US embassy cable - 05PARIS4936

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PARIS 004936 
 
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 - IRAQ: ATTACKS IN MOUSSAYEB - 
LONDON BOMBINGS 
PARIS - MONDAY, JULY 18, 2005 
 
 
(A) SUBJECTS COVERED IN TODAY'S REPORT: 
 
1. IRAQ: ATTACKS IN MOUSSAYEB 
2. LONDON BOMBINGS 
 
(B) SUMMARY OF COVERAGE: 
 
VIOLENCE IN IRAQ DOMINATES HEADLINES AFTER A WEEKEND OF 
ATTACKS THAT KILLED HUNDREDS. LEFT-OF-CENTER LIBERATION 
FOCUSES ON THE "EXASPERATION' OF THE IRAQI POPULATION AGAINST 
THE INSURGENTS WHO ARE NOW SEEN BY THE CIVILIAN POPULATION NOT 
AS A "FORCE OF RESISTANCE TO FOREIGN OCCUPATION" BUT AS 
RESPONSIBLE FOR THE DEATHS OF INNOCENT IRAQIS. IN ITS HEADLINE 
RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE FIGARO QUALIFIES THE SITUATION IN IRAQ AS 
"RAMPANT CIVIL WAR" AND POPULAR DAILY FRANCE SOIR HEADLINES 
"WORSE AND WORSE."  (SEE PART C) 
 
PRIME MINISTER BLAIR'S STATEMENT ON SATURDAY INSISTING THAT 
THE LONDON BOMBINGS AND THE UK'S INVOLVEMENT IN THE WAR IN 
IRAQ HAVE NO CONNECTION IS WIDELY REPORTED. CATHOLIC LA 
CROIX'S HEADLINE: "ISLAM IN BRITAIN REJECTS VIOLENCE" AND 
INSIDE STORY DESCRIBE THE SOLIDARITY OF THE VARIOUS RELIGIOUS 
COMMUNITIES IN GREAT BRITAIN AGAINST EXTREMISM. (SEE PART C) 
 
IN ITS SERIES ON "THE SEATS OF POWER," TODAY'S EDITION OF 
RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE FIGARO CARRIES A FULL PAGE ON THE CIA. 
"WITH THE REORGANIZATION OF AMERICAN INTELLIGENCE, THE CIA HAS 
BECOME JUST ONE OUT OF MANY IN THE INTELLIGENCE-GATHERING 
APPARATUS. THIS HAS CONTRIBUTED TO DEMORALIZING THE AGENCY." 
 
(C) SUPPORTING TEXT/BLOCK QUOTES: 
 
IRAQ: ATTACKS IN MOUSSAYEB 
 
"CHALLENGE" 
GERARD DUPUY IN LEFT-OF-CENTER LIBERATION (07/18): "THE ATTACK 
IN MOUSSAYEB REVIVES THE IMAGE OF A COUNTRY CAUGHT IN A 
TERRIBLE SPIRAL SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THE AMERICAN 
INTERVENTION IN IRAQ. BUT THIS APPRAISAL OF THE SITUATION IS 
AS UNILATERAL AS THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION'S INSISTENCE THAT THE 
COUNTRY IS ON THE ROAD TO NORMALIZATION AND THAT THIS PROCESS 
IS HINDERED ONLY BY A HANDFUL OF ISOLATED TERRORISTS. IN SPITE 
OF THE DEVASTATING ATTACKS THE IRAQI BOAT HAS NOT SUNK, BUT IT 
LOOKS LIKE THE AMERICAN SOLDIERS IN THE REGION WILL HAVE TO 
KEEP ON ROWING." 
 
"WHEN IRAQ SETTLES UP" 
YVES THREARD EDITORIALIZES IN RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE FIGARO 
(07/18): "THE DEBATE AS TO THE PERTINENCE OF THE ANGLO- 
AMERICAN OCCUPATION IN IRAQ TENDS TO OVERSHADOW THE FACT THAT 
THE COUNTRY IS IN THE THROES OF AN UNBELIEVABLY VIOLENT CIVIL 
WAR. IN BAGHDAD AND ELSEWHERE, THE DAILY ATTACKS ARE NOT AIMED 
AT THE FOREIGN MILITARY PRESENCE BUT AT THE VARIOUS COMPONENTS 
OF IRAQI CIVIL SOCIETY. THE AMERICANS KNOW THAT THE INTER- 
ETHNIC CONFLICTS IN IRAQ MAY LAST FOR YEARS, THERE IS TOO MUCH 
BAD BLOOD, OLD AND NEW, TO BELIEVE THAT A SOLUTION IS POSSIBLE 
IN THE SHORT TERM. AS FOR THE SUNNI TERRORISTS, THEIR 
OBJECTIVE IS TO FORCE THE U.S. TO REALIZE THAT THE BUSH 
ADMINISTRATION'S PROJECT FOR DEMOCRACY IN THE GREATER MIDDLE 
EAST IS A PIPE DREAM." 
 
"SPIRAL OF DEATH" 
THE EDITORIAL IN REGIONAL DAILY LE JOURNAL DE LA HAUTE MARNE 
BY PATRICE CHABANET (07/18): "THIS SPIRAL OF VIOLENCE TENDS TO 
NIP THE BUD OF AMERICA'S EFFORTS TO BRING TO PEACE TO IRAQ. 
THE AMERICAN ARMY IS HOLED UP AND CAN ONLY WITNESS, POWERLESS, 
THIS CIVIL WAR. IT IS A NO-WIN SITUATION: EITHER THE U.S. 
KEEPS ITS TROOPS IN IRAQ THEREBY FUELING THE INSURGENCY, OR IT 
WITHDRAWS ITS TROOPS LEAVING A REAL CIVIL WAR IN ITS WAKE." 
 
LONDON BOMBINGS 
 
"THE MACABRE DANCE" 
JEAN-PAUL PIEROT IN COMMUNIST L'HUMANITE (07/18): "THE MEN WHO 
ARE BEHIND THESE ATTACKS. SHOULD IN NO CASE BE CONSIDERED AS 
BEING RESISTANTS TO THE AMERICAN OCCUPATION. BUT THEY DO USE 
THE FEELING OF ANGER BROUGHT ON BY THE WAR AND THE OCCUPATION 
TO FUEL HATRED AND RECRUIT NEW MEMBERS WILLING TO COMMIT 
ATTACKS ANYWHERE: IN BAGHDAD OR IN LONDON. THE THEORY PUT 
FORWARD BY TONY BLAIR -- THAT THERE IS NO CONNECTION BETWEEN 
THE WAR IN IRAQ AND TERRORISM -- IS NOT A CREDIBLE ONE IN THE 
EYES OF THE ENGLISH WHO WERE MASSIVELY OPPOSED TO THE MILITARY 
INTERVENTION AND THEIR COUNTRY'S ROLE, ALONGSIDE THE U.S., IN 
IRAQ. NOT BECAUSE THEY FEARED TERRORIST REPRISALS, BUT BECAUSE 
THIS WAR VIOLATED INTERNATIONAL LAW AND WAS BASED ON LIES, 
WHICH IS SOMETHING THAT THEY HAVE NOT FORGOTTEN." 
 
"THE RISE OF CIVILIZATION" 
DOMINIQUE GERBAUD IN CATHOLIC LA CROIX (07/18): "THERE IS NO 
QUESTION, FOR TONY BLAIR, TO CONFUSE THE ISSUES AND REFER TO 
THE `AXIS OF EVIL,' THAT GEO-POLITICAL HODGEPODGE INVENTED BY 
GEORGE BUSH TO CHARACTERIZE THE ENEMIES OF THE U.S. BLAIR IS 
MUCH MORE SUBTLE IN HIS ANALYSIS AND THIS WILL ENABLE HIM TO 
DO MORE AND GO FURTHER IN THE FIGHT AGAINST TERRORISM. HE IS 
RIGHT, THE WAR ON TERROR IS FIRST AND FOREMOST A WAR OF IDEAS. 
WE WILL WIN THIS WAR IF WE DO NOT CONFUSE AN AXIS OF EVIL WITH 
AN IDEOLOGY OF EVIL AND FURTHER STILL IF WE DO NOT CONFUSE 
IDEOLOGY WITH RELIGION." STAPLETON