US embassy cable - 05PARIS4918

C O N F I D E N T I A L PARIS 004918 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR NEA/IPA AND IO/UMP 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/14/2014 
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, KPAL, IS, FR, UNGA, UNSC 
SUBJECT: NABIL SHAATH ON UNGA SEPARATION BARRIER ISSUE, 
FRANCE'S FCC-EQUIVALENT, AND GAZA 
 
REF: PARIS 4897 
 
Classified By: DEPUTY CHIEF OF MISSION ALEX WOLFF, FOR REASONS 1.4 B/D 
 
1. (C) Following reftel report that FM Douste-Blazy would 
raise French concerns about an emergency special session at 
UNGA on the separation barrier, PA DPM Nabil Shaath confirmed 
to the DCM July 14 that Douste-Blazy had indeed raised the 
issue with him.  Shaath said he would report GOF concerns 
back to Abu Mazen.  Shaath believed that it would take direct 
approaches to PA President Abu Mazen to overrule FM Al 
Kidwa's zeal to resume the Tenth Emergency Special Session. 
The DCM raised USG concerns, saying the special session would 
have no positive effect and rather, would be extremely 
unhelpful.  Shaath agreed, but said that Al Kidwa was intent 
on pursuing the issue at the UN.  He likened Al Kidwa to the 
Alec Guinness character in Bridge over the River Kwai; like 
the bridge engineer, Al Kidwa does what he knows how to do -- 
UN resolutions -- even when they are politically 
self-defeating. 
 
2. (C) Shaath, who said he was also responsible for media 
issues for the Palestinian Authority, was in Paris to meet 
with officials from the Conseil Superieur de l'Audiovisuel 
(CSA), France's FCC-equivalent.  He said he was interested in 
promoting a free media environment in the PA, but wanted also 
to be against incitement.  In this regard, he said he thought 
the French CSA model was relevant.  (Note: Last year, the CSA 
successfully banned al-Manar, Hezbollah's satellite 
television station and PKK-linked Medya TV, among others. 
End note)  Shaath also expressed interest in the FCC and the 
Corporation for Public Broadcasting and said he would be 
willing to meet with these entities for any insights they 
might have. 
 
3. (C) Shaath also commented briefly on the Israeli 
withdrawal from Gaza, saying "it really had to work" given 
that it contained 40 per cent of the Palestinian population. 
Abu Mazen, however, needs to be able to show results. 
Furthermore, he hoped that Abu Mazen would not be set up for 
failure, given PM Sharon's restrictions on providing 
Palestinian security forces with guns and ammunition, which 
Shaath characterized as a "security catch-22." 
STAPLETON