US embassy cable - 05PARIS8397

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 PARIS 008397 
 
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 - WTO Ministerial in Hong Kong 
Iraq Climate Change Conference 
PARIS - Monday, December 12, 2005 
 
(A) SUBJECTS COVERED IN TODAY'S REPORT: 
 
WTO Ministerial in Hong Kong 
Iraq 
Climate Change Conference 
 
B) SUMMARY OF COVERAGE: 
 
Ambassador Stapleton signs an op ed in Saturday's Le Figaro 
entitled: "We Need France in a New Agreement on Trade." "The 
U.S., the EU and other trade partners share a common goal to 
strengthen multilateral trade and economic growth. France, 
which has rightly reaffirmed the importance of 
multilateralism, needs to share in this new cycle. for the 
sake of world prosperity." 
 
The WTO and the Hong Kong Ministerial are today's major front 
page and editorial stories. For Le Figaro as well as 
Liberation, failure is in the cards. An op-ed in Liberation 
points an accusing finger at France and its agricultural 
demands: "What will France get? Our image will be tarnished 
even more and we will be made to pay for this later, in other 
negotiations." (See Part C) Liberation interviews WTO 
Secretary General Pascal Lamy: "We have a 55% chance of 
 
SIPDIS 
succeeding in Hong Kong. The fundamental issue that divides 
WTO members is whether agriculture is an economic activity 
like all others or whether outside factors make it different." 
A poll in Liberation shows that 52 percent of the French fear 
globalization. 
 
The Kyoto protocol and the end of the Montreal conference are 
also a major story. Liberation titles its report: "To keep 
from being isolated, the U.S. promises to negotiate, but makes 
no promises." Le Figaro announces on its front page: "The U.S. 
Does Not Bend in Montreal." Le Monde quotes former President 
Clinton on its front page: "I Like Kyoto." (See Part C) 
 
The tenth anniversary of the Dayton accords elicits several op- 
eds. In Le Figaro, former FM Michel Barnier pens an opinion 
piece stressing that "the Balkans are definitely in Europe" 
while in Liberation writer Sylvie Matton denounces the Dayton- 
Paris accords as "`inept,' like all peace treaties signed 
`under gunfire.'" She faults Richard Halbrooke and points to 
"the collective responsibility of western and UN officials" in 
the genocide of Srebreniza. 
 
Le Figaro reports on the U.S. efforts to train the Iraqi army 
in a story by correspondent Adrien Jaulmes writing from Camp 
India. A report in Le Journal du Dimanche on the French 
hostage Bernard Planche underscores his "taste for American- 
sounding acronyms." According to Le Journal du Dimanche, his 
humanitarian company, Aaccess, has a namesake in Cleveland, 
"but its activities are not related to Iraq and no one in this 
Arab-American association appears to know Planche." Le Journal 
du Dimanche also reports on Kurdistan, "autonomous and far 
from the war, where Christians and Muslims live in peaceful 
cohabitation and where the economy is picking up."  The 
article is entitled "When Peace Reigns in Iraq." Gilles 
Delafon titles his political column "Iraq: for Better or 
Worse." (See Part C) 
 
Communist l'Humanite carries a picture of Angela Davies on its 
front page and a two-page interview inside in connection with 
her latest book, `Abolition Democracy,' and her trip to France 
this week. She discusses the Bush administration and the 
Patriot Act. A side bar notes the L.A. Times article on 
Saturday about a Bill to amend the legislation conferring 
automatic U.S. citizenship to anyone born in the U.S. 
 
In domestic news, a poll in Le Journal du Dimanche shows that 
36% of respondents pick Interior Minister Sarkozy as their 
favorite UMP candidate for the 2007 presidential election, 19 
percent pick Villepin, and only one percent picks Chirac. 
 
(C) SUPPORTING TEXT/BLOCK QUOTES: 
 
WTO Ministerial in Hong Kong 
 
"Threats on Free Trade" 
Nicolas Barre in right-of-center Le Figaro (12/12/): "The 
chances of moving free trade along in Hong Kong are 
practically nil. This failure is doubly worrisome. The 
objectives of the Doha Round were set just after 9/11 and the 
aim was to lift the poorest nations from extreme poverty. The 
urgency resided in fighting resentment through progress. Hence 
the name `development cycle.' Failure in Hong Kong would also 
be terrible news for developed nations. Those who raise the 
specter of free trade have short memories. They have forgotten 
the motto of `trade rather than war' that was used after the 
Second World War against protectionism. Since then, free trade 
has progressed while wars have regressed. There is no need to 
prove the beneficial aspects of open markets. Yet, failure is 
on the horizon. For the U.S., the EU is the perfect fall guy 
with its agricultural subsidies, which are hampering an 
agreement on industrial goods and services. The Europeans for 
their part point a finger at emerging agricultural nations and 
at the U.S., which has everything to gain from the EU 
subsidies' system being dismantled. But it matters little who 
the guilty party is in the end. If Hong Kong fails, everybody 
loses." 
 
"Words and Actions" 
Jean-Michel Helvig in left-of-center Liberation (12/12): 
"Globalization frightens everyone: everyone else's gains is 
seen as a threat. If one adds electoral posturing by a 
minority with a majority impact, it is not surprising to hear 
everyone talking about failure in Hong Kong. The structural 
mechanisms of economic inequalities have been exposed and have 
emphasized the gap between words and actions of wealthy 
nations. The weaker elements in this battle are not totally 
powerless: they have a certain capacity for harm. Progress 
will be impossible unless everyone adapts." 
 
"A Commercial Three-Card Monty" 
Francoise Crouigneau in right-of-center Les Echos (12/12): 
"Hong Kong was supposed to crown five years of negotiations. 
Instead, and at best, it will look like a game of commercial 
three-card Monty with global dimensions. Everyone hopes to 
avoid the worst: a wake for the Doha Round. Once again all 
eyes are on agriculture. The U.S. has made tempting promises 
to reduce its subsidies in order to shift attention on the EU. 
but without any guarantees that they will be adopted in 
Congress. France meanwhile needs to keep its eyes on 
negotiations within negotiations: alongside Hong Kong, there 
is the CAP and the British rebate. The foursome, U.S., EU, 
Brazil and India, is the dominant force. But China is not far 
behind, ready to align with whoever serves best its own 
national interests. One thing is certain: no one will gain 
from a disagreement in Hong Kong. Failure in Hong Kong would 
weaken even more the multilateral dynamic, which is already 
suffering from too many bilateral agreements, and deprive the 
WTO of its credibility. The anti-globalization movement should 
be aware that by shouting `sink the WTO' it is shooting itself 
in the foot. The WTO, while needing to reform, remains the 
only institution able to regulate international trade." 
 
Iraq 
 
"For Better or Worse" 
Gilles Delafon in right-of-center Le Journal du Dimanche 
(12/12): "On Thursday, Iraq will be facing one of the most 
important political tests of its history. The elections will 
determine its future but could also, paradoxically, trigger 
the civil war everyone fears. The stakes are enormous. So much 
so that it is triggering a confrontation between Iraq, Iran 
and the U.S. Serving as background to this confrontation is 
control for the world's largest oil reserves, which are 
located in Shiite dominated regions near Iran. Security issues 
make up the major theme of the elections: suicide attacks are 
on the rise and half a dozen foreigners have been kidnapped in 
the past few days. The new Iraqi army is accused of torturing 
its Sunni prisoners and Shiite candidates are being 
assassinated. Logically, the elections should be won by the 
Islamic pro-Iranian Shiites. The danger lurking is that 
Baghdad will fall into the hands of Tehran's Ayatollahs, thus 
upsetting America's plans. But there is a chance that the 
Islamic Shiites will not succeed, because other alliances, 
such as an alliance between the Kurds, disappointed Shiites 
and secular Sunnis could form. The problem is that such an 
alliance could trigger a different type of unrest. On 
Thursday, the Iraqis will hold the key to their future, for 
better or worse." 
 
Climate Change Conference 
 
"The U.S. Stays on the Outside" 
Caroline Malet in right-of-center Le Figaro (12/12): "The 
surprise end to the Montreal Conference came with the U.S. 
giving its green light to the final text. It is a fact that 
former President Clinton's address was like a thorn in the 
U.S. representatives' side which served to isolate the U.S. a 
little bit more. Clinton deconstructed the Bush 
administration's logic, and came after two previous attacks, 
from the Canadian Prime Minister and from President Chirac. 
Montreal leaves the door ajar for the U.S. to step in." 
 
"Criticism of the U.S. by the U.S." 
Herve Kempf in left-of-center Le Monde (12/12): "The Bush 
administration continues to play its role of bad boy in the 
climate change negotiations. But this attitude, which has been 
isolating Washington, is increasingly being criticized inside 
the U.S. A stunning illustration was given by former President 
Clinton, who tore down each of the Bush administration's 
arguments. With this address, former President Clinton sets 
himself up as the leader of an American movement to fight 
climate change." STAPLETON