Cablegate: Media Reaction Report - North Korea Missile Tests

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 004651

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.

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OPRC KMDR FR
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION REPORT - North Korea Missile Tests
GWOT - London Bombing Anniversary
PARIS - Friday, July 07, 2006

(A) SUBJECTS COVERED IN TODAY'S REPORT:

North Korea Missile Tests
GWOT - London Bombing Anniversary

(B) SUMMARY OF COVERAGE:

The looming World Cup final, pitting France against Italy, continues
to dominate headlines and front pages with the economic dailies
analyzing the positive effects that the World Cup victories have on
the economy and on growth in France.

The lead international story is highlighted on the front page of
right-of-center Le Figaro: "North Korea Threatens Again." The inside
story notes, "Kim Jong Il... is ignoring China and openly defying
the U.S." Valerie Niquet, Director of the Asia Center at IFRI
(French Institute on International Relations) pens an op-ed in Le
Figaro entitled "The North Korean missile tests point to the
weakness of the regime." Privately-run TF1 television briefly
mentioned that North Korea has officially acknowledged the tests and
threatens to use force if the international community tries to
prevent it from carrying out further tests. (See Part C)

Right-of-center Le Figaro reports that "Teheran arrives empty-handed
in Brussels" for the discussions on its nuclear program which are to
begin on July 11. "Javier Solana, can at the least, be pleased by
the fact that he was able to persuade the Iranian negotiator to come
to Brussels... The repeated cancellations give the impression that
Teheran is continuing to try to play for time." A separate piece in
Le Figaro notes IAEA head Mohamed El Baradei's visit to Ankara to
persuade the Turkish government to intervene in negotiations with
Iran on its nuclear program "because of Turkey's geographic and
religious closeness with Iran... The meeting between El Baradei and
the Turkish FM is scheduled for today... It is well-timed because
the latter has just returned from meeting in Washington with
Condoleezza Rice and is heading for Teheran for a summit meeting."

Dominique Quinio writes an editorial on the front page of Catholic
La Croix in which she outlines "Britannic Resistance" to Islamist
extremism. Quinio notes that although the UK faced international
scrutiny for supporting the U.S. in Afghanistan and in Iraq, the
London bombings last July originated from within. All of the suicide
bombers were assimilated into British life as "students, workers,
neighbors, or friends." Quinio highlights the unwillingness of the
UK in general and PM Tony Blair in particular to bend either to fear
or to the extremist clerics' prophecies. "It is by displaying its
fundamental values, and by teaching them in schools, that Britain
will resist." (See Part C)

Agence France Presse wire service reports its staff has counted CIA
rendition flights in Europe since 2001, and it provides a per
country count. France allegedly received 28 such flights. Germany
allegedly received 316.

Economic right-of-center Les Echos' correspondent in New York looks
at the proposed merger of General Motors with Nissan-Renault. He
doesn't see Carlos Ghosn saving General Motors in the same way he
saved Nissan. GM suffers different problems and doesn't require
massive recapitalization. General Motors has cash flow woes, to be
sure, but its really problem is the retirement and health benefits
for its employees. "GM above all needs time. The most cynical
believe that the group must pass the time until its generations of
retirees die. Realists remark that GM must above all progressively
reduce the size of its industrial tool" so it can deal with its
declining sales in the domestic market.

(C) SUPPORTING TEXT/BLOCK QUOTES:

North Korea Missile Tests

"The White House is Looking for a Way to Counter"
Philippe Gelie in right-of-center Le Figaro (07/07): "In George W.
Bush's first State of the Union speech in 2002, he had promised to
prevent the most dangerous regimes on Earth from using the most
dangerous weapons on Earth. Four years and two wars later, he is
rather embarrassed when it comes to facing the moment of truth. In
spite of what is at stake, with regard to international security and
the U.S.'s credibility... the American president has very few
options left. Washington's hopes, after the North Korean missile
tests lay with the unity of the international community and the
influence that Beijing, running out of patience, would have
vis-`-vis Pyongyang... But this unity is visibly shattered and the
American government is looking for another way out - beyond
diplomacy... But the memory of the Korean war that claimed the lives
of one million people between 1950 and 1953 weighs heavily on any
inclination for invasion or even preventive strikes that would lead
to an escalation of the situation. The other solution is the
anti-missile shield in which the U.S. has invested over 100 billion
dollars over the last twenty years but that is still not 100 percent
operational."

"Intimidation"
Gerard Noel writes in regional La Liberte de l'Est (07/07): "Whether
concerning Iran or North Korea, the prevailing sentiment is that the
international community is powerless to react to the multiple
provocations from these dictatorships that see threats and blackmail
as part of the panoply of petty diplomacy. It could almost be funny
is the two regimes in question were not waving the use of nuclear
weapons like so many red flags before the world's great powers. That
weapons of this kind are in the hands of the vilest despots such as
Kim Jong Il is terrifying... and not to be taken lightly. In the
end, North Korea's intimidation tactics have no other goal than to
try to push Washington to be forced to normalize relations. But the
latter is disinclined to negotiate directly with this 'rogue state'
and more prone to re-establishing order through the use of force."

GWOT - London Bombing Anniversary

"British Resistance"
The editorial by Dominique Quinio in Catholic La Croix (07/07): "The
reasons for the feeling of injustice among the Muslim community,
whether they are founded or not, have not been erased. The extent of
this sentiment was felt during the issue of the Mohamed caricatures.
The conflicts in Afghanistan and the Middle East have been
exacerbated, and the fight against terrorism has sometimes seemed
careless with Human Rights (for example Guantanamo) fueling
resentment and promoting a radical form of Islam." STAPLETON

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