US embassy cable - 05PARIS7188

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PARIS 007188 
 
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 - Syria EU Trade Issues - 
Agricultural Tariffs 
PARIS - Thursday, October 20, 2005 
 
 
(A) SUBJECTS COVERED IN TODAY'S REPORT: 
 
1.Syria 
2.EU Trade Issues - Agricultural Tariffs 
 
B) SUMMARY OF COVERAGE: 
 
Avian flu, the adjournment of Saddam's trial and domestic 
political stories dominate today's front pages, except for 
right-of-center Le Figaro which leads with the latest conflict 
between Paris and Brussels over agricultural subsidies, 
tariffs and the definition of the EU Trade Commissioner's 
mandate: "Agriculture: Serious Crisis Between Paris and 
Brussels" is Le Figaro's headline. The Figaro editorial titled 
"Divorce Between Paris and Brussels" and most reports 
emphasize France's isolation in this latest fight. (See Part 
C) Right-of-center Les Echos carries an op-ed by Interior 
Minister Nicolas Sarkozy titled: "No! to a Dupes' Bargain." "I 
say it clearly: the American demands and the offers made by 
the EU Trade Commissioner are unacceptable. They mark the end 
of the EU joint agricultural policy. I can somewhat understand 
the U.S. position which is to maximize their gains while 
weakening our agriculture. But in so doing they are offering 
us a dupes' bargain. What I understand less is the position of 
the European negotiator who does not hesitate to put Europe's 
interests in danger. Mandelson is going beyond his mandate." 
 
The postponement of Saddam's trial is front-paged in several 
outlets, including left-of-center Le Monde which devotes an 
analysis to the fact the international legal system is trying 
to define the best way to try dictators and comments: "The 
Milosevic trial served as the measuring stick for trying 
political leaders for crimes against humanity. Saddam's trial, 
according to Richard Dicker of Human Rights Watch, does not 
respond to the demands of the international legal system.'" 
 
Popular Le Parisien interviews former socialist Foreign 
Affairs Minister Roland Dumas under Francois Miterrand, who is 
also one of Saddam's defense lawyers: "This trial leaves much 
to be desired with regard to the rules of an international 
trial. including the way it was put together by the Americans. 
I and his other defense lawyers received all the documents a 
day ago. When I became Foreign Minister, Saddam owed France 50 
million francs for military weapons. France sold Iraq tanks 
and trained pilots. The Americans did the same. This part of 
the trial is sure never to come out." 
 
The pressure Syria is feeling from both the U.S. and France is 
reported in Le Figaro (See Part C) which also interviews 
Syria's Interior Minister Walid Mouallem: "The Americans and 
the French have a plan to increase pressure on Syria. The 
report on Hariri's assassination is part of that plan. The 
first step was to cut us from our relations with Iraq, 
Palestine and Libya. We are now in the second phase, which is 
to isolate Syria. The next phase involves economic sanctions 
through a UN resolution. But Russia and China will oppose the 
idea of sanctions. We want to negotiate with the Americans, 
but they have closed the door. They need a scapegoat in order 
to deflect attention from the chaos in Iraq. We are ready to 
cooperate on Iraq, through dialogue, not force. I hope the 
U.S. will not decide to attack Syrian targets. Because then we 
will open the borders to Iraq." 
 
Left-of-center Le Monde interviews Lebanon's Prime Minister 
who is on an official visit to Paris: "I want to say clearly 
that the question of Hezbollah's armament must be the subject 
of an intra-Lebanese dialogue. Contrary to what some believe, 
Hezbollah is not simply a group of combatants. It represents 
an important section of Lebanese society; it has elected 
representatives in the government." 
 
(C) SUPPORTING TEXT/BLOCK QUOTES: 
 
Syria 
"Washington Urges Damascus to Adopt Different Stance" 
Philippe Gelie in right-of-center Le Figaro (10/20): "After 
her European tour, Secretary Rice had an impromptu breakfast 
with Kofi Annan. At the center of that meeting, a coordinated 
approach of the international community or a lone stance by 
the U.S. to force Damascus to change its attitude. Until now 
the joint approach adopted by Washington and Paris has been a 
guarantee of success. But before taking action on Syria, 
diplomats will have to agree on a joint objective. While for 
France, Lebanon is the central key point, for the Americans it 
is the complacency of Damascus towards terrorists infiltrating 
Iraq, which has them angry. In the Bush administration the 
debate has a flavor of dj vu - what is in the best interest 
of the U.S.? A change of attitude in Damascus or a change of 
regime? For the time being Secretary Rice is in the lead with 
the first option. The proposals to Syria are similar to the 
option made previously to Libya: stop interfering in Lebanon, 
destabilizing Iraq and sponsoring terrorists and Syria's 
dictator can stay." 
 
EU Trade Issues - Agricultural Tariffs 
 
"A Divorce Between Paris and Brussels" 
Nicolas Barre in right-of-center Le Figaro (10/20): "The 
French stance in Brussels is akin to keeping the European 
Trade Commissioner from exercising his power. France is more 
and more isolated on this issue, especially after Great 
Britain confirmed Mandelson's mandate. France's offensive in 
n 
Brussels has ended in a disappointing outcome. Agriculture has 
for years been excluded from trade talks on liberalization. 
Farmers from countries as different as France and the U.S. are 
trying to keep it that way. The system of protection for 
agricultural products is slowly changing and the EU is better 
prepared than the U.S. In spite of French concerns, 
understandable to a point, an agreement at the WTO carries 
some benefits for European farmers to the extent that it would 
force our partners, namely the U.S., to re-examine their own 
policy of subsidies. The stakes here go well beyond 
agricultural issues. The EU Trade Commissioner made an offer 
on tariffs in answer to a U.S. proposal on agriculture. But 
its scope is much wider and touches on trade and services: a 
sector that weighs much more than agriculture in our developed 
economies. It may be that what has France concerned is that 
sector's liberalization, not agriculture." STAPLETON