US embassy cable - 05PARIS4816

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PARIS 004816 
 
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 - INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM: 
AFTERMATH OF LONDON BOMBINGS G-8 AGREEMENTS ON CLIMATE AND 
AFRICA IRAQ - RUMORS ABOUT BRITISH TROOP WITHDRAWAL 
PARIS - MONDAY, JULY 11, 2005 
 
 
(A) SUBJECTS COVERED IN TODAY'S REPORT: 
 
INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM: AFTERMATH OF LONDON BOMBINGS 
G-8 AGREEMENTS ON CLIMATE AND AFRICA 
IRAQ - RUMORS ABOUT BRITISH TROOP WITHDRAWAL 
 
B) SUMMARY OF COVERAGE: 
 
HEADLINES, REPORTS AND COMMENTARIES CONTINUE TO FOCUS ON LAST 
WEEK'S TERRORIST BOMBINGS IN LONDON. AS THE INVESTIGATION 
PROGRESSES, MEDIA HEADLINES POINT TO A "MOROCCAN LEAD" (LE 
JOURNAL DU DIMANCHE AND LE MONDE) WHILE OTHERS INCLUDE A 
SYRIAN CONNECTION (LE FIGARO). EDITORIALISTS PRAISE THE 
COURAGE OF LONDONERS, UNDERSCORE THE COOPERATION OF 
INTELLIGENCE SERVICES IN EUROPE AND EMPHASIZE THE "BARBARIANS' 
STRATEGY OF TERROR." (LE JOURNAL DU DIMANCHE.) IN AN OP-ED IN 
LE FIGARO FRANCOIS GERE OF THE FRENCH INSTITUTE FOR STRATEGIC 
ANALYSIS, WRITES ABOUT THE "STRATEGIC ERROR OF GOING TO WAR 
AGAINST IRAQ" AND THE "TACTICAL ERRORS" OF NEGATIVE PROPAGANDA 
PROVIDED BY "GUANTANAMO, ABU GHRAIB AND THE DEFILING OF THE 
KORAN INCIDENT." (SEE PART C) IN RIGHT-OF-CENTER ECONOMIC LES 
ECHOS, RICHARD HAASS SIGNS AN OP-ED TITLED: "THE FIGHT AGAINST 
TERROR REQUIRES A GENERAL CONSENSUS." "FOR TOO LONG, THE 
INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY HAS TOLERATED TERRORISM. BECAUSE THOSE 
WHO SOME CALL TERRORISTS ARE SEEN BY OTHERS AS FREEDOM 
FIGHTERS." SEVERAL OUTLETS REPORT ON THIS WEEKEND'S STORY IN 
THE MAIL ON SUNDAY ABOUT A MEMO FROM DEFENSE MINISTER JOHN 
REID WITH A SCENARIO OF TROOP PULLOUT FROM IRAQ. (SEE PART C) 
 
THE CONCLUSIONS OF THE G8 ELICIT SEVERAL REPORTS, WITH THE 
SAME TAKE AS LAST WEEK'S: A MINIMAL AGREEMENT ON CLIMATE AND 
PROMISES TO FIGHT POVERTY IN AFRICA. LEFT-OF-CENTER LIBERATION 
INTERVIEWS TOGOLESE ECONOMIST YVES EKOUE AMAIZO, OF THE UNITED 
NATIONS INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT ORGANIZATION WHO IS RUNNING FOR 
THE POST OF WTO DEPUTY DIRECTOR AND WHO CRITICIZES THE G8 
ACTION PLAN FOR AFRICA: "AFRICA IS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE 
PICTURE, BUT THERE IS NOTHING CONCRETE." ON THE CONTRARY LEFT- 
OF-CENTER LE MONDE IS OPTIMISTIC ABOUT THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF THE 
G8, ESPECIALLY REGARDING GLOBAL WARMING. (SEE PART C) 
 
(C) SUPPORTING TEXT/BLOCK QUOTES: 
 
INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM: AFTERMATH OF LONDON BOMBINGS 
 
"A STRATEGY OF BARBARITY" 
JEAN-CLAUDE MAURICE IN RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE JOURNAL DU DIMANCHE 
(07/11): "THERE IS NO NEED TO EMPHASIZE THE COWARDICE OF THOSE 
BEHIND SUCH CARNAGE. NO ONE CAN IGNORE THE `CAUSE' BEHIND 
THESE ACTS: IT IS NEITHER THE WAR IN IRAQ, NOR THE ISRAELI- 
PALESTINIAN CONFLICT, EVEN IF THESE FOSTER RANCOR AND 
FRUSTRATION. THE OBJECTIVE IS TO ESTABLISH A GREAT CALIPHATE, 
DESTROY THE WEST, ITS MISCREANTS AND THEIR LIFESTYLES. AS TONY 
BLAIR SAID, THE TERRORISTS DID NOT TARGET GREAT BRITAIN ALONE, 
BUT ALL DEMOCRACIES. OUR DEMOCRACIES MUST STOP TOLERATING, IN 
THE NAME OF FREEDOM OF SPEECH, THOSE WHO PREACH HATE AND 
MURDER. BUT WE MUST ALSO BE CAREFUL NOT TO FALL INTO THE TRAP 
OF AMALGAMATION BETWEEN THE TERRORISTS AND THE RELIGION WHICH 
INSPIRES THEM. TO MAKE ISLAM THE ENEMY IS TO FALL INTO THE 
TERRORISTS' TRAP. OUR ANSWER MUST USE THE WEAPONS OF 
DEMOCRACY." 
 
"KILLING DEMOCRACY" 
FRANCOIS ERNENWEIN IN CATHOLIC LA CROIX (07/11): "AL-QAEDA'S 
TERRORISTS WANT TO MAKE US BELIEVE THEY ARE SERVING A CAUSE. 
BUT TERRORISM IS BUT THE EXPRESSION OF A DESIRE FOR POWER 
WHOSE PROJECT RELIES EXCLUSIVELY ON THE AMOUNTS OF BLOOD IT 
CAN SPILL. TERROR, BY SPREADING DEATH AT RANDOM, WANTS TO 
TRIGGER THE MORAL DEATH OF DEMOCRACY." 
 
"FIRST LESSONS FROM LONDON" 
FRANCOIS GERE IN RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE FIGARO (07/11): "THE 
`SUCCESS' OF THE LONDON BOMBINGS MUST NOT HIDE THE RECENT 
SUCCESSES BY EUROPEAN POLICE IN THE DISMANTLING OF MANY 
THWARTED ATTEMPTS. COOPERATION BETWEEN POLICE AND JUSTICE 
DEPARTMENTS ACROSS EUROPE HAS BEEN RE-ENFORCED. EUROPE IS NO 
LONGER A LAND OF ASYLUM FOR TERRORISTS. AL-QAEDA IS NOT A 
PHYSICAL ENTITY AS MUCH AS A SOURCE OF IDEOLOGICAL 
INSPIRATION. AS SUCH, IT FEEDS ON THE STRATEGIC AND TACTICAL 
ERRORS COMMITTED IN THE BATTLE AGAINST TERROR. THE STRATEGIC 
ERROR WAS TO HAVE ATTACKED IRAQ, WHOSE GOVERNMENT NEVER HELPED 
THE SALAFISTS. IRAQ SERVES TODAY AS A BASE FOR TRAINING 
JIHADDISTS FROM THE ARAB PENINSULA, THE MAGHREB AND EUROPE, 
AND WHO ONCE TRAINED, RETURN TO THEIR HOME BASE. TO THIS ONE 
MUST ADD A NUMBER OF TACTICAL ERRORS. THE TREATMENT OF 
DETAINEES IN GUANTANAMO AND ABU GHARAIB AND THE KORAN DEFILING 
INCIDENT HAVE BEEN FEEDING PROPAGANDA ACROSS THE MIDDLE EAST. 
IF WE WANT TO STOP THE RECRUITMENT OF SALAFISTS, WE MUST NOT 
PROVIDE FODDER FOR THEIR ARGUMENTS. AT THE G8, BLAIR WAS ABLE 
TO FIND THE RIGHT WORDS, WHEN HE SPOKE OF THE NEED TO REDUCE 
INEQUALITIES AND SOCIAL INJUSTICE." 
 
G-8 AGREEMENTS ON CLIMATE AND AFRICA 
 
"A G-8 OF UNION" 
LEFT-OF-CENTER LE MONDE IN ITS EDITORIAL (07/11): "THE PICTURE 
THAT WILL REMAIN IS THAT OF THE SOLIDARITY EXPRESSED BY ALL 
FOR GREAT BRITAIN AND THE ABSOLUTE REJECTION OF TERRORISM. 
WHILE THE SUMMIT WAS NECESSARILY UPSET BY THE BOMBINGS, IT 
NEVERTHELESS REACHED, IF NOT DECISIVE, AT LEAST FRUITFUL 
ACHIEVEMENTS. AS IF WORLD LEADERS WERE EAGER TO PROVE THEY 
COULD OVERCOME THEIR NATIONAL INTERESTS. COMPARED TO OTHER G8 
SUMMITS, THIS ONE TURNED INTO A SOMEWHAT PARADOXICAL SUCCESS. 
THE NUMBER ONE SUCCESS CONCERNS DEVELOPMENT AID FOR AFRICA. 
WITH BLAIR GETTING WHAT HE WANTED. IT IS UP TO NGOS TO MAKE 
SURE THE COMMITMENT TURNS INTO ACTIONS. THE SECOND AREA OF 
SUCCESS CONCERNS GLOBAL WARMING. THE AMERICAN PRESIDENT 
CONFIRMED THE POSITION HE ADVERTISED IN DENMARK ON JULY 6 
ABOUT HUMAN ACTIVITY AFFECTING GLOBAL WARMING. EVEN IF 
PRESIDENT BUSH DOES NOT RATIFY KYOTO, THE FACT THAT HE MADE 
THIS DECLARATION OF PRINCIPLE SEEMS TO SIGNAL A NEW AWARENESS. 
THIS EVOLUTION OF THE AMERICAN POSITION HAS FOR THE FIRST TIME 
ALLOWED THE ADOPTION OF A `PLAN OF ACTION' IN FAVOR OF LESS 
POLLUTING ENERGIES. BUT THE PLAN STILL LACKS CONCRETE 
COMMITMENTS AND CONTAINS NO FINANCIAL PROMISE. IT IS THEREFORE 
AT THE SYMBOLIC LEVEL THAT THIS COMPROMISE HAS IN FACT MARKED 
THE EVOLUTION OF THE G8. IT IS A FIRST STEP, ALBEIT LIMITED 
WHEN FACED WITH THE LEVEL OF URGENCY. WE COULD SEE IT AS ONLY 
A `MARKETING' CAMPAIGN ORCHESTRATED BY THE AMERICAN PRESIDENT, 
AS THE ECOLOGISTS SEEM TO SEE IT. WE CAN ALSO READ IT AS A 
SIGN OF HOPE." 
 
IRAQ - RUMORS ABOUT BRITISH TROOP WITHDRAWAL 
 
"TOWARDS A WITHDRAWAL OF BRITISH TROOPS FROM IRAQ?" 
THOMAS DE ROCHECHOUART IN RIGHT-OF-CENTER FRANCE SOIR (07/11): 
"EVEN IF THE MEMO BY (U.K) DEFENSE MINISTER REID WAS ONLY ONE 
SCENARIO AMONG MANY, IT IS THE FIRST TIME THAT BRITISH TROOP 
WITHDRAWAL FROM IRAQ IS MENTIONED WITH SO MUCH CLARITY. ONE 
THING IS CERTAIN: WHAT WAS SUPPOSED TO HAVE BEEN A SHORT 
INTERVENTION HAS SLOWLY BEEN TRANSFORMED INTO A MISSION OF 
OCCUPATION. AND AS THE SITUATION WORSENS ON THE GROUND, THE 
TRAP SEEMS TO BE CLOSING IN OF THE COALITION SECURITY TROOPS. 
THE IRAQI FORCES HAVE PROVEN THEIR INABILITY TO STAUNCH THE 
SPREAD OF VIOLENCE. HENCE THE DILEMMA: LEAVE IRAQ AND LEAVE A 
BATTLE GROUND WHERE THE WINNER WILL UNDOUBTEDLY BE ISLAMIC 
ORGANIZATIONS; OR STAY AND BECOME THE HOSTAGE OF A CONFLICT 
THAT IS EVERYDAY RE-ENFORCING TERRORISM AND FANNING FEELINGS 
OF HATE AGAINST THE MEMBERS OF THE COALITION. WITH THE LONDON 
BOMBINGS, IRAQ IS ONCE AGAIN A THORN FOR THE BLAIR 
GOVERNMENT." STAPLETON