TO RECONCILE THEIR VARIOUS ETHNIC FAMILIES IN 
ORDER TO GOVERN THE COUNTRY IN HARMONY HAS YET TO BE PROVEN. 
NEVERTHELESS THERE IS A STAKE THAT JUSTIFIES A UNITED 
COMMITMENT WITH BAGHDAD. COLLAPSE OF THE YOUNG DEMOCRACY AND 
VICTORY FOR THE TERRORISTS WOULD NOT ONLY BE A FAILURE FOR 
AMERICA BUT THE WORST POSSIBLE SIGN OF ENCOURAGEMENT TO THE 
PROPONENTS OF A `CLASH BETWEEN CIVILIZATIONS.'" 
 
"EUROPE AND IRAQ" 
LEFT-OF-CENTER LE MONDE IN ITS EDITORIAL (06/23): "EUROPE MUST 
INVEST ITSELF IN IRAQ BECAUSE THE FUTURE OF THAT COUNTRY, 
PLUNGED INTO ALWAYS MORE TERRIBLE CHAOS, DEPENDS ON IT. IT IS 
ALSO IN THE INTEREST OF THE UNION. THE INTERNATIONAL 
CONFERENCE THAT OPENED WEDNESDAY. FURNISHES SUCH AN OCCASION. 
THE RESULTS ARE IN: TWO YEARS AFTER PRESIDENT BUSH ANNOUNCED 
THE END OF `MILITARY OPERATIONS', THE COUNTRY IS PLUNGED IN 
CONFLICT AND BAGHDAD ADVERTISES ITS RUINS: DANGER IS 
EVERYWHERE. THE CIA DESCRIBES IRAQ AS A TERRORIST LABORATORY 
WHERE IRAQI JIHADISTS AND FOREIGN ELEMENTS ARE COMING TO 
`EXPERIMENT IN STREET COMBAT.' THE FUNDS SPENT BY THE U.S. 
HAVE BEEN LARGELY WASTED. THE HOPES PLACED IN DEMOCRACY ARE 
PROVING DISAPPOINTING. FIVE MONTHS AFTER THE GENERAL 
ELECTIONS. IRAQI AUTHORITIES ARE COMING TO BRUSSELS TO EXPLAIN 
THEIR VISION OF THE FUTURE AND TO ASK THE INTERNATIONAL 
COMMUNITY TO `RE-ENGAGE IN THE STABILIZATION AND 
RECONSTRUCTION' OF THE COUNTRY. EUROPE MUST RESPOND TO THESE 
APPEALS, WHATEVER THE OPPOSITIONS OF YESTERDAY TO THE WHITE 
HOUSE AND WHATEVER ITS OWN DIVISIONS ON THE SUBJECT. IT CANNOT 
DO MUCH TO AVOID THE DISASTER BUT THE LITTLE THAT IT CAN DO, 
IT SHOULD DO WITHOUT ANY MORE HESITATIONS OR RANCOR. THE UNION 
CAN FIRST OF ALL HELP WITH THE TRAINING OF SECURITY FORCES. 
STRONG WITH AN EXPERIENCE ACQUIRED ON ITS OWN GROUND. THE 
UNION MUST TEACH IRAQIS HOW TO CONSTITUTE CIVILIAN, 
INSTITUTIONAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE POWER. GUARDING AGAINST 
ILLUSIONS ON WHAT IT CAN ACHIEVE, BECAUSE THE AMERICAN 
MILITARY PRESENCE DOMINATES THE FATE OF IRAQ, THE UNION MUST 
PROVE THAT IT BRINGS A `SOFT POWER' TO HELP, AS MUCH AS IT 
CAN, TO END THE CHAOS." 
 
EUROPE: BLAIR - CHIRAC CONFRONTATION 
 
"POSTURING" 
JEAN-MICHEL THENARD IN LEFT-OF-CENTER LIBERATION (06/23): 
"THREE WEEKS AFTER ONE OF THE WORST DEFEATS OF HIS ENTIRE 
CAREER, PRESIDENT CHIARC IS TRYING TO REBUILD HIS IMAGE AT THE 
EXPENSE OF PM BLAIR, WHO IS AN EASY TARGET. BUT NOTHING PROVES 
THAT THE FRENCH PUBLIC WILL APPLAUD THE SCENARIO WRITTEN AT 
THE ELYSEE PALACE WITH BLAIR'S CLUMSY COLLABORATION. BECAUSE 
THE STAGING OF THE CORDIAL `NON-ENTENTE' BETWEEN THE TWO MEN 
SMELLS OF TOO MUCH POSTURING WITH DOMESTIC POLITICS AS THE 
ULTIMATE END." 
 
"TWO VISIONS OF EUROPE" 
JULES CLAUWAERT IN REGIONAL NORD ECLAIRE (06/23): "THERE IS A 
CLASH BETWEEN TWO DIFFERENT CONCEPTIONS OF THE EUROPEAN UNION: 
ONE THAT IS PUTTING EVERYTHING IN THE BALANCE IN THE INTEREST 
OF A GREAT MARKET, AND ONE THAT DOES NOT GIVE UP ON THE 
AMBITION FOR A POLITICAL UNION OF STATES FOUNDED ON COMMON 
VALUES AND PLAYING ITS ROLE IN THE WORLD." WOLFF