Cablegate: Media Reaction Report - President Bush and U.S.

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 005480

SIPDIS

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E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OPRC KMDR FR
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION REPORT - PRESIDENT BUSH AND U.S.
POLICY - IRAQ - MIDDLE EAST MIDDLE EAST - GAZA PULLOUT
PARIS - FRIDAY, AUGUST 12, 2005

(A) SUBJECTS COVERED IN TODAY'S REPORT:

PRESIDENT BUSH AND U.S. POLICY - IRAQ - MIDDLE EAST
MIDDLE EAST - GAZA PULLOUT

B) SUMMARY OF COVERAGE:

CATHOLIC LA CROIX DEVOTES ITS LEAD AND EDITORIAL STORY TO THE
GAZA PULLOUT, NOTING "THE COURAGE OF SHARON AND THE SETTLERS"
WHICH IN TURN FORCES THE PALESTINIANS TO "SHOW THE SAME
COURAGE" IF PEACE IS TO BE EXPECTED. LEFT-OF-CENTER LIBERATION
CARRIES AN OP-ED BY RENOWNED WRITER MAREK HALTER WHO CALLS FOR
"SECULAR REALISTS" TO TAKE OVER ON BOTH SIDES "FROM RELIGIOUS
EXTREMISTS" IN ORDER TO INSURE PEACE. IN RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE
FIGARO AMERICAN STUDIES EXPERT AT THE SORBONNE ANDRE KASPI
PENS AN OP-ED ON THE LONG-LASTING AND "SPECIAL" RELATIONSHIP
THAT BINDS THE U.S. AND ISRAEL. (SEE PART C)

LEFT-OF-CENTER LE MONDE HEADLINES: "IRAQ: GEORGE BUSH AND
AMERICA'S DOUBTS." INSIDE, CORRESPONDENT CORINE LESNES REPORTS
ON THE INCREASING NUMBER OF U.S. CASUALTIES IN IRAQ AND ON THE
LATEST U.S. POLLS ON AMERICAN SUPPORT FOR THE IRAQI
INTERVENTION. HER ARTICLE NOTES PRESIDENT BUSH'S CONFAB AT HIS
TEXAS RANCH WITH SECRETARIES RICE AND RUMSFELD. LESNES ALSO
REPORTS ON GUANTANAMO AND A U.S. MILITARY PLAN AIMING TO EMPTY
THE PRISON OF ABOUT HALF OF ITS DETAINEES.

IN A FRONT-PAGE ARTICLE RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE FIGARO REPORTS ON
THE JIHADIST THREAT MADE IN FRENCH ON AL-ARABIYA TELEVISION:
"WESTERN INTELLIGENCE SERVICES ARE CONCERNED BY THESE CALLS
MADE BY A GENERATION OF `JIHADISTS' BORN IN THE WEST (GREAT
BRITAIN, FRANCE, THE NETHERLANDS.) PARIS WOULD VERY MUCH LIKE
TO IDENTIFY ONE OF THESE MEN WHO COULD BE A FRENCH CITIZEN."

(C) SUPPORTING TEXT/BLOCK QUOTES:

PRESIDENT BUSH AND U.S. POLICY - IRAQ - MIDDLE EAST

"PRESIDENT BUSH'S CRUCIAL SUMMER"
PIERRE ROUSSELIN IN RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE FIGARO (08/12): "WITH
HIS POPULARITY RATINGS AT THEIR LOWEST, PRESIDENT BUSH KNOWS
HOW MUCH IS RIDING ON HIS POLICIES THIS SUMMER. AT THE TOP OF
THE LIST THERE IS THE MIDDLE EAST AND THE GAZA PULLOUT.
PRESIDENT BUSH AND ARIEL SHARON ARE HAND IN HAND IN THIS
PERILOUS ADVENTURE. IT IS IN BUSH'S BEST INTEREST THAT THE
PULLOUT BE SUCCESSFUL. IRAQ IS ALSO IN A DECISIVE PHASE. THE
DEADLINE FOR THE CONSTITUTION IS SET FOR MONDAY. AND IN SPITE
OF THE SERIOUS QUESTIONS STILL UNANSWERED, THE BUSH
ADMINISTRATION CONTINUES TO THINK THAT THE DEADLINE WILL BE
MET. FOR BUSH, A COMPROMISE THAT WOULD SATISFY THE SHIITES,
THE SUNNIS AND THE KURDS WOULD BE A BEAUTIFUL SUCCESS. THAT
WOULD GIVE SUBSTANCE TO THE GENEROUS IDEA OF `DEMOCRATIZING'
THE ARAB WORLD. CONVERSELY, FAILURE ON THE CONSTITUTION WOULD
MAKE THINGS WORSE FOR THE U.S. AND ITS COALITION ALLIES.
PUBLIC OPINION IN THE U.S. IS INCREASINGLY SHOWING
DISSATISFACTION WITH THE WAR. FOR PRESIDENT BUSH THE LATEST
POLLS INDICATE THAT THERE IS A WORRISOME EROSION OF POPULAR
SUPPORT FOR HIS POLICIES. AS HIS SECOND TERM PROGRESSES, IT
WILL BECOME HARDER AND HARDER FOR THE PRESIDENT TO BOUNCE BACK
IN SPITE A GOOD ECONOMIC INDICATORS. THE HARD-LINE POSITIONS
ADOPTED BY IRAN AND NORTH KOREA ARE NOT EXTRANEOUS TO THIS
LOSS OF PUBLIC SUPPORT. TO REGAIN SOME OF THE LOST LUSTER THE
PRESIDENT IS IN DIRE NEED OF GOOD NEWS."

MIDDLE EAST - GAZA PULLOUT

"COURAGE"
FRANCOIS ERNENWEIN IN CATHOLIC LA CROIX (08/12): "THE PULLOUT
FROM GAZA COLLIDES WITH THE MYTHICAL TALE OF GREATER ISRAEL.
FOR SOME SETTLERS, SHARON'S PRAGMATIC CHOICE IS ALSO A TRAGIC
LOSS. WE MUST NOT TURN OUR BACKS ON THEIR FEELINGS OF SADNESS.
FOR THE SETTLERS, SHARING WILL REQUIRE COURAGE AND TIME.
SHARON'S COURAGE LIES IN THE RISK HE HAS TAKEN FOR A CHANCE TO
A COMPROMISE. IT IS NOW THE PALESTINIANS' TURN TO SHOW
COURAGE. FOR THEM, GAZA LOOKS VERY MUCH LIKE A POISONED GIFT.
THE ISRAELI PULLOUT IMPLIES ASSUMING CERTAIN RESPONSIBILITIES
FOR THE PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY. TENSION BETWEEN PRAGMATISM AND
FUNDAMENTALISM IS NOT A MONOPOLY OF ISRAEL. IT IS ALSO AT THE
HEART OF THE PALESTINIAN PROBLEM, WHICH HAS BEEN WEAKENING
ABBAS'S AUTHORITY. AND THIS IS WHERE SHARON HAS BEEN AT HIS
CRAFTIEST: THE COURAGE HE HAS IMPOSED ON HIMSELF IS THE SAME
COURAGE HE IS NOW DEMANDING FROM THE SETTLERS BUT WILL ALSO
DEMAND TOMORROW FROM HIS PALESTINIAN COUNTERPART."

"U.S.- ISRAEL: A VERY SPECIAL RELATIONSHIP"
ANDRE KASPI OF THE SORBONNE UNIVERSITY IN RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE
FIGARO (08/12): "PRESIDENT BUSH HAS SINCE THE START OF HIS
SECOND TERM TAKEN ON MORE RESPONSIBILITY IN THE MIDDLE EAST
CONFLICT. THE COMING DAYS WILL BE DECISIVE FOR THE MIDDLE EAST
AND WILL RE-ENFORCE EVEN MORE THE U.S. ROLE IN THAT REGION.
THE U.S. WILL HELP THE PALESTINIANS BUILD A DEMOCRATIC STATE
BUT WILL ASK MORE OF THEM. THE U.S. WILL HAVE ITS SAY ON THE
SECURITY FENCE AND ON THE STATUS OF JERUSALEM. IN SHORT, IT
WILL NOT BE ISRAEL THAT WILL DICTATE ITS VISION OF PEACE TO
THE U.S. ISRAEL IS A FAITHFUL ALLY OF THE U.S., NOT ALWAYS
AMENABLE, NOT ALWAYS DOCILE, BUT IT IS NOT A VASSAL. IT
PREFERS TO HANDLE ITS OWN SECURITY. BUT IT CANNOT SURVIVE
WITHOUT AMERICA'S MATERIAL, POLITICAL AND IDEOLOGICAL AID. THE
U.S. FOR ITS PART WANTS TO SAFEGUARD ITS FRIENDSHIPS AND
INTERESTS IN THE ARAB-MUSLIM WORLD. HENCE THE VERY SPECIAL
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE U.S. AND ISRAEL, WHICH DOES NOT
PRECLUDE DIVERGENCES AND TEMPORARY TENSION. THE RELATIONSHIP
IS AND WILL REMAIN ASYMMETRICAL. IT POSSESSES NEVERTHELESS AN
UNDENIABLE PRICELESS QUALITY: IT IS LONG-LASTING." HOFMANN

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