Cablegate: Media Reaction Report - Middle East Iraq State Of

This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PARIS 000683

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR INR/R/MR; IIP/RW; IIP/RNY (FRANK); BBG/VOA; IIP/WEU;
AF/PA; EUR/WE (DEBORAH MENNUTI)/P/SP; D/C (MCCOO); EUR/PA
(BERBENA); INR/P; INR/EUC; PM; OSC ISA FOR ILN; NEA; WHITE
HOUSE FOR NSC/WEUROPE; DOC FOR ITA/EUR/FR AND PASS USTR/PA
(ANN LUZZATO); USINCEUR FOR PAO; NATO/PA; MOSCOW/PA; ROME/PA;
BRUSSELS/PA; USVIENNA FOR USDEL OSCE.

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OPRC KMDR FR
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION REPORT - MIDDLE EAST IRAQ STATE OF
THE UNION
PARIS - THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 03, 2005

(A) SUBJECTS COVERED IN TODAY'S REPORT:

1. MIDDLE EAST
2. IRAQ
3. STATE OF THE UNION

B) SUMMARY OF COVERAGE:

FRONT PAGES ARE FOR THE MOST PART DEVOTED TO THE POPE'S HEALTH
AND TO DOMESTIC STORIES, EXCEPT FOR LEFT-OF-CENTER LIBERATION
WHICH DEVOTES ITS LEAD TO THE ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN CONFLICT AND
THE FEBRUARY 8 SUMMIT: "TRUCE AT THE SUMMIT." THE EDITORIAL IS
TITLED "BROKEN TABOOS." (SEE PART C)

BECAUSE OF THE TIME DIFFERENCE, REPORTS ON THE STATE OF THE
UNION ARE MOSTLY PROJECTIONS ABOUT WHAT THE PRESIDENT WILL BE
TALKING ABOUT, EXCEPT FOR RADIO FRANCE INTER WHICH CARRIED A
COMMENTARY BY BERNARD GUETTA TITLED "THE NEW BUSH." (SEE PART
C) THE REPORT IN RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE FIGARO IS TITLED
"PRESIDENT BUSH'S MAJOR ORALS" WHILE LEFT-OF-CENTER LIBERATION
TITLES ITS REPORT "BUSH EXPLAINS HIS STRATEGY FOR A BETTER
WORLD." BOTH ARTICLES STRESS THAT "TRANSATLANTIC RELATIONS ARE
ON THE MEND" AND NOTE SECRETARY RICE'S TRIP AND MAJOR POLICY
SPEECH IN PARIS NEXT WEEK. IN LEFT-OF-CENTER LIBERATION PASCAL
RICHE COMMENTS: "THE PRESIDENT KNOWS HE NEEDS TO IMPROVE HIS
IMAGE AND WILL TRY TO PRESENT AMERICAN VALUES AND MESSAGES IN
A BETTER LIGHT."

THE IRAQI ELECTIONS AND THE FUTURE OF IRAQ CONTINUE TO ELICIT
COMMENTARIES, PARTICULARLY FROM THE WEEKLY MAGAZINES. IN RIGHT-
OF-CENTER LE POINT NICOLAS BAVAREZ CONTENDS THAT THE ELECTIONS
"HAVE IN NO WAY LIFTED THE CONTRADICTIONS RAISED BY THE U.S.
INTERVENTION." (SEE PART C) IN LEFT-OF-CENTER LE NOUVEL
OBSERVATEUR JEAN DANIEL THINKS THAT "WHILE THE ELECTIONS WERE
AN UNDENIABLE POLITICAL VICTORY FOR PRESIDENT BUSH, THEY MAY
IN THE NEAR FUTURE LEAD TO PASSING THE IRAQI PROBLEM OVER TO
THE EUROPEANS."

(C) SUPPORTING TEXT/BLOCK QUOTES:

MIDDLE EAST

"BROKEN TABOOS"
PATRICK SABATIER IN LEFT-OF-CENTER LIBERATION (02/03): "IT MAY
NOT BE PEACE OR A TRUCE YET, JUST A MOMENT OF DECREASED
TENSION. BUT IN THE MIDDLE EAST WORDS CARRY THEIR OWN WEIGHT.
THIS DECREASE OF TENSION IS A HUGE PROGRESS, AND THE ANNOUNCED
SUMMIT A NEW REASON NOT TO LOSE HOPE, HELPED ALONG BY TWO
NEWLY BROKEN TABOOS. THE FIRST BROKEN BY SHARON WITH HIS
WITHDRAWAL PLAN FROM GAZA. THE SECOND BY ABBAS WHEN HE SAID
THAT THE ARMED INTIFADA WAS A FAILURE AND THAT A RETURN TO A
POLITICAL SOLUTION WAS NEEDED. THE CHANCE FOR A TRUCE LIES NOW
WITH THESE TWO MEN. THE PIECES OF THE PUZZLE ARE SLOWLY
FALLING INTO PLACE FOR PEACE, AS THE NEW U.S. SECRETARY OF
STATE SAID. BUT EVERYONE MUST PLAY ITS PART. THE U.S., THE EU
AND ISRAEL'S ARAB NEIGHBORS MUST GRASP WHAT EVERYONE IS
CALLING A HISTORIC OPPORTUNITY AND ACT WITHOUT HESITATION TO
CONCRETIZE THIS OPPORTUNITY."

"MIDDLE EAST: THE TEST"
JOSEPH LIMAGNE IN REGIONAL OUEST FRANCE (02/03): "FOR THE PAST
FEW WEEKS, WASHINGTON HAS TRIED TO RE-ENFORCE ITS TIES WITH
ITS ALLIES, STARTING WITH THE LESS DOCILE AMONG THEM. DURING
HER TOUR OF EUROPE AND THE MIDDLE EAST, CONDOLEEZZA RICE WILL
PUT PARTICULAR EMPHASIS ON THREE OF HER STOPS: GERMANY, TURKEY
AND FRANCE, THREE ATLANTIC ALLIANCE COUNTRIES WHICH HAD
REFUSED THEIR HELP IN THE AMERICAN WAR IN IRAQ. IT IS NO
COINCIDENCE THAT SHE WILL BE GIVING HER SOLE SPEECH ON
RELATIONS BETWEEN EUROPE AND THE U.S. IN PARIS. EVERYTHING
SEEMS TO INDICATE THAT ON THIS SIDE OF THE ATLANTIC THE SAME
SPIRIT PREVAILS. IF HE KNOWS HOW TO GRASP THIS OPPORTUNITY,
PRESIDENT BUSH WILL GIVE HIS SECOND TERM AN ASPECT WHICH IS
VERY DIFFERENT FROM HIS FIRST. NOTHING WILL ENHANCE HIS
INTERNATIONAL IMAGE AS MUCH AS A DECISIVE AND CONCERTED
CONTRIBUTION TO THE IMPLEMENTATION OF PEACE IN THE MIDDLE EAST
CONFLICT."

IRAQ

"EURO-AMERICAN RECONCILIATION"
THOMAS DE ROCHECHOUART IN POPULAR RIGHT-OF-CENTER FRANCE SOIR
(02/03): "RELATIONS BETWEEN THE U.S. AND A LARGE NUMBER OF ITS
PARTNERS SEEM TO HAVE IMPROVED SINCE LAST WEEKEND. THE IRAQI
ELECTIONS SEEM TO HAVE WORKED LIKE A DETONATOR, WITH THE
GERMANS AND THE FRENCH APPARENTLY SET ON HELPING THE U.S. IN
IRAQ, JUST AS SECRETARY RICE BEGINS HER TRIP ABROAD."

"IRAQ AND DISENGAGEMENT"
NICOLAS BAVAREZ IN RIGHT-OF-CENTER WEEKLY LE POINT (02/03):
"THE IRAQI ELECTIONS ARE GIVING THE U.S. THE OPPORTUNITY TO
PROCLAIM A POLITICAL VICTORY WHICH, BY THE SAME TOKEN, IS
HELPING TO HIDE A FAILURE IN STRATEGY. THE IMPOSSIBLE EQUATION
REMAINS BETWEEN AN IMPOSSIBLE VICTORY, AN UNACCEPTABLE
WITHDRAWAL, AN INEVITABLE AND PROLONGED OCCUPATION AND AN
IMPOSSIBLE QUAGMIRE. FAR FROM LEADING IRAQ TO FREEDOM, THE
ELECTIONS ARE OPENING THE DOOR TO A CIVIL WAR. NONE OF THE
CONTRADICTIONS INHERENT TO THE AMERICAN INTERVENTION HAVE BEEN
LIFTED BY THE ELECTIONS, WHICH HAVE ESTABLISHED AN IMPROBABLE
COALITION BETWEEN IRAQI NATIONALISM AND ISLAMIC FANATICISM.
THE HERALDING OF THE ELECTIONS AS A MAJOR VICTORY IS PART OF
THE U.S. PLAN TO PREPARE AND JUSTIFY A DISENGAGEMENT."

STATE OF THE UNION

"THE NEW BUSH"
BERNARD GUETTA ON GOVERNMENT-RUN FRANCE INTER RADIO (02/03):
"BUSH IS NO LONGER EXACTLY THE SAME MAN. HE WILL BE A LESS
DIFFICULT ALLY FOR EUROPE, WHICH HE HAS NOW LEARNED TO CALL
THE EUROPEAN UNION. IN MATTERS OF FOREIGN POLICY BUSH IS
SOFTENING THE ANGLES. LIBERTY, WHICH IN HIS INAUGURAL SPEECH
BECAME A RHETORICAL LEITMOTIF THAT ELICITED CONCERNS ABOUT NEW
MILITARY ADVENTURES, TURNED OUT IN THE SOTU TO BE A `GUIDING
IDEAL' AND A CENTRAL GOAL OF AMERICA'S DIPLOMACY, BUT NOT AN
IMMEDIATE WAR OBJECTIVE." LEACH

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