US embassy cable - 05PARIS5245

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PARIS 005245 
 
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 - TERRORISM, IRAN, FAMINE IN 
SAHEL 
 
 
PARIS - PARIS - AUGUST 1, 2005 
 
(A) SUBJECTS COVERED IN TODAY'S REPORT: 
 
  1.   TERRORISM 
2.   IRAN 
3.   FAMINE IN SAHEL 
 
B) SUMMARY OF COVERAGE: 
 
IN THE INTERNATIONAL NEWS, SCOTLAND YARD'S ARRESTS FOLLOWING 
THE LONDON ATTACKS, IRAN'S NUCLEAR PROGRAM AND NIGER'S FAMINE 
ARE THE MAIN SUBJECTS OF THE WEEKEND AND MONDAY MEDIA. 
 
IRAN'S ANNOUNCEMENT THAT IT WILL RESUME TODAY SOME OF ITS 
NUCLEAR PROGRAM ACTIVITIES IS REPORTED IN ALL NEWSPAPERS. 
"NUCLEAR: THE IRANIAN BLACKMAIL" HEADLINES RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE 
FIGARO WHICH ALSO DEVOTES ITS EDITORIAL TO THE ISSUE (SEE PART 
C). 
 
FORMER PRESIDENT GEORGE H.W. BUSH WAS EXTENSIVELY INTERVIEWED 
ON FRANCE'S NUMBER ONE PRIVATE RADIO R.T.L. ON SATURDAY, JULY 
30TH ON THE OCCASION OF THE PUBLICATION OF THE FRENCH VERSION 
OF HIS MEMOIRS. SIGNIFICANT EXCERPTS WERE PUBLISHED IN RIGHT- 
OF-CENTER JOURNAL DU DIMANCHE AS WELL AS IN AP AND AFP WIRES. 
 
RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE FIGARO REPORTS ON THE FACT THAT BUSH MAY 
MAKE A RECESS APPOINTMENT OF JOHN BOLTON AS US AMBASSADOR TO 
THE UN: "THIS IS A RISKY BET, JUST AS GEORGE W. BUSH LIKES 
THEM. THE PRESIDENT COULD IMPOSE (THE APPOINTMENT), BYPASS THE 
SENATE AND NAME JOHN BOLTON, A HAWK, AS US AMBASSADOR TO THE 
UNITED NATIONS." 
 
IN AN EDITORIAL ENTITLED "GETTING OUT OF TERRORISM", YVES 
PITETTE FROM CATHOLIC LA CROIX TREATS BOTH IRA AND ISLAMIC 
TERRORISM. (SEE PART C) 
 
FOREIGN AFFAIRS MINISTER DOUSTE-BLAZY VISIT TO AFRICA, 
ESPECIALLY TO NIGER, IS REPORTED IN SEVERAL NEWSPAPERS. 
CATHOLIC LA CROIX REPORTS: "PHILIPPE DOUSTE-BLAZY INSISTED ON 
STRESSING THAT FRANCE WAS THE `FIRST CONTRIBUTOR' TO NIGER AND 
HAD BEEN THE FIRST COUNTRY MOBILIZED TO HELP IT. HOWEVER, HE 
DID NOT HIDE THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY'S BAD MANAGEMENT OF 
THE NIGER CRISIS." IN AN OP-ED IN LEFT-OF-CENTER LIB ATION, 
LOUIS MICHEL, EUROPEAN COMMISSIONER FOR RESEARCH, PENS THAT 
FAMINE CAN BE OVERCOME. (SEE PART C). 
 
BOTH ECONOMIC DAILIES REPORT ON THE US ECONOMY, WITH THE 
FOLLOWING HEADLINES "THE AMERICAN ECONOMY REMAINS IN REALLY 
GOOD SHAPE", "AMERICAN GROWTH STILL AS SOLID AS EVER" FOR 
ECONOMIC LES ECHOS AND "AMERICAN GROWTH KEEPS UP A HIGH PACE", 
"THE AMERICAN ECONOMY GIVES AN EXAMPLE" FOR ECONOMIC LA 
TRIBUNE. 
 
(C) SUPPORTING TEXT/BLOCK QUOTES: 
 
"GETTING OUT OF TERRORISM" 
YVES PITETTE IN CATHOLIC LA CROIX (08/01) "THE `GOOD NEWS', TO 
USE BENEDICT XVI'S WORD, OF THE IRA'S RENUNCIATION OF ARMED 
STRUGGLE TAKES PLACE AT THE BEST POSSIBLE TIME. . ONE MUST 
REMAIN CAUTIOUS BUT A NEW WAY IS OPEN, EVEN IF TIME IS STILL 
NEEDED TO INSTALL CONFIDENCE. SO THEN, IT IS POSSIBLE TO GET 
OUT OF TERRORISM. . THE DIALOGUE AND COOPERATION PUT TOGETHER 
WITH PATIENCE AND FINALLY SUCCESS ARE EXAMPLES TO FOLLOW. THE 
PERSONAL PATH OF THE AUTHORS OF THE JULY ATTACKS IN LONDON . 
SHOW THAT THIS CHOICE IS NOT INELUCTABLE. THEIR RADICALIZATION 
OCCURS IN A PROCESS IN WHICH EXCLUSION AND LONELINESS MAKE 
THEM RECEPTIVE TO ISLAMIC SERMONS. . OUR SOCIETIES HAVE THE 
MEANS TO PREVENT THE DRIFT OF THESE OFTEN EDUCATED YOUNG 
PEOPLE. BUT THIS REQUIRES DIALOGUE, INTEGRATION, AND, WHAT 
MIGHT BE MORE DIFFICULT, REFLECTION ON ITSELF - THAT IS TO SAY 
ON THE SOCIETY ITSELF AND THE VALUE THAT IT GIVES ITSELF. 
WHEN ONE MEASURES THE TIME AND THE EFFORTS NEEDED TO SIMPLY 
MAKE POSSIBLE THE RESOLUTION OF THE NORTHERN IRELAND CRISIS, 
ONE CAN IMAGINE THE DIMENSION OF THE CHALLENGE LAID DOWN TO 
OUR SOCIETIES THAT HAVE BECOME MULTI-CULTURAL." 
 
"IRAN'S CHOICE" 
PIERRE ROUSSELIN IN RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE FIGARO (08/01) "IN 
FEBRUARY, PRESIDENT BUSH WAS OFFERING HIS SUPPORT TO THE 
EUROPEANS AND WAS LIFTING THE FOLLOWING MONTH HIS OPPOSITION 
TO IRAN'S ADHESION TO THE WTO. AT THAT TIME, EVERYBODY THOUGHT 
THAT PRAGMATIC RAFSANDJANI WOULD TAKE OVER. AHMADINEJAD'S 
ELECTION HAS COMFORTED THE NEO-CONSERVATIVES IN WASHINGTON, 
LED BY VICE PRESIDENT DICK CHENEY AND SECRETARY OF DEFENSE 
DONALD RUMSFELD, FOR WHOM THE NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE MULLAHS' 
REGIME ARE A WASTE OF TIME. IRAN STANDS AT THE TIME FOR 
DECISION. EUROPE STILL OFFERS IT THE POSSIBILITY OF OPENNESS 
TO THE WORLD, POLITICALLY AND ECONOMICALLY, IN EXCHANGE FOR AN 
UNEQUIVOCAL RENOUNCEMENT OF THE ATOMIC BOMB. IF IRAN REFUSES, 
IT WILL HAVE TO FOLLOW IRAQ'S PRECEDENT: SECURITY COUNCIL 
NEGOTIATIONS UNDER THE THREAT OF SANCTIONS AND MILITARY 
INTERVENTION." 
 
FRANK DE BONDT IN REGIONAL SUD-OUEST (08/01) "IF, AS IT SAID, 
THE ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF IRAN WERE TO REOPEN ITS URANIUM 
CONVERSION FACTORY THIS MORNING, THIS WOULD BE A SERIOUS 
SETBACK FOR EUROPEAN DIPLOMACY . NOBODY DOUBTS THAT THE GOAL 
OF THE ISLAMIC REPUBLIC IS TO BE ABLE, ONE DAY, TO MAKE AN 
ATOMIC WEAPON IN ORDER TO STAND AS THE MASTER IN A STRATEGIC 
BUT VERY EXPLOSIVE REGION. TODAY, TEHERAN'S DECISION PROVES 
GEORGE W. BUSH RIGHT. IF IT WERE CARRIED OUT, THE IRANIAN FILE 
WOULD GO IN FRONT OF THE UN SECURITY COUNCIL AND THE UNITED 
STATES, WHO WILL NEVER TOLERATE THIS COUNTRY BECOMING A 
NUCLEAR POWER, WOULD RESERVE THE RIGHT TO INTERVENE MILITARILY 
TO PREVENT THE UNACCEPTABLE." 
 
"FAMINE CAN BE DEFEATED" 
LOUIS MICHEL IN LEFT-OF-CENTER LIB ATION (08/01) "HUNGER CAN 
AND MUST BE ERADICATED . TODAY'S SITUATION IS SO SERIOUS THAT 
WE NEED TO SUPPLY IMMEDIATE FOOD AND HUMANITARIAN AID TO HELP 
THOSE POPULATION SURVIVE. BUT FOOD AID CANNOT AND MUST NOT 
BECOME THE EASY RESPONSE THAT HIDES A SHORT TERM VISION OF THE 
PROBLEM AND A GUILTY NEGLIGENCE FROM THE GOVERNMENTS AND THE 
DONORS THEMSELVES . WITH GOOD GOVERNING, SUPPORTED BY AN 
EFFICIENT AID TO DEVELOPMENT AND WITH SOLID STRATEGIES OF FOOD 
SECURITY IN COUNTRIES MOST TOUCHED BY HUNGER, WE CAN MAKE A 
DIFFERENCE IN THE LIVES OF MILLIONS OF PEOPLE AND, TO USE A 
FASHIONABLE SLOGAN, MAKE POVERTY HISTORY." 
 
STAPLETON#