US embassy cable - 05PARIS5541

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PARIS 005541 
 
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 - MIDDLE EAST - GAZA PULLOUT 
IRAQ 
PARIS - WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 17, 2005 
 
 
(A) SUBJECTS COVERED IN TODAY'S REPORT: 
 
MIDDLE EAST - GAZA PULLOUT 
IRAQ 
 
B) SUMMARY OF COVERAGE: 
 
FRONT PAGES ARE OVERWHELMINGLY DEVOTED TO YESTERDAY'S CRASH OF 
A CHARTERED WEST CARIBBEAN MD 11 AIRCRAFT CARRYING 153 FRENCH 
TOURISTS FROM PANAMA TO MARTINIQUE AND TO RELATED STORIES ON 
AIR SAFETY AND CHARTER COMPANIES. THE ISRAELI PULLOUT FROM 
GAZA IS TODAY'S MAIN INTERNATIONAL STORY ELICITING WIDE 
COVERAGE AND EDITORIAL ANALYSIS. (SEE PART C) RIGHT-OF-CENTER 
LE FIGARO ANALYZES THE POLITICAL CONSEQUENCES OF THE PULLOUT 
FOR SHARON AND ABBAS IN TWO SEPARATE REPORTS. WHEREAS SHARON'S 
"POLITICAL FUTURE LIES IN THE SUCCESS OF THE PULLOUT," THIS 
SAME PULLOUT IS "FULL OF UNCERTAINTIES" FOR MAHMOUD ABBAS, 
"WHO HAS FEW ASSETS TO OFFER THE PEOPLE OF GAZA. AND WHO IS 
WEAKENED FROM WITHIN." POPULAR RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE PARISIEN 
INTERVIEWS THE REPRESENTATIVE OF THE PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY IN 
FRANCE, LEILA SHAHID: "THE GAZA PULLOUT IS A START. BUT IF WE 
DO NOT HAVE SOVEREIGNTY OVER BORDER POINTS OF ENTRY WE WILL 
NOT BE ABLE TO CONTROL EXPORTS OR THE CIRCULATION OF GOODS AND 
PEOPLE NECESSARY FOR THE ECONOMIC REVIVAL OF GAZA. BEHIND THE 
GAZA PULLOUT, WHICH IS ELICITING SUPPORT FROM THE 
INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY, SHARON IS PRACTICALLY ANNEXING EAST 
JERUSALEM AND THE WEST BANK. BEHIND THE POSITIVE INITIATIVE OF 
GAZA, SHARON IS MAKING THE ANNEXATION OF THE WEST BANK 
IRREVERSIBLE." 
 
REPORTS ON IRAQ AND THE POSTPONED CONSTITUTION ARE NUMEROUS, 
WHILE LE FIGARO CARRIES A SEPARATE ARTICLE ON THE DWINDLING 
NUMBER OF COALITION MEMBERS FURTHER TO THE JAPANESE DEMOCRATIC 
PARTY'S CALL FOR WITHDRAWAL OF JAPANESE TROOPS FROM IRAQ. (SEE 
PART C) IN CATHOLIC LA CROIX GILLES BIASSETTE DRAFTS A 
PORTRAIT OF CINDY SHEEHAN AND HER SIT-IN IN FRONT OF THE 
CRAWFORD RANCH: "SHE HAS BECOME THE MEDIA'S DARLING JUST WHEN 
THE LATEST POLLS INDICATE THAT A MAJORITY OF AMERICANS 
CONSIDER THE WAR IN IRAQ TO HAVE BEEN A MISTAKE. WORST EVEN, 
PUBLIC OPINION DOES NOT BELIEVE THE WAR CAN BE WON." 
 
(C) SUPPORTING TEXT/BLOCK QUOTES: 
 
MIDDLE EAST - GAZA PULLOUT 
"WRENCHING EXODUS" 
DOMINIQUE QUINIO IN CATHOLIC LA CROIX (08/17): "THEIR 
SUFFERING IS DEEP. BUT BECAUSE THE SETTLERS' DEPARTURE IS SUCH 
A WRENCHING EXPERIENCE IT MAY ALSO CARRY THE SEEDS OF HOPE. 
BECAUSE THE WOUNDS IN THE ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN CONFLICT ARE SO 
PAINFUL, PEACE CANNOT COME WITHOUT DIFFICULT CONCESSIONS. LIKE 
THE GOOD STRATEGIST THAT HE IS, SHARON IS PUTTING ON ABBAS'S 
SHOULDERS THE ONUS OF THE NEXT STEP. IT IS UP TO HIM TO SHOW 
PROOF OF HIS WILLINGNESS TO RETURN TO A DIALOGUE. YET BOTH 
SHARON AND ABBAS STAND AT THE BEGINNING OF THE ROAD. MORE THAN 
EVER THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY NEEDS TO SUPPORT THEIR 
EFFORTS IF THEY WANT TO GRASP THIS TENUOUS OPPORTUNITY." 
 
"GAZA, HOPE AND THE FENCE" 
FRANCOISE CROUIGNEAU IN RIGHT-OF-CENTER LES ECHOS (08/17): 
"THERE IS NO DOUBT THAT THE PULLOUT FROM GAZA IS A HISTORIC 
EVENT. YET EVERYONE IS AWARE THAT THE FUTURE OF JERUSALEM, THE 
BORDERS OF ISRAEL AND THE CREATION OF A PALESTINIAN STATE WILL 
NOT BE DECIDED IN GAZA. STILL THE SEED OF PEACE AND PROSPERITY 
CAN GROW. THIS IS WHAT THE U.S., THE EUROPEANS AND 
MULTILATERAL ORGANIZATIONS WANT TO BELIEVE. FOR A TIME, THE 
SKEPTICS ARE WILLING TO TURN A BLIND EYE ON SHARON'S ULTERIOR 
MOTIVES OR HAMAS'S ABILITY TO FUEL A NEW STRATEGY OF TERROR. 
THEY ARE READY TO GET TO WORK. MORE THAN THE 3 BILLION DOLLARS 
PROMISED BY THE G8 IN JULY, CONCRETE GESTURES ARE WHAT WILL 
PUT AN END TO ALL FORMS OF RETICENCE. JAMES WOLFENSOHN KNOWS 
IT FROM WHEN HE HEADED THE WORLD BANK. NOW THAT HE IS THE 
QUARTET'S FACILITATOR BETWEEN THE ISRAELIS AND PALESTINIANS, 
WOLFENSOHN HAS SET THIS STRATEGY IN ACTION: HE IS DONATING 
FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS OF HIS PERSONAL FUNDS IN ORDER 
TO REASSURE AND ATTRACT POTENTIAL INVESTORS INTERESTED IN 
PERPETUATING THE HIGH-TECH AGRICULTURAL CONCERNS DEVELOPED BY 
THE ISRAELI SETTLERS. EACH PLAYER MUST NOW GIVE TOKENS OF GOOD 
FAITH. THE ISRAELIS MUST ENSURE THE FREE CIRCULATION OF GOODS 
AND PEOPLE WITHOUT WHICH GAZA CANNOT SURVIVE. THE PALESTINIANS 
MUST TAKE OVER TO AVOID ARMED CONFRONTATIONS. THE QUARTET, 
WITH THE U.S. IN THE LEAD, MUST DO EVERYTHING TO AVOID A 
STRATEGY OF THE SCORCHED EARTH. SO THAT THE PULLOUT DOES NOT 
BECOME A SIMPLE INTERLUDE IN THE TOO LONG SAGA OF VIOLENCE." 
 
IRAQ 
 
"A NEW BLOW FOR THE COALITION" 
TANGUY BERTHEMET IN RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE FIGARO (08/17): "THE 
COALITION IS SUFFERING. AFTER THE ITALIANS, THE JAPANESE 
DEMOCRATIC PARTY HAS NOW PUT FORTH THE IDEA OF NOT RENEWING 
JAPAN'S PRESENCE IN IRAQ AS A CAMPAIGN PLATFORM. WHILE THE 
JAPANESE DEMOCRATIC PARTY'S CHANCES OF VICTORY ARE SLIM, THE 
PROPOSAL HAS RE-OPENED THE DEBATE IN JAPAN ABOUT THE 
APPROPRIATENESS OF A JAPANESE PRESENCE IN IRAQ ALONGSIDE THE 
U.S. . WHILE THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION DID NOT REACT OFFICIALLY 
TO THE ITALIAN DECISION, WASHINGTON AND LONDON CAN NO LONGER 
IGNORE THE FACT THAT IT IS BECOMING INCREASINGLY DIFFICULT TO 
KEEP THE COALITION TOGETHER. FROM 37 IT HAS DWINDLED TO ABOUT 
TWENTY MEMBERS. AND WHILE THE SUPPORT FROM THESE NATIONS IS 
LARGELY SYMBOLIC COMPARED TO THE 140, 000 GIS PRESENT IN IRAQ, 
WITH LITTLE STRATEGIC IMPACT, THESE DEPARTURES MAKE MORE 
DELICATE THE `SUBSTANTIAL REDUCTION' OF FORCES ENVISIONED BY 
GENERAL CASEY." 
 
"BUSH JUSTIFIES POSTPONEMENT OF THE CONSTITUTION" 
GUILLEMETTE FAURE IN RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE FIGARO (07/17): "FROM 
TEXAS PRESIDENT BUSH APPLAUDED `THE HEROIC EFFORTS OF THE 
IRAQI NEGOTIATORS.' AND SECRETARY RICE INTERPRETED THE DELAY 
AS A SIGN `THAT DEMOCRACY WAS AT WORK.' THE FACT THAT THIS 
DELAY DOES NOT FIT IN WITH WASHINGTON'S DESIRES IS THE SIGN IN 
BOTH THEIR EYES THAT THE WORLD IS INDEED IN THE PRESENCE OF AN 
IRAQI PROCESS. BUT THE DELAY COMES AT A BAD TIME. ACCORDING TO 
A PEW RESEARCH CENTER POLL, ONLY 27 PERCENT OF AMERICANS THINK 
PRESIDENT BUSH HAS A `CLEAR PLAN' FOR IRAQ." HOFMANN