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Cablegate: Media Reaction Report - Aftermath of Katrina

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

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 PARIS 006046

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 - AFTERMATH OF KATRINA
UN REFORM MIDDLE EAST - IRAQ IRAN
TUESDAY PARIS - WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 07, 2005


(A) SUBJECTS COVERED IN TODAY'S REPORT:

AFTERMATH OF KATRINA
UN REFORM
MIDDLE EAST - IRAQ
IRAN

B) SUMMARY OF COVERAGE:

A WIDE VARIETY OF TOPICS MAKE TODAY'S FRONT PAGES, WITH THE
RISING COST OF OIL AND ITS IMPACT ON EUROPE'S ECONOMIES
LEADING IN LE FIGARO AND LES ECHOS. WHILE LE FIGARO
CONCENTRATES ON THE GOVERNMENT'S TAX REFORMS AIMED AT
ALLEVIATING THE IMPACT OF HIGH PRICES AT THE PUMP AND ON
DOMESTIC FUEL, LES ECHOS REPORTS ON THE OECD CONCLUSIONS:
"WHILE AMERICA'S DYNAMIC ECONOMY WILL NOT SUFFER GREATLY FROM
THE PRESENT OIL CRISIS, THE EURO ZONE WILL SEE ITS RECOVERY
SIGNS `STIFLED' BY THE CRISIS."

THE POLITICAL AND HUMANITARIAN CONSEQUENCES OF KATRINA
CONTINUE TO ELICIT WIDE COMMENTARY. IN LE FIGARO COLUMNIST
ALEXANDRE ADLER WRITES: "IN THE MANAGEMENT OF THE CRISIS, THE
RESPONSIBILITY LIES MORE WITH THE STRUCTURAL FAILINGS OF THE
BUSH ADMINISTRATION THAN WITH PRESIDENT BUSH." LEFT-OF-CENTER
LIBERATION, WHICH TITLES ITS EDITORIAL "COLLATERAL DAMAGE,"
SAYS PRESIDENT BUSH IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE FAILURES OBSERVED
IN NEW ORLEANS, WHILE IN CATHOLIC LA CROIX DOMINIQUE QUINION
ADOPTS A MORE GENEROUS STANCE. (SEE PART C)

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UN REFORM IS ALSO A MAJOR STORY. IN LE FIGARO JEAN-LOUIS
TURLIN REPORTS: "THE UNGA WAS SUPPOSED TO CONFIRM MAJOR
REFORMS. BUT IN THE END, THESE WILL BE REDUCED TO THEIR
MINIMUM. BUSH WILL CONTINUE TO KEEP ANNAN UNDER HIS CONTROL
AND INCREASE U.S. INTERFERENCE IN UN AFFAIRS." LES ECHOS
TITLES ITS REPORT "THE LOST REFORM OF THE UN" AND COMMENTS:
"BEFORE THIS HISTORIC MEETING, THE EUROPEANS WOULD LIKE TO
CONTINUE BELIEVING THAT THE U.S. STILL NEEDS THE UN, EVEN A
WEAKENED UN. EVEN IF THE UN IS THE CENTER OF SEVERE
DISAGREEMENTS BECAUSE OF DIFFERING VISIONS, THE FACT REMAINS
THAT WASHINGTON HAS CONTINUED TO WORK JOINTLY WITH OTHERS AND
TO FIND SOLUTIONS TO CRISES THROUGH COMMON POSITIONS." LES
ECHOS CARRIES AN OP-ED ON UN REFORM TITLED "THE NEW OFFENSIVE
OF AMERICAN DIPLOMACY." (SEE PART C)

FRANCE'S NEW ORIENTATION OF ITS MIDDLE EAST POLICY IS ANALYZED
BY JACQUES HUBERT-RODIER IN CONNECTION WITH FM DOUSTE BLAZY'S
VISIT TO ISRAEL AND THE PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES. (SEE PART C)

LEFT-OF-CENTER LE MONDE CARRIES AN ANALYSIS BY DANIEL VERNET
TITLED "SHOULD WE BE AFRAID OF THE IRANIAN BOMB?" WHICH
CONCLUDES THAT ALTHOUGH IRAN IS FAR FROM HAVING THE BOMB, THIS
SHOULD NOT KEEP THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY FROM STOPPING
IRAN. (SEE PART C)

(C) SUPPORTING TEXT/BLOCK QUOTES:

AFTERMATH OF KATRINA

"COLLATERAL DAMAGE"
GERARD DUPUY IN LEFT-OF-CENTER LIBERATION (09/07): "ALREADY WE
CAN CONCLUDE THAT AMERICA'S PRESTIGE WILL HEAD THE LIST OF
VICTIMS. THERE IS NO DOUBT THAT THE RESPONSIBILITY LIES WITH
PRESIDENT BUSH, WHO HAS CONFIRMED THE WORST CARICATURES: AN
EMPTY HEAD AND A DRY HEART. THE RESCUED ARE TELLING STORIES
EMPHASIZING THE LACK OF HUMANITY SHOWN BY THE SECURITY FORCES
AND THE CONTEMPT FOR VICTIMS WHO CARRIED THE DOUBLE STIGMA OF
BEING BLACK AND POOR. BUSH AND HIS ADVISERS DID NOT SEE WHAT
WAS COMING BECAUSE THEY WERE BLINDED. THE NEO-CONSERVATIVES'
CRUSADE FOR GOOD WAS ALREADY MIRED IN THE SWAMPS OF
MESOPOTAMIA. IT IS NOW CAUGHT IN THE SLUDGE OF THE LOUISIANA
BAYOU."

"DIPLOMACY OF COMPASSION"
DOMINIQUE QUINIO IN CATHOLIC LA CROIX (09/07): "DIPLOMACY AND
POLITICAL DIVERGENCE OF VIEWS ARE NEVER FAR FROM THE GESTURES
OF COMPASSION LIME-LIGHTED IN THE MEDIA. A RESURGENCE OF ANTI-
AMERICAN REFLEXES WERE ALSO NOT FAR. BUT WHILE AMERICA'S
POVERTY AND INEQUALITIES HAVE COME TO THE SURFACE, IT IS A
FACT THAT ANYONE WOULD HAVE EXPERIENCED THE SAME DIFFICULTIES
IN THE RESCUING EFFORTS: THE TERRITORY COVERED BY THE TRAGEDY
IS AS BIG AS HALF OF FRANCE. THE LESSON IS THAT EVEN THE
POWERFUL ARE VULNERABLE. MULTILATERLISM IS HELPFUL IN GOOD
TIMES AND BAD TIMES. BUT MOSTLY IN BAD TIMES."

"AMERICA, THE CRISIS"
ALEXANDRE ADLER IN RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE FIGARO (09/07):
"AMERICA'S ALLIES AND THE SCIENTIFIC COMMUNITY HAVE BEEN
WARNING AMERICA ON THE IMPORTANT MUTATIONS CAUSED BY CLIMATE
CHANGE. URGING THE U.S. TO RATIFY A PROTOCOL CLOSE TO KYOTO.
THE SAME NATION THAT WAS ABLE TO ANNIHILATE THE TALIBAN AND
SADDAM'S IRAQ, PROVED INCAPABLE OF MOBILIZING 20 000 TRUCKS
AND BUSES TO EVACUATE NEW ORLEANS' POOR. HOMELAND SECURITY DID
NOT REACT FOR FOUR DAYS. THIS SLOW REACTIVITY MAKES US WONDER
ABOUT THE ABILITY TO REACT IN THE EVENT OF A CHEMICAL ATTACK
BY THE LIKES OF BIN LADEN. THIS IS WHY BEYOND THE FALSE DEBATE
ABOUT THE PRESIDENT'S LACK OF REACTION, WE MUST ACKNOWLEDGE
THAT THE RESPONSIBILITY LIES NOT WITH THE PRESIDENT, BUT WITH
HIS ADMINISTRATION AND ITS STRUCTURAL FAILINGS."

UN REFORM

"THE NEW OFFENSIVE OF AMERICAN DIPLOMACY"
LAURENCE TUBIANA AND THIERRY GIORDANO IN RIGHT-OF-CENTER LES
ECHOS (09/07): "UN REFORM LOOKS VERY MUCH LIKE AN IMPOSSIBLE
MISSION CONSIDERING THE DEMANDS OF THE U.S. BEYOND THE SUMMIT,
WHAT HAS BECOME APPARENT IS THE MULTILATERAL SYSTEM WHICH THE
U.S. WANTS TO OFFER AS A MODEL FOR THE INTERNATIONAL
COMMUNITY. THE U.S WANTS TO BREAK AWAY FROM THE DOCTRINE OF
GEOGRAPHIC EQUILIBRIUM AND ESTABLISH A SYSTEM OF A CLOSED CLUB
OF NATIONS ABLE TO TAKE AND IMPLEMENT DECISION. ON THE
MILITARY LEVEL, THE NPT IS THE ANSWER. ON THE POLITICAL LEVEL,
IT IS THE CENTRAL POSITION ASSIGNED TO THE UNSC AS OPPOSED TO
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY. BEYOND, THERE WILL BE THE HIERARCHY OF
SOVEREIGN NATIONS ESTABLISHED IN THREE CIRCLES: IN THE FIRST
CIRCLE THE NATIONS HOLDING THE POWER OF DECISION, IN THE
SECOND CIRCLE THE NATIONS THAT FOLLOW GOOD GOVERNANCE, AND
FINALLY THE `FAILED' OR `ROGUE' NATIONS. THE BOLTON AMENDMENTS
REPRESENT THIS VERY COHERENT VISION, AND MUST BE TAKEN
SERIOUSLY. THEY UPSET THE INITIAL UN CONCEPT OF EQUALITY
BETWEEN NATIONS."

MIDDLE EAST - IRAQ

"FRANCE'S NEW MIDDLE EAST POLICY"
JACQUES HUBERT-RODIER IN RIGHT-OF-CENTER LES ECHOS (09/07):
"FRANCE'S OPPOSITION TO THE IRAQI ADVENTURE HAS RE-ENFORCED
ITS POPULARITY IN THE MIDDLE EAST. BUT THIS POPULARITY, WHICH
IS LIKE A DISTORTING LENS OF POWER, IS BUT AN ILLUSION. IN THE
END FRANCE HAD TO ALIGN WITH THE U.S. GIVING A LEGAL FRAMEWORK
TO A FOREIGN PRESENCE IN THE U.S. TWO YEARS AFTER THE START OF
THE CONFLICT, THE LINE ADOPTED BY FRANCE IS NOT AS HARSH.
THERE ARE NO LONGER ANY CALLS FOR THE DEPARTURE OF TROOPS FROM
IRAQ AND AMERICA IS ONCE AGAIN FRANCE'S GREAT FRIEND. IT IS
ALSO TRUE THAT THE U.S. HAS ADAPTED ITS STANCE AND BECOME MORE
HUMBLE. IN LIGHT OF ITS INABILITY TO SECURE IRAQ."

IRAN

"SHOULD WE FEAR THE IRANIAN BOMB?"
DANIEL VERNET IN LEFT-OF-CENTER LE MONDE (09/07): "AT THE
OUTSET, THE AMERICANS WERE SKEPTICAL ABOUT THE EU 3 DIPLOMATIC
EFFORT, THEY WERE EVEN SUSPICIOUS. LATER, FOR LACK OF A
POLITICAL ALTERNATIVE, THEY GAVE THEIR SUPPORT, ALBEIT
DISTANT, CONVINCED THAT THE APPROACH WOULD FAIL. THE WEST
AGREES THAT IRAN MUST BE KEPT FROM PRODUCING THE A BOMB. BUT
DOES IRAN REALLY INTEND ON BECOMING A NUCLEAR POWER? AND DOES
IT HAVE THE CAPABILITIES? THE NON PROLIFERATION TREATY WAS
IMPLEMENTED BY THE AMERICANS AND THE SOVIETS TO MAINTAIN THEIR
MONOPOLY. AND TO KEEP THE GERMANS FROM ACQUIRING IT. DE GAULLE
USED THE SAME RHETORIC IRAN IS USING WHEN HE EXPLAINED WHY
FRANCE WAS ACQUIRING THE BOMB. IS PROLIFERATION AN EVIL IN
ITSELF? THIS IS A WIDELY SHARED BELIEF, WHICH IS ALSO LARGELY
CONTESTED. DETERRENCE HAS WORKED FOR YEARS, AND SOME SAY THAT
IF INDIA AND PAKISTAN HAVE NOT ENTERED INTO A CONFLICT IT IS
BECAUSE EACH HAS NUCLEAR WEAPONS. FAR FROM BEING A
DESTABILIZING FACTOR, THE NUCLEAR CAN SERVE AS AN ELEMENT OF
STABILITY, IF NOT AS A GUARANTEE. STILL, NUCLEAR DETERRENCE IS
A GAME THAT DEMANDS FEW PLAYERS. THE DANGER COMES NOT SO MUCH
FROM THE TECHNOLOGY BUT FROM THE NATURE OF THE REGIME THAT
MASTERS IT. THIS IS TRUE FOR IRAN AND FOR NORTH KOREA."
STAPLETON

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