Cablegate: Media Reaction Report - President Bush - 9/11 - Iraq Middle

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Lucia A Keegan 09/12/2006 05:38:37 PM From DB/Inbox: Lucia A Keegan

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SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION REPORT - President Bush - 9/11 - Iraq Middle
East - Iran - Gaza - Lebanon
PARIS - Tuesday, September 12, 2006

(A) SUBJECTS COVERED IN TODAY'S REPORT:

President Bush - 9/11 - Iraq
Middle East - Iran - Gaza - Lebanon

B) SUMMARY OF COVERAGE:

Afternoon paper Le Monde yesterday headlined "Bush Stumped by Al
Qaida's Challenges." The editorial harps on "President Bush's
Errors," namely the war in Iraq, and concludes that "for the past
five years, the U.S. has been pushing the world towards a clash
between civilizations." For today's Le Figaro, "President Bush Is
Politicizing 9/11" while Liberation echoes the thought in an article
whose title is a quote from the President's speech: "There is still
an enemy over there..." For Le Figaro's Washington correspondent
Philippe Gelie, "President Bush Wants to Turn the War in Iraq into
an Electoral Asset." Yesterday the editorial in regional Les
Dernieres Nouvelles d'Alsace was entitled "[We Are] All
Americans..." Olivier Picard faults President Bush for "having
triggered a new wave of anti-Americanism" but says "the time has
come to stop the caricaturing: President Bush is not America..."
(See Part C)

This morning FR2 mentioned President Bush's speech from the White
House. For the journalist, "his policy is not expected to change.
He will continue to pursue the terrorists until he finds them." For
Radio Europe 1, President Bush continued using "his martial tone" in
his speech.

Le Figaro carries an op-ed by former Assistant Secretary of Defense
Richard Perle entitled "The Day the Europeans Abandoned Us" as part
of a series on the post 9/11 situation, terrorism, fundamentalism
and the 'Greater Middle East.' Perle accuses the Europeans of
"preferring thought to action and the status quo to democratic
progress."

The Middle East is back as a lead international story. The hope for
an agreement between Fatah and Hamas leads Le Figaro's editorialist
to say "that a government of national unity in Gaza would satisfy
the conditions set by the international community." La Croix
devotes its lead to Lebanon and the French contingent's mission.
The editorial, entitled "A Mission for Appeasement" comments on "the
chances of renewed talks between Israel and the Palestinians," an
opportunity which "UNIFIL must assist by giving the players peace of
mind on the Lebanese front." (See Part C) Iran's apparent "last
minute turnaround" and its "offer to the West" are analyzed in Le
Figaro. (See Part C)

A two page report in Le Monde cynically entitled "Mission
Accomplished" claims that five years after the American invasion of
Afghanistan "insecurity, murder, kidnappings, corruption, un-kept
promises and renewed Taliban raids are rampant." The journalists
note that the foremost question in most Afghans' minds is "where are
we going?" The journalists underscore the lack of coordination
between the Afghan government and the international community "which
sometimes borders on the absurd."

Domestic stories lead on today's front pages, while Interior
Minister Sarkozy's visit to New York for the 9/11 commemoration
ceremonies, which Le Figaro reports in an article entitled "Sarkozy
Wants to Reassure His 'American' friends," has sparked internal
political dissension leading President Chirac to announce from
Helsinki that "he sent Sarkozy to New York as France's
representative..." For TF1, "this is a new opportunity for Sarkozy
to express his admiration for the Americans." A journalist from FR3
explained that "he is looking for America's approval," adding "he
should be careful because being too close to America is not the best
in France." This morning, Radio Europe 1 mentioned his meeting with
Kofi Annan and reported "his desire to meet President Bush."

(C) SUPPORTING TEXT/BLOCK QUOTES:

President Bush - 9/11 - Iraq

"[We Are] All Americans..."
Olivier Picard in regional Les Dernieres Nouvelles d'Alsace (09/11):
"Like five years ago, on this 9/11 we are all New Yorkers... But
we also want to say we are all Americans... without any complexes
and even if it is no longer politically correct to say so... The
commemoration ceremonies for 9/11 bring us closer to an ambivalent
America which, on other occasions, frightens us... 9/11, 2001 was
the beginning of a cold spell in Franco-American relations... The
differences on how to respond separated Washington from Paris until
the spectacular divorce over the war in Iraq. This was more than
just a diplomatic quarrel. It was a profound incomprehension
between two perceptions of a new and more uncertain world... The
war strategy and the bellicose arrogance of the American President
triggered a new wave of anti-Americanism, as sterile as it was
triggered by gut reactions. Time has come to end this caricaturing.
President Bush stands only as a simplistic representation of
America. His imperialistic views... cannot lastingly hide the
generosity, the courage and the strength... of a people that has
much to teach us."

"Bush's Errors"
Le Monde's editorial (09/12): " Since September 11 the world has
changed for the worse. It has become more chaotic, less
clear-cut... Al Qaida's voice has been heard all over the Arab and
Muslim world, and beyond... Al Qaida's success is in part due to
the way in which the Americans chose to retaliate. The first war
waged by Washington met with unanimous support... and compared to
what was to take place later in Iraq, this war was a success. But
after Afghanistan, the Americans made a major mistake. They
attacked Iraq: putting forward two bad reasons to go to war...
Over the course of the last three and a half years the Iraqi
adventure has turned into a nightmare. In Iraq, as elsewhere, the
Bush Administration trampled on a number of American values... The
White House infringed on international law, opened Guantanamo,
authorized the torture of prisoners and restricted civil liberties
in the U.S. After Afghanistan, the US should have concentrated its
energy on al Qaida... It should have been more solicitous of
countries, which, even if they are allies, are at the mercy of
Islamic ideology and maintain networks of support for Jihad - such
as Pakistan and Saudi Arabia. It should have formulated policies
that take into account sentiments of victimization in the Muslim
world... In the last five years, the US has pushed the world
towards the clash of civilizations wanted by al Qaida."

"President Bush Wants to Turn the War in Iraq into an Electoral
Asset."
Philippe Gelie in right-of-center Le Figaro (09/12): "Despite the
fact that Iraq is, including in President Bush's judgment, one of
his presidency's greatest failures, he wants to use Iraq as an
electoral asset. Meanwhile, the Democrats hope to defeat him
because of the Iraqi quagmire... In his speeches President Bush
amalgamates 'fighting terrorism' and the war against a country which
had nothing to do with 9/11... The President is betting on his
image of 'President of war' in the mid term elections... This is a
risky wager, but he does have some trump cards up his sleeve...
including attacks against the Democrats for being 'defeatocrats...'
The weakness in President Bush's strategy resides in the fact that
in 2004, the deciding factor was the public's confidence in a final
victory."

"President Bush: 'There's Still an Enemy Over There..."
Philippe Grangereau in left-of-center Liberation (09/12):
"President Bush has every intention of playing on American's
patriotism to strengthen the Republican Party. On Sunday, Vice
President Cheney opened the hostilities accusing the Democrats of no
less than playing into the hands of the terrorists... Without any
qualms he also admitted that had he known Iraq had no WMD, he would
still have opted for invading Iraq..."

Middle East - Iran - Gaza - Lebanon

"Hope in Gaza"
Pierre Rousselin in right-of-center Le Figaro (09/12): "The forming
of a government of national unity in Gaza is a preamble to regaining
control of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict... Hamas has finally
understood that it will profit from its electoral victory only if it
takes into account the international context and shares power...
For the past six months the international community has implemented
a policy of the worst... One year after the Israeli pullout from
Gaza, seen then as a historic move, Israel's neighbor is sinking
into anarchy and extremist factions are dominating... The Lebanese
war has demonstrated the impasse of the situation... The agreement
between Fatah and Hamas in view of creating of government of
national unity brings a glimmer of hope... And even if Hamas
retains its extremist stance, the Palestinian government, albeit
with the participation of Hamas, would satisfy the conditions set by
the international community... Of course Corporal Shalit must be
released in the framework of an exchange of prisoners... Both
Olmert and Mahmoud Abbas are in favor of this... If this scenario
were to be implemented, the international community must support it
without reservation... For the Palestinians it is the only way to
stop the chaos. For Israel it is the only means of giving Olmert's
government a second wind after the controversial war with Lebanon."

"Iran Tries to Coax the West"
Maurin Picard in right-of-center Le Figaro (09/12): "The scenario is
familiar: for the past four years every time Iran feels sanctions
are about to be imposed, the regime begins by arguing and posturing,
but in the end it makes concessions. Since Sunday there is a rumor
that Tehran may be ready to give up its uranium enrichment program,
temporarily, opening the door to negotiations with the P5+1... The
information was revealed by European diplomats after weekend
negotiations in Vienna... Although Tehran has not confirmed the
information, it would seem Iran is ready to give in, as long as
there is 'no apparent pressure...' Meanwhile, the international
community remains divided about whether or not to pursue
negotiations with Iran's envoy and seems unable to choose between
the carrot and the stick. Led by Nicholas Burns, U.S. diplomacy is
forcefully attempting to wrap up the draft resolution on
sanctions."

"A Mission for Appeasement"
Dominique Quinio in Catholic La Croix (09/12): "No peacekeeping
mission is peaceful. It is always seen by the various sides as a
hindrance to their own strategy... and at times it is perceived as a
foreign 'occupation.' The civilian populations are the only ones to
welcome a quieting of the arms... The soldiers fear the numerous
demands made on them and the risks incurred when multinational
forces come face to face with armed militia, such as Lebanon's
Hezbollah, which shows no inclination to disarm... The chances of
renewed talks between Israel and the Palestinians are an opportunity
which UNIFIL must assist by giving the players peace of mind on the
Lebanese front. Progress cannot be made in the region unless the
dialogue between Israelis and Palestinians resumes. UNIFIL's
success would be to create the conditions for this to be possible."
HOFMANN

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