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Cablegate: Media Reaction Report - Cia Report - Wolfowitz

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 002175

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; BRUSSELS/PA; USVIENNA FOR USDEL OSCE.

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OPRC KMDR FR
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION REPORT - CIA REPORT - WOLFOWITZ
APPOINTMENT
PARIS - FRIDAY, APRIL 01, 2005


(A) SUBJECTS COVERED IN TODAY'S REPORT:

1. CIA REPORT
2. WOLFOWITZ APPOINTMENT

(B) SUMMARY OF COVERAGE:

FRONT PAGES TODAY ARE DOMINATED BY DOMESTIC STORIES RANGING
FROM FRANCE'S RISING UNEMPLOYMENT LEVEL TO NICOLAS SARKOZY'S
TAKING ANOTHER STEP TOWARD A PRESIDENTIAL BID IN 2007.
SARKOZY, DURING A TELEVISED INTERVIEW YESTERDAY ON STATE-RUN
FRANCE 2, STATED THAT IT SHOULD BE POSSIBLE IN 2007 TO HAVE
SEVERAL UMP (HIS AND PRESIDENT CHIRAC'S PARTY) CANDIDATES ON
THE TICKET.

THE INDEPENDENT COMMISSION'S REPORT OF CIA FAILURES CONCERNING
THE PRESENCE OF WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION IN IRAQ IS WIDELY
REPORTED. CALLING THE CIA THE "CENTRAL INCOMPETENCE AGENCY,"
POPULAR RIGHT-OF-CENTER FRANCE SOIR HEADLINES: "THE CIA WAS
DEAD WRONG ON IRAQ." (SEE PART C)

THE WORLD BANK BOARD'S UNANIMOUS VOTE FOR PAUL WOLFOWITZ TO
BECOME THE NEW HEAD OF THE INSTITUTION PROMPTS COMMENTARIES IN
THE PRINT AND ELECTRONIC MEDIA. LEFT-OF-CENTER LIBERATION'S
WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENTS INTERVIEWED WORLD BANK EMPLOYEES WHO
TEND TO SEE THIS APPOINTMENT AS THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION'S WAY
OF "INFILTRATING" THE WORLD BANK AND DECRY THE "GUILTY
ACCEPTANCE" OF THE NOMINATION ON THE PART OF EUROPE. (SEE PART
C)

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LEFT-OF-CENTER LE MONDE CARRIES A FULL-PAGE BOOK REVIEW OF
"THE NEW AMERICAN NATIONALISM" BY BRITISH JOURNALIST ANATOL
LIEVEN. LE MONDE'S ALAIN FRANCHON PRAISES THE BOOK'S CLEAR
EXPLANATION OF THE PERCEPTION THAT THE U.S. IS "A ARROGANT,
BRUTAL AND SCORNFUL OF OTHERS."

(C) SUPPORTING TEXT/BLOCK QUOTES:

CIA REPORT

"THE MISTAKES OF AMERICAN SPIES STIGMATIZED IN A REPORT"
WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENTS FOR RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE FIGARO OPINED
(04/01): "AMERICAN SPIES HAD NO CLUE THAT SEPTEMBER 11, 2001
WAS LOOMING, THEY WERE WRONG ABOUT THE WEAPONS OF MASS
DESTRUCTION THAT SADDAM HUSSEIN WAS SUPPOSED TO HAVE, WILL
THEY SHOW THE SAME LEVEL OF INCOMPETENCE WITH REGARD TO THE
IRANIAN AND NORTH KOREAN NUCLEAR ARSENALS? THIS IS THE
QUESTION THAT WE READ IN BETWEEN THE LINES OF THE 600-PAGE
REPORT SUBMITTED YESTERDAY TO PRESIDENT BUSH.

"CIA: CENTRAL INCOMPETENCE AGENCY"
THOMAS DE ROCHECHOUART IN POPULAR RIGHT-OF-CENTER FRANCE SOIR
(04/01): "CIA: THESE THREE LETTERS SYMBOLIZE THE POWER AND THE
MIGHT OF THE U.S.. AND TO A CERTAIN EXTENT ITS INVINCIBILITY.
BUT IN THE REPORT THAT WAS SUBMITTED YESTERDAY TO GEORGE W.
BUSH, THE SPIES BEAR MORE RESEMBLANCE TO INSPECTOR GADGET THAN
TO THE SPIES IN JOHN LE CARRE OR TOM CLANCY'S NOVELS. WHAT
EXPLANATION CAN BE FOUND FOR THIS ENORMOUS BLUNDER. WHICH IS
NOT THE AGENCY'S FIRST IF WE TAKE INTO ACCOUNT SEPTEMBER 11?
AMERICAN INTELLIGENCE APPEARS TO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR TWO MAJOR
CRISES THAT HAVE HAD INTERNATIONAL REPERCUSSIONS AND
DESTABILIZED THE PLANET OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS."

WOLFOWITZ APPOINTMENT

DOMINIQUE BROMBERGER TOLD LISTENERS LAST NIGHT ON STATE-RUN
FRANCE INTER RADIO (03/31): "HE IS CONSIDERED TO BE THE MAIN
IDEOLOGUE OF AMERICAN FOREIGN POLICY. HE IS WITHOUT A DOUBT
THE INSPIRATION FOR THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION'S
UNILATERALISM, CONVINCED THAT WHAT IS GOOD FOR AMERICA IS GOOD
FOR THE REST OF THE WORLD. THE CONCERN IS THAT PAUL WOLFOWITZ
AT THE HEAD OF THE WORLD BANK WILL FAVOR DEVELOPING NATIONS
THAT ARE ACCOMMODATING TO WASHINGTON AND MAYBE FIND NEW
CONTRACTS FOR COMPANIES WITH WHICH HE HAS CLOSE TIES SUCH AS
HALLIBURTON AND BECHTEL. ONLY EUROPE, IF IT HAD SHOWN THE
COURAGE, COULD HAVE OPPOSED THIS NOMINATION. IN THIS CASE
AGAIN, WE ARE RIDICULED AND SHAMED. NOTWITHSTANDING, PAUL
WOLFOWITZ'S APPOINTMENT IS FURTHER PROOF OF THE EVOLUTION OF
AMERICAN DIPLOMACY. SOME OF THE MOST HARD-LINE HAWKS,
WOLFOWITZ, BOLTON AND FEITH, HAVE BEEN REMOVED FROM THE CENTER
OF POWER AND PLACED WITHIN INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS. SINCE
UNILATERALISM HAS SHOWN ITS LIMITATIONS, THE ADMINISTRATION IS
NOW ATTEMPTING ACTIVE MULTILATERALISM, THAT IS TO SAY, THANKS
TO AMERICAN FINANCIAL, POLITICAL AND MILITARY POWER, THE U.S.
IS AIMING FOR RESULTS WITHIN THE INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
THAT SERVE IT."

"GEORGE BUSH PLACES PAUL WOLFOWITZ AT THE HEAD OF THE WORLD
BANK"
PIERRE-YVES DUGUA IN RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE FIGARO (04/01): "MANY
OBSERVERS IN WASHINGTON BELIEVE THAT THE CHOICE OF PAUL
WOLFOWITZ. WAS DICTATED BY SECRETARY OF STATE CONDOLEEZZA RICE
TO INDIRECTLY REMOVE THIS HAWK FROM THE PRESIDENT'S CIRCLE OF
INFLUENCE. IN EUROPE, WOLFOWITZ WHO WAS A FORMER U.S.
AMBASSADOR TO INDONESIA, WHO FOR FOUR YEARS MANAGED A 400
BILLION DOLLAR BUDGET AT THE PENTAGON, IS SEEN AS A CAPABLE
LEADER FOR AN ORGANIZATION THAT REGROUPS 184 COUNTRIES. THE
IMPRESSION, HOWEVER, THAT IT IS THE RICH COUNTRIES THAT HOLD
ALL OF THE POWER WITHIN THE WORLD'S VARIOUS MULTILATERAL
ORGANIZATIONS WITHOUT CONSULTING WITH THE POOR COUNTRIES, IS
REINFORCED WITH THIS APPOINTMENT." LEACH

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