US embassy cable - 05PARIS8357

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PARIS 008357 
 
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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 - SECRETARY RICE IN EUROPE - 
IRAN 
PARIS - FRIDAY, DECEMBER 09, 2005 
 
 
(A) SUBJECTS COVERED IN TODAY'S REPORT: 
 
SECRETARY RICE IN EUROPE 
 
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IRAN 
 
(B) SUMMARY OF COVERAGE: 
 
THE LAST DAY OF SECRETARY RICE'S VISIT TO EUROPE DOES NOT 
SPARK A GREAT DEAL OF COMMENTARY TODAY AND DAILIES TEND TO 
AGREE THAT SHE WAS RELATIVELY SUCCESSFUL IN CALMING ALLIES ON 
THE U.S.'S TREATMENT OF TERROR SUSPECTS. (SEE PART C) 
 
THE MAJORITY OF HEADLINES FOCUS ON THE 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF 
THE 1905 SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE LAW IN FRANCE. 
INTERIOR MINISTER SARKOZY'S PROPOSAL FOR FRENCH MOSQUES TO BE 
FINANCED BY THE STATE IS DISCUSSED IN SEVERAL ANALYSES. 
 
ALL MEDIA REPORT ON THE COMMENTS OF THE IRANIAN PRESIDENT AT 
THE SUMMIT OF THE ORGANIZATION OF THE ISLAMIC CONFERENCE IN 
SAUDI ARABIA QUESTIONING THE HOLOCAUST AND SAYING THAT ISRAEL 
SHOULD HAVE BEEN CREATED OUT OF PROVINCES IN AUSTRIA AND 
GERMANY. (SEE PART C) 
 
CATHOLIC LA CROIX CARRIES A FULL PAGE ON THE SUMMIT IN SAUDI 
ARABIA THAT UNITED MUSLIM LEADERS FROM 57 COUNTRIES, TO 
REINFORCE THEIR COMMITMENT TO COMBAT TERRORISM AND TO DEFEND 
THE IMAGE OF ISLAM ACCORDING TO THE DAILY. EDITORIALIST JEAN- 
CHRISTOPHE PLOQUIN WRITES: "ONLY THE FUTURE WILL TELL IF THIS 
APPROACH IS THE RIGHT ONE TO FIGHT ISLAMIC FUNDAMENTALISM. AS 
LONG AS REGIMES IN THE MUSLIM WORLD TRY TO BASE THEIR 
LEGITIMACY ON ISLAM, THEY WILL BE AT THE MERCY OF 
FUNDAMENTALISTS." 
 
LEFT-OF-CENTER LE MONDE CARRIES A TWO-PAGE FOCUS ON THE 
ALLEGED CIA FLIGHTS: "HOW IS IT POSSIBLE TO TRACK DOWN THE 
ACTIVITIES OF AN ORGANIZATION WHOSE JOB IT IS TO TRACK DOWN? 
TO NAIL THE CIA, CATCH IT IS THE ACT OR ESTABLISH ENOUGH PROOF 
OF ITS ACTIVITIES IN EUROPE?" LE MONDE EXPLAINS IN DETAIL THE 
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN EXTRAORDINARY RENDITION, EXTRADITION AND 
SECRET PRISONS. A SEPARATE PIECE RELATES THE STORY OF A GERMAN 
 
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CITIZEN WHO WAS MISTAKENLY ARRESTED AND TAKEN TO KABUL FOR 
QUESTIONING. 
 
RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE FIGARO'S EMBEDDED JOURNALIST IN IRAQ ADRIEN 
JAULMES PENS AN ACCOUNT OF THE DIFFICULT SECURITY SITUATION IN 
IRAQ ENTITLED:" THE FAILURES THE AMERICAN WAR MACHINE." 
JAULMES WRITES THAT THE IRAQI MILITARY IS FAR FROM CAPABLE OF 
CARRYING OUT AUTONOMOUS OPERATIONS AND THAT THE AMERICAN WAR 
MACHINE, TRAINED AND EQUIPPED TO CARRY OUT HIGH INTENSITY 
INTERVENTIONS IS HAVING A HARD TIME ADAPTING TO AN ENEMY ABLE 
TO BLEND INTO THE POPULATION. THIS RESULTS IN BLUNDERS THAT 
RANGE FROM TACTLESSNESS TO TRAGEDY." 
 
(C) SUPPORTING TEXT/BLOCK QUOTES: 
 
SECRETARY RICE IN EUROPE 
 
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IN REGIONAL DAILY LA CHARENTE LIBRE JACQUES GUYON 
EDITORIALIZES (12/09): "MS RICE WAS PERSUASIVE IN PUTTING 
FORWARD THAT IN THE WAR ON TERRORISM THERE IS AN EXTREMELY 
FRAGILE BALANCE BETWEEN THE VALUES THAT WE DEFEND AND THE 
METHODS USED TO SAVE INNOCENT LIVES. SHE DID NOT DENY THE 
EXISTENCE OF THE SECRET CIA FLIGHTS BUT NEITHER DID SHE 
JUSTIFY THE USE OF MEASURES SUCH AS EXTRADITION TO INTERROGATE 
SUSPECTS. AND IT IS WITH EXTREME ADROITNESS THAT SHE BROUGHT 
UP THE CASE OF CARLOS THE JACKAL WHO WAS KIDNAPPED IN SUDAN BY 
THE FRENCH DGSE, DRUGGED AND FLOWN ON A SECRET SERVICE FLIGHT 
TO PARIS. THIS IS A WEIGHTY ARGUMENT AND CONDOLEEZZA RICE MADE 
THE POINT THAT THE EUROPEAN HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION THREW OUT 
CARLOS' COMPLAINT AS TO THE ILLEGAL NATURE OF HIS EXTRADITION. 
IT IS A SHAME HOWEVER THAT MS. RICE DID NOT TAKE ADVANTAGE OF 
THE SITUATION TO GIVE A DATE FOR THE DETAINEES AT GUANTANAMO 
TO BE TRIED, CARLOS FOR HIS PART WAS TRIED AND SENTENCED. 
TWICE." 
IRAN 
 
RENAUD GIRARD IN RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE FIGARO (12/09): "TWO 
MONTHS AGO THE IRANIAN PRESIDENT PUT THE SPOTLIGHT ON HIMSELF 
BY STATING THAT ISRAEL SHOULD BE WIPED OFF THE MAP. YESTERDAY 
HE FUELED THE FIRE FURTHER. BY CASTING DOUBTS ON THE 
HOLOCAUST. HE TOOK THE OPPORTUNITY TO OPENLY MOCK EUROPE AND 
NOT SIMPLY BECAUSE HE IS ENRAGED AT WHAT HE SEES AS THE EU3 
RALLYING TO THE AMERICAN STANCE, BUT IS ALSO, AND ESPECIALLY, 
BECAUSE HE BELIEVES HIMSELF TO BE IN A POSITION OF POWER. 
INDEED AMERICA'S POWER OF DISSUASION, WHICH WAS AT ITS HIGHEST 
IN THE REGION IN FEBRUARY OF 2003, IS NO LONGER AN ISSUE 
BECAUSE OF THE U.S.'S INVOLVEMENT IN IRAQ. TODAY TEHERAN HAS 
TWO POWERFUL; WEAPONS AT ITS DISPOSAL, THE ABILITY TO INFLAME 
THE SHIITE COMMUNITY IN SOUTHERN IRAQ AND TO SPARK A DRAMATIC 
INCREASE IN THE PRICE OF OIL. BY ATTACKING IRAQ, A COUNTRY 
THAT WAS NOT PROLIFERATING, THE AMERICAN NEO-CONSERVATIVES 
HAVE PARADOXICALLY OFFERED A PERFECT HAVEN FOR IRAN THE ONLY 
REAL PROLIFERATING COUNTRY OF THE MIDDLE EAST." STAPLETON