US embassy cable - 05PARIS5026

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PARIS 005026 
 
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, Media Reports 
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION REPORT - GAZA DISENGAGEMENT, GWOT 
PARIS - WEDNESDAY, JULY 20, 2005 
 
 
(A) SUBJECTS COVERED IN TODAY'S REPORT: 
 
1. GAZA DISENGAGEMENT 
2. GWOT 
 
(B) SUMMARY OF COVERAGE: 
 
PLANS FOR A HOSTILE TAKEOVER OF THE FRENCH GROUP DANONE BY 
PEPSICO IS ONE OF TODAY'S TOP STORIES AND DOMINATES THE 
ECONOMIC DAILIES. DANONE IS PORTRAYED AS "PERFECT PREY" AND 
ECONOMIC LA TRIBUNE POINTS OUT THAT "DANONE'S EMPLOYEES HAVE 
CAUSE TO BE WORRIED BECAUSE AMERICAN EMPLOYMENT STANDARDS HAVE 
LITTLE TO DO WITH WHAT IS APPLIED IN FRANCE." 
 
OTHER HEADLINES ALSO DEAL WITH DOMESTIC ISSUES RANGING FROM 
THE DROUGHT, WHICH IS A CAUSE FOR CONCERN ESPECIALLY IN THE 
SOUTHERN PART OF EUROPE TO THE FRENCH PRIME MINISTER'S 
DECISION TO REINSTATE THE WHIT MONDAY HOLIDAY. 
 
THE VISIT TO PARIS OF ANGELA MERKEL, CANDIDATE FOR PRIME 
MINISTER IN GERMANY, IS WIDELY REPORTED. HER MEETINGS WITH 
PRESIDENT CHIRAC, PRIME MINISTER DE VILLEPIN AND INTERIOR 
MINISTER SARKOZY ARE COMMENTED WITH COMMENTATORS NOTING THAT 
HER OUTLOOK FOR THE FRANCO-GERMAN COUPLE WITH REGARD TO THE 
REST OF THE EU IS MOST IN SYNC WITH SARKOZY AND "RUBS [CHIRAC] 
THE WRONG WAY" ACCORDING TO RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE FIGARO. 
 
THE PROTESTS AGAINST THE ISRAELI WITHDRAWAL FROM GAZA ARE 
REPORTED IN PRINT AND ELECTRONIC MEDIA. (SEE PART C) 
 
THE LONDON BOMBINGS CONTINUE TO BE ANALYZED IN THE FRENCH 
PRESS AND LEFT-OF-CENTER LIBERATION NOTES THAT MUSLIM YOUTH IN 
LONDON ARE WEARY OF BEING CASTIGATED. ONE MUSLIM YOUTH 
INTERVIEWED IN LIBERATION STATES "THE WAR ON TERRORISM IS 
TURNING INTO A WAR ON ISLAM." 
 
IN LIGHT OF THE SIGNS THAT SEEM TO INDICATE THAT THE LONDON 
BOMBINGS WERE PLANNED IN PAKISTAN, POPULAR RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE 
PARISIEN INTERVIEWS BERNARD-HENRI LEVY AUTHOR OF A BOOK ON 
DANIEL PEARL, WHO ARGUES THAT "PAKISTAN IS THE HEART OF THE 
TERRORIST GALAXY. EVERY TIME, OVER THE LAST FOUR YEARS, THAT 
PAKISTAN HAS TURNED OVER A MEMBER OF AL QAEDA TO THE AMERICANS 
IT WAS BECAUSE IT WANTED SOMETHING (MONEY, F16S.), OR IT WAS 
BECAUSE IT HAD SOMETHING TO MAKE UP FOR (A HOSTILE VOTE AT THE 
UNSC.) PAKISTAN HANDS OVER ITS TERRORISTS A FEW AT A TIME. AND 
WHEN THE TIME COMES IT WILL TURN BEN LADEN IN. AMERICA MAY BE 
MASTER OF THE WORLD, BUT PAKISTAN IS THE MASTER OF THE GAME." 
 
LEFT-OF-CENTER LE MONDE, FOR ITS PART, PUTS FORWARD THAT IN 
THE GLOBAL WAR ON TERROR: "EUROPE IS DIVIDED WHEN IT COMES TO 
FINDING THE RIGHT BALANCE BETWEEN INDIVIDUAL FREEDOM AND THE 
FIGHT AGAINST TERROR." (SEE PART C) 
 
COMMUNIST L'HUMANITE ANALYZES THE OUTCOME OF THE 4TH DONORS 
CONFERENCE FOR IRAQ AND SUGGESTS THAT: "THE RECONSTRUCTION 
EFFORT HAS BEEN HALTED DUE TO VIOLENCE AND CORRUPTION." 
 
(C) SUPPORTING TEXT/BLOCK QUOTES: 
 
GAZA DISENGAGEMENT 
 
"FIGHTING RELIGIOUS EXTREMISM" 
JULES CLAUMWAERT IN REGIONAL DAILY NORD  LAIR (07/20) "THE 
ONLY WAY TO FIGHT RELIGIOUS EXTREMISM IS TO BRING PEACE TO THE 
MIDDLE EAST. WHAT CAN EUROPE DO? IT CANNOT STAND BY PROVIDING 
ONLY MATERIAL ASSISTANCE, SECURING TRADE TIES AND LETTING THE 
U.S. HAVE THE MONOPOLY OF POLITICAL INFLUENCE. BUT IN ORDER TO 
DO THIS EUROPE WILL NEED TO FACE UP TO ITS RESPONSIBILITIES." 
 
GWOT 
 
"JUSTICE AND TERROR" 
THE UNSIGNED EDITORIAL IN LEFT-OF-CENTER LE MONDE (07/20): "TO 
WHAT EXTENT CAN WE CURB INDIVIDUAL FREEDOM IN ORDER TO MAKE 
THE FIGHT AGAINST TERRORISM MORE EFFECTIVE?. NO COUNTRY SEEMS 
TO HAVE FOUND THE SOLUTION TO DO AWAY WITH TERRORISM, BUT THE 
PAINSTAKING CARE THAT DEMOCRATIC COUNTRIES TAKE TO PROTECT 
INDIVIDUAL FREEDOM IS THE ONLY WAY TO WIN A WAR AGAINST THOSE 
WHOSE ONLY LANGUAGE IS VIOLENCE AND MURDER." 
 
"TERRORISM IN EUROPE" 
BRUNO LOUSTALAN IN REGIONAL L'ECLAIR DES PYRENEES (07/20): 
"TOMORROW BOMBS COULD EXPLODE IN THE SUBWAY IN FRANCE, IN 
GERMANY, IN ITALY. NO BORDERS CAN PREVENT THIS FROM HAPPENING. 
BUT THIS WAR, AND IT IS INDEED A WAR, HAS CERTAIN RULES THAT 
ARE BASED ON A RESPECT FOR ONE OF THE FOUNDATIONS OF 
DEMOCRACY: INDIVIDUAL FREEDOM. IN THE MONTHS TO COME IT IS 
ESSENTIAL FOR EUROPE TO BE UNITED AND PRESENT A COMMON FRONT 
IN THE FIGHT AGAINST TERRORISM NOTWITHSTANDING NATIONAL OR 
PARTISAN INTERESTS. OTHERWISE WE CAN BE ASSURED THAT THE 
MASTERMINDS BEHIND THE LONDON BOMBINGS WILL TAKE ADVANTAGE OF 
THE SITUATION." STAPLETON