Cablegate: Media Reaction Report - Middle East - Gaza

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 005619

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 - MIDDLE EAST - GAZA
DISENGAGEMENT IRAQ
PARIS - MONDAY, AUGUST 22, 2005

(A) SUBJECTS COVERED IN TODAY'S REPORT:

MIDDLE EAST - GAZA DISENGAGEMENT
IRAQ

B) SUMMARY OF COVERAGE:

TODAY'S LEAD STORY FOR MOST DAILIES IS THE END OF THE WORLD
YOUTH DAYS, FOCUSING ON POPE BENEDICT XVI, HIS VISIT TO
COLOGNE AND HIS FINAL REMARKS. FOR LE FIGARO THE FESTIVAL
MARKS THE CONSECRATION OF THE NEW POPE, WHILE LIBERATION PUTS
THE EMPHASIS ON THE POPE'S CALL TO A RETURN TO TRUE RELIGION
AS OPPOSED TO RELIGION AS A "CONSUMER PRODUCT." CATHOLIC LA
CROIX, LIKE LE FIGARO DEVOTES ITS LEAD TO THE "SUCCESS" OF THE
POPE'S FIRST TRIP ABROAD, TO HIS NATIVE COUNTRY, "WHERE HE HAD
NOTEWORTHY MEETINGS WITH MUSLIM AND JEWISH OFFICIALS."

IN INTERNATIONAL NEWS, ISRAEL'S DISENGAGEMENT FROM GAZA AND
IRAQ'S CONSTITUTION ARE MAJOR STORIES. IN WEEKLY L'EXPRESS
EDITORIALIST DENIS JEAMBAR CALLS SHARON'S GESTURE "EXEMPLARY"
WHILE LE FIGARO'S REPORT EMPHASIZES THE COMPLEXITIES OF
COEXISTENCE BETWEEN HAMAS AND ABBAS. (SEE PART C) IN IRAQ, THE
LAST STRETCH TO REACH A CONSENSUS ON THE IRAQI CONSTITUTION
ELICITS A REPORT IN LE FIGARO WHICH INCLUDES CONJECTURE ABOUT
THE U.S HAVING ASKED THE KURDS TO GIVE UP THE IDEA OF SELF
DETERMINATION AS WELL AS WASHINGTON'S ACCEPTANCE "THAT THE LAW
OF CHARIA BE MENTIONED IN THE CONSTITUTION AS `THE PRINCIPAL
SOURCE' OF IRAQ'S LEGISLATION." IN LES ECHOS, JEFFREY SACHS OF
COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY'S EARTH INSTITUTE CALLS ON THE U.S. TO
"LEAVE IRAQ AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. AFTERWARDS THE U.S. WILL BE
ABLE TO USE ITS POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC WEIGHT TO PARTICIPATE
IN THE MANAGEMENT OF A COMPLEX AND DIFFICULT SITUATION THE
U.S. HAS HELPED CREATE." (SEE PART C)

POPULAR RIGHT-OF-CENTER FRANCE SOIR DEVOTES A LARGE PART OF
ITS FRONT PAGE TO GOOGLE EARTH, THE LATEST GOOGLE SOFTWARE
ALLOWING USERS TO HAVE FREE ACCESS TO SATELLITE PICTURES OF
ANY SITE ON THE PLANET. THE HEADLINE READS: "SPYING ON
INTERNET." THE REPORT EXPLAINS WHY THE SOFTWARE HAS THE
"INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY CONCERNED."

(C) SUPPORTING TEXT/BLOCK QUOTES:

MIDDLE EAST - GAZA DISENGAGEMENT

"EXEMPLARY"
DENIS JEAMBAR IN RIGHT-OF-CENTER WEEKLY L'EXPRESS (08/22):
AGAINST ALL ODDS, SHARON HAS PROVED THAT PEACE STILL HAS A
CHANCE IN THE HOTTEST SPOT ON THE PLANET. ONLY A GREAT
DEMOCRATIC NATION ASPIRING TO LIVING IN PEACE AND SECURITY
COULD HAVE LED AN OPERATION WHICH OPENED SUCH OLD AND PAINFUL
WOUNDS. WE MUST RECOGNIZE SHARON'S COURAGE FOR HAVING
DELIVERED WHAT HE PROMISED. THE SKEPTICS WERE WRONG. ARIEL
SHARON HAS MADE A POLITICAL CHOICE WITH AN EXEMPLARY STRENGTH
OF CHARACTER. HE HAS GIVEN A NEW CHANCE TO PEACE. INFLUENCING
ALONG THE WAY THE PALESTINIANS' STRATEGY AND HELPING ABBAS TO
LEAD HIS PEOPLE ON THE ROAD TO PEACE. A TOKEN FOR PEACE HAS
BEEN GIVEN AND YESTERDAY'S WARS ARE NO LONGER INEVITABLE."

"FOR ABBAS, A SUPERFICIAL SUCCESS"
THIERRY OBERLE IN RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE FIGARO (08/22): "ABBAS IS
FILLING THE POLITICAL ARENA IN GAZA. BY ANNOUNCING THE DATE OF
THE NEXT LEGISLATIVE ELECTIONS FOR JANUARY, HE IS ALSO OPENING
A POLITICAL PERSPECTIVE FOR HAMAS IN EXCHANGE FOR THE TRUCE
DURING THE GAZA DISENGAGEMENT. THE MILITARY ARM OF HAMAS HAS
NEVERTHELESS ANNOUNCED THAT IT DOES NOT PLAN TO GIVE UP ITS
ARMED FIGHT AGAINST ISRAELI INCURSIONS. SINCE THE BEGINNING OF
THE ISRAELI DISENGAGEMENT THIS IS THE KIND OF DUEL WHICH HAS
PITTED HAMAS AND THE PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY AGAINST EACH OTHER.
MAHMOUD ABBAS'S SUCCESS IS LARGELY SUPERFICIAL AND VERY MUCH
DEPENDENT ON HAMAS, WHOSE MORE EXTREME MEMBERS DO NOT HESITATE
TO USE FORCE. THE KIDNAPPING OF A FRENCH TELEVISION SOUND
TECHNICIAN IS PROOF THAT THE PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY CANNOT
IMPOSE ORDER AND THAT AUTONOMOUS CLANDESTINE GROUPS ARE
OPERATING OUTSIDE THE KNOWN POLITICAL STRUCTURES."

"IN IRAQ, POLICY, NOT WAR"
JEFFREY SACHS OF THE EARTH INSTITUTE IN RIGHT-OF-CENTER LES
ECHOS: "IN IRAQ, THE U.S. HAS WON THE WAR OF THE SKIES BUT
CANNOT IMPOSE ITSELF ON THE GROUND. WAR IS OFTEN A SIGN THAT
POLITICS HAVE FAILED. EVERY TIME THE U.S. REFUSES TO GIVE A
DATE FOR THE WITHDRAWAL OF ITS TROOPS FROM IRAQ, IT FEEDS THE
INSURRECTION. TOO MANY IRAQIS ARE READY TO DIE IN THEIR FIGHT
AGAINST THE OCCUPIER. NO ONE DOUBTS THE NEED TO FIGHT
TERRORISM. BUT THE WAR IN IRAQ AND HUGE MILITARY SPENDING ARE
SOMETHING ELSE. AMERICANS MUST INVEST IN PEACEFUL DEVELOPMENT
RATHER THAN IN MILITARY BASES IN COUNTRIES THAT ARE BEING
EXPLOITED. THE U.S. MUST WITHDRAW FROM IRAQ. AFTERWARDS, THE
U.S. WILL BE ABLE TO USE ITS POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC WEIGHT TO
PARTICIPATE IN THE MANAGEMENT OF A COMPLEX AND DIFFICULT
SITUATION IT HAS HELPED CREATE." HOFMANN

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