US embassy cable - 05PARIS8292

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PARIS 008292 
 
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E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OPRC, KMDR, FR 
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION REPORT - Secretary Rice to Europe - 
CIA Allegations 
PARIS - Wednesday, December 07, 2005 
 
 
(A) SUBJECTS COVERED IN TODAY'S REPORT: 
 
Secretary Rice to Europe - CIA Allegations 
 
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B) SUMMARY OF COVERAGE: 
 
Secretary Rice's visit to Europe and her handling of 
 
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allegations about the CIA is today's front-page story in left- 
of-center Liberation and a major story in several outlets. 
Liberation, the most critical by far, headlines: "The Trial 
Against the CIA: Secret Flights, Abductions, Torture," and 
continues: "During her European tour, Secretary Rice justifies 
the anti-terrorist methods of the U.S. secret service." 
Inside, the two-page report is headlined: "Condoleezza Rice 
Under Questioning" and the editorial is entitled "Black Hole." 
Le Figaro reports "Condoleezza Rice Acknowledges That the CIA 
made `a Mistake'." 
Left-of-center Le Monde titles its story: "`Secret Prisons' 
Said to Have Been Closed Before Rice's Arrival." Le Parisien 
titles its report: "CIA Secret Prisons Hamper Rice." France 
Inter radio commentary by Bernard Guetta is titled "Torture Is 
Back." (See Part C) 
 
Le Figaro reports on its front page: "The U.S. Military is 
establishing troops in Romania." The "historic" agreement 
signed in Bucharest during Secretary Rice's visit is noted as 
"a first in Eastern Europe and the result of a new orientation 
by the Bush administration of troop re-deployment to meet new 
terrorist threats." Le Figaro also reports on the "lack of 
agreement" in Slovenia between the Europeans, the Americans 
and the Russians during the OSCE summit. Nicolas Burns is 
quoted: "We will not sell short our principles for a piece of 
paper." 
 
Reports on the latest kidnappings in Iraq include reports 
about the "mystery" surrounding the background of Bernard 
Planche, the Frenchman abducted last week, and his affiliation 
to an NGO financed by USAID. France Soir reports about the 
"controversy" over Planche, "who was warned by the French 
Embassy but remained in Iraq despite the dangers." and notes 
that little was known about Planche or his activities. 
 
All outlets report on the C130 that crashed in Teheran. Most 
commentators note: "Because of the economic restrictions on 
Iran set by Washington, the U.S.-made C130s cannot be 
repaired." 
 
(C) SUPPORTING TEXT/BLOCK QUOTES: 
 
Secretary Rice to Europe - CIA Allegations 
 
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"Torture Is Back" 
Bernard Guetta on government-run France Inter radio (12/07): 
"Despite her numerous statements, Secretary Rice, rather than 
being reassuring, is in fact achieving the opposite. She has 
refused to comment on the allegations made against the CIA, 
and opted instead to call on European governments and their 
publics to `decide whether they, with the U.S., want to fight 
against terrorism.' When she admits to `errors' as she did in 
Berlin, she is talking more about having made errors about 
individuals, rather than about fundamental political, legal 
and moral errors in the methods used. The only denial made to 
the allegations raised by the U.S. press has been about the 
use of torture. The U.S. President must not be aware of what 
countries the U.S. is sending prisoners to, or what their 
practices are. The presidential denial is not credible and 
obviously the U.S., far from `adapting' to national and 
international laws which it obviously considers obsolete, is 
staying on the same course, that of secret prisons and 
renditions to allied countries known to use torture. 
Meanwhile, the EU is kindly being asked to put a damper on its 
concerns. Actively or passively, democracies are forgetting 
what makes up their strength: the rule of law, habeas corpus 
and all the principles derived thereon." 
"The Black Hole" 
Patrick Sabatier in left-of-center Liberation (12/07): "Were 
European governments unaware that the CIA was `outsourcing' 
torture of its prisoners in foreign secret prisons? If they 
were, they should draw the conclusions from such contempt on 
behalf of the U.S. towards its allies. But were they not 
rather in cahoots with the U.S, as Secretary Rice clearly 
indicated? In that case publics should draw the conclusions 
from their governments' contempt for the rule of law. Either 
way the situation is serious. We cannot let this gangrene 
continue to spread. George Bush and his gang think that in the 
fight against terror all is permitted, even when the rule of 
law becomes part of the collateral damage. Guantanamo, Abu 
Ghraib and the CIA phantom detainees and secret prisons are 
part of that same legal black hole dug by the Bush 
administration and into which it is dragging its allies." 
 
"`Secret Prisons' Said to Have Been Closed Before Rice's 
Arrival" 
Corine Lesnes in left-of-center Le Monde (12/07): "According 
to an ABC report, two secret prisons opened by the CIA in 
Eastern Europe were closed a month ago when the first 
allegations began. These allegations were made as Secretary 
Rice was starting on her European tour. According to ABC, 
American officials have made every effort to take all 
`phantom' detainees out of Europe before her arrival there. In 
Washington, Secretary Rice read a statement defending the 
practice of renditions as a `vital tool to combat 
transnational terrorism.' Secretary Rice also stated that the 
U.S. did not use airports or airspace to move detainees to a 
destination where they might be tortured. She did not comment 
on secret prisons but said `information had helped prevent 
terrorist acts in the U.S. and Europe.' The State Department 
did not elaborate on what European country might have 
benefited from such information. For the Bush administration, 
Europe's grumbling against these U.S. practices is somewhat 
`hypocritical.' According to well-informed sources, a debate 
took place (in Washington) about adopting a stance of full 
transparency, considering the large number of CIA flights 
mentioned, and which Washington considered highly exaggerated. 
In the end, the administration chose to remain silent and to 
bounce the ball back into the court of its European partners: 
did they want all their anti-terrorist activities out in the 
open?" 
 
"Secret Prisons Hamper Rice" 
Thomas Cantaloube in right-of-center Le Parisien (12/07): 
"Rice's European tour is more like an obstacle course than a 
friendly diplomatic tour. At every stop she has to answer the 
same questions about the CIA. To each question she gives the 
same perfectly calibrated answer: `the U.S. government does 
not approve and does not authorize torture.' The problem with 
her line of defense, is that the Bush administration has re- 
defined the definition of torture. Rice's phrase that `the 
U.S. has always respected the sovereignty of other nations' 
tends to indicate that European nations were aware. In short, 
she is putting the ball back in the court of the same nations 
which are asking for answers." 
 
"Rice Concedes to an `Error' By CIA" 
Pierre Bocev in right-of-center Le Figaro (12/07): "In Berlin, 
Rice defended the intelligence agency and refused to say more 
about secret flights. She avoided all the difficult questions, 
at least in public. even if she conceded that `an error' may 
have been made about a German citizen." STAPLETON