US embassy cable - 05PARIS5480

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PARIS 005480 
 
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 - PRESIDENT BUSH AND U.S. 
POLICY - IRAQ - MIDDLE EAST MIDDLE EAST - GAZA PULLOUT 
PARIS - FRIDAY, AUGUST 12, 2005 
 
 
(A) SUBJECTS COVERED IN TODAY'S REPORT: 
 
PRESIDENT BUSH AND U.S. POLICY - IRAQ - MIDDLE EAST 
MIDDLE EAST - GAZA PULLOUT 
 
B) SUMMARY OF COVERAGE: 
 
CATHOLIC LA CROIX DEVOTES ITS LEAD AND EDITORIAL STORY TO THE 
GAZA PULLOUT, NOTING "THE COURAGE OF SHARON AND THE SETTLERS" 
WHICH IN TURN FORCES THE PALESTINIANS TO "SHOW THE SAME 
COURAGE" IF PEACE IS TO BE EXPECTED. LEFT-OF-CENTER LIBERATION 
CARRIES AN OP-ED BY RENOWNED WRITER MAREK HALTER WHO CALLS FOR 
"SECULAR REALISTS" TO TAKE OVER ON BOTH SIDES "FROM RELIGIOUS 
EXTREMISTS" IN ORDER TO INSURE PEACE. IN RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE 
FIGARO AMERICAN STUDIES EXPERT AT THE SORBONNE ANDRE KASPI 
PENS AN OP-ED ON THE LONG-LASTING AND "SPECIAL" RELATIONSHIP 
THAT BINDS THE U.S. AND ISRAEL. (SEE PART C) 
 
LEFT-OF-CENTER LE MONDE HEADLINES: "IRAQ: GEORGE BUSH AND 
AMERICA'S DOUBTS." INSIDE, CORRESPONDENT CORINE LESNES REPORTS 
ON THE INCREASING NUMBER OF U.S. CASUALTIES IN IRAQ AND ON THE 
LATEST U.S. POLLS ON AMERICAN SUPPORT FOR THE IRAQI 
INTERVENTION. HER ARTICLE NOTES PRESIDENT BUSH'S CONFAB AT HIS 
TEXAS RANCH WITH SECRETARIES RICE AND RUMSFELD. LESNES ALSO 
REPORTS ON GUANTANAMO AND A U.S. MILITARY PLAN AIMING TO EMPTY 
THE PRISON OF ABOUT HALF OF ITS DETAINEES. 
 
IN A FRONT-PAGE ARTICLE RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE FIGARO REPORTS ON 
THE JIHADIST THREAT MADE IN FRENCH ON AL-ARABIYA TELEVISION: 
"WESTERN INTELLIGENCE SERVICES ARE CONCERNED BY THESE CALLS 
MADE BY A GENERATION OF `JIHADISTS' BORN IN THE WEST (GREAT 
BRITAIN, FRANCE, THE NETHERLANDS.) PARIS WOULD VERY MUCH LIKE 
TO IDENTIFY ONE OF THESE MEN WHO COULD BE A FRENCH CITIZEN." 
 
(C) SUPPORTING TEXT/BLOCK QUOTES: 
 
PRESIDENT BUSH AND U.S. POLICY - IRAQ - MIDDLE EAST 
 
"PRESIDENT BUSH'S CRUCIAL SUMMER" 
PIERRE ROUSSELIN IN RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE FIGARO (08/12): "WITH 
HIS POPULARITY RATINGS AT THEIR LOWEST, PRESIDENT BUSH KNOWS 
HOW MUCH IS RIDING ON HIS POLICIES THIS SUMMER. AT THE TOP OF 
THE LIST THERE IS THE MIDDLE EAST AND THE GAZA PULLOUT. 
PRESIDENT BUSH AND ARIEL SHARON ARE HAND IN HAND IN THIS 
PERILOUS ADVENTURE. IT IS IN BUSH'S BEST INTEREST THAT THE 
PULLOUT BE SUCCESSFUL. IRAQ IS ALSO IN A DECISIVE PHASE. THE 
DEADLINE FOR THE CONSTITUTION IS SET FOR MONDAY. AND IN SPITE 
OF THE SERIOUS QUESTIONS STILL UNANSWERED, THE BUSH 
ADMINISTRATION CONTINUES TO THINK THAT THE DEADLINE WILL BE 
MET. FOR BUSH, A COMPROMISE THAT WOULD SATISFY THE SHIITES, 
THE SUNNIS AND THE KURDS WOULD BE A BEAUTIFUL SUCCESS. THAT 
WOULD GIVE SUBSTANCE TO THE GENEROUS IDEA OF `DEMOCRATIZING' 
THE ARAB WORLD. CONVERSELY, FAILURE ON THE CONSTITUTION WOULD 
MAKE THINGS WORSE FOR THE U.S. AND ITS COALITION ALLIES. 
PUBLIC OPINION IN THE U.S. IS INCREASINGLY SHOWING 
DISSATISFACTION WITH THE WAR. FOR PRESIDENT BUSH THE LATEST 
POLLS INDICATE THAT THERE IS A WORRISOME EROSION OF POPULAR 
SUPPORT FOR HIS POLICIES. AS HIS SECOND TERM PROGRESSES, IT 
WILL BECOME HARDER AND HARDER FOR THE PRESIDENT TO BOUNCE BACK 
IN SPITE A GOOD ECONOMIC INDICATORS. THE HARD-LINE POSITIONS 
ADOPTED BY IRAN AND NORTH KOREA ARE NOT EXTRANEOUS TO THIS 
LOSS OF PUBLIC SUPPORT. TO REGAIN SOME OF THE LOST LUSTER THE 
PRESIDENT IS IN DIRE NEED OF GOOD NEWS." 
 
MIDDLE EAST - GAZA PULLOUT 
 
"COURAGE" 
FRANCOIS ERNENWEIN IN CATHOLIC LA CROIX (08/12): "THE PULLOUT 
FROM GAZA COLLIDES WITH THE MYTHICAL TALE OF GREATER ISRAEL. 
FOR SOME SETTLERS, SHARON'S PRAGMATIC CHOICE IS ALSO A TRAGIC 
LOSS. WE MUST NOT TURN OUR BACKS ON THEIR FEELINGS OF SADNESS. 
FOR THE SETTLERS, SHARING WILL REQUIRE COURAGE AND TIME. 
SHARON'S COURAGE LIES IN THE RISK HE HAS TAKEN FOR A CHANCE TO 
A COMPROMISE. IT IS NOW THE PALESTINIANS' TURN TO SHOW 
COURAGE. FOR THEM, GAZA LOOKS VERY MUCH LIKE A POISONED GIFT. 
THE ISRAELI PULLOUT IMPLIES ASSUMING CERTAIN RESPONSIBILITIES 
FOR THE PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY. TENSION BETWEEN PRAGMATISM AND 
FUNDAMENTALISM IS NOT A MONOPOLY OF ISRAEL. IT IS ALSO AT THE 
HEART OF THE PALESTINIAN PROBLEM, WHICH HAS BEEN WEAKENING 
ABBAS'S AUTHORITY. AND THIS IS WHERE SHARON HAS BEEN AT HIS 
CRAFTIEST: THE COURAGE HE HAS IMPOSED ON HIMSELF IS THE SAME 
COURAGE HE IS NOW DEMANDING FROM THE SETTLERS BUT WILL ALSO 
DEMAND TOMORROW FROM HIS PALESTINIAN COUNTERPART." 
 
"U.S.- ISRAEL: A VERY SPECIAL RELATIONSHIP" 
ANDRE KASPI OF THE SORBONNE UNIVERSITY IN RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE 
FIGARO (08/12): "PRESIDENT BUSH HAS SINCE THE START OF HIS 
SECOND TERM TAKEN ON MORE RESPONSIBILITY IN THE MIDDLE EAST 
CONFLICT. THE COMING DAYS WILL BE DECISIVE FOR THE MIDDLE EAST 
AND WILL RE-ENFORCE EVEN MORE THE U.S. ROLE IN THAT REGION. 
THE U.S. WILL HELP THE PALESTINIANS BUILD A DEMOCRATIC STATE 
BUT WILL ASK MORE OF THEM. THE U.S. WILL HAVE ITS SAY ON THE 
SECURITY FENCE AND ON THE STATUS OF JERUSALEM. IN SHORT, IT 
WILL NOT BE ISRAEL THAT WILL DICTATE ITS VISION OF PEACE TO 
THE U.S. ISRAEL IS A FAITHFUL ALLY OF THE U.S., NOT ALWAYS 
AMENABLE, NOT ALWAYS DOCILE, BUT IT IS NOT A VASSAL. IT 
PREFERS TO HANDLE ITS OWN SECURITY. BUT IT CANNOT SURVIVE 
WITHOUT AMERICA'S MATERIAL, POLITICAL AND IDEOLOGICAL AID. THE 
U.S. FOR ITS PART WANTS TO SAFEGUARD ITS FRIENDSHIPS AND 
INTERESTS IN THE ARAB-MUSLIM WORLD. HENCE THE VERY SPECIAL 
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE U.S. AND ISRAEL, WHICH DOES NOT 
PRECLUDE DIVERGENCES AND TEMPORARY TENSION. THE RELATIONSHIP 
IS AND WILL REMAIN ASYMMETRICAL. IT POSSESSES NEVERTHELESS AN 
UNDENIABLE PRICELESS QUALITY: IT IS LONG-LASTING." HOFMANN