US embassy cable - 05PARIS5273

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PARIS 005273 
 
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 - KING FAHD'S DEATH 
 
 
PARIS - PARIS - AUGUST 2, 2005 
 
(A) SUBJECTS COVERED IN TODAY'S REPORT: 
 
1. KING FAHD'S DEATH 
 
B) SUMMARY OF COVERAGE: 
 
INTERNATIONAL NEWS IS DOMINATED BY THE DEATHS OF KING FAHD AND 
OF SUDAN'S VICE PRESIDENT, IN ADDITION TO IRAN'S NUCLEAR 
PROGRAM.   JOHN BOLTON'S RECESS APPOINTMENT TO THE UN TOPS US- 
RELATED NEWS, FOLLOWED BY NASA'S PLANS TO REPAIR THE DISCOVERY 
SHUTTLE UP IN SPACE. 
 
ALL NEWSPAPERS EXTENSIVELY REPORT ON KING FAHD'S DEATH AND ALL 
EDITORIALS ARE ALSO DEDICATED TO THAT SUBJECT. HERE ARE A FEW 
HEADLINES: "FAHD, DEATH OF A UNITED STATES ALLY" FOR CENTRIST 
FRANCE-SOIR, "SAUDI ARABIA: THE NEW KING OF OIL" FOR LEFT-OF- 
CENTER LIB ATION, "ARABIA, THE SUCCESSION'S CHALLENGE" FOR 
RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE FIGARO, "SAUDI ARABIA FACES THE REFORMS' 
CHALLENGE" FOR ECONOMIC LA TRIBUNE AND "SAUDI ARABIA: THE 
DEATH OF KING FAHD OPENS A NEW ERA." (SEE PART C) 
 
SEVERAL NEWSPAPERS DEVOTE ARTICLES ON SUDANESE VICE PRESIDENT 
GARANG'S DEATH. RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE FIGARO HEADLINES "GARANG'S 
DEATH SIGNS PEACE AWAY" AND SAYS: "GARANG HAD MANAGED TO 
IMPOSE HIMSELF AS THE UNIQUE REPRESENTATIVE OF A PEACE HIGHLY 
SUPPORTED BY THE UNITED STATES. WITH HIS DEATH, SUDAN IS 
FRIGHTENED OF FALLING INTO THE UNKNOWN." 
 
BOLTON'S NOMINATION AS US AMBASSADOR TO THE UNITED NATIONS IS 
REPORTED AMONG THE PRESS. CENTRIST LE PARISIEN HEADLINES "BUSH 
IS IMPOSING HIS AMBASSADOR". RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE FIGARO "THE 
HAWK BOLTON AT THE UN DESPITE CONGRESS" AND NOTES "NO US 
AMBASSADOR TO THE UN HAD REACHED THAT POST THROUGH THIS 
MEANS." SEVERAL PAPERS POINT OUT THAT THE NOMINATION IS VALID 
ONLY FOR THE DURATION OF THE CURRENT CONGRESS, THAT IS TO SAY 
JANUARY 2007. 
 
FOLLOWING THE POLEMICS SURROUNDING OSMAN HUSSAIN - ONE OF THE 
LONDON TERRORISTS - WHO MANAGED TO TRAVEL FROM LONDON TO ROME 
THROUGH PARIS WITHOUT BEING ARRESTED, CENTRIST FRANCE-SOIR 
POINTS OUT THAT ACCORDING TO THE INTERIOR MINISTER, BIOMETRIC 
PASSPORTS `MIGHT' HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO HIS ARREST. 
 
THIS MORNING, DURING AN INTERVIEW ON PRIVATE RADIO EUROPE 1 
PRIME MINISTER DE VILLEPIN DECLARED THAT IT WAS `NOT 
CONCEIVABLE' THAT THE EUROPEAN UNION ENGAGES ITSELF IN 
NEGOTIATIONS WITH TURKEY AS LONG AS THE LATTER HAS NOT 
RECOGNIZED CYPRUS. 
 
(C) SUPPORTING TEXT/BLOCK QUOTES: 
 
SAUDI ARABIA 
 
"AFTER FAHD" 
PIERRE ROUSSELIN IN RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE FIGARO (08/02) "THE 
DEMOCRATIZATION WANTED BY THE UNITED STATES HAS STARTED WITH 
GREAT CAREFULNESS, WITH THE FIRST BALLOT IN THE COUNTRY THIS 
YEAR: THE ELECTION OF HALF OF THE MEMBERS OF THE MUNICIPAL 
COUNCILS. KING FAHD HAD REINFORCED THE STRATEGIC ALLIANCE WITH 
AMERICA, WHICH WAS TO REACH ITS PEAK IN 1991 DURING THE WAR TO 
LIBERATE KUWAIT. SINCE THEN, THERE HAVE BEEN THE ATTACKS 
AGAINST THE TWIN TOWERS IN NEW YORK ON THE 11TH OF SEPTEMBER 
2001 AND THE SHOCK DUE TO THE FACT THAT FIFTEEN OUT OF 
NINETEEN TERRORISTS WERE SAUDIS. ARABIA MANAGED TO RECOVER. 
WITH KING ABDULLAH, IT NOW NEEDS TO REFORM." 
 
"A NARROW WAY" 
PASCAL AUBERT IN ECONOMIC LA TRIBUNE (08/02) "DESPITE HIS 
EIGHTY-TWO YEARS, KING ABDULLAH IS NOT REGARDED AS HOSTILE TO 
CHANGES. HE IS WATCHING TO ENSURE ANY EVOLUTION OF THE KINGDOM 
GOES THROUGH A MEASURED AND CONTROLLED PROCESS. AND NEVER MIND 
THOSE WHO ARE DREAMING OF IMMEDIATE DEMOCRATIZATION OR THOSE 
IN FAVOR OF THE STATUS QUO. SOCIAL PROGRESS AND POLITICAL 
OPENNESS WILL HAPPEN WITH MEASURED STEPS UNLESS SOCIAL 
TENSIONS WERE CREATED THAT COULD LEAD TO DEGENERATION." 
 
"SAUDI AMBIGUITIES" 
FRANOIS ERNENWEIN IN CATHOLIC LA CROIX (08/02) "AT THE ARABIC 
COURT, THE IDEA OF A CONSTITUTIONAL MONARCHY ALWAYS MADE 
PEOPLE SHUDDER. DIPLOMATIC AMBIGUITIES, WHEN THE RAPPROCHMENT 
WITH THE UNITED STATES AND THE WEST DURING THE FIRST GULF 
WAR.DID NOT PREVENT THE RECOGNITION OF THE AFGHANISTAN TALIBAN 
REGIME. IN FACE OF THE TERRORIST THREAT OF ISLAMIC EXTREMISTS, 
AMONG WHICH MANY ARE FROM SAUDI ARABIA, SUCH AS OSAMA BIN 
LADEN, RIYADH HAS CHOSEN TO PLAY IT BY EAR. SOMETIMES CLOSE, 
SOMETIMES AWAY FROM THE WESTERN PREOCCUPATIONS." 
 
 
 
"MAGIC AND SAUDI MIRAGES" 
FRANOISE CROUIGNEAU IN ECONOMIC LES ECHOS (08/02) "SAUDI 
ARABIA WHICH HAS BEEN ONE OF THE MAIN BUYERS OF WEAPONS IN THE 
WORLD IN THE LAST THIRTY YEARS WILL REMAIN WOOED. AND EVEN IF 
THEY WERE TO DIVERSIFY THEIR SOURCES OF SUPPLY, THE UNITED 
D 
STATES KNOWS IT WILL STILL DEPEND FOR A LONG TIME ON A COUNTRY 
THAT HAS A QUARTER OF THE WORLD'S OIL RESERVES AND EVEN MORE 
OF AN UNEQUALLED PRODUCTION POSSIBILITY TO ABSORB POSSIBLE 
CRISIS. NOT TO FORGET A ROLE TO LIMIT THE RISKS OF IMPLOSION 
IN THE MIDDLE EAST." 
 
"GUN" 
PATRICK SABATIER IN LEFT-OF-CENTER LIB ATION (08/02) "THE 
LANDSCAPE OF THE SAUDI DESERT IS ALMOST IMMUTABLE, NEW MONARCH 
OR NOT. BUT ITS FABULOUS UNDERGROUND DOES NOT CONTAIN ONLY 
OIL: THE GAME OF TECTONICS ACCUMULATES TREMENDOUS ENERGIES 
THAT ARE CALLING FOR BREAKING OUT, INTO UPHEAVAL. IT'S NOT FOR 
NOTHING THAT THE ONE FAMOUS SAUDI OUTSIDE THE COUNTRY'S 
BORDERS . IS BIN LADEN. NOTHING IS PREDICTING THAT THE SAUDI 
REFORMERS WILL BE CONDEMNED TO FAILURE. BUT THE GUN IS ON 
THEIR TEMPLE." 
 
 
STAPLETON