US embassy cable - 05PARIS4732

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PARIS 004732 
 
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 - G-8: CLIMATE CHANGE - AFRICA 
AID 
PARIS - THURSDAY, JULY 07, 2005 
 
 
(A) SUBJECTS COVERED IN TODAY'S REPORT: 
 
G-8: CLIMATE CHANGE - AFRICA AID 
 
B) SUMMARY OF COVERAGE: 
 
NOT SURPRISINGLY ALL FRONT PAGES AND MOST EDITORIALS ARE 
DEVOTED TO THE 2012 OLYMPIC GAMES LOST TO LONDON, AND TO 
FRANCE'S FEELINGS OF SADNESS AND ANGER. THE HISTORIC RIVALRY 
BETWEEN FRANCE AND ENGLAND, TONY BLAIR'S RECENT SERIES OF 
SUCCESSES OPPOSED TO CHIRAC'S RECENT FAILURES FEED TODAY'S 
COMMENTARIES. YVES THREARD IN LE FIGARO COMMENTS: "THE PROOF 
IS IN THAT FRANCE DOES NOT MASTER THE RULES OF `LOBBYING' AS 
WELL AS THE ANGLO-SAXON WORLD." IN POPULAR RIGHT-OF-CENTER 
FRANCE SOIR, EDITORIALIST BENJAMENT DANET CRITICIZES THE 
INTERNATIONAL OLYMPIC COMMITTEE FOR ITS "POLITICAL CHOICE." 
"THE CHOICE OF LONDON IS POLITICAL, MARKED BY THE WAR IN IRAQ 
AND COALITIONS OF CIRCUMSTANCE." PASCAL BONIFACE OF THE 
INSTITUTE FOR INTERNATIONAL STRATEGIC RELATIONS (IRIS) IS 
INTERVIEWED IN BOTH LE FIGARO AND LIBERATION: "WHILE THE U.S. 
HAS DONE LITTLE TO HELP BLAIR ON AFRICA OR THE MIDDLE EAST, IT 
WAS EASY FOR THE U.S. TO MAKE A GESTURE ON A LESS POLITICALLY 
SENSITIVE ISSUE, SUCH AS THE GAMES. WITH ALL THE SUPPORT BLAIR 
HAS GIVEN BUSH GETTING NOTHING IN RETURN, THE LEAST HE COULD 
EXPECT WAS STRONG AMERICAN SUPPORT FOR ITS CANDIDACY." (LE 
FIGARO) "I BELIEVE THERE WAS VERY ACTIVE LOBBYING ON THE PART 
OF THE U.S. IN FAVOR OF LONDON AND AGAINST PARIS. THIS WAS A 
WAY FOR BUSH TO RECOMPENSE BLAIR. IT IS A BEAUTIFUL GIFT, BOTH 
SYMBOLIC AND POPULAR, BUT IT IS THE ONLY GIFT. WASHINGTON HAS 
NO INTENTION OF GIVING ANYTHING MORE TO LONDON, EITHER ON THE 
MIDDLE EAST, GLOBAL WARMING OR DEVELOPMENT AID." (LIBERATION) 
 
ONCE AGAIN THE TIE-IN BETWEEN THE TOP STORY AND TODAY'S SECOND 
MAJOR STORY, THE G-8, IS A SHOE-IN. LE FIGARO COMMENTS: 
"YESTERDAY, A RADIANT BLAIR WELCOMED HIS GUESTS, AMONG THEM 
THE BIG LOSER OF THE DAY, JACQUES CHIRAC. NEVERTHELESS BLAIR 
NEEDS FRANCE'S SUPPORT AGAINST THE U.S. POSITION ON TWO MAJOR 
ISSUES: GLOBAL WARMING AND AFRICA." ALL REPORTS NOTE THE 
PRESIDENT'S ACKNOWLEDGEMENT THAT THERE IS A RELATIONSHIP 
BETWEEN "HUMAN ACTIVITY" AND GLOBAL WARMING, BUT ALL CONCLUDE 
THAT THE G-8 WILL REACH ONLY A "MINIMAL AGREEMENT" ON CLIMATE 
CHANGE. IN LE FIGARO, BEIJING CORRESPONDENT JEAN-JACQUES MEVEL 
ANALYSES CHINA'S POSITION VIS-A-VIS KYOTO. CATHOLIC LA CROIX 
DEVOTES ITS REPORT TO U.S. AID TO AFRICA, WHILE LES ECHOS 
CARRIES AN OP-ED BY JEFFREY SACHS OF THE EARTH INSTITUTE 
CRITICIZING THE U.S. FOR NOT EARMARKING ENOUGH FUNDS FOR 
AFRICAN AID. (SEE PART C) 
 
FM DOUSTE-BLAZY'S VISIT TO WASHINGTON IS REPORTED IN LE 
FIGARO. SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT ADRIEN JAULMES WRITES: "DOUSTE- 
BLAZY JUMPED INTO THE WORLD OF INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS WITH 
PRACTICALLY NO PREPARATION. IN THIS NEW WORLD OF HIS, THE FM 
OPTED FOR CAUTION. FACED WITH SECRETARY RICE'S EXPERTISE, HE 
TRIED TO AVOID CONFRONTATION. EVEN IF RELATIONS BETWEEN PARIS 
AND WASHINGTON HAVE IMPROVED, MUTUAL INCOMPREHENSION IS READY 
TO EMERGE AT EVERY TURN. `FOR FRANCE, THE U.S. IS NOT AN 
INTERLOCUTOR LIKE THE OTHERS.' SAID DOUSTE-BLAZY. SENTENCES 
LIKE THESE PROVE THAT FRIENDSHIP IS NOT A GIVEN. DELICATE 
ISSUES REMAIN BETWEEN THE TWO COUNTRIES. ALTHOUGH THEY WERE 
SUBTLY AVOIDED. THE WORD `IRAQ' WAS BARELY MENTIONED BY THE 
FRENCH FM." 
 
(C) SUPPORTING TEXT/BLOCK QUOTES: 
 
G-8: CLIMATE CHANGE - AFRICA AID 
 
"BEIJING AND THE DEBATE ON CLIMATE" 
JEAN-JACQUES MEVEL IN RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE FIGARO (07/07): "IF 
THE WORLD'S TWO MAJOR POLLUTERS, CHINA AND THE U.S., STAY AWAY 
FROM THE DEBATE, THE INTERNATIONAL COMMITMENT THAT WILL 
SUCCEED KYOTO I COULD WELL DIE BEFORE IT IS EVEN BORN. AT THE 
G-8 SUMMIT, THE EUROPEANS AND THE AMERICANS WILL BE ON THE 
RECEIVING END OF HU JINTAO'S GOOD GRACES, BUT FOR DIFFERENT 
REASONS. DEPENDING ON WHETHER BEIJING CHOOSES ONE CAMP OR THE 
OTHER, KYOTO II WILL EITHER SEE THE LIGHT OF DAY OR NOT." 
 
"BUSH STILL COOL TOWARDS KYOTO" 
CHRISTIAN LOSSON IN LEFT-OF-CENTER LIBERATION (07/07): "HAVING 
ACKNOWLEDGED THAT HUMAN ACTIVITY AND CLIMATE CHANGE HAVE A 
DIRECT RELATIONSHIP WILL KEEP PRESIDENT BUSH FROM HAVING TO 
SIT ON A HOT SEAT WITH A DUNCE CAP ON. A MINIMUM AGREEMENT ON 
THE CLIMATE IS BEGINNING TO TAKE SHAPE, ALBEIT FULL OF 
SEMANTIC SUBTLETIES. BUT THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION'S `ULTRA- 
MINIMALIST' STANCE IS INCREASINGLY GETTING A POUNDING IN THE 
U.S. ITSELF, WHERE INDIVIDUAL STATES ARE IMPLEMENTING REGIONAL 
GAS EMISSION PERMITS." 
 
"BUSH OPENS THE WAY TO AN AGREEMENT ON THE CLIMATE" 
XAVIER HAREL IN CENTRIST LA TRIBUNE (07/07): "FOR TONY BLAIR, 
JULY 6 IS A DAY TO REMEMBER. NOT ONLY DID HE GET THE OLYMPIC 
GAMES BUT HE ALSO FOUND THE KEY TO AN AGREEMENT ON THE 
SENSITIVE ISSUE OF GLOBAL WARMING. PRESIDENT BUSH'S REMARKS ON 
THE ROLE OF HUMAN ACTIVITY MAY SEEM LIKE VERY LITTLE, BUT HIS 
STATEMENT OPENS THE WAY TO AN AGREEMENT AT THE G-8. 
WASHINGTON'S POSITION OPENS THE DOOR TO A COMPROMISE. EVEN IF 
THIS DOES NOT MEAN THAT WASHINGTON WILL RATIFY THE KYOTO 
PROTOCOL." 
 
"THE PHANTOM OF GLENEAGLES" 
SACHA BALIT VANDERBROUCK IN RIGHT-OF-CENTER FRANCE SOIR 
(07/07): "A WEAKENED CHIRAC WILL HAVE TO REVISE HIS AMBITIONS 
ON THE CLIMATE. BECAUSE EVEN IF PRESIDENT BUSH CONCEDED THAT 
`HUMAN ACTIVITY' CONTRIBUTES TO GLOBAL WARMING, HE DOES NOT 
SHARE CHIRAC'S VIEWS ON THE NEED TO TAKE ACTION. UNDER THE 
CIRCUMSTANCES, NGOS ANTICIPATE A MINIMUM AGREEMENT, EMPTIED OF 
ALL SUBSTANCE." 
 
"THE U.S. WANTS TO MANAGE ITS OWN AID TO AFRICA" 
PIERRE COCHEZ IN CATHOLIC LA CROIX (07/07): "AT THE G-8, 
PRESIDENT BUSH WANTS TO BE SEEN AS THE MAN BEHIND ADDITIONAL 
AID TO POOR NATIONS. HIS AIM IS TO DOUBLE AMERICA'S AID TO 
AFRICA BETWEEN 2004 AND 2010. BUT AT THE SAME TIME THE U.S. 
EXPECTS TO CONTROL ITS AID AND NOT LET IT FALL INTO 
MULTILATERAL FUNDS. WASHINGTON PREFERS BILATERAL AID." 
 
"WE CAN SAVE AFRICA" 
JEFFREY SACHS IN RIGHT-OF-CENTER LES ECHOS (07/07): "PRESIDENT 
BUSH MAY THINK THAT THE U.S. IS DOING MUCH TO HELP AFRICA 
OVERCOME ITS PROBLEMS. BUT IN REALITY AMERICA'S AID IS 
MINIMAL. CONSIDERING WHAT AFRICA NEEDS, THE 3 BILLION DOLLARS 
THE U.S. GIVES TO AFRICA ANNUALLY IS VERY LITTLE, ESPECIALLY 
AS A LARGE PART OF THIS SUM GOES TO PAY THE SALARIES OF 
AMERICAN CONSULTANTS INSTEAD OF ADDRESSING AFRICA'S NEEDS FOR 
INVESTMENT. AFRICA IS READY TO BE FREED FROM POVERTY IF THE 
U.S. AND OTHER RICH NATIONS HELP HER. EUROPE APPEARS TO BE 
READY TO DO MORE, WHEREAS THE U.S. IS STILL APPARENTLY THE 
PRINCIPAL OBSTACLE." STAPLETON