US embassy cable - 05PARIS4671

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PARIS 004671 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
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EUR/WE /P/SP; D/C (MCCOO); EUR/PA; INR/P; INR/EUC; PM; OSC ISA 
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E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OPRC, KMDR, FR 
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION REPORT - G-8: CLIMATE CHANGE - AFRICA 
AFGHANISTAN GUANTANAMO 
PARIS - TUESDAY, JULY 05, 2005 
 
 
(A) SUBJECTS COVERED IN TODAY'S REPORT: 
 
1. G-8: CLIMATE CHANGE - AFRICA 
2. AFGHANISTAN 
3. GUANTANAMO 
 
B) SUMMARY OF COVERAGE: 
 
THE G-8, WHICH BEGINS TOMORROW, IS A BIG FRONT-PAGE STORY, 
WITH RELATED STORIES ON CLIMATE CHANGE AND HELPING AFRICA, AS 
REPORTED ON MONDAY IN LA TRIBUNE: "THE SUCCESS OF THE G8. WILL 
DEPEND ON THE CLIMATE ISSUE AS MUCH AS THE ISSUE OVER AID FOR 
AFRICA. THE DISCUSSIONS OVER THE CLIMATE WILL BE DIFFICULT FOR 
TONY BLAIR, CAUGHT BETWEEN ISOLATING THE U.S. AND AVOIDING 
FAILURE FOR THIS SUMMIT." TODAY, RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE FIGARO 
HEADLINES "WEALTHY NATIONS CONFRONT EACH OTHER BEFORE THE G8" 
BUT FINANCIAL LA TRIBUNE IS MORE OPTIMISTIC: "THE G8 UNDER 
GOOD AUSPICES." CATHOLIC LA CROIX IN ITS EDITORIAL FAULTS 
POLITICIANS AS WELL AS THE CIVIL SOCIETY FOR THEIR 
"CONSERVATIVE" MEASURES TO FIGHT CLIMATE CHANGE. THE CHIRAC- 
PUTIN-SCHROEDER MEETING OVER THE WEEKEND WAS DESCRIBED ON 
MONDAY BY LE PARISIEN IN THE FOLLOWING TERMS: "THEIR 
OBJECTIVE? TO SHOW THEIR SOLIDARITY WHEN FACED WITH THE BUSH- 
BLAIR TANDEM." (SEE PART C) 
 
TODAY'S SECOND MAJOR STORY REVOLVES AROUND THE CHOICE FOR THE 
2012 OLYMPIC SITE TO BE DECIDED TOMORROW BETWEEN SEVERAL 
CANDIDATES, INCLUDING NEW YORK, PARIS AND LONDON. THE FRANCO- 
BRITISH DISCORD SERVES AS A BACKDROP FOR REPORTS ON THE CHOICE 
BETWEEN LONDON AND PARIS. RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE FIGARO HEADLINES: 
"2012 OLYMPICS: THE OTHER CHIRAC-BLAIR DUEL." ACCORDING TO LE 
PARISIEN, "A FRENCH VICTORY WOULD ALLOW PRESIDENT CHIRAC, WHO 
IS SAID TO BE FEELING DEPRESSED FOLLOWING THE FAILED EU 
REFERENDUM AND THE BLAIR `OFFENSIVE' ON EUROPE, TO ARRIVE AT 
THE G8 FEELING PERKIER." 
 
THE SITUATION IN AFGHANISTAN IS REPORTED IN LE FIGARO AS 
"DIFFICULT FOR THE U.S. ARMY" WHILE LIBERATION REPORTS ON THE 
REDISTRIBUTION OF RESPONSIBILITIES THIS FALL, WITH FRANCE 
"TAKING OVER IN KABUL." (SEE PART C) 
 
LEFT-OF-CENTER LIBERATION CARRIES AN OP-ED BY SALMAN RUSHDIE 
ON GUANTANAMO. (SEE PART C) 
 
SEVERAL OUTLETS IN THE WRITTEN AND ELECTRONIC MEDIA REPORT 
EXTENSIVELY ON COOPERATION BETWEEN THE CIA AND ITS FRENCH 
COUNTERPART, THE DGSE, AFTER A SUNDAY WASHINGTON POST ARTICLE 
REPORTED THAT WASHINGTON AND PARIS HAD CREATED "A SECRET 
INTELLIGENCE CELL IN PARIS FOR ANTI-TERRORIST COOPERATION." 
(LA CROIX) 
 
(C) SUPPORTING TEXT/BLOCK QUOTES: 
 
G-8: CLIMATE CHANGE - AFRICA 
 
"WEALTHY NATIONS CONFRONT EACH OTHER BEFORE THE G8" 
ALAIN BARLUET IN RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE FIGARO (07/05): "THE 
SUMMIT WILL BE UNDERMINED BY THE TWO PRIORITIES SET OUT BY 
BLAIR: CLIMATE CHANGE AND AID TO AFRICA. ACCORDING TO THE 
BRITISH PRESS, THE FINAL COMMUNIQU WILL MAKE TWO REFERENCES 
TO THE KYOTO PROTOCOL. WHICH IS REJECTED BY A U.S. PRESIDENT . 
WHO SAID IN AN INTERVIEW WITH ITV THAT `IF THE G-8 ACTION PLAN 
ON CLIMATE CHANGE LOOKS LIKE THE KYOTO PROTOCOL, THEN THE 
(AMERICAN) ANSWER IS NO.' ON AGRICULTURE, PRESIDENT BUSH 
INCREASED THE PRESSURE ON CHIRAC WHEN HE STATED THAT THE U.S. 
WAS `ABSOLUTELY' READY TO CANCEL AGRICULTURAL SUBSIDIES IF THE 
EU DID THE SAME." 
 
"BUSH REJECTS ALL MENTION OF KYOTO" 
PHILIPPE GELIE IN RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE FIGARO (07/05): "UNDER 
THE INFLUENCE OF THE INDUSTRIAL AND OIL LOBBIES, PRESIDENT 
BUSH HAS BEEN FAVORING A PURELY VOLUNTARY APPROACH TO FIGHTING 
CLIMATE CHANGE. IN SPITE OF THE LACK OF RESULTS TO THIS LINE 
OF ACTION, THE AMERICAN PRESIDENT IS NOT CHANGING COURSE. 
ALTHOUGH WHITE HOUSE ADVISOR JAMES CONNAUGHTON SAID BEFORE THE 
G-8 THAT `A STRONG CONSENSUS EXISTS FOR CONCRETE ACTION AND 
COMMON STRATEGIES' BETWEEN WASHINGTON AND ITS ALLIES, 
PRESIDENT BUSH SEEMS TO BE MORE ISOLATED THAN EVER." 
"CONSERVATIVE APPROACH" 
DOMINIQUE QUINIO IN CATHOLIC LA CROIX (07/05): "WILL A WIND OF 
ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGES BLOW ON THE G8? WILL THE TABOO WORDS 
`KYOTO PROTOCOL,' WHICH OUTRAGE PRESIDENT BUSH, BE UTTERED? OR 
WILL THE G8 SATISFY ITSELF WITH GOOD INTENTIONS WHEN THE KYOTO 
PROTOCOL OBJECTIVES HAVE ALREADY BECOME OBSOLETE? THE HARSHEST 
REPROACH ONE CAN DIRECT AT POLITICIANS AND INDIVIDUALS ALIKE 
IS INDEED THAT THE APPROACH TO CLIMATE CHANGE IS TOO 
CONSERVATIVE. THE POLITICAL DECISIONS - OR NON-DECISIONS- MADE 
TODAY IMPACT ON FUTURE GENERATIONS. THIS IS WHERE OUR 
RESPONSIBILITY LIES." 
 
AFGHANISTAN 
 
"REVERSAL FOR U.S. ARMY ON AFGHAN FRONT" 
MARIE-FRANCE CALLE IN RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE FIGARO (07/05): "IT 
IS BECOMING VERY DIFFICULT TO GET INFORMATION ON MILITARY 
OPERATIONS IN AFGHANISTAN. THE AMERICANS DO NOT WANT TO 
ENDANGER THEIR SEARCH AND RESCUE MISSIONS. OBSERVERS ESTIMATE 
THAT THE TALIBAN HAVE RETURNED EN FORCE SINCE THEIR WINTER 
PAUSE. THEY ARE SAID TO BE HELPED BY PAKISTANI `FOREIGNERS' 
AND `ARABS' BELONGING TO BIN LADEN'S NETWORK. THE ANNOUNCED 
ARREST YESTERDAY OF FOUR AFGHAN JOURNALISTS WORKING FOR THE 
WEST WILL NOT HELP TRANSPARENCY. ONE THING IS CERTAIN: WITH 
UNDER TWO MONTHS TO GO BEFORE THE LEGISLATIVE ELECTIONS, THE 
TALIBAN SEEM BETTER ARMED, BETTER ORGANIZED THAN THEY WERE 
BEFORE THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION. IT SEEMS THAT WE ARE IN FOR 
ELECTIONS WITH HIGH RISK STAKES." 
 
"KABUL TO BECOME FRANCE'S RESPONSIBILITY" 
JEAN-DOMINIQUE MERCHET IN LEFT-OF-CENTER LIBERATION (07/05): 
"THE FRENCH MILITARY WILL BE TAKING OVER RESPONSIBILITY IN 
KABUL JUST WHEN THE COUNTRY'S OVERALL SECURITY IS WORSENING. 
THE U.S. WILL RETAIN THE EASTERN PART OF THE COUNTRY, `THE 
MOST DANGEROUS' ACCORDING TO A FRENCH SOURCE. WHILE THE 
PENTAGON WOULD LIKE TO REDUCE ITS TROOPS IN AFGHANISTAN. 
MILITARY EXPERTS ON THE GROUND DO NOT SHARE THIS VIEW. 
ACCORDING TO ANOTHER FRENCH SOURCE `THEY DOUBT NATO'S ABILITY 
TO CONDUCT ANTI-GUERRILLA OPERATIONS.'" 
 
GUANTANAMO 
 
"GUANTANAMO, EVERY MAN TO HIS OWN TRUTH" 
SLAMAN RUSHDIE IN LEFT-OF-CENTER LIBERATION (07/05): "IN A 
WAR, TRUTH IS ALWAYS AMONG THE FIRST VICTIMS. IT IS ALWAYS 
DIFFICULT TO LET `FACTS' TELL THE TRUTH. BECAUSE WE ARE ALWAYS 
ON SLIPPERY GROUND. ON GUANTANAMO AND RELATED STORIES, THE 
CONSERVATIVES' TAKE IS THAT WHEN THERE IS A WAR, DETAINEES ARE 
OUR SWORN ENEMIES. THE LIBERALS' TAKE IS THAT THE BUSH 
ADMINISTRATION'S APPROACH TO GITMO AND ABU GHARAIB REFLECTS 
POORLY ON CIVIL LIBERTIES AT HOME. THE THIRD POINT OF VIEW 
COMES FROM OUTSIDE THE U.S. AND GIVES A `NON-AMERICAN VERSION 
OF THE FACTS.' WITH A DOSE OF CYNICISM IT CONCLUDES THAT 
AMERICA HAS SHOWN TOO MUCH INDULGENCE FOR ITS OWN MILITARY. AN 
INTERNAL INVESTIGATION THAT LEADS TO SELF-EXCULPATION IS AT 
THE LEAST DUBIOUS. WHILE FANATICS AND THEIR ACTS MUST BE 
JUDGED SEVERELY, WE MUST ALSO REMEMBER THAT WHEN JUDGING 
OTHERS WE MUST ALSO LOOK AT OURSELVES IN THE MIRROR." 
STAPLETON