US embassy cable - 05PARIS5767

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PARIS 005767 
 
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 - GLOBAL ECONOMY: PRICE OF OIL 
UN REFORM 
PARIS - FRIDAY, AUGUST 26, 2005 
 
 
(A) SUBJECTS COVERED IN TODAY'S REPORT: 
 
GLOBAL ECONOMY: PRICE OF OIL 
UN REFORM 
 
B) SUMMARY OF COVERAGE: 
 
SEVERAL STORIES DOMINATE TODAY'S FRONT PAGES: THE RISING PRICE 
OF OIL AND ITS EFFECT ON THE LOCAL ECONOMY, THE THREATS OF 
AVIAN FLU AND THE ANNOUNCEMENT BY TRANSPORTATION MINISTER 
DOMINIQUE PERBEN THAT A "BLACK LIST" OF UNSAFE AIRLINES WILL 
BE AVAILABLE IN FRANCE NEXT WEEK. 
 
THE ECONOMIC PRESS AND POPULAR LE PARISIEN LEAD WITH THE HIGH 
COST OF OIL. THE EDITORIAL IN LES ECHOS IS TITLED "LIVING WITH 
HIGH OIL PRICES" WHILE LA TRIBUNE HEADLINES: "HIGH OIL PRICES 
PENALIZE WORLD MARKETS." (SEE PART C) 
 
IRAQ AND THE POSTPONEMENT OF THE CONSTITUTION ARE FACTUALLY 
REPORTED, WHILE LE FIGARO DEVOTES A MAJOR ARTICLE TO COLOMBIAN 
MERCENARIES BEING RECRUITED FROM LATIN AMERICA THROUGH THE 
INTERNET TO SERVE IN IRAQ. 
 
LEFT-OF-CENTER LIBERATION DEVOTES ITS LEAD TO THE WORLDWIDE 
THREAT OF AVIAN FLU AND ASKS ON ITS FRONT PAGE: "SHOULD WE 
WORRY?" THE ANSWER IN THE EDITORIAL IS CLEARLY THAT "ALTHOUGH 
THERE IS NO IMMEDIATE THREAT, PROTECTIVE MEASURES ARE 
NECESSARY, BUT NOT ONLY IN RICH COUNTRIES." 
 
UN REFORM AND THE "U.S. STRONG ARMING ATTEMPTS" ARE THE BASIS 
FOR A REPORT IN LE FIGARO WHICH COMMENTS: "THE 750 AMENDMENTS 
PROPOSED BY JOHN BOLTON EXPLICITLY AIM TO TAILOR THE 
INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION TO MEET AMERICAN INTERESTS." (SEE 
PART C) 
 
THE MIDDLE EAST AND THE ISRAELI DISENGAGEMENT FROM GAZA ELICIT 
AN OP-ED BY JAVIER SOLANA IN LE FIGARO AND AN INTERVIEW WITH 
MAHMUD ABBAS IN LIBERATION. SOLANA WRITES: "THE EUROPEAN UNION 
IS FULLY READY TO TAKE ON THE ROLE OF THIRD PARTY IN THE 
REGION AS FAR AS BORDER CONTROL IS CONCERNED, IF REQUESTED BY 
BOTH SIDES. THIS ROLE OF UMPIRE WILL CONTRIBUTE TO FACILITATE 
THE FREE CIRCULATION OF GOODS AND PEOPLE BETWEEN GAZA AND THE 
REST OF THE WORLD. THE EU'S EFFORT IN TERMS OF COORDINATION 
WITH THE U.S. AND THE QUARTET MARKS ITS DESIRE TO BE MORE THAN 
JUST SUPPORTIVE. WE ARE READY TO INTENSIFY OUR INVOLVEMENT." 
 
INTERVIEWED IN LIBERATION, MAHMOUD ABBAS SAYS: "SETTLEMENTS IN 
THE WEST BANK ARE ILLEGAL. WE MUST DISCUSS THE FUTURE OF THE 
WEST BANK WITH THE ISRAELIS THROUGH THE U.S., BECAUSE THE 
AMERICANS HAVE DEMONSTRATED THEIR DETERMINATION TO SEE A 
FREEZING OF THE SETTLEMENTS. THIS IS WHAT PRESIDENT BUSH SAID. 
WE MUST OF COURSE SPEAK WITH THE ISRAELIS, BUT THE PRESSURE 
WILL HAVE TO COME FROM THE U.S. AND EUROPE. THE EGYPTIANS AND 
THE AMERICANS WILL BE HELPING US IN THE RECONSTRUCTION. WE 
ALREADY HAVE THE ASSURANCE OF THE U.S." 
 
(C) SUPPORTING TEXT/BLOCK QUOTES: 
 
GLOBAL ECONOMY: PRICE OF OIL 
 
"LIVING WITH THE HIGH COST OF OIL" 
JEAN-MARC VITTORI IN RIGHT-OF-CENTER LES ECHOS (08/26): "WITH 
THE BARREL OF OIL CLOSE TO 70 DOLLARS, IT IS NO LONGER 
POSSIBLE TO HIDE ONE'S HEAD IN THE SAND. WORLD MARKETS ARE 
BEGINNING TO FEEL THE CRUNCH AND SO ARE THE ECONOMIES. THE 
COUNTRIES REGISTERING ECONOMIC GROWTH ARE GOING TO SLOWDOWN. 
THIS IS TRUE FOR ASIA. THOSE WITH A SLOWER GROWTH, LIKE 
EUROPE, ARE SEEING THEIR HOPES OF BETTER DAYS EVAPORATE. 
CONSUMERS ARE PAYING MORE FOR GAS, AND COMPANIES, WHOSE COSTS 
ARE INCREASING, CANNOT AFFORD TO PASS THEM ON TO THE 
BELEAGUERED CONSUMER. WE MUST REACT. WHAT ARE THE OPTIONS FOR 
FRANCE? THERE ARE A NUMBER OF MEASURES THAT CAN BE TAKEN; MANY 
OF THEN MUST BE GOVERNMENT INITIATIVES. ENERGY ISSUES CANNOT 
BE LEFT TO THE MARKETS. THOSE WHO HAVE DOUBTS ABOUT THIS CAN 
LOOK BEYOND OUR BORDERS: IN WASHINGTON, BEIJING AND MOSCOW, 
ENERGY IS A HIGH LEVEL STRATEGY ISSUE." 
 
UN REFORM 
 
"U.S. STRONG ARMING ATTEMPTS" 
ALAIN BARLUET IN RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE FIGARO (08/26): "BEFORE 
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY ON UN REFORM, WASHINGTON HAS ALREADY SET 
ITS CONDITIONS. THE U.S. INITIATIVE IS DESCRIBED IN A 
CONFIDENTIAL DOCUMENT WHICH THE NEW U.S. AMBASSADOR, JOHN 
 
SIPDIS 
BOLTON, HAS STARTED CIRCULATING, PROPOSING 750 AMENDMENTS AND 
CLEARLY INDICATING WASHINGTON'S PRIORITIES FOR THE `NEW UN.' 
AT THE HEAD OF THE LIST IS THE U.S. PREOCCUPATION WITH THE 
FIGHT AGAINST TERRORISM. THE OBJECTIVE IS TO ERASE ANY TRACE 
OF AMBIGUITY BETWEEN TERRORIST ACTIONS AND ARMED RESISTANCE 
MOVEMENTS. ANOTHER AMERICAN PRIORITY IS THE REPLACEMENT OF THE 
HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION, WHICH HAS RECENTLY BEEN DISCREDITED, 
WITH PERMANENT MEMBERS WHO HAVE DEMONSTRATED THAT THEY ARE 
GOOD STUDENTS OF DEMOCRACY. THE U.S. EXPLICITLY WANTS THE UN 
TO CONFORM TO ALL THINGS PERTAINING TO U.S. INTERESTS. THE 
`BOLTON AMENDMENTS' SUGGEST THAT ANY MENTION OF THE FIGHT 
AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE SHOULD BE OMITTED. WITH A STROKE OF THE 
PEN THE AMERICANS ARE CROSSING OUT THE OBJECTIVES OF THE 
MILLENNIUM ACCOUNT. INSTEAD OF THE FIGHT AGAINST POVERTY THEY 
WANT TO PUT THE ACCENT ON LIBERALIZING ECONOMIES. THESE 
PROPOSALS ARE SURE TO RAISE OPPOSITION FROM POOR COUNTRIES. 
SAYS A UN SOURCE: `THIS IS TRULY A STRONG ARMING TACTIC. FOR 
THE AMERICANS, THE RULE IS MAKE OR BREAK.' WHILE THE BOLTON 
AMENDMENTS ARE NOT A COMPLETE SURPRISE. THE NEGOTIATIONS, WITH 
THREE WEEKS TO GO BEFORE THE OPENING OF THE SUMMIT, ARE AKIN 
TO A MISSION IMPOSSIBLE. OR A SINKING OF THE REFORM PLANS. 
`NEGOTIATIONS WILL BE VERY, VERY DIFFICULT' SAYS A UN 
AMBASSADOR." HOFMANN