US embassy cable - 05PARIS5376

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PARIS 005376 
 
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 - SAUDI ARABIA-IRAQ, HIROSHIMA 
 
PARIS - PARIS - AUGUST 5, 2005 
 
(A) SUBJECTS COVERED IN TODAY'S REPORT: 
 
  1)   SAUDI ARABIA AND IRAQ 
2)   HIROSHIMA 
 
B) SUMMARY OF COVERAGE: 
 
WITH SUMMER IN FULL SWING, THE FRENCH PRESS HIGHLIGHTS LIGHT 
TOPICS, FROM SECONDARY "VACATION" HOMES IN 
POPULAR/CONSERVATIVE LE PARISIEN TO DETECTIVE TRAINING SCHOOLS 
IN POPULAR/CONSERVATIVE FRANCE SOIR.  AN EXCEPTION IS RIGHT-OF- 
CENTER LE FIGARO WHOSE FRONT PAGE AND EDITORIAL FOCUS ON THE 
"INFILTRATION" OF THE NATIONAL SCHOOL SYSTEM BY 12,000 MEMBERS 
OF ATTAC, AN ANTI-GLOBALIZATION NETWORK.  THE EDITORIAL 
COMPARES ATTAC TO RELIGIOUS GROUPS IN THE UNITED STATES WHO 
ARE "TRYING TO ERASE THE THEORY OF EVOLUTION" AND TO ARAB 
GEOGRAPHY BOOKS WHICH DO NOT SHOW THE STATE OF ISRAEL.  "EVERY 
ATTEMPT TO TWIST REALITY TOWARDS A MILITANT GOAL IS CONTRARY 
TO THE ELEMENTARY ETHICS OF TEACHING.ATTAC IS THE `ANTI-PARTY' 
OF EVERYTHING: ANTI-GLOBALIZATION, ANTI-CAPITALISM, ANTI- 
PROFIT, ANTI-GMO."  LEFT-OF-CENTER LIBERATION EXAMINES 
SURVEILLANCE CAMERAS AND THE GROWING USE OF THEM IN EUROPEAN 
AND FRENCH PUBLIC SPACES, AS WELL AS THE ABILITY OF 
GOVERNMENTS TO TRACK CELL PHONE CALLS.  THE EDITORIAL WORRIES 
ABOUT THE IMPLICATIONS FOR CIVIL LIBERTIES. 
 
FAIRLY LIMITED INTERNATIONAL NEWS FOCUSES ON THE NEW VIDEO 
BROADCAST BY AL-JAZEERA IN WHICH AL-ZAWAHRI, BIN LADEN'S 
"DEPUTY," THREATENS THE UNITED STATES AND THE UNITED KINGDOM 
FOR NOT HAVING PULLED THEIR TROOPS OUT OF IRAQ. 
 
LEFT-OF-CENTER LIBERATION LOOKS AT THE COUP IN MAURITANIA AND 
OBSERVES FRENCH LEADERS ARE SAYING VERY LITTLE ABOUT IT, 
PERHAPS BECAUSE THE PREVIOUS MAURITANIAN LEADER WAS NOT A 
FRANCOPHILE AND INSTEAD WAS ONE OF THE UNITED STATES' BEST 
ALLIES IN THE REGION IN ITS ANTI-TERRORISM FIGHT.  "IN 
FEBRUARY, THE COUNTRY RAISED TENSIONS BETWEEN THE AMERICANS 
AND THE FRENCH.  THE FORMER WANTED TO ORGANIZE IN THIS COUNTRY 
THE NEXT TRAINING SESSION FOR THE RAPID REACTION FORCE OF 
NATO.  BUT PARIS VETOED IT." 
 
FOREIGN MINISTER DOUSTE-BLAZY GIVES AN INTERVIEW TO LEFT-OF- 
CENTER LE MONDE IN WHICH HE SAYS THE EU-3 WILL MAKE NEW 
PROPOSALS BEFORE AUGUST 7 THAT WILL OPEN A "NEW CHAPTER" 
BETWEEN IRAN AND THE EU AND THE WORLD COMMUNITY.  AS FOR 
TURKEY AND CYPRUS, HE SAYS TURKEY CANNOT BECOME A MEMBER OF 
THE EU WITHOUT RECOGNIZING ALL 25 MEMBERS OF THE UNION. 
 
THE 60TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE ATOMIC BOMB ON HIROSHIMA IS ALSO 
NOTED, ESPECIALLY BY CATHOLIC LA CROIX, WHICH DEVOTES 5-PAGES 
TO THE ISSUE. JENNET CONANT, GRANDDAUGHTER OF JAMES CONANT, 
FORMER PRESIDENT OF HARVARD AND AN ORGANIZER OF THE MANHATTAN 
PROJECT, CONTRIBUTES A COMMENTARY TO LEFT-OF-CENTER LE MONDE. 
"GUILT CAN TRANSMIT ITSELF IN A COUNTRY IN THE SAME MANNER AS 
WITHIN A FAMILY, FROM GENERATION TO GENERATION.  THUS, THE 
BOMBING OF HIROSHIMA, 60 YEARS LATER, CONTINUES TO HAUNT US AS 
A NATION, JUST HAS IT NEVER STOPPED TROUBLING THE CONSCIENCE 
OF THE PEOPLE LINKED TO THE DEATH AND DESTRUCTION." 
 
LEFT-OF-CENTER LE MONDE EXAMINES THE WORLDCOM VERDICT. 
"TODAY, FINANCIAL CRIME IN THE UNITED STATES IS PUNISHABLE AS 
HEAVILY AS BLOOD CRIMES IN FRANCE.  THE CONDEMNATION, JULY 13, 
OF BERNARD EBBERS.TO 25 YEARS IN PRISON.MARKS A TURNING POINT 
IN THE JUDICIAL TREATMENT OF BUSINESS AFFAIRS IN THE UNITED 
STATES." 
 
(C) SUPPORTING TEXT/BLOCK QUOTES: 
 
"THE MANY WORRIES OF OLD KING ABDALLAH" 
ANTOINE BASBOUS, DIRECTOR OF THE OBSERVATORY OF ARAB 
COUNTRIES, CONTRIBUTES A COMMENTARY TO RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE 
FIGARO.  "THE SAUDIS ARE NOT DOING ANYTHING TO ADAPT THEIR 
STUDIES TO THE EMPLOYMENT MARKET.  THEIR UNIVERSITIES PRODUCE 
AND EXPORT A LOT OF GRADUATES IN THE RELIGIOUS SCIENCES, 
PREACHERS OF JIHAD.. IN THIS SEALED UP ARABIA, THE SHOCK OF 
GENERATIONS IS A REALITY: THE KING AND HIS BROTHERS WHO MANAGE 
THE KINGDOM ARE OCTOGENARIANS.  BUT THE COUNTRY IS VERY YOUNG 
AND DOES NOT RECOGNIZE THESE OLD `DADDIES.'  60% OF THE 
POPULATION IS UNDER 18 YEARS OF AGE.SAUDIS WANT CHANGE: SOME 
WANT MORE ISLAMIZATION.  OTHERS A CONSTRUCTIONAL MONARCH AND A 
STATE OF LAW.ARABIA SUFFERS FROM AN ABSOLUTE MONARCHY, TOTALLY 
BROKEN OFF FROM MODERNITY.  IT IS A KINGDOM OF CORRUPTION AND 
A GENERAL MESS.  JUSTICE IS ARCHAIC AND DEPENDS ON THE 
POWERS.SAUDI WAHIBBITES PROVIDE KAMIKAZES TO THE JIHAD IN 
IRAQ, AS WELL AS GENEROUS FINANCING.  THE FORESEEABLE BREAK-UP 
OF THIS COUNTRY BETWEEN SHIITES, SUNNIS AND KURDS MAKES ARABIA 
FEAR THE WORSE.  BECAUSE THIS LOGIC RISKS TO CONTAMINATE AN 
ARABIA UNIFIED BY THE SWORD IN 1932 AND WHICH HAS NO MORE 
REASON TO REMAIN UNITED THAN THE DEFUNCT USSR AND THE FORMER 
YUGOSLAVIA.ARABIA IS AT HIGH RISK TO REMAIN, ALONG WITH IRAQ 
AND IRAN, AT THE HEART OF THE EPICENTER OF THE CRISIS ARC THAT 
WILL CONTINUE TO TROUBLE THE INTERNATIONAL ORDER FOR DECADES 
TO COME." 
 
"THE NUCLEAR SYNDROME" 
YVES PITETTE'S EDITORIAL IN CATHOLIC LA CROIX.  "SOME 
HISTORIANS ARE DEBATING TODAY THE IDEA, UP TO NOW COMMONLY 
ACCEPTED, THAT THE BOMBS OF HIROSHIMA AND OF NAGASAKI 
ACCELERATED THE END OF THE WAR WITH JAPAN.WHATEVER THE DEBATE 
ON THE RESPECTIVE RESPONSIBILITY OF WHO UNLEASHED WAR WITHOUT 
MERCY IN THE PACIFIC AND WHO WANTED TO END IT THE QUICKEST, 
THE TRAGIC DEMONSTRATION MADE ON AUGUST 6, 1945 OF THE 
TERRIFYING POWER OF THE ATOMIC BOMB CHANGED THE WORLD.TODAY, 
WE REALIZE EVERY DAY THAT THE END OF THE EAST-WEST FACE-OFF IS 
NOT RESOLVED, EVEN TO THE CONTRARY, AND THAT THE ARMS OF 
NUCLEAR DISSUASION ARE POWERLESS AGAINST TERRORISM.NEVER, 
SINCE AUGUST 1945, HAS THE RISK THAT THEY (NUCLEAR BOMBS) 
COULD BE USED ON A LOCAL SCALE (KASHMIR, KOREA, IRAN TOMORROW 
MAYBE) BEEN SO TRIVIALIZED.  WILL THE HORROR OF THE ENDING OF 
HIROSHIMA AND NAGASAKI'S VICTIMS NEVER SERVE AS A LESSON?" 
 
STAPLETON