US embassy cable - 05PARIS5399

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PARIS 005399 
 
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 - IRAQI CONSTITUTION IRAN 
NUCLEAR PROGRAM 
PARIS - MONDAY, AUGUST 08, 2005 
 
 
(A) SUBJECTS COVERED IN TODAY'S REPORT: 
 
1. IRAQI CONSTITUTION 
2. IRAN NUCLEAR PROGRAM 
 
B) SUMMARY OF COVERAGE: 
 
MANY OF TODAY'S FRONT PAGES DEVOTE THEIR LEAD STORIES TO 
SUMMER ISSUES, SUCH AS THE RISING COST OF VACATIONING IN 
FRANCE. ACCORDING TO LEFT-OF-CENTER LIBERATION, ONE PERSON OUT 
OF THREE IN FRANCE NEVER TAKES A HOLIDAY. FOR POPULAR FRANCE 
SOIR "TAKING A HOLIDAY IS TOO EXPENSIVE" WHILE CATHOLIC LA 
CROIX'S FRONT-PAGE EDITORIAL ANALYZES FRANCE'S NEW VACATIONING 
TRENDS. RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE FIGARO DIFFERS WITH A LEAD DEVOTED 
TO FRANCE'S "PAKISTANI NETWORKS" AND AN EDITORIAL ON THE IRAQI 
CONSTITUTION. LE FIGARO ALSO DEVOTES A MAJOR REPORT ON THE 
PENTAGON'S "PARTIAL TROOP WITHDRAWAL FROM IRAQ." (SEE PART C) 
LEFT-OF-CENTER LE MONDE LEADS WITH TONY BLAIR'S NEW RULES TO 
FIGHT TERRORISM, INCLUDING RESTRICTIONS ON ASYLUM LAWS. ITS 
SECOND FRONT-PAGE STORY READS: "TEHERAN REJECTS EUROPEAN 
NUCLEAR OFFER." POPULAR RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE PARISIEN TITLES ITS 
REPORT: "IRAN, A SOURCE OF CONCERN FOR THE WEST." (SEE PART C) 
 
RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE JOURNAL DU DIMANCHE INTERVIEWS FM DOUSTE- 
BLAZY ON IRAN: "OUR OFFER TO IRAN WAS SUBSTANTIAL. IT OPENS 
THE DOOR TO A NEW VISTA OF RELATIONS WITH EUROPE AND THE 
WORLD. OUR DESIRE FOR IRAN TO STAY AT THE NEGOTIATING TABLE IS 
SHARED NOT ONLY BY THE EUROPEAN TROIKA BUT ALSO BY OUR EU 
PARTNERS AND BY RUSSIA, CHINA AND JAPAN. THE BIG CHALLENGE FOR 
US IS TO CONVINCE IRAN OF OUR GOOD FAITH. AS ALWAYS, FRANCE IS 
PROMOTING A DIPLOMACY OF DIALOGUE AND RESPECT FOR ALL PEOPLE. 
THIS DOES NOT PRECLUDE BEING FIRM. BY ASKING FOR RESPECT OF 
THE GIVEN WORD WE CAN AVOID RADICALIZATION OF THE IRANIAN 
POSITION, AS WELL AS RADICALIZATION AGAINST THE IRANIANS BY 
OTHER NATIONS, INCLUDING SOME AMONG THE MOST POWERFUL. THE 
DANGER IS REAL." DOUSTE-BLAZY SPEAKS ALSO ABOUT THE ISRAELI 
PULLOUT FROM GAZA: "IT IS A COURAGEOUS INITIATIVE BY SHARON." 
 
THE SURPRISE RESIGNATION OF BENJAMIN NETANYAHU FROM THE 
ISRAELI GOVERNMENT IS A FRONT-PAGE STORY IN LE FIGARO: "HIS 
EARLY DEPARTURE FROM THE GOVERNMENT SIGNALS AN EARLY RACE FOR 
POWER IN THE LIKUD. BUT HIS RESIGNATION HAS NOT HALTED THE 
PROCESS FOR WITHDRAWAL FROM GAZA, ALTHOUGH IT HAS PROBABLY 
GIVEN NEW HOPE TO THE SETTLERS AND THE ISRAELI EXTREME RIGHT." 
 
IN ECONOMIC NEWS, LA TRIBUNE GIVES PROMINENT COVERAGE TO THE 
U.S. ECONOMY'S ABILITY TO CREATE NEW JOBS. IN HIS EDITORIAL, 
TITLED "A TRIUMPHANT AMERICA," FRANCOIS XAVIER-PETRI COMMENTS: 
"MONTH AFTER MONTH, A TRIUMPHANT AMERICA CONTINUES TO WIDEN 
THE GAP WITH EUROPE. MORE THAN EVER, THE GEOGRAPHY OF WORLD 
ECONOMIES IS LEAVING THE LION'S SHARE TO ASIA AND THE 
AMERICAS. AND THE WORST PART IS THAT THERE IS NOTHING ON THE 
HORIZON THAT INDICATES A CHANGE FOR THE OLD CONTINENT." 
 
(C) SUPPORTING TEXT/BLOCK QUOTES: 
 
IRAQI CONSTITUTION 
 
"THE IRAQI CALENDAR" 
PIERRE ROUSSELIN IN RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE FIGARO (08/08): "IRAQI 
LEADERS HAVE A WEEK TO REACH AN AGREEMENT ON THE CONSTITUTION. 
IF THE U.S. IS PUSHING SO HARD FOR THE AUGUST 15 DATE TO BE 
HONORED, IT IS BECAUSE OF ITS OWN NOVEMBER 2006 POLITICAL 
AGENDA. FROM NOW TILL THEN PRESIDENT BUSH WILL DO ALL HE CAN 
TO SHOW THAT HIS IRAQI POLICY IS A SUCCESS. RESPECTING THE 
CALENDAR IN IRAQ IS ALSO IMPORTANT FOR SYMBOLIC REASONS: UNTIL 
NOW THE CONSTITUTION HAS BEEN WASHINGTON'S MAIN POLITICAL 
SUCCESS IN IRAQ, WITH THE JANUARY ELECTIONS. WASHINGTON IS 
HOPING THAT A NEW POLITICAL SUCCESS IN IRAQ WILL REVERSE THE 
NEGATIVE TREND ON THE SECURITY FRONT. SINCE THE END OF JULY, 
ATTACKS ON U.S. TROOPS HAVE GROWN. BUT TOO MUCH FOCUS ON THE 
IRAQI CALENDAR ITSELF CAN DETRACT FROM THE FINAL OBJECTIVE. 
THE TASK AT HAND IS AS ARDUOUS AS IT IS CRUCIAL: THE OBJECTIVE 
IS FOR THE KURDS, THE SHIITES AND THE SUNNIS TO AGREE ON THE 
IRAQ OF TOMORROW, AN IRAQ FOR WHICH AMERICA HAS MOBILIZED ALL 
OF ITS FORCES. A MAJOR QUESTION IS THE ROLE OF ISLAM IN 
TOMORROW'S IRAQ. THE AMERICANS WILL HARDLY ACCEPT FOR IRAQ TO 
BECOME AN ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OR FOR WOMEN TO HAVE TO SUBMIT TO 
THE LAWS OF THE CHARIA. THE TRIANGULAR BARTERING AMONG THE 
VARIOUS ETHNIC AND RELIGIOUS COMMUNITIES IS LOOKING TOO 
COMPLEX AND THE CONSEQUENCES ARE TOO OMINOUS FOR THE JOB TO BE 
RUSHED IN A WEEK." 
 
IRAN NUCLEAR PROGRAM 
 
"IRAN REJECTS EUROPEAN NUCLEAR OFFER" 
MOUNA NAIM IN LEFT-OF-CENTER LE MONDE (08/08): "THE U.S., 
CANADA AND ISRAEL AS WELL AS SOME OF IRAN'S NEIGHBORS HAVE, TO 
DIFFERENT DEGREES, FORMULATED CRITICISM AGAINST THE EUROPEAN 
OFFER TO IRAN. BUT SINCE MARCH, WASHINGTON HAS SOMEWHAT 
CHANGED ITS APPROACH AND PROVED TO BE MORE `UNDERSTANDING.' 
SINCE THEN THE EUROPEANS' JOB HAS BEEN TO FIND A `POINT OF 
EQUILIBRIUM' BETWEEN IRAN'S RIGHT TO A CIVILIAN NUCLEAR 
PROGRAM AND DEMANDS FOR REASSURANCE FROM THE INTERNATIONAL 
COMMUNITY. THE EUROPEANS UNDERSCORE THE NEED FOR `ASSURANCES 
OF TRUST' BETWEEN IRAN AND THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY." 
 
"IRAN: A SOURCE OF CONCERN FOR THE WEST" 
BRUNO FANUCCHI IN RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE PARISIEN (08/08): "IS THE 
WORLD ON THE BRINK OF A MAJOR NEW INTERNATIONAL CRISIS? THE 
IRANIAN GOVERNMENT IS KNOWINGLY RUNNING THE RISK OF SUCH A 
CRISIS. IN VIOLATION OF LAST DECEMBER'S AGREEMENT, IRAN PLANS 
TO RE-LAUNCH ITS NUCLEAR PROGRAM TODAY. PRESIDENT BUSH HAS 
ALREADY WARNED THAT THE U.S. DOES NOT EXCLUDE THE USE OF FORCE 
TO KEEP THE ISLAMIC REPUBLIC FROM ACQUIRING NUCLEAR WEAPONS. 
IN SPITE OF ALL THE WARNINGS, FOR TEHRAN IT IS A MATTER OF 
NATIONAL PRIDE. AS HE WELCOMED HIS SYRIAN COUNTERPART, THE 
IRANIAN PRESIDENT SAID THAT COMMON THREATS AGAINST THEM 
BROUGHT THEM CLOSER TOGETHER, `MAKING THEIR COOPERATION EVEN 
MORE OF A NECESSITY.' AS AN ANTI-AMERICAN `FRONT' IN THE 
MIDDLE EAST." HOFMANN