Cablegate: Media Wrap-Up: Iran/Dprk Nuclear Gambit; the West And

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DE RUEHFR #6679/01 2830954
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R 100954Z OCT 06
FM AMEMBASSY PARIS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 2049
INFO RUEHZG/NATO EU COLLECTIVE
RUEHMRE/AMCONSUL MARSEILLE 1356
RUEHSR/AMCONSUL STRASBOURG 0198

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PARIS 006679

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TAGS: PREL KPAO OPRC FR
SUBJECT: MEDIA WRAP-UP: IRAN/DPRK NUCLEAR GAMBIT; THE WEST AND
ISLAM COLLIDE. OCTOBER 6, 2006

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SUMMARY
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1. (SBU) In lieu of daily media reaction reporting, Embassy Paris
offers this report of the week's major international stories. Two
major stories emerged in the first week in October: the nuclear
gambit of North Korea and Iran and questions linked to criticisms of
Islam. Media coverage of Islam and the West overwhelmed most other
stories and continued to fuel a national debate on freedom of
speech, interpretations of religious texts and, more widely, about
Muslim sensitivities which appear to have been exacerbated by
terrorism and an undeclared "clash between civilizations."
President Chirac's call for Turkey to recognize the "Armenian
genocide" was widely debated, but contrary to past reporting, Islam
was not invoked to oppose Turkey's EU membership. Similarly,
comments about Washington's support of Turkey's integration into
Europe was absent from the debate. Washington was, however, harshly
criticized for its Iraq policy in articles which quoted freely from
Bob Woodward's new book. End Summary.

DPRK AND IRANIAN NUCLEAR GAMBIT: DELAYING TACTICS?

2. (SBU) France's prompt rejection of Teheran's proposal that France
participate in a nuclear consortium despite FM Douste-Blazy having
previously courted Iran by referring to it as "an important regional
player" was carried by all media outlets. Left-leaning Liberation
noted that FM Douste-Blazy suggested Iran's offer might be
considered only after Iran suspended its enrichment program. FR3
television, however, showed the FM's spokesman reacting to the
offer: "France is not accepting this deal. Iran must first suspend
its uranium enrichment process, then the international community
halts its sanctions process, then we negotiate." Liberation added
the Iranian offer demonstrated to what extent Tehran counted on
Paris to put an end to the crisis and wondered whether this "was
once again Tehran's way of trying to gain some time and to test the
West, as is its habit, or whether it was indeed serious."

3. (SBU) North Korea's announcement that it was planning a nuclear
test led analysts to once again discuss Pyongyang's motivations in
light of previous efforts to force direct negotiations with the U.S.
Left-leaning Liberation asked whether this was "the latest gamble"
from a regime in dire straits or whether it was "a gesture of
deterrence." The editorial in regional Les Dernieres Nouvelles
d'Alsace similarly stated: "North Korea escapes all logic. This is
why the West is at a loss as to how to interpret this latest
announcement. Is it a form of deterrence? Is it a domestic
message... or is it a call for negotiations in order to get more
food aid in exchange for a new moratorium?" Right-of-center Le
Figaro highlighted China's conundrum: "For China's diplomacy, which
made a serious commitment to Washington and Seoul to bring North
Korea to reason, this incident is a major slap in the face... China
can no longer hide its lack of effectiveness."

ISLAM AND THE WEST, TURKEY AND THE EU

4. (SBU) A wide range of commentaries and interviews followed the
Pope's remarks on Islam, an op-ed by a French High School teacher
now in hiding (following a Fatwah issued after he argued that Islam
promoted violence), and the Berlin Symphony's cancellation of a
Mozart Opera. "Can We Still Criticize Islam?" was the leitmotif for
reporting and analysis this week. Popular daily Le Parisien and
left-leaning Liberation argued that the fallout from these three
incidents demonstrated "the growing tension in Europe over Islam and
its values." For Pascal Riche, of Liberation, such criticism which
was once the prerogative of the far right, has spread to the wider
political spectrum and become more aggressive, and more global
because of terrorism and the rise of a 'radical' Islam. In a
Europe-1 radio interview, philosopher Bernard-Henri Levy was adamant
on the need for distinguishing between Islam and Islamists, but
faulted the proponents of appeasement because they only served to
further silence moderate Muslim voices. The controversy offered
left-leaning thinkers a chance to comment on anti-Americanism in the
Muslim world: "There are more Muslims who are angered by the
aggressive, arrogant and cynical policies of the U.S. than Muslims
who are angry with the West for reasons of religion" according to an
expert in Liberation.

5. (SBU) In the wake of President Chirac's speech in Yerevan
calling for Turkey to recognize the "Armenian genocide,"
commentators speculated that "a new diplomatic tug-of-war between
Paris and Ankara was brewing." While right-of-center Le Figaro's
editorial praised President Chirac "for breaking with a diplomatic
taboo" and "for emphasizing the requirements of European democracy,"
Catholic La Croix deplored Chirac's lone message, and the lack of a

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unified European stance. Former German Foreign Affairs Minister
Joschka Fischer warned in Le Figaro that a rupture in EU/Turkish
relations would be a "strategic error ripe with dangerous
consequences just when the EU needed to preserve its cooperation
with the thriving Islamic nation."

'STATE OF DENIAL' FUELS FRENCH CRITICISM ON IRAQ

6. (SBU) Media reports on Bob Woodward's book provided new
opportunities to rehash the prevalent criticism of U.S. policy in
Iraq among French elites. Left-leaning Liberation commented:
"President Bush is depicted as a President intent on hiding from his
people the gravity of the situation in Iraq and pursuing his policy
of hiding his head in the sand, a stance encouraged by his
entourage." For right-of-center Le Figaro "the novelty of the
allegations in Bob Woodward's latest book is not what is
embarrassing for George W. Bush, it is the repetition of the
allegations... which confirms the already widespread notion that the
Administration is unsure and divided on the strategy to adopt with
regard to Iraq." Left-of-center Le Monde asked on its front page:
"Did Condi Know" adding that "this book marked the first serious
attack on Secretary Rice." Popular daily Le Parisien, which titled
its article "The Book that Kills Bush," illustrated that "the book
proves that Bush and his team committed mistake after mistake in
Iraq and refused to draw the lessons..."
HOFMANN

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