US embassy cable - 05PARIS4557

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 PARIS 004557 
 
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 - PRESIDENT BUSH SPEECH ON IRAQ 
IRAN ITER - A EUROPEAN SUCCESS STORY 
PARIS - WEDNESDAY, JUNE 29, 2005 
 
(A) SUBJECTS COVERED IN TODAY'S REPORT: 
 
1. PRESIDENT BUSH SPEECH ON IRAQ 
2. IRAN 
3. ITER - A EUROPEAN SUCCESS STORY 
 
B) SUMMARY OF COVERAGE: 
 
TODAY'S ALMOST UNANIMOUS LEAD STORY REVOLVES AROUND THE 
SELECTION OF CADARACH, (FRANCE) AS THE VENUE FOR THE ITER 
THERMO-NUCLEAR REACTOR. POPULAR RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE PARISIEN 
GIVES THE TONE WITH "ITER: GOOD NEWS, FINALLY!" ECHOING MOST 
REPORTS AND COMMENTARIES, SUCH AS LIBERATION'S EDITORIAL WHICH 
STARTS: "EUROPE DID NOT DIE ON MAY 29." THE "SYMBOLISM" OF 
ITER FOR A UNITED EUROPE MARCHING TOWARDS THE FUTURE IS NOTED 
BY SEVERAL COMMENTATORS, WHO NEVERTHELESS POINT TO THE COST OF 
THE PROJECT. LE FIGARO TITLES ITS EDITORIAL: "ITER, THE COST 
OF A SYMBOL." (SEE PART C) IN ITS BROAD REPORT, LE MONDE 
CARRIED THIS COMMENTARY: "IT WAS NECESSARY TO WAIT FOR 
PRESIDENT BUSH'S REELECTION AND THE WARMING OF FRANCO-AMERICAN 
RELATIONS BEFORE SEEING THE U.S. ADOPT A POSITION OF 
NEUTRALITY IN THE COMPETITION BETWEEN FRANCE AND JAPAN. AT 
WHICH POINT JAPAN KNEW IT HAD LOST. MAYBE PRESIDENT CHIRAC'S 
SUPPORT FOR JAPAN AS A PROSPECTIVE NEW PERMANENT MEMBER OF THE 
UNSC WEIGHED IN THE BALANCE." 
 
IN OTHER NEWS, PRESIDENT BUSH'S SPEECH LAST EVENING IS NOT 
WIDELY REPORTED BECAUSE OF THE TIME DIFFERENCE. LE FIGARO 
TITLES ITS STORY "BUSH DEFENDS AMERICA'S PRESENCE IN IRAQ," 
WHILE RADIO COMMENTATOR BERNARD GUETTA SUGGESTS THAT "BECAUSE 
PRESIDENT BUSH IS IN A DIFFICULT POSITION AT HOME AND IN IRAQ, 
HE IS CALLING ON AMERICANS TO RALLY BEHIND HIM." (SEE PART C) 
LEFT-OF-CENTER LIBERATION AND POPULAR RIGHT-OF-CENTER FRANCE 
SOIR REPORT BRIEFLY ON U.S. "TORTURE BOATS" WHICH LIBERATION 
CALLS "FLOATING GUANTANAMOS." LIBERATION COMMENTS: "THESE 
FLOATING PRISONS ARE IN INTERNATIONAL WATERS, ALLOWING 
INTERROGATION OF PRISONERS WITHOUT THE CONSTRAINT OF THE LAW." 
LIBERATION BASES ITS STORY ON OFFICIAL STATEMENTS COMING FROM 
THE UN. COMMUNIST L'HUMANITE REPORTS ON THE ALLEGED KIDNAPPING 
AND TORTURE OF IMAM ABOU AMAR IN ITALY BY THE CIA IN FEBRUARY 
2003, "A MONTH BEFORE THE INVASION OF IRAQ." 
 
IRAN'S "REGRESSION" IS THE TOPIC OF LE MONDE'S EDITORIAL (SEE 
PART). 
 
A BRIEF ITEM IN ECONOMIC LA TRIBUNE IS TITLED "WHAT IF AIRBUS 
WERE TO BECOME AMERICAN?" THE STORY IS BASED ON A RECENT AND 
CONFIDENTIAL STUDY SHOWING THE "GROWING HOLD ANGLO-SAXON 
 
SIPDIS 
INVESTMENT HAS IN FRANCE'S AEROSPACE SECTOR." ACCORDING TO THE 
STUDY, "40 PERCENT OF AN AIRBUS IS ALREADY MANUFACTURED BY 
COMPANIES UNDER AMERICAN INFLUENCE." THE ARTICLE ALSO NOTES 
THAT "SUB-CONTRACTORS NEED INVESTMENTS, BUT FRENCH INVESTORS 
ARE NOT RUSHING TO INVEST." 
 
(C) SUPPORTING TEXT/BLOCK QUOTES: 
 
PRESIDENT BUSH SPEECH ON IRAQ 
 
"PRESIDENT BUSH'S APPEAL" 
BERNARD GUETTA ON GOVERNMENT-RUN FRANCE INTER RADIO (06/29): 
"VIOLENCE IN IRAQ IS NOT WANING. IF FACT IT IS GROWING. 
PRESIDENT BUSH IS FACING DIFFICULTIES ON TWO FRONTS, AT HOME 
AND IN IRAQ. THIS IS WHY YESTERDAY HE WAS CALLING ON AMERICANS 
TO STAND BEHIND HIM. HIS ENTIRE SPEECH WAS BUILT AROUND THE 
IDEA THAT THE U.S. WAS WAGING A WAR IN IRAQ IN ANSWER TO THE 
DECLARATION OF WAR OF 9/11. BUT WHAT TO DO NOW THAT MANY 
AMERICANS, AS THE PRESIDENT HIMSELF NOTED, `ARE WONDERING IF 
THE SACRIFICES ARE WORTHWHILE'? HIS ANSWER IS `TO CONTINUE TO 
BEAR THE BURDEN.' THE CONSTRAINTS ON THE GROUND LIMIT THE 
PRESIDENT'S MARGIN OF MANEUVER, WHILE REALITY POINTS ALSO TO 
THE HUGE ERROR OF THE ADVENTURE AS THE TRAP CLOSES IN ON THE 
U.S. THE AMERICANS CAN NO LONGER AFFORD TO LOSE THIS WAR. IT 
WOULD BE A CATASTROPHE FOR THEM AND FOR THE WORLD. BUT CAN 
THEY WIN IT WITHOUT INCREASING THEIR MILITARY EFFORT.? AND BY 
INCREASING IT, MIGHT THEY NOT MIRE THEMSELVES EVEN MORE? BY 
ATTACKING A DICTATOR WHO WAS OUT OF BREATH, THE U.S. EXPECTED 
AN EASY VICTORY SERVING ITS PSYCHOLOGICAL AND MILITARY 
PRESTIGE. BUT THEY HAVE OPENED A NEW BATTLEGROUND AT THE HEART 
OF THE MIDDLE EAST WHERE TERRORISTS ARE FINDING NEW ALLIES AND 
RENEWED YOUTH. LAST EVENING GEORGE BUSH WANTED TO BE 
REASSURING. IT IS NOT CERTAIN HE SUCCEEDED." 
 
"BUSH DEFENDS AMERICA'S PRESENCE IN IRAQ" 
JEAN-LOUIS TURLIN IN RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE FIGARO (06/29): "LAST 
EVENING PRESIDENT BUSH TOOK A CHANCE. THE VENUE HE CHOSE 
RECALLED THE ONE CHOSEN ON MAY 1ST 2003 TO ANNOUNCE THE END OF 
THE WAR. BUT THIS TIME THE PRESIDENT DID NOT WAVE THE FLAG: 
THE FIGURES OF AMERICAN CASUALTIES SPEAK OF THEMSELVES: 91.5 
PERCENT OF U.S. LOSSES HAVE OCCURRED SINCE THE `END OF THE 
PRINCIPAL OPERATIONS.' AFTER THE LATEST U.S. POLLS, IT WAS 
TIME FOR THE PRESIDENT TO RALLY HIS TROOPS, BOTH LITERALLY AND 
FIGURATIVELY. AS WELL AS ASK, WITH HUMILITY, FOR THE PATIENCE 
AND SUPPORT OF HIS FELLOW AMERICANS. HAVING BEEN DEPRIVED OF 
HIS MAIN ARGUMENT IN THE TOPPLING OF SADDAM HUSSEIN, I.E. WMD, 
PRESIDENT BUSH IS USING THE DEMOCRATIZATION OF IRAQ AS HIS WAR 
CRY. SINCE THE TRANSFER OF POWER, BUSH HAS REGISTERED SOME 
SUCCESSES: THE ELECTION OF A LEGITIMATE IRAQI GOVERNMENT. AND 
THE SUPPORT OF EUROPEANS LIKE SCHROEDER. BUT A VICTIM OF HIS 
OWN RHETORIC, THE AMERICAN PRESIDENT IS NOW CONFRONTING WHAT 
JO BIDEN CALLS A `LACK OF CREDIBILITY.'" 
 
IRAN 
 
"IRAN'S REGRESSION" 
LEFT-OF-CENTER LE MONDE IN ITS EDITORIAL (06/29): "THE 
ELECTION OF AN ULTRACONSERVATIVE IN IRAN IS BAD NEWS FOR THE 
IRANIANS, FOR THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY. AND THE ISLAMIC 
REPUBLIC. AT LEAST RAFSANDJANI HAD A PROGRAM, SUCH AS 
UPHOLDING CIVIL LIBERTIES. PURSUING THE DIALOGUE WITH THE 
EUROPEAN AND BEGINNING NORMALIZATION WITH THE U.S. THIS 
APPROACH TOWARDS LESSENING TENSIONS WITH THE U.S. COULD HAVE 
FACILITATED THE RESOLUTION OF THE NUCLEAR ISSUE. ON THE 
CONTRARY, AHMADINEJAD'S ELECTION OPENS THE DOOR TO TENSION ON 
THE INTERNATIONAL FRONT. HE HAS ALWAYS DEFINED HIMSELF WITH 
RESPECT TO HIS STAUNCH OPPOSITION TO THE U.S. IRAN'S STANCE 
REMAINS THE SAME: IT WANTS TO RETAIN THE OPTION TO BUILD THE 
BOMB. AHMADINEJAD'S ELECTION IS ONE MORE ELEMENT OF TENSION 
AND DEFIANCE IN THE NUCLEAR ISSUE. THIS ELECTION MARKS ALSO 
THE RETURN TO A UNIFORMITY OF POWER: THE CONSERVATIVES ARE NOW 
REIGNING AT ALL LEVELS OF A REGIME WHICH UNTIL NOW HAD SEVERAL 
NERVE CENTERS." 
 
ITER - A EUROPEAN SUCCESS STORY 
 
"ITER, THE PRICE OF A SYMBOL" 
PHILIPPE RECLUS IN RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE FIGARO (06/29): "A 
COUNTRY IN THE THROES OF DOUBT CANNOT IGNORE GOOD NEWS. ITER 
IS A VICTORY FOR `THE MADE IN FRANCE' LOGO. AND THIS SUCCESS, 
WHILE MAINLY SYMBOLIC, COULD NOT HAVE COME AT A BETTER TIME. 
BUT ITER REMAINS A GLOBAL PROJECT EVEN IF IT IS LOCATED IN 
FRANCE. ONLY INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION CAN ALLOW IT TO 
PROGRESS. PARTNERSHIPS ARE THE ANSWER FOR THE FUTURE. NOW WE 
WILL NEED TO ASSESS THE RATIO BETWEEN THE COST AND ECONOMIC 
RETURNS." 
 
"WORTH THE CANDLE?" 
JEAN-MICHEL THENARD IN LEFT-O-CENTER LIBERATION (06/29): 
"EUROPE DID NOT DIE ON MAY 29. THE OLD CONTINENT IS PUTTING UP 
A FIGHT, LIKE THE OLD PRESIDENT. ITER BECOMES THE SYMBOL OF 
FRANCE'S PRESENCE IN RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY. FRANCE NEEDED 
THIS TO PROVE IT HAD NOT TURNED ITS BACK ON THE FUTURE. CHIRAC 
HAS HIS SYMBOL, AND SO DOES EUROPE. WHEN IT IS POLITICALLY 
UNITED, EUROPE CAN TRIUMPH OVER THE U.S. AND ITS ALLIES, EVEN 
IF IT NEEDS TO COMPROMISE TO DO SO. BUT THE QUESTION REMAINS: 
ARE ALL THESE SYMBOLS WORTH THE CANDLE?" 
 
"GLOBAL RESEARCH" 
DOMINIQUE QUINIO IN CATHOLIC LA CROIX (06/29): "CHIRAC PRAISED 
FRANCE'S VICTORY AS A `VICTORY FOR THE WORLD.' THE BRITISH 
AMBASSADOR TO FRANCE CALLED IT `A GOOD RESULT FOR EUROPE.' TO 
THE END, EUROPEAN SOLIDARITY PROVED UNSHAKABLE, ALLOWING 
FRANCE TO WIN AGAINST JAPAN, WHICH HAD THE SUPPORT OF THE U.S. 
THE NEW GAME OF UNION AND ALLIANCES IS THE NAME OF THE GAME 
TODAY, AS PROVEN WITH GALILEO. AND IN SPITE OF THE CRITICISM 
HEARD ABOUT ITER. CRITICISM THAT, IN TIME, WILL NEED TO BE 
ADDRESSED." WOLFF