US embassy cable - 05PARIS4878

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PARIS 004878 
 
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 - GLOBAL WAR ON TERROR: LONDON 
BOMBINGS 
PARIS - WEDNESDAY, JULY 13, 2005 
 
(A) SUBJECTS COVERED IN TODAY'S REPORT: 
 
GLOBAL WAR ON TERROR: LONDON BOMBINGS 
 
B) SUMMARY OF COVERAGE: 
 
LEFT-OF-CENTER LIBERATION AND RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE FIGARO CARRY 
SIMILAR HEADLINES: "SUICIDE BOMBERS SUSPECTED IN LONDON." 
LIBERATION ADDS THAT THIS IS A "FIRST IN EUROPE" AND IN HIS 
EDITORIAL GERARD DUPUY SUGGESTS THAT FIGHTING AGAINST THIS 
FORM OF TERRORISM IS A "MISSION IMPOSSIBLE." (SEE PART C) 
TERRORISM IN GENERAL HOLDS A PROMINENT PLACE IN TODAY'S 
REPORTING, WHICH INCLUDES THE SUICIDE ATTACK IN ISRAEL AND THE 
CAR BOMBING IN LEBANON, TARGETING OUTGOING DEFENSE MINISTER 
ELIAS MURR. IN LE FIGARO THE REPORT NOTES: "CONTRARY TO FORMER 
TARGETS, ELIAS MURR, WHO IS PRESIDENT LAHOUD'S SON-IN-LAW, HAS 
NEVER BEEN ACCUSED OF BEING A SYRIAN OPPONENT. JUST THE 
OPPOSITE. THE ATTACK PROVES THAT THE FORMER DISTINCTIONS 
BETWEEN PRO AND ANTI-SYRIANS IS NO LONGER OPERATIVE IN 
DAMASCUS." 
 
DOMESTIC ISSUES ARE VERY PROMINENT IN TODAY'S HEADLINES, WITH 
PM DE VILLEPIN'S PLAN TO PROMOTE 67 POLES OF EXCELLENCE TO 
BOOST REGIONAL RD AND EMPLOYMENT HEADLINED IN LE MONDE AND THE 
ECONOMIC AND FINANCIAL PRESS. IN HIS EDITORIAL IN REGIONAL 
NORD  LAIR JULES CLAUWAERT COMMENTS: "FRANCE WAS LAGGING 
BEHIND IN DOING WHAT THE AMERICANS HAVE ALREADY DONE: PUTTING 
RESEARCHERS, MANAGERS AND ENGINEERS TO WORK TOGETHER." 
 
POPULAR RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE PARISIEN LEADS WITH A CSA POLL 
WHICH CONCLUDES THAT "60 PERCENT OF THE FRENCH NO LONGER HAVE 
CONFIDENCE IN THEIR PRESIDENT," ADDING THAT "MISTRUST HAS 
REPLACED SKEPTICISM." THE POLL COMES ON THE EVE OF BASTILLE 
DAY AND THE TRADITIONAL TELEVISED PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS WHICH 
INTERIOR MINISTER SARKOZY CONSIDERS OUTDATED, "ESPECIALLY WHEN 
THERE IS NOTHING NEW TO REPORT AND MOST OF THE FRENCH ARE 
ALREADY ON VACATION." LIBERATION TITLES ITS ARTICLE: "SARKOZY 
WOULD PREFER A BASTILLE DAY WITHOUT CHIRAC ON TELEVISION." 
 
LEFT-OF-CENTER LE MONDE CARRIES AN INTERVIEW WITH FORMER 
PENTAGON ADVISOR RICHARD PERLE: "FIGHTING AGAINST THE 
TERRORIST THREAT INCLUDES BETTER SUPPORT FROM THE EUROPEANS. 
AND I AM NOT TALKING ABOUT INTELLIGENCE SERVICES. I AM TALKING 
ABOUT IRAQ WHERE THE LEAST WE COULD EXPECT IS NEUTRALITY FROM 
FRANCE. NOT ONLY DOES CHIRAC NOT SUPPORT US, HE IS ON A 
CAMPAIGN AGAINST US. THIS IS NOT SOMETHING ONE DOES TO A 
FRIEND... THIS WAS A MISTAKE. FRANCE IS WRONG TO DEVELOP THE 
NOTION OF A NECESSARY COUNTERWEIGHT TO THE U.S. WE ARE TWO 
DEMOCRACIES: WE CANNOT OPPOSE EACH OTHER. THE AMERICANS EXPECT 
A LOT FROM NICOLAS SARKOZY ON THIS SUBJECT." THIS LAST 
COMMENTARY ON SAKORZY WAS PICKED UP BY THE FREE NEWSPAPER 
METRO AND SELECTED BY POPULAR RIGHT-OF-CENTER FRANCE SOIR AS 
THE "SENTENCE OF THE DAY." 
 
TODAY'S FLIGHT OF THE SPACE SHUTTLE DISCOVERY IS PROMINENTLY 
REPORTED. LEFT-OF-CENTER LIBERATION COMMENTS THAT IN SPITE OF 
THE COSTS AND PROJECTED SHORT LIFESPAN, MANNED SHUTTLE FLIGHTS 
ARE A "NECESSITY. WHAT WOULD MANKIND BE IF IT GAVE UP ON 
DISCOVERING THE UNKNOWN AND GAVE IN TO FEAR OF INFINITE 
SPACE?" BUT SEVERAL INTERVIEWS HOLD AN OPPOSITE VIEW. IN 
FRANCE SOIR FORMER FRENCH ASTRONAUT PATRICK BAUDRY SAYS: 
"THESE FLIGHTS ARE BOTH TOO COSTLY AND USELESS," WHILE IN LE 
PARISIEN ALEX ROLAND, A NASA HISTORIAN SAYS: "THE SHUTTLE IS 
TOO FRAGILE AND TOO EXPENSIVE." 
 
(C) SUPPORTING TEXT/BLOCK QUOTES: 
 
GLOBAL WAR ON TERROR: LONDON BOMBINGS 
 
"MISSION IMPOSSIBLE" 
GERARD DUPUY IN LEFT-OF-CENTER LIBERATION (07/13): "EVERYTHING 
SEEMS TO POINT TO SUICIDE BOMBERS IN THE LONDON ATTACKS. A 
FACT THAT IS FAR FROM REASSURING. FROM IRAQ TO ISRAEL THE 
PROOF IS IN THAT IT IS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO PROTECT ONESELF 
AGAINST SUCH ATTACKS. THE `AL-QAEDA' LABEL BEING ATTACHED TO 
ISLAMIC TERRORISTS IS VERY MISLEADING: EXCEPT FOR A FEW OF THE 
MASTERMINDS, MOST OF THESE OPERATIONS ARE LED BY DECENTRALIZED 
AND AUTONOMOUS GROUPS, WHO ARE OFTEN INDIGENOUS, MADE UP OF 
HOME BORN INDIVIDUALS. THE THREAT IS A GLOBAL ONE BUT THOSE 
WHO THREATEN US COULD BE NEXT-DOOR NEIGHBORS. THIS IS ENOUGH 
TO MAKE US REGRET THE COLD WAR AND ITS PROFESSIONAL BAD GUYS. 
IT IS OFTEN EASIER TO DETECT A JAMES BOND THAN A RUN-OF-THE- 
MILL COMMUTER WHO LOOKS AS THOUGH HE IS GOING TO WORK BUT IS 
PLANNING TO BLOW HIMSELF UP." 
 
"A NEW BREED OF TERRORISTS" 
BRUNO DIVE IN REGIONAL SUD OUEST (07/13): "THE MYTH OF THE 
KILLER COMING FROM ALGERIA OR AFGHANISTAN WAS SHATTERED IN A 
CAR OF THE LONDON TUBE. WE IN FRANCE SHOULD ALSO BEWARE 
BECAUSE THE SAME FATE IS LURKING BEHIND EVERY CORNER. 
CONVERSIONS TO RADICAL ISLAM ARE ALSO HAPPENING ON THIS SIDE 
OF THE ENGLISH CHANNEL. THE PROFILE OF THESE NEW COVERTS IS 
WELL KNOWN: THEY LIVE IN LOW-INCOME SUBURBS, HAVE LITTLE OR NO 
SCHOOLING, ARE JOBLESS AND HAVE OFTEN SERVED PRISON TERMS. 
THEY ARE FRENCH BUT NURTURED IN HATE TOWARDS THE WEST. THEY 
DON'T ALL TURN TO TERRORISM, ALTHOUGH THEY PROVIDE AN IDEAL 
FODDER FOR RECRUITMENT. THIS IS THE CHALLENGE OUR EUROPEAN 
DEMOCRACIES ARE FACED WITH." 
 
"THE CHOICE IS BETWEEN SHARING OR TERROR" 
FRANCOIS BUTGEAT IN LEFT-OF-CENTER LIBERATION (07/13): "WHAT 
IS THE ANSWER TO TERRORISM? IS IT BUILDING NEW WALLS. AND NEW 
GUANTANAMOS.? THERE IS A MORE EFFECTIVE WEAPON WHICH HAS 
ALREADY BEEN IDENTIFIED BUT WHICH IS NOT BEING IMPLEMENTED 
BECAUSE OF ITS HIGH COST. THIS WEAPON IS `SHARING.' THE 
SHARING OF ECONOMIC AND FINANCIAL RESOURCES. THE SHARING OF 
POLITICAL POWER. PALESTINE, ALSO, MUST BE SHARED. THAT PROMISE 
MADE LONG AGO IS FAST BECOMING A CHARADE. FINALLY, SHARING 
DOES NOT MEAN GIVING ONLY, IT MEANS ALSO KNOWING HOW TO TAKE, 
AS IN TAKING THE ADVICE OF OTHERS. IF WE LISTEN ONLY TO 
OURSELVES WE LACK PERSPECTIVE. OUR POLITICAL AND MEDIA 
ESTABLISHMENTS SUFFER FROM THIS ILL. SHARING OR TERROR, THE 
CHOICE IS STILL OURS." STAPLETON