US embassy cable - 05PARIS7850

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PARIS 007850 
 
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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 - Alleged CIA Prisons and 
Flights - General Elections in Israel 
 
 
(A) SUBJECTS COVERED IN TODAY'S REPORT: 
 
Alleged CIA Prisons and Flights 
General Elections in Israel 
 
(B) SUMMARY OF COVERAGE: 
 
The opening of the Socialist Congress in Le Mans, marked by 
infighting within the party dominates a number of headlines 
and editorials. With the presidential elections only 18 months 
away, resolving the party's problems will be a crucial task 
agree most dailies. 
 
The top international stories include one of today's leads in 
Le Figaro:  "Secret CIA Prisons: Europe Concerned." 
Liberation's front-page claims that the McCain amendment on 
torture has "America Divided." (See Part C) 
 
Le Monde mentions the "Controversy in Europe on the CIA's 
Secret Flights." Dailies report that officials in Spain, 
 
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Sweden, Norway and in the European Parliament either have 
opened formal inquiries or demanded answers from US officials 
about CIA flights.  Le Figaro's article asks: "the question 
today is to know if the global war on terrorism has turned 
into a `dirty' war." 
 
Le Figaro reports Israeli Prime Minister Sharon and new Labor 
Party Leader Peretz's decision to hold elections that could 
take place as early as the end of February. (See Part C) 
 
The terror suspect who allegedly financed the attacks in Paris 
in 1995, Rachid Ramda, is on the verge of being extradited to 
France. Paris has been asking London for his extradition for 
the past ten years. "Better late than never" claims France 
Soir. Le Monde reports that another person suspected of having 
taken part in the 2004 attacks in Madrid and held in London is 
also due to be extradited to Spain. The daily suggests that: 
"these two events could mark a change on the part of London 
that has consistently refused to cooperate with other European 
countries in the fight against terrorism." 
 
Dailies mention that trade negotiations will be the central 
theme of the APEC Summit and regional editorials are critical 
of President Bush's tour of Asia. Jacques Guyon writes in 
regional La Charente Libre: "Apparently George Bush never 
tires of. handing out good and bad grades to countries in 
terms of democracy. His arrogance, his pseudo-prophetic 
attitude towards democracy looks like a headlong rush when at 
home he is increasingly unpopular." 
 
Le Figaro also reports President Bush's visit to South Korea: 
"In diplomatic terms, polite phrases between leaders are 
usually the bandage that hides the fracture. This was the case 
during the bilateral meeting yesterday when George W. Bush and 
his South Korean counterpart Roh Moo-hyun repeated that their 
alliance has never been stronger." 
 
(C) SUPPORTING TEXT/BLOCK QUOTES: 
 
Alleged CIA Prisons and Flights 
 
"Brute Force" 
The editorial in left-of-center Liberation by Patrick Sabatier 
(11/18): "The argument that all means necessary can be 
deployed to prevent the loss of innocent lives, including 
disrespect for the law, parallel battlefields and the use of 
torture. is false and dangerous. Torture cannot be authorized 
and less still legalized. It took a former war hero. the ultra- 
conservative John McCain to remind America that torturing a 
prisoner is an odious crime. The fact that the CIA, with the 
complicity of allied regimes, `outsourced' the torture of 
prisoners far from American soil adds hypocrisy and cowardice 
to a political and moral blunder." 
 
General Elections in Israel 
"A Redistribution of the Cards in Israel" 
Pierre Rousselin for right-of-center Le Figaro (11/18): "The 
advent of Amir Peretz at the head of the Israeli Labor Party 
has shaken up domestic politics in Israel and could have 
repercussions on the peace process with the Palestinians. 
Everything will depend on what happens on the Palestinian side 
after the legislative elections in January. The American 
Secretary of State gave a significant boost to Mahmoud Abbas 
 
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by forcing Ariel Sharon to sign an agreement concerning the 
Gaza border. This agreement is important for three reasons. It 
gives the Palestinians a degree of sovereignty. It provides 
for the deployment of EU observers. and above all it signifies 
an increased commitment on the part of American diplomacy to 
the peace process." 
STAPLETON