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Cablegate: Media Reaction Report - Global Economy: Price of Oil

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 005767

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 - GLOBAL ECONOMY: PRICE OF OIL
UN REFORM
PARIS - FRIDAY, AUGUST 26, 2005


(A) SUBJECTS COVERED IN TODAY'S REPORT:

GLOBAL ECONOMY: PRICE OF OIL
UN REFORM

B) SUMMARY OF COVERAGE:

SEVERAL STORIES DOMINATE TODAY'S FRONT PAGES: THE RISING PRICE
OF OIL AND ITS EFFECT ON THE LOCAL ECONOMY, THE THREATS OF
AVIAN FLU AND THE ANNOUNCEMENT BY TRANSPORTATION MINISTER
DOMINIQUE PERBEN THAT A "BLACK LIST" OF UNSAFE AIRLINES WILL
BE AVAILABLE IN FRANCE NEXT WEEK.

THE ECONOMIC PRESS AND POPULAR LE PARISIEN LEAD WITH THE HIGH
COST OF OIL. THE EDITORIAL IN LES ECHOS IS TITLED "LIVING WITH
HIGH OIL PRICES" WHILE LA TRIBUNE HEADLINES: "HIGH OIL PRICES
PENALIZE WORLD MARKETS." (SEE PART C)

IRAQ AND THE POSTPONEMENT OF THE CONSTITUTION ARE FACTUALLY
REPORTED, WHILE LE FIGARO DEVOTES A MAJOR ARTICLE TO COLOMBIAN
MERCENARIES BEING RECRUITED FROM LATIN AMERICA THROUGH THE
INTERNET TO SERVE IN IRAQ.

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LEFT-OF-CENTER LIBERATION DEVOTES ITS LEAD TO THE WORLDWIDE
THREAT OF AVIAN FLU AND ASKS ON ITS FRONT PAGE: "SHOULD WE
WORRY?" THE ANSWER IN THE EDITORIAL IS CLEARLY THAT "ALTHOUGH
THERE IS NO IMMEDIATE THREAT, PROTECTIVE MEASURES ARE
NECESSARY, BUT NOT ONLY IN RICH COUNTRIES."

UN REFORM AND THE "U.S. STRONG ARMING ATTEMPTS" ARE THE BASIS
FOR A REPORT IN LE FIGARO WHICH COMMENTS: "THE 750 AMENDMENTS
PROPOSED BY JOHN BOLTON EXPLICITLY AIM TO TAILOR THE
INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION TO MEET AMERICAN INTERESTS." (SEE
PART C)

THE MIDDLE EAST AND THE ISRAELI DISENGAGEMENT FROM GAZA ELICIT
AN OP-ED BY JAVIER SOLANA IN LE FIGARO AND AN INTERVIEW WITH
MAHMUD ABBAS IN LIBERATION. SOLANA WRITES: "THE EUROPEAN UNION
IS FULLY READY TO TAKE ON THE ROLE OF THIRD PARTY IN THE
REGION AS FAR AS BORDER CONTROL IS CONCERNED, IF REQUESTED BY
BOTH SIDES. THIS ROLE OF UMPIRE WILL CONTRIBUTE TO FACILITATE
THE FREE CIRCULATION OF GOODS AND PEOPLE BETWEEN GAZA AND THE
REST OF THE WORLD. THE EU'S EFFORT IN TERMS OF COORDINATION
WITH THE U.S. AND THE QUARTET MARKS ITS DESIRE TO BE MORE THAN
JUST SUPPORTIVE. WE ARE READY TO INTENSIFY OUR INVOLVEMENT."

INTERVIEWED IN LIBERATION, MAHMOUD ABBAS SAYS: "SETTLEMENTS IN
THE WEST BANK ARE ILLEGAL. WE MUST DISCUSS THE FUTURE OF THE
WEST BANK WITH THE ISRAELIS THROUGH THE U.S., BECAUSE THE
AMERICANS HAVE DEMONSTRATED THEIR DETERMINATION TO SEE A
FREEZING OF THE SETTLEMENTS. THIS IS WHAT PRESIDENT BUSH SAID.
WE MUST OF COURSE SPEAK WITH THE ISRAELIS, BUT THE PRESSURE
WILL HAVE TO COME FROM THE U.S. AND EUROPE. THE EGYPTIANS AND
THE AMERICANS WILL BE HELPING US IN THE RECONSTRUCTION. WE
ALREADY HAVE THE ASSURANCE OF THE U.S."

(C) SUPPORTING TEXT/BLOCK QUOTES:

GLOBAL ECONOMY: PRICE OF OIL

"LIVING WITH THE HIGH COST OF OIL"
JEAN-MARC VITTORI IN RIGHT-OF-CENTER LES ECHOS (08/26): "WITH
THE BARREL OF OIL CLOSE TO 70 DOLLARS, IT IS NO LONGER
POSSIBLE TO HIDE ONE'S HEAD IN THE SAND. WORLD MARKETS ARE
BEGINNING TO FEEL THE CRUNCH AND SO ARE THE ECONOMIES. THE
COUNTRIES REGISTERING ECONOMIC GROWTH ARE GOING TO SLOWDOWN.
THIS IS TRUE FOR ASIA. THOSE WITH A SLOWER GROWTH, LIKE
EUROPE, ARE SEEING THEIR HOPES OF BETTER DAYS EVAPORATE.
CONSUMERS ARE PAYING MORE FOR GAS, AND COMPANIES, WHOSE COSTS
ARE INCREASING, CANNOT AFFORD TO PASS THEM ON TO THE
BELEAGUERED CONSUMER. WE MUST REACT. WHAT ARE THE OPTIONS FOR
FRANCE? THERE ARE A NUMBER OF MEASURES THAT CAN BE TAKEN; MANY
OF THEN MUST BE GOVERNMENT INITIATIVES. ENERGY ISSUES CANNOT
BE LEFT TO THE MARKETS. THOSE WHO HAVE DOUBTS ABOUT THIS CAN
LOOK BEYOND OUR BORDERS: IN WASHINGTON, BEIJING AND MOSCOW,
ENERGY IS A HIGH LEVEL STRATEGY ISSUE."

UN REFORM

"U.S. STRONG ARMING ATTEMPTS"
ALAIN BARLUET IN RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE FIGARO (08/26): "BEFORE
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY ON UN REFORM, WASHINGTON HAS ALREADY SET
ITS CONDITIONS. THE U.S. INITIATIVE IS DESCRIBED IN A
CONFIDENTIAL DOCUMENT WHICH THE NEW U.S. AMBASSADOR, JOHN

SIPDIS
BOLTON, HAS STARTED CIRCULATING, PROPOSING 750 AMENDMENTS AND
CLEARLY INDICATING WASHINGTON'S PRIORITIES FOR THE `NEW UN.'
AT THE HEAD OF THE LIST IS THE U.S. PREOCCUPATION WITH THE
FIGHT AGAINST TERRORISM. THE OBJECTIVE IS TO ERASE ANY TRACE
OF AMBIGUITY BETWEEN TERRORIST ACTIONS AND ARMED RESISTANCE
MOVEMENTS. ANOTHER AMERICAN PRIORITY IS THE REPLACEMENT OF THE
HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION, WHICH HAS RECENTLY BEEN DISCREDITED,
WITH PERMANENT MEMBERS WHO HAVE DEMONSTRATED THAT THEY ARE
GOOD STUDENTS OF DEMOCRACY. THE U.S. EXPLICITLY WANTS THE UN
TO CONFORM TO ALL THINGS PERTAINING TO U.S. INTERESTS. THE
`BOLTON AMENDMENTS' SUGGEST THAT ANY MENTION OF THE FIGHT
AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE SHOULD BE OMITTED. WITH A STROKE OF THE
PEN THE AMERICANS ARE CROSSING OUT THE OBJECTIVES OF THE
MILLENNIUM ACCOUNT. INSTEAD OF THE FIGHT AGAINST POVERTY THEY
WANT TO PUT THE ACCENT ON LIBERALIZING ECONOMIES. THESE
PROPOSALS ARE SURE TO RAISE OPPOSITION FROM POOR COUNTRIES.
SAYS A UN SOURCE: `THIS IS TRULY A STRONG ARMING TACTIC. FOR
THE AMERICANS, THE RULE IS MAKE OR BREAK.' WHILE THE BOLTON
AMENDMENTS ARE NOT A COMPLETE SURPRISE. THE NEGOTIATIONS, WITH
THREE WEEKS TO GO BEFORE THE OPENING OF THE SUMMIT, ARE AKIN
TO A MISSION IMPOSSIBLE. OR A SINKING OF THE REFORM PLANS.
`NEGOTIATIONS WILL BE VERY, VERY DIFFICULT' SAYS A UN
AMBASSADOR." HOFMANN

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