US embassy cable - 05PARIS5202

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PARIS 005202 
 
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 - WITHDRAWAL FROM IRAQ, 
ALTERNATIVE TO KYOTO PROTOCOL 
 
 
PARIS - JULY 28, 2005 
 
(A) SUBJECTS COVERED IN TODAY'S REPORT: 
 
  1.   WITHDRAWAL FROM IRAQ 
2.   ALTERNATIVE TO KYOTO PROTOCOL 
 
B) SUMMARY OF COVERAGE: 
 
DOMESTIC STORIES MAKE THE FRONT PAGE OF MOST DAILIES TODAY: 
PRIME MINISTER DE VILLEPIN'S PRESS CONFERENCE AND THE VERDICTS 
IN BOTH THE LONG-RUNNING ANGERS TRIAL ON CHILD MOLESTATION AND 
RAPE AND THE MONT BLANC FIRE TRIAL. INTERNATIONAL STORIES 
FOCUS ON THE FIRST ARREST OF A SUSPECT IN THE BOTCHED LONDON 
BOMBINGS, ARIEL SHARON'S VISIT TO FRANCE AND IRAQ. 
 
PRIME MINISTER DE VILLEPIN'S SECOND MONTHLY PRESS CONFERENCE 
IS REPORTED IN ALL NEWSPAPERS. MOST OF THEM NOTE THE TWO MAIN 
SUBJECTS: TERRORISM AND A CALL FOR `ECONOMIC PATRIOTISM'. 
 
GOOD COVERAGE OF SHARON'S VISIT TO PARIS HIGHLIGHTS SHARON'S 
INVITATION TO PRESIDENT CHIRAC TO VISIT HIM IN ISRAEL. IN AN 
INTERVIEW IN CATHOLIC LA CROIX, ROGER CUKIERMAN, PRESIDENT OF 
THE REPRESENTATIVE COUNCIL FOR JEWISH INSTITUTIONS OF FRANCE 
SAYS, "WE CAN CLEARLY SAY THAT FRANCE IS NOT ANTI-SEMITIC." 
 
LEFT-OF-CENTER LIBERATION AND CATHOLIC LA CROIX BOTH DEVOTE 
THEIR EDITORIALS AND REPORTS ABOUT THE US WITHDRAWAL FROM 
IRAQ. "G.I.S AIM AT LEAVING IRAQ" HEADLINES LEFT-OF-CENTER 
LIBERATION WHILE LA CROIX READS "POLITICAL URGENCY IN IRAQ". 
EDWARD LUTTWAK, SENIOR FELLOW AT THE CENTER FOR STRATEGIC AND 
INTERNATIONAL STUDIES, IS INTERVIEWED IN LEFT-OF-CENTER 
LIBERATION AND SAYS: "THE US ARMY IS INCAPABLE OF CONTROLLING 
THE SITUATION."(SEE PART C) 
 
BOTH ECONOMIC DAILIES REPORT ON THE "COUNTER PROPOSAL" TO 
KYOTO MADE BY THE U.S. AND AUSTRALIA. ECONOMIC LA TRIBUNE 
HEADLINES "THE UNITED STATES AND AUSTRALIA ARE PREPARING AN 
ALTERNATIVE TO KYOTO" WHILE LES ECHOS SAYS "GREENHOUSE GAS: A 
COMPETING PROJECT OF THE KYOTO PROTOCOL IN ELABORATION". (SEE 
PART C) 
 
THE ARREST OF ONE OF THE PRESUMED AUTHORS OF THE BOTCHED 
ATTACKS IN LONDON, YACINE HASSAN OMAR, ON JULY 21ST IS 
FACTUALLY REPORTED IN SEVERAL NEWSPAPERS. 
 
IN AN INTERVIEW TO CONSERVATIVE FRANCE SOIR, MAMADOU 
KOULIBALY, PRESIDENT OF THE IVORY COAST ASSEMBLY, DENOUNCES 
THE TERRORIST ATTACKS: `EUROPEANS THINK. THEY ARE THE ONLY 
VICTIMS OF TERRORISM. IVORY COAST IS CONFRONTED WITH THE SAME 
PHENOMENON WHOSE ACTORS HAVE THE SAME OBJECTIVES: TO TERRORIZE 
THE POPULATIONS BY WEAKENING THE INSTITUTIONAL AUTHORITIES. 
 
(C) SUPPORTING TEXT/BLOCK QUOTES: 
 
WITHDRAWAL FROM IRAQ 
 
"THE JOB" 
PATRICK SABATIER IN LEFT-OF-CENTER LIBERATION (07/28) 
"AMERICAN FORCES WILL LEAVE IRAQ ONLY `WHEN THEIR JOB IS DONE' 
SWEARS PRESIDENT BUSH . THE TABOO WORD `WITHDRAWAL' IS ON 
EVERYONE'S LIPS. IN FACT, THE WHITE HOUSE HAS NEVER STOPPED 
GETTING READY FOR IT .  A MAJORITY OF AMERICANS HAVE 
UNDERSTOOD THAT THE BOYS WILL NEVER BE ABLE TO `WIN' THE WAR. 
THIS IS NOT YET A MAJOR POLITICAL RISK FOR BUSH. BUT HE WANTS 
TO GET OUT, AND QUICKLY, OF WHAT HIS GENERALS CALL `MUCK-UP' 
AS LONG AS IT DOES NOT LOOK LIKE AN AMERICAN DEFEAT. HE KNOWS 
THAT A HEAVY ATTACK AGAINST HIS TROOPS, AN INTERNATIONAL 
CRISIS OR THE UPRISING OF CIVIL WAR IN IRAQ COULD REQUIRE HIM 
TO CALL FOR A HASTY RETREAT INSTEAD OF A PROGRESSIVE AND 
ORGANIZED WITHDRAWAL. TODAY, THE `JOB' IS ONLY TO MAKE THIS 
WITHDRAWAL FEASIBLE." 
 
"THE DEBATE ON THE WITHDRAWAL IS STUCK IN THE UNITED STATES" 
PHILIPPE GRANGEREAU IN LEFT-OF-CENTER LIBERATION WRITES "THE 
GOOD SOLDIERS FROM AMERICA ARE STARTING TO GIVE UP. A FORMER 
C.I.A. CHIEF, JOHN DEUTCH, ADVOCATES GETTING OUT OF THE IRAQI 
TRAP AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. PUBLIC OPINION STILL SUPPORTS THE 
WAR (AT 49%) WHILE 52% OF AMERICANS WOULD LIKE THEIR ARMY TO 
STAY IN IRAQ UNTIL THE COUNTRY IS `STABILIZED' ACCORDING TO A 
PEW POLL . IF AMERICA IS STILL NOT READY TO WITHDRAW FROM 
IRAQ, IT IS ESSENTIALLY BECAUSE THIS IDEA IS CONSIDERED ANTI- 
PATRIOTIC, EVEN WITHIN THE DEMOCRATIC OPPOSITION." 
 
"POLITICAL URGENCY IN IRAQ" 
YVES PITETTE IN CATHOLIC LA CROIX (07/28) `. WE FEEL THAT 
WASHINGTON IS IMPATIENT TO CONCRETIZE THE NEW IRAQI POLITICAL 
INSTITUTIONS, TO BE ADVANCED BY WAY OF THE REFERENDUM IN THE 
FALL, WOULD BE A REAL VICTORY IN THE RACE THE AGAINST THE 
CLOCK THAT THE AMERICANS AND THE INTERIM GOVERNMENT ARE 
LEADING AGAINST THE GUERILLA. . IN WASHINGTON, ONE WOULD LIKE 
TO CONVINCE (THE PUBLIC) OF THE PERSPECTIVE OF THE RETURN OF 
THE `BOYS' WHEN THE FALL 2006 ELECTIONS ARE ALREADY LOOMING IN 
THE BACKGROUND. AND IN BAGHDAD, ONE HOPES TO GIVE THE IRAQIS 
THE FEELING THAT THE ADOPTION OF THE NEW INSTITUTIONS WILL 
HASTEN THE AMERICANS' DEPARTURE . IRAQ IS A TOTALLY 
DISORGANIZED COUNTRY WHERE THE INHABITANTS FIRST OF ALL LONG 
FOR HAVING WATER AND ELECTRICITY. THESE OBJECTIVES REQUIRE A 
POLITICAL CONSENSUS, EVEN MINOR, WITHOUT WHICH NO PUBLIC 
SERVICE CAN WORK. THIS IS INDEED THE POINT THAT DONALD 
RUMSFELD CAME TO STRESS IN BAGHDAD." 
 
KYOTO'S ALTERNATIVE 
 
"THE UNITED STATES AND AUSTRALIA ARE PREPARING AN ALTERNATIVE 
TO THE KYOTO PROTOCOL" HEADLINES LAURENT CHEMINEAU IN ECONOMIC 
LA TRIBUNE. "MULTILATERALISM WILL BE DEMOLISHED AGAIN ON THE 
CLIMATE FRONT. AUSTRALIA AND THE UNITED STATES MAY REVEAL IN 
THE COMING DAYS THE CONTENT OF AN INTERNATIONAL AGREEMENT ON 
GREENHOUSE GAS, CONSIDERED AS RESPONSIBLE FOR GLOBAL WARMING, 
THAT THEY HAVE BEEN DISCREETLY NEGOTIATING FOR A FEW MONTHS. 
AFTER THE G8 INITIATIVE AND ITS CLIMATE ACTION PLAN WITH 
UNCLEAR OUTLINES, THIS PROJECT IS EVEN MORE DISTURBING FOR THE 
KYOTO PROTOCOL'S FUTURE. EVEN THOUGH THIS PARTNERSHIP CANNOT 
BE PUT ON AN EQUAL FOOTING." 
STAPLETON