Cablegate: Media Reaction Report - Guantanamo - Koran

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 003391

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 - GUANTANAMO - KORAN
DESECRATION - NEWSWEEK REPORT UZBEKISTAN - INTERNATIONAL
REACTIONS DARFUR - NATO
PARIS - WEDNESDAY, MAY 18, 2005

(A) SUBJECTS COVERED IN TODAY'S REPORT:

1. GUANTANAMO - KORAN DESECRATION - NEWSWEEK REPORT
2. UZBEKISTAN - INTERNATIONAL REACTIONS
3. DARFUR - NATO

B) SUMMARY OF COVERAGE:

THE REFERENDUM ON THE EU CONSTITUTION CONTINUES TO BE A LEAD
STORY. PM RAFFARIN'S TELEVISED APPEAL LAST EVENING IN FAVOR OF
THE `YES' IS FRONT-PAGED IN LE FIGARO WHILE LE MONDE CARRIES
THE RESULTS OF THE LATEST POLL WHICH INDICATE THAT THE `NO' IS
ONCE AGAIN IN THE LEAD WITH 53 PERCENT. LIBERATION REPORTS ON
SQUABBLES WITHIN FRENCH FAMILIES DIVIDED OVER THE VOTE, USING
THE MITTERRAND FAMILY AS AN EXAMPLE. IN OTHER EUROPEAN NEWS,
BRUSSELS'S DECISION TO THREATEN CHINA WITH TEXTILE QUOTAS IS
WIDELY REPORTED AND THE U.S. IS COMMENDED FOR ITS QUICK
RESPONSE. SAYS ENRI EMMANUELLI, A SOCIALIST PARLIAMENTARY
REPRESENTATIVE IN FAVOR OF THE `NO' VOTE: "LOOK HOW RIDICULOUS
WE ARE. THE U.S. AND TURKEY DECIDED TO IMPOSE QUOTAS IN JUST
EIGHT DAYS. IN EUROPE OUR LEADERS ARE THINKING AND WRITING
ABOUT WHETHER AN INQUIRY IS NECESSARY." IN ITS EDITORIAL LE
FIGARO COMMENTS: "AFTER THE U.S. , EUROPE. EVEN IF CHINA IS
CALLING THE MEASURES `TREASON.' IF THERE IS ONE COUNTRY THAT
PROFITS FROM GLOBALIZATION IT IS CHINA. THESE SAFEGUARDS ARE
INDEED NECESSARY. BUT OTHERS IN OTHER SECTORS ARE JUST AS
NEEDED. FURTHERMORE, ONLY A RE-EVALUATION OF THE YUAN CAN
HELP. BUT BEIJING IS NOT EAGER TO TRAVEL THAT ROAD. CLEARLY
CHINA IS NOT READY TO EVOLVE. AND CERTAINLY NOT UNDER
PRESSURE."

TWO MAJOR INTERNATIONAL STORIES ARE WIDELY COVERED: THE
CONTROVERSY OVER ALLEGATIONS ABOUT THE DESECRATION OF THE
KORAN IN GUANTANAMO AND INTERNATIONAL REACTIONS TO
UZBEKISTAN'S DEMONSTRATIONS AND KARAMOV'S SUBSEQUENT
REPRISALS. (SEE PART C)

THE SITUATION IN DARFUR AND NATO'S POSSIBLE INVOLVEMENT IS
REPORTED IN LE FIGARO (SEE PART C) WHICH ALSO ANSWERS THE
QUESTION OF WHETHER EU DEFENSE WOULD BE SUBORDINATE TO NATO,
AS PART OF A SERIES ABOUT THE EU CONSTITUTION: ALEXANDRINE
BOUILHET'S ANSWER IS `NO.' "FAR FROM SUBORDINATING EUROPEAN
DEFENCE TO NATO OF WHICH IT IS TODAY A COMPONENT, THE
CONSTITUTION WOULD PROMOTE A MORE AUTONOMOUS AND AMBITIOUS
DEFENCE POLICY WHILE PRESERVING TIES WITH THE U.S."
(C) SUPPORTING TEXT/BLOCK QUOTES:

GUANTANAMO - KORAN DESECRATION - NEWSWEEK REPORT

"THE RUMOR FROM GUANTANAMO"
DOMINIQUE QUINIO IN CATHOLIC LA CROIX (05/18): "VERY LITTLE IS
NEEDED TO SPARK ANTI-AMERICANISM IN MANY COUNTRIES.
DESECRATION OF THE KORAN IS NOT `LITTLE.' IN MATTERS OF
TORTURE, THERE ARE ACTS OF PHYSICAL VIOLENCE, AND ACTS WHICH
ARE PSYCHOLOGICALLY DESTRUCTIVE. THEY HURT THOSE WHO ARE
SUBMITTED TO THEM, AND DEBASE THOSE WHO COMMIT THEM. DID THE
AMERICANS COMMIT SUCH ACTS? THIS IS WHAT NEWSWEEK SAID. THE
RUMOR, WHICH WAS ALREADY BEING CIRCULATED AMONG FORMER
PRISONERS, HAS SPARKED SERIOUS DEMONSTRATIONS IN AFGHANISTAN.
AMERICAN OFFICIALS, CONCERNED ABOUT AMERICA'S IMAGE BEING ONCE
AGAIN TARNISHED IN MUSLIM PUBLIC OPINION, DENIED NEWSWEEK'S
ALLEGATIONS AND NEWSWEEK HAS RETRACTED. BUT THE HARM IS DONE.
ANGER IS SPREADING IN THE MUSLIM WORLD. WE MUST ALSO WONDER
ABOUT NEWSWEEK'S EXECUTIVES WHO DID NOT MEASURE THE
CONSEQUENCES OF PUBLISHING SUCH STORIES. IN GUANTANAMO, A
PLACE WHERE THERE IS NO LAW, THE LACK OF TRANSPARENCY THAT
SURROUNDS THE PRISONERS' CONDITIONS OF DETENTION OPENS THE
DOOR TO ALL SORTS OF RUMORS AND PROPAGANDA. AND ALLOWS EVERY
DOUBT TO EXIST. TRUTH OR LIES? AMERICA'S DEFENSE OF DEMOCRACY
WHICH IT WANTS TO PROMOTE EVERYWHERE IS SINGULARLY WEAKENED."

"THE U.S. PRESS ON THE BENCH OF THE ACCUSED"
JEAN-LOUIS TURLIN IN RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE FIGARO (05/18): "IS
THE PEN MIGHTIER THAN THE SWORD? TRUE OR FALSE, THE
`INFORMATION' CAME FROM A SINGLE SOURCE, AN ANONYMOUS `U.S.
OFFICIAL.' DETAILS OF THE CONTROVERSY OVER NEWSWEEK'S
REVELATIONS TAKES NOTHING AWAY FROM THE FACT THAT SUCH
INCIDENTS COULD HAVE TAKEN PLACE; THE MAGAZINE IS NOT THE
FIRST TO HAVE REPORTED CASES OF DESECRATION OF THE KORAN.
FURTHERMORE, NEWSWEEK GAVE AN ADVANCE COPY OF ITS ARTICLE TO
THE PENTAGON, WHICH DID NOT CRITICIZE THAT PARTICULAR ASPECT
OF THE ARTICLE."

"AN S.O.B. ."
PIERRE MARCELLE IN LEFT-OF-CENTER LIBERATION (05/18): "THE
PENTAGON'S WAY OF MAKING NEWSWEEK AND THE U.S. PRESS IN
GENERAL RESPONSIBLE FOR ITS DISASTROUS HANDLING OF IRAQ AND
AFGHANISTAN IS MUCH LIKE PATTON'S TANKS. ON MONDAY A PENTAGON
OFFICIAL ALLEGEDLY CALLED NEWSWEEK'S INFORMANT `AN S.O.B.' ALL
U.S. OFFICIALS, FROM THE PENTAGON TO THE WHITE HOUSE HAVE
QUICKLY GIVEN IN TO THE TEMPTATION OF MAKING NEWSWEEK AND THE
U.S. PRESS RESPONSIBLE FOR TOO MANY OF THEIR BLUNDERS, FROM
ABU GHARAIB TO GUANTANAMO. SEVERAL PREVIOUS REPORTS FROM
GAUNTANAMO PRISONERS WHICH TEND TO GIVE CREDIT TO NEWSWEEK'S
REPORT DO NOT SEEM TO HAVE TROUBLED THESE OFFICIALS."

UZBEKISTAN - INTERNATIONAL REACTIONS

"OF REBELS AND TYRANTS"
PATRICK SABATIER IN LEFT-OF-CENTER LIBERATION (05/18):
"UZBEKISTAN IS FAR AND ITS FATE APPEARS DISCONNECTED FROM
EUROPE'S CONCERNS. WRONGLY, BECAUSE IT IS THE MOST POPULATED
COUNTRY IN CENTRAL ASIA AND THE KEYSTONE OF A DANGEROUS
REGION. RUSSIA, CHINA, INDIA, TURKEY, IRAN, THE ARAB-MUSLIM
WORLD, BUT ALSO THE U.S. ARE FIGHTING FOR INFLUENCE IN THE
LATEST ROUND OF THE GREAT GAME. KARIMOV IS A TYRANT, BUT HIS
ENEMIES, ISLAMIC RADICALS LINKED TO THE TALIBAN AND BIN
LADEN'S NETWORK, ARE JUST AS BAD. YET THE TYRANT CAN COUNT ON
NON-INTERFERENCE FROM ALL THOSE WHO ARE AT WAR AGAINST ISLAMIC
TERRORISM: CHINA, RUSSIA, AND THE U.S. NO ONE WILL HEAR BUSH
CALL FOR A DEMOCRATIC CRUSADE IN TASHKENT. HE DOES NOT WANT A
REVOLUTION SIMILAR TO THE ONES IN GEORGIA, UKRAINE OR
KIRGHIZSTAN. IT IS PROBABLY BECAUSE, LIKE ROOSEVELT WHEN HE
SPOKE OF STALIN, BUSH NO DOUBT THINKS KARIMOV IS `AN S.O.B.
BUT HE IS OUR S.O.B.' IN THIS GREAT GAME, CYNICISM MAY SEEM
LIKE A TRUMP CARD. BUT ONLY UNTIL THE TYRANT FALLS, TOPPLED BY
THE REBELS WHO WILL THEN TURN AGAINST THOSE WHO STOOD BY
IDLE."

DARFUR - NATO

"NATO READY TO INTERVENE `VERY QUICKLY'"
ALEXANDRINE BOUILHET IN RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE FIGARO (05/18):
"FOR THE FIRST TIME IN THE HISTORY OF NATO, THIS INSTITUTION
COULD SET FOOT IN BLACK AFRICA. THE REQUEST MADE BY THE
PRESIDENT OF THE AFRICAN UNION IS PROOF THAT THE AU HAS FAILED
IN DARFUR. NATO'S INVOLVEMENT ON THE AFRICAN CONTINENT, WHICH
WOULD ONLY INVOLVE LOGISTICAL SUPPORT BUT NO DEPLOYMENT OF
WESTERN TROOPS, IS A CONTROVERSIAL TOPIC IN AFRICA. AND IN
SPITE OF NATO'S ASSURANCES, NATO'S INTERVENTION IN AFRICA
CONTINUES TO UPSET FRENCH AND EUROPEAN SENSITIVITIES. FM
BARNIER REITERATED THAT `NATO WAS NOT THE SHERIFF OF THE
WORLD' BUT HE HAS BEEN UNABLE TO STOP THE ANGLO-SAXON TSUNAMI
IN AFRICA. FRANCE WILL TRY, AS IT DID WITH NATO'S INTERVENTION
IN IRAQ, TO REDUCE NATO'S VISIBILITY IN SUDAN WHILE BOOSTING
THE ROLE OF THE EU. BUT THIS TIME FRANCE HAS DECIDED NOT TO
TURN DARFUR INTO A SOURCE OF CONFLICT WITH WASHINGTON." WOLFF

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