US embassy cable - 05PARIS4705

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 PARIS 004705 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR C, T, NEA AND EUR/WE 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/27/2015 
TAGS: PREL, PARM, MNUC, CH, IR, IS, FR, PETER 
SUBJECT: COUNSELOR ZELIKOW'S CONSULTATIONS WITH FRENCH MFA 
POLITICAL DIRECTOR LABOULAYE 
 
REF: STATE 114952 
 
Classified By: Deputy Chief of Mission Alejandro Wolff, Reason 1.4 B/D 
 
1. (C) Summary: Counselor Zelikow reviewed general themes in 
U.S. foreign policy with MFA Political Director Stanislas 
Laboulaye and senior ministry officials.  The June 28 meeting 
took place in conjunction with the Counselor's anti-terrorism 
consultations in Paris (septel).  In response to a French 
request, the Counselor briefed Laboulaye on current U.S. 
initiatives in South Asia, the Middle East Peace Process, and 
China.  On the latter, MFA experts observed that France sees 
developments in China as positive, although the EU remains 
vigilant about China's intentions on security issues.  MFA 
experts confirmed that a decision to lift the EU arms embargo 
on China has been pushed back indefinitely, for now.  On 
regional security, the French believe individual Asian 
nations have not performed well, with the possible exception 
of the Asean Regional Forum (ARF), and that the EU and the 
U.S. could help provide new ideas.  France also believes that 
Europeans and the U.S. need to stop seeing India and Pakistan 
exclusively in opposition to each other.  The French also 
believe that China has been pressuring North Korea to return 
to the six-party nonproliferation talks. 
 
2. (C) Summary continued: Laboulaye conveyed the French view 
that Iran remains a problem and is more likely than North 
Korea to end up before the UNSC.  France is not enthusiastic 
about the new Iranian leadership, although President Chirac 
will send an appropriate congratulatory letter.  Meanwhile, 
France and its EU3 partners will continue to push every 
avenue of negotiation, but the French do not rule out the 
possibility of a crisis developing.  On terrorism, the 
Counselor informed Laboulaye that the U.S. will announce a 
new strategy soon, which will focus less on the "war 
fighting" aspects and emphasize more the political and 
economic dimensions of stopping violent extremism.  This 
strategy will include activities to build up the police, 
customs, border and financial regulation capacities of 
countries facing extremist threats (septel).  MFA experts 
noted that France agrees with this approach and is also 
addressing it in an MFA White Paper on counter-terrorism. 
Counselor Zelikow and Political Director Laboulaye agreed 
that closer consultations between France and the United 
States were needed, especially with respect to our Middle 
East agenda. End Summary. 
 
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Regional Issues 
--------------- 
 
3. (C) In advance of his planned technical-level 
consultations on counter-terrorism with French experts, 
Counselor Zelikow reviewed broad themes of U.S. national 
strategy as it applies to U.S. policies in East Asia, South 
Asia, and the Middle East.  With A/S equivalent director for 
Asia, Herve Ladsous, and DAS-equivalent director for the 
Levant, Antoine Sivan, Laboulaye and Zelikow exchanged 
perspectives on the way ahead in the region.  Drawing on 
Zelikow's presentation, Laboulaye inquired about U.S. 
strategies on development and the Millennium Challenge 
account.  The Counselor briefed on the Secretary's approach 
to these issues and pointed to her planned trip in July to 
Africa to highlight the importance she places on development. 
 In response to a question from Laboulaye on differences 
between the President's first and second terms, aside from 
changes in tone, Zelikow cited our support for the EU3 on 
Iran, French-U.S. cooperation on Sudan in the UN, and our 
discussions on Lebanon and Syria.  Turning to the Middle 
East, Laboulaye commented that Europe found the Secretary's 
approach, as witnessed by her speech in Cairo, most 
encouraging.  There is great hope in Europe that the U.S. can 
get through Gaza disengagement, he added.  Laboulaye also 
observed that it was essential that we maintain pressure on 
both sides of the Israel-Palestinian issue, and added that 
Europe would support this balanced approach. 
 
4. (C) On Asia, Ladsous said France is very keen on its 
relations with China, Japan, and India.  He believes that 
China has shown a capacity to manage its problems without 
renouncing the primacy of the communist party.  Given the 
party's resilience, the Europeans believe they need to engage 
the Chinese.  Ladsous noted that Europe does not always agree 
on how to effect this engagement, but there is agreement that 
developments in China have generally been positive, although 
problems do exist.  He also cautioned that Europe must remain 
vigilant on security issues as the Asians have not been able 
to work together on security, except in terms of their 
individual relations with the U.S.  The Asean Regional Forum 
might prove an exception, but in any case, Europe and the 
U.S. could assist by providing new ideas to the region. 
Already, in part due to our prodding, China is more involved 
in UN issues, peacekeeping and the Nuclear Suppliers' Group. 
The South Koreans have told the French they believe China has 
been leaning heavily on North Korea with respect to the 
six-party talks, even if in a discreet manner.  The French 
are optimistic about prospects for the six-party talks and 
claimed that they can be most helpful if brought into the 
discussions early.  Laboulaye added that France would not 
want the North Korea issue to end up before the UNSC. 
Ladsous and Laboulaye turned to the EU arms embargo on China 
and observed that a decision to lift has been pushed back 
indefinitely.  (Note: the implication is that the French do 
not expect a lift during the UK Presidency.)  Ladsous 
concluded with the observation that lifting the embargo was 
not about selling arms, but about how to handle technology 
sales.  On South Asia, he suggested that we need to move away 
from an approach to India based solely on its relation to 
Pakistan.  France has been talking to India on such issues as 
arms sales, space technology, and nuclear issues, he added. 
 
---- 
Iran 
---- 
 
5. (C) Laboulaye stated that France is concerned with the 
Iranian election results -- France is not enthusiastic about 
the new Iranian leadership.  President Chirac, nonetheless, 
will send the obligatory letter of congratulations.  It 
remains unclear how the election of Ahmadinejad would affect 
EU3-Iran negotiations, but France does not see any option 
other than to continue to negotiate.  That said, he would not 
rule out a crisis scenario.  Iran may more likely end up 
before the UNSC than North Korea, he warned.  He noted that 
EU3 Political Directors were meeting in Berlin June 28 to 
better map out their strategy.  (Note: Laboulaye's message 
was in contrast to French press reports that cited alleged 
differences with the U.S. on dealing with the new more 
hardline Iranian leadership and a conclusion that the 
election results would not adversely affect EU3-Iran 
negotiations.)  Laboulaye also observed that the Iranian 
President-elect could be expected to attend UNGA in 
September, which would represent an opportunity to make 
contact and progress. 
 
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Counter-terrorism and security issues 
------------------------------------- 
 
6. (C) Political Director Laboulaye brought in key staff from 
the MFA's Strategic Affairs and Disarmament bureau for a 
follow-on round of discussions on security issues with 
Counselor Zelikow.  The Counselor noted that the U.S. had 
completed in mid-June a major counter-terrorism strategy 
review (septel).  In response to Laboulaye's request for 
details, Zelikow explained that the strategy focuses on the 
long-term objective of combatting violent extremism or 
"strategy against violent extremism."  The enemy are 
non-state actors which exploit Islam for ideological ends. 
Our approach will move away from primarily military and 
intelligence operations to building coalitions and 
emphasizing the need to build countries' capacities in such 
areas as police, courts, border security and financial 
regulation.  Laboulaye fully concurred, revealing that the 
French government is working on a White Paper on terrorism 
with similar conclusions.  Strategic Affairs and Disarmament 
Director Philippe Carre explained the French view that the 
Global War on Terrorism had not been well suited to cope with 
existing types of terrorist threats.  A new approach calls 
for an emphasis on reform and a recognition that the problem 
is Islamist extremism, while carefully avoiding "clash of 
civilizations" language.  Zelikow agreed and observed that 
the U.S. seeks coalition partners, and that France could help 
through its comparative advantage in such areas as gendarme 
and police training. 
7. (C) In discussing threats, Zelikow cautioned that Europe 
is potentially in greater danger than the U.S. given its 
growing Muslim communities.  MFA Policy Planning Deputy 
Director Philippe Errera volunteered that we should be 
careful not to allow our political differences to interfere 
with how we deal with terrorist threats.  It is especially 
important that we analyze closely local conflicts in the 
world and how they feed into the global terrorism framework, 
he added.  Zelikow agreed, indicating that we need to speak 
more openly about "unhealthy" societies, which are in need of 
political reform.  Local governments, in turn, will have to 
take a calculated risk and more effectively address their 
domestic problems.  Laboulaye responded that France agrees 
with our reform assessment, and was impressed with the 
Secretary's performance and message in Cairo, but the French 
 
SIPDIS 
also have been told by their Middle East contacts that the 
problem is the messenger, i.e. the United States.  The U.S. 
is unpopular in the region, and France has a few ideas on how 
to make "the messenger" more popular, he volunteered. 
Zelikow acknowledged that the United States faced an uphill 
public image battle in the Middle East, especially since the 
Arab media remained hostile.  The fact that the United States 
will continue to defend Israel in the region, does not help 
either.  The United States can not easily overcome these 
negative perceptions, but Zelikow indicated that France could 
help us to better communicate our joint message of reform in 
the region. 
 
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More Consultations needed 
------------------------- 
 
8. (C) Zelikow and Laboulaye concluded with an observation 
that the United States and France could better coordinate 
some of our policies.  They noted the convergence in many of 
our views, with Iraq being the notable exception.  Laboulaye 
observed that the Middle East remains an area of major 
differences between France and the United States, but that 
France is ready to talk with us.  Zelikow and Laboulaye 
pointed to our support for EU3 efforts with Iran and our 
approaches toward Syria and Lebanon as potential models for 
future cooperation.  Errera also suggested more frequent 
exchanges between our respective policy planning staffs. 
 
9. (U) Counselor Zelikow's staff cleared this telegram. 
 
 
STAPLETON