US embassy cable - 05PARIS5732

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PARIS 005732 
 
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 - IRAQ - PRESIDENT BUSH SPEECH 
- IRAQ STRATEGY EAST ASIA: CHINA - U.S. RELATIONS 
PARIS - THURSDAY, AUGUST 25, 2005 
 
(A) SUBJECTS COVERED IN TODAY'S REPORT: 
 
IRAQ - PRESIDENT BUSH SPEECH - IRAQ STRATEGY 
EAST ASIA: CHINA - U.S. RELATIONS 
 
B) SUMMARY OF COVERAGE: 
 
LES ECHOS' OPINION PAGES TODAY FEATURE AMBASSADOR STAPLETON'S 
OP-ED "EFFECTIVE U.S. ACTIONS TO COMBAT CLIMATE CHANGE." 
 
THE GOVERNMENT'S POLITICAL RENTR  IS TODAY'S MAJOR FRONT-PAGE 
STORY WITH PM DE VILLEPIN SAID TO BE FACING "SEVERAL 
CHALLENGES" (LE FIGARO,) FIRST AMONG THEM A "MOROSE ECONOMIC 
CLIMATE" (LA CROIX.) LEFT-OF-CENTER LIBERATION CARRIES AN 
OPINION POLL INDICATING THAT WHILE PRESIDENT CHIRAC HAS GAINED 
TWO PERCENTAGE POINTS SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THE SUMMER WITH 
32 PERCENT OF RESPONDENTS SUPPORTING THE PRESIDENT, PM DE 
VILLEPIN'S ECONOMIC MEASURES REMAIN UNPOPULAR: DE VILLEPIN 
LOSES TWO PERCENTAGE POINTS AND IS DOWN TO 42 PERCENT IN 
POPULAR SUPPORT. SAYS FRANCOIS MIQUET-MARTY OF THE LOUIS- 
HARRIS POLLING INSTITUTE: "WHAT IS UNUSUAL IS TO SEE A 
PRESIDENT AND HIS PM WITH UNDER 50 PERCENT SUPPORT SO SOON 
AFTER A GOVERNMENT RESHUFFLE." 
 
PRESIDENT BUSH'S SEPTEMBER 7 MEETING WITH CHINA'S PRESIDENT HU 
JINTAO SERVES AS BACKGROUND FOR TWO REPORTS ON CHINESE- 
AMERICAN RELATIONS, IN LE FIGARO AND LE MONDE. BOTH EMPHASIZE 
THAT THE "HONEYMOON" TRIGGERED BY 9/11 AND THE FIGHT AGAINST 
TERRORISM IS COMING TO AN END. WHILE LE FIGARO INSISTS ON 
ECONOMIC AND OIL-DOMINATED CONFLICTS, LE MONDE'S REPORT 
FOCUSES ON CHINA'S MILITARY EXERCISES WITH MOSCOW AND ITS 
MESSAGE TO WASHINGTON ABOUT TAIWAN. (SEE PART C) 
 
PRESIDENT BUSH'S LATEST SPEECH ON IRAQ ELICITS AN ACERBIC 
COMMENTARY FROM EDITORIALIST JACQUES AMALRIC IN LEFT-OF-CENTER 
LIBERATION TITLED: "PRESIDENT BUSH'S DISTURBING OPTIMISM." 
(SEE PART C) 
 
SEVERAL DAILIES REPORT EXTENSIVELY ON THE U.S. REACTION TO 
LANCE ARMSTRONG'S "FALL FROM GRACE." IN POPULAR RIGHT-OF- 
CENTER LE PARISIEN THOMAS CANTALOUBE WRITES: "FOR THE 
AMERICANS, ARMSTRONG IS MORE THAN A REMARKABLE CYCLIST, HE IS 
AN ICON. FOR HIS FANS, `IT IS CLEAR THAT THE FRENCH ARE POOR 
LOSERS.'" 
 
FRANCE SOIR DEVOTES A TWO-PAGE REPORT TO THE THREAT OF AN 
AVIAN FLU PANDEMIC IN EUROPE AND NOTES THAT FRANCE'S STOCK OF 
VACCINES REMAINS INSUFFICIENT. 
 
(C) SUPPORTING TEXT/BLOCK QUOTES: 
 
IRAQ - PRESIDENT BUSH SPEECH - IRAQ STRATEGY 
 
"BUSH'S DISTURBING OPTIMISM" 
JACQUES AMALRIC IN LEFT-OF-CENTER LIBERATION (08/25): 
"EXPERIENCE HAS TAUGHT US THAT PRESIDENT BUSH'S REMARKS ARE AN 
EXCELLENT BAROMETER FOR MEASURING THE EVOLUTION OF THE 
SITUATION IN IRAQ - THE MORE HE IS OPTIMISTIC, THE WORSE THE 
SITUATION. THIS IS WHY WE SHOULD BE CONCERNED ABOUT HIS 
OPTIMISTIC DECLARATIONS ON TUESDAY. REALITY OF COURSE IS 
DIFFERENT: THE TEXT OF THE CONSTITUTION IS SAID TO BE GIVING 
THE LION'S SHARE TO ISLAM AS THE `PRINCIPAL SOURCE' IN IRAQ'S 
LEGISLATION. THE FACT THAT THE SUNNI COMMUNITY HAS NOT BEEN 
INTEGRATED IN THE CONSTITUTIONAL PROJECT IS A MAJOR POLITICAL 
FAILURE FOR THE U.S. AND A MARKED SUCCESS FOR THE `PRO- 
SADDAMISTS' AND THEIR ISLAMIC ALLIES. THE U.S. REFUSED TO 
ALLOW ENOUGH TIME FOR THE PROJECT BECAUSE OF ITS EAGERNESS TO 
ACCELERATE IRAQ'S POLITICAL PROCESS. IF THE CONSTITUTION IS 
REJECTED NEXT OCTOBER, THIS COULD INTENSIFY THE RAMPANT CIVIL 
WAR AND PUSH THE KURDS AND THE SHIITES TO PROCLAIM THEIR 
AUTONOMY. THIS WOULD BE ENOUGH TO DESTABILIZE AN ALREADY SHAKY 
REGION WHICH HAS IRAN INCREASINGLY ENMESHED IN IRAQ'S AFFAIRS. 
TIME IS PRESSING FOR BUSH THE OPTIMIST, WHOSE IRAQ POLICY IS 
APPROVED BY A MERE 34 PERCENT IN THE U.S." 
EAST ASIA: CHINA - U.S. RELATIONS 
 
"HU JINTAO FOR THE FIRST TIME IN WASHINGTON" 
JEAN-JACQUES MEVEL IN RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE FIGARO (08/25): 
"AFTER FOUR YEARS AS PRESIDENT, GEORGE BUSH SEEMS TO HAVE 
REVERTED TO HIS CAMPAIGNING STANCE ABOUT CHINA, SEEN MORE AS A 
`STRATEGIC RIVAL' THAN A PARTNER. THE PARENTHESIS OPENED AFTER 
9/11 AND THE IRAQ WAR APPEARS TO BE CLOSING. BECAUSE OF ITS 
INCREDIBLE ECONOMIC, POLITICAL AND MILITARY BOOM, CHINA IS 
BACK ON WASHINGTON'S WARNING RADARS. BUT CHINA'S NEWFOUND 
CONFIDENCE IS DAMPENED BY A NEW PROTECTIONIST MOVEMENT IN THE 
U.S. . AND THE CHINESE-RUSSIAN MILITARY MANEUVERS ARE NOT 
HELPING. BUT IT IS CHINA'S RECENT `OIL DIPLOMACY' WITH 
UNSAVORY ALLIES SUCH AS IRAN, VENEZUELA AND SUDAN, WHICH HAS 
WASHINGTON WORRIED. WHEREVER THE U.S. TURNS FOR ITS OIL IT IS 
SURE TO BE CROSSING CHINA'S PATH." 
 
"CHINESE-RUSSIAN MILITARY EXERCISES: A CRUSADE AGAINST TAIWAN" 
FREDERIC BOBIN IN LEFT-OF-CENTER LE MONDE (08/25): "ONE NEED 
BE EXTREMELY NAIVE NOT TO READ THE MESSAGE SENT BY THE 
CHINESE. THE SCENARIO OF THE CHINESE-RUSSIAN MILITARY 
EXERCISES IS CLEARLY A SCENARIO FOR THE CONTAINMENT OF TAIWAN. 
THE OFFICIAL COMMENTS OF THE CHINESE AND THE RUSSIANS ARE NOT 
CREDIBLE, AND NEITHER ARE THE PACIFYING REMARKS MADE BY THE 
SECRETARY OF DEFENSE, DONALD RUMSFELD WHOSE CALM FAADE 
 
SIPDIS 
ILLUSTRATES A DESIRE NOT TO COMPROMISE BUSH'S VISIT WITH THE 
CHINESE IN SEPTEMBER. IT IS CLEAR THAT TAIWAN CONTINUES TO BE 
BEIJING'S DREAD. GREATER THAN ANY SUPPOSED TERRORIST THREAT. 
BUT THE MESSAGE GOES WELL BEYOND TAIWAN. IT IS ADDRESSED TO 
WASHINGTON, WHICH THE CHINESE IS TRYING TO STEER AWAY FROM 
HELPING TAIWAN. WILL THE MESSAGE BE HEARD? RELATIONS BETWEEN 
BEIJING AND WASHINGTON HAVE RECENTLY IMPROVED, WITH BUSH 
APPRECIATING CHINA'S OFFER TO HELP IN THE FIGHT AGAINST 
TERRORISM AND ITS HELPFUL SILENCE ABOUT IRAQ. BUT IT APPEARS 
THE HONEYMOON IS OVER. ON THE ONE HAND THERE IS THE MILITARY 
ESCALATION OF BEIJING AND ON THE OTHER AN AMERICAN GAME WHICH 
BEIJING READS AS A STRATEGY OF ANTI-CHINESE CONTAINMENT. BOTH 
ARE FEEDING MUTUAL FEELINGS OF MISTRUST." HOFANN