US embassy cable - 05PARIS4868

C O N F I D E N T I A L PARIS 004868 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/11/2015 
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, KJUS, FR 
SUBJECT: FRENCH DEPUTIES PROTEST INCARCERATION OF NYT 
JOURNALIST JUDITH MILLER 
 
 
Classified By: DCM Alex Wolff for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). 
 
1. (U)  SUMMARY: French National Assembly members Pierre 
Lellouche and Francois Loncle visited the Embassy July 12 to 
protest the imprisonment of New York Times journalist Judith 
Miller.  They also requested access to Miller in prison. 
Following the meeting Lellouche and Loncle met across the 
street from the Embassy with journalists who had gathered in 
response to their previously issued press communique.  In 
view of the communique and the press conference, both of 
which came to Embassy's attention shortly before meeting with 
the DCM was to take place, the DCM declined to meet with 
Lellouche and Loncle and arranged for the delegation to be 
received by our Information Officer.  END SUMMARY. 
 
2.  (U)  DCM agreed to meet July 11 with National Assembly 
members Pierre Lellouche (Center-right UMP - a long-time 
Embassy contact) and Francois Loncle (Socialist Party) to 
receive their protest concerning the imprisonment of NYT 
journalist Judith Miller.  Prior to the meeting, we learned 
from the Press that Lellouche and Loncle had issued a press 
statement announcing the meeting at the Embassy, outlining 
the points they would make, and giving notice that they would 
reply to press questions outside the Embassy following the 
meeting.  DCM contacted Lellouche to tell him that we 
objected to his attempt to use his meeting in this way -- 
which was not in keeping with longstanding, close 
relationship the Embassy and he have enjoyed.  DCM informed 
him that because of the way he had misled us, and since his 
intent was to score media points, he had asked the Embassy IO 
to meet with the two deputies in his stead. 
 
3.  (U)  Lellouche and Loncle, accompanied by Lellouche's 
diplomatic advisor who acted as notetaker, met with IO as 
arranged.  Poloff also attended as notetaker.  After 
complaining about the meeting being "downgraded," something 
he characterized as an unfriendly act to friends of the 
United States, Lellouche proceeded to state that he had been 
shocked by Miller's incarceration.  Lellouche said he was 
saddened to see the liberty of the press being put into 
question.  Lellouche continued that he and Loncle, probably 
accompanied by Robert Menard of Reporters Without Borders, 
wanted to arrange to see Miller in prison.  Lellouche said 
that he had met with Miller a few weeks ago and knew her 
well.  Loncle associated himself with Lellouche's remarks, 
saying that there was a long tradition of journalists' rights 
to protect their sources.  He said he was shocked by Miller's 
incarceration, which gave a bad image of the United States. 
Other countries, he said, would see this action as a stamp of 
approval to imprison journalists.  Lellouche noted that he 
had been in Doha last week and that the Miller story was 
being covered extensively by al-Jazeera. 
 
4.  (U)  IO responded that the U.S. had a long history of 
protecting the rights of journalists, including their right 
to protect sources.  These rights, she said had to be 
balanced against national security concerns.  This was not 
the first time, she said, that a journalist had been 
imprisoned.  Press Officer continued that the case was before 
the courts.  Accordingly, the Executive branch had no role in 
Miller's imprisonment.  Lellouche responded that just as the 
Judiciary was independent of the Executive, the President and 
the Secretary were free to pronounce on the matter and should 
do so.  Lellouche claimed that Miller was being harshly 
punished by the judge for her failure to cooperate, and was 
being denied access to books and newspapers.  He indicated 
that he intended to communicate with the Secretary urging her 
to express her disapproval of the judicial decision in 
Miller's case.  Lellouche added that the U.S. Congress should 
see the Miller case as a wake-up call, and pass a law to 
allow journalists to protect their sources.  IO agreed to 
communicate the concerns of Lellouche and Loncle to the 
Department.  Lellouche concluded by saying that he wanted the 
U.S. government to facilitate his visit to Miller, failing 
which, he threatened to create a scandal outside the prison 
gates. 
 
5.  (U)  After leaving the Embassy, Lellouche and Loncle met 
with the press for about 15 minutes at the entrance to the 
park across the street from the Embassy. 
 
6.  (C)  COMMENT:  Lellouche is a long-time Atlanticist and 
self-styled friend of the U.S. in the governing UMP party, 
Unfortunately, his political ambitions -- he is currently 
beginning his run at the UMP's candidacy for Mayor of Paris 
-- appear to have clouded his sense of fair play. 
Lellouche's original request, to meet urgently with 
Ambassador Stapleton was turned down on a technicality (the 
Ambassador has not yet presented his credentials).  Were it 
not for that, it appears he was prepared to mislead the USG's 
newly arrived envoy about the full purpose of his meeting 
request in order to grab headlines to promote his electoral 
prospects. 
STAPLETON