US embassy cable - 05PARIS6082

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PARIS 006082 
 
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 - KATRINA - POLITICAL FALLOUT 
UN REFORMS 
PARIS - THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 08, 2005 
 
 
(A) SUBJECTS COVERED IN TODAY'S REPORT: 
 
KATRINA - POLITICAL FALLOUT 
UN REFORMS 
 
B) SUMMARY OF COVERAGE: 
 
DUE TO A WALKOUT IN THE NEWSPAPER DELIVERY NETWORK, THIS 
REPORT IS BASED ON INTERNET VERSIONS OF TODAY'S NEWSPAPERS. 
 
FRONT PAGES ARE OVERWHELMINGLY DEVOTED TO DOMESTIC POLITICS AS 
PM DE VILLEPIN CELEBRATES HIS FIRST ONE HUNDRED DAYS IN 
OFFICE, WHILE A NUMBER OF OPINION PIECES DEBATE ABOUT THE 
PRESIDENT'S HEALTH, THE MEDICAL BULLETINS BEING MADE PUBLIC 
AND THE CONSTITUTIONAL PROVISIONS IN CASE THE PRESIDENT IS 
INCAPACITATED. IN LE FIGARO, DANIEL MASSON OPINES THAT FRANCE 
"SHOULD FIND INSPIRATION IN THE U.S. CONSTITUTION AND MOST 
SPECIFICALLY THE 25TH AMENDMENT." 
 
TODAY'S TWO MAJOR INTERNATIONAL STORIES ARE KATRINA, THE 
POLITICAL FALLOUT FROM THE ADMINISTRATION'S MANAGEMENT OF THE 
CRISIS AND THE "MACABRE" FINDINGS OF THE SEARCH AND RESCUE 
MISSIONS, AND THE UN: THE OIL FOR FOOD SCANDAL AND THE REFORM 
AGENDA. WHILE LE FIGARO TITLES ITS REPORT "ANNAN, RESPONSIBLE 
BUT NOT GUILTY," LIBERATION CONCENTRATES ON THE REFORM AGENDA 
AND TITLES ITS ARTICLE: "BUSH RELEASES HIS HAWK ON THE 
ORGANIZATION." (SEE PART C) 
 
LE MONDE DEVOTES ITS EDITORIAL TO EUROPE'S ECONOMIC TUG-OF-WAR 
WITH CHINA IN A COLUMN TITLED: "CHINA ONE, EUROPE ZERO." LE 
MONDE COMMENTS: "THE EUROPEAN-CHINESE AGREEMENTS ON TEXTILES 
WHICH WERE TO SERVE AS A TEST FOR EU-CHINESE RELATIONS HAVE DE 
FACTO BECOME A COUNTER EXAMPLE. THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE 
INITIAL AGREEMENT WAS A FIASCO. AND NEW AGREEMENTS HAD TO BE 
NEGOTIATED. THIS FIASCO ON TEXTILES IS WORRISOME. WITH CHINA 
SUCH A STRONG AND CONSTANT PARTNER, THE EU'S ZIGZAGS ARE PROOF 
OF ITS WEAKNESS. BEYOND THIS LOST BATTLE, WHAT IS OBVIOUS IS 
THAT THE EUROPE OF THE `NO,' DIVIDED AND DEVOID OF A CENTRAL 
POWER, IS NOTHING BUT A SOUND BOX FOR DISCORDANT LOBBIES. 
JAPAN STANDS AS THE EXAMPLE OF A COUNTRY HAVING PLANNED IN 
ADVANCE FOR CHINA'S WTO MEMBERSHIP." 
 
NO EDITORIAL COMMENTARY IS AVAILABLE ON THE ELECTIONS IN 
EGYPT, BUT LIBERATION COMMENTS: "THE ELECTIONS ARE FOR SHOW, 
WITH A SURE VICTORY BY MUBARAK. THE STAKES ARE ELSEWHERE, IN 
VOTER TURN OUT, WHICH SEEMS TO HAVE BEEN ON THE LOW SIDE." FOR 
LE FIGARO, "THE EGYPTIAN ELECTIONS ARE RIGGED BECAUSE OF THE 
ABSENCE OF THE MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD." 
 
(C) SUPPORTING TEXT/BLOCK QUOTES: 
 
KATRINA - POLITICAL FALLOUT 
 
"KATRINA, THE SHOCKWAVE" 
RIGHT-OF-CENTER LES ECHOS'S EDITORIAL BOARD UNDER THE GROUP 
NAME FAVILLA COMMENTS (09/08): "THE SHOCK THE AMERICANS HAVE 
RECEIVED WITH KATRINA IS SIMILAR IN MAGNITUDE TO THE SHOCK OF 
THE ATTACK AGAINST THE TWIN TOWERS. THEN, THE DELIBERATE 
ATTACK DID NOT DISCRIMINATE BETWEEN RICH AND POOR, BLACK AND 
WHITE, THUS REVEALING AND RE-ENFORCING FEELINGS OF UNITY AND 
WIDELY SHARED NATIONAL PRIDE. CONVERSELY, HURRICANE KATRINA 
HAS TRIGGERED POLITICAL REACTIONS THAT ARE IN CONTRAST WITH 
THOSE OF 9/11. THE TRAGEDY IS UNDERMINING THE MYTH OF NATIONAL 
UNITY AND EQUAL CHANCES FOR ALL, CASTING A HARSH LIGHT ON THE 
TRUE IMPACT OF THIS IMBALANCE. PRESIDENT BUSH IS CRITICIZED 
BOTH FOR POOR CRISIS MANAGEMENT AND FOR HIS PERSONAL ATTITUDE. 
A MORE HYPOTHETICAL CONSEQUENCE OF THE TRAGEDY COULD BE THE 
PROGRESS IN PUBLIC OPINION OF THE POSSIBLE LINK BETWEEN 
CLIMATE CHANGE AND GAS EMISSIONS. PRESIDENT BUSH IS NOT DOING 
MUCH TO MOBILIZE AMERICANS OVER THIS ISSUE BUT THE HURRICANE 
HAS RE-LAUNCHED THE DEBATE." 
 
"AN AWAKENING" 
GERARD NOEL IN REGIONAL LA LIBERTE DE L'EST (09/08): "FOR THE 
PAST FEW DAYS IT IS AS IF AMERICA HAD WAKENED AND DISCOVERED 
ITS POOR. THE IMAGES OF THIS BLACK POPULATION, BOTH LOST AND 
ANGRY, RE-FOCUSES OUR ATTENTION ON ONE COUNTRY WITH TWO 
PEOPLE, WHERE THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT CARES VERY LITTLE ABOUT 
THE ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED. THE ANGER OF THE BLACK 
POPULATION IS IMMENSE. THE U.S. IN THE GRIPS OF INTEGRATION IS 
A STEP BACK IN TIME." 
 
"THE WITCH HUNT" 
PHILIPPE GELIE IN RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE FIGARO (09/08): 
"PRESIDENT BUSH IS SENDING HIS VICE PRESIDENT TO THE 
DEVASTATED REGIONS OF LOUISIANA. IT IS A SIGN THAT HE 
RECOGNIZES THE HUGE PROBLEMS TRIGGERED BY THE ADMINISTRATION'S 
RESPONSE TO THE DISASTER. THIS TIME HE CANNOT DENY THE 
MAGNITUDE OF THE FAILURE. ADMITTING A MISTAKE IS A RARE FEAT 
FOR THE WHITE HOUSE, BUT IT ALLOWS BUSH AN OUT, AS HE STANDS 
ABOVE THE CROWD OF SUSPECTS IN JUDGMENT. WILL THE PRESIDENT BE 
ABLE TO COME OUT UNSCATHED FROM THIS LATEST FAILURE? CONTRARY 
TO 9/11, THE HURRICANE HAS NOT SERVED TO UNITE THE COUNTRY, 
BUT ALSO CONTRARY TO IRAQ, THE PROBLEM HE FACES IS ONE THAT HE 
HAS THE ABILITY TO RESOLVE." 
 
"SINKING AMERICA" 
JACQUES AMALRIC IN LEFT-OF-CENTER LIBERATION (09/08): "ALMOST 
EVERYTHING HAS BEEN SAID ABOUT THE CAUSES OF THE DISASTER IN 
THE GULF: THE INCOMPETENCE OF THE FEDERAL AUTHORITIES, 
PRESIDENT BUSH'S LACK OF SENSITIVITY, THE IMPACT OF RACIAL 
INEQUALITIES. THE SAME LAME EXCUSE USED AFTER 9/11, `WE COULD 
NOT HAVE PREDICTED THIS,' IS EVEN MORE OF A LIE THAN IT WAS 
THEN: EXPERTS HAD WARNED ABOUT THE MUCH-NEEDED REPAIR FOR THE 
LEVIES . DAYS AFTER THE HURRICANE, PRESIDENT BUSH FINALLY WENT 
TO VISIT THE SCENE, AND TO EVERYONE'S SURPRISE PAID TRIBUTE TO 
MICHAEL BROWN, WHO IS AMONG THOSE WHO REFUSED TO LOOK AT THE 
VULNERABILITY OF NEW ORLEANS AND APPROVED DRASTIC CUTS OF 
FEDERAL AID THAT COULD HAVE HELPED PROTECT THE CITY. RUMOR HAS 
IT THAT HE KNOWS NOTHING ABOUT CRISIS MANAGEMENT AND OWES HIS 
NOMINATION TO HIS CONTACTS. THE FACT IS THAT EVER SINCE 
TERRORISM HAS BECOME THE NATION'S HIGHEST PRIORITY, FEMA IS 
NOTHING MORE THAN AN APPENDIX TO THE HOMELAND SECURITY 
AGENCY." 
 
UN REFORMS 
 
"BUSH RELEASES HIS HAWK ON THE ORGANIZATION" 
PASCAL RICHE IN LEFT-OF-CENTER LIBERATION (09/08): "JOHN 
BOLTON, THE HAWK, HAS USED HIS BEST RED-INK PEN TO CROSS OUT 
EVERYTHING HE DID NOT LIKE ABOUT THE UN REFORM PLAN. AND ASKED 
FOR 750 AMENDMENTS. NEW NEGOTIATIONS HAD TO BE LAUNCHED. BUT 
THE RISK TODAY IS THAT THE SEPTEMBER SUMMIT WILL END UP IN 
FAILURE. WHILE THE SECRETARY GENERAL IS NOT PINNED BY THE 
VOLKER REPORT, HIS CREDIBILITY HAS SUFFERED. AND CALLS FOR HIS 
RESIGNATION WILL RESUME. FOR THE AMERICANS, THE `OIL FOR FOOD' 
SCANDAL STANDS AS PROOF OF ALL THE ORGANIZATION'S ILLS. IF THE 
AMERICANS DO NOT GET WHAT THEY WANT, THEY CAN USE THE SCANDAL 
AS AN EXCELLENT PRETEXT TO DISTANCE THEMSELVES FROM THE UN AND 
MAYBE EVEN THREATEN THE ORGANIZATION'S EXISTENCE. STILL THE 
TIME IS ILL-CHOSEN TO REACTIVATE A NEW CRISIS: THE UN HAS JUST 
OFFERED WASHINGTON ITS ASSISTANCE IN THE HUMANITARIAN CRISIS 
CAUSED BY KATRINA." STAPLETON