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 004302
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 - IRAN ELECTIONS INTERNATIONAL
TERRORISM - GUANTANAMO - IRAQ HOSTAGES EU ISSUES - EU
ENLARGEMENT - TURKEY
PARIS - FRIDAY, JUNE 17, 2005
(A) SUBJECTS COVERED IN TODAY'S REPORT:
1. IRAN ELECTIONS
2. INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM - GUANTANAMO - IRAQ HOSTAGES
3. EU ISSUES - EU ENLARGEMENT - TURKEY
B) SUMMARY OF COVERAGE:
THE ELECTIONS IN IRAN ARE ONE OF TODAY'S LEAD INTERNATIONAL
STORIES. LE FIGARO EMPHASIZES ON ITS FRONT PAGE THE CENTRAL
ROLE PLAYED BY RELATIONS WITH THE U.S. IN THE CAMPAIGN: "IRAN
VOTES FOR A THAWING WITH AMERICA." RELATED STORIES REPORT THAT
IRANIAN YOUTH WANTS TO BOYCOTT THE ELECTIONS AND THAT THE
IRANIANS IN GENERAL WANT CHANGE. THE EDITORIAL IN LIBERATION,
TITLED "NUANCES," NOTES "IT IS NOT EASY GOING FROM `MOLLAH-
CRACY' TO DEMOCRACY.(SEE PART C)
THE VISIT OF ATTORNEY GENERAL GONZALEZ TO BRUSSELS IS AMPLY
REPORTED IN LE MONDE, WHICH INSISTS ON "THE CONCILIATORY TONE"
OF ATTORNEY GENERAL GONZALES. (SEE PART C) THE REPORT IS
TITLED "U.S. ATTORNEY GENERAL DOES NOT EXCLUDE CLOSING DOWN
GUNATANAMO." ANOTHER LE MONDE STORY IS DEVOTED TO THE TIME
MAGAZINE ARTICLE ON GUANTANAMO AND THE LATEST PENTAGON
RESPONSE: "FACED WITH GROWING CRITICISM, THE U.S.
ADMINISTRATION IS TRYING TO BUILD COUNTER-FIRES. AND FOR THE
FIRST TIME THE PENTAGON HAS TRIED TO JUSTIFY ITS STANCE
THROUGH A COMMUNIQU REVEALING THAT INFORMATION WAS OBTAINED
BY INTERROGATING MOHAMED AL-QAHTANI."
IN LE FIGARO, COMMENTATOR IVAN RIOUFOL WRITES ABOUT THE FRENCH
MEDIA'S REPORTING ON THE RELEASE OF FLORENCE AUBENAS AND ITS
SILENCE ABOUT THE HOSTAGE TAKERS AND THEIR PRACTICES. RIOUFOL
RECALLS THAT THE FRENCH MEDIA WAS LES CIRCUMSPECT WHEN
REPORTING ON ABU-GHARAIB OR GUANTANAMO. (SEE PART C)
THE SECOND MAJOR FRONT-PAGE STORY CONCERNS THE EU SUMMIT AND
PRESIDENT CHIRAC'S STANCE ABOUT EU ENLARGEMENT. LE FIGARO
HEADLINES: "TURKEY: CHIRAC'S CHANGE OF COURSE." REPORTS NOTE
THAT ALTHOUGH HE DOES NOT MENTION TURKEY BY NAME, THE FRENCH
PRESIDENT IS CALLING FOR A REASSESSMENT OF TURKEY'S EU
MEMBERSHIP. (SEE PART C)
THE ECONOMIC PRESS NOTES THAT AIRBUS YESTERDAY PASSED BOEING
IN TERMS OF FIRM AIRCRAFT ORDERS, REGISTERING A TOTAL OF 300
ORDERS AGAINST THE 148 REGISTERED BY BOEING.
LE FIGARO CARRIES A SMALL ITEM CONFIRMING THAT THE U.S. HAS
POSTPONED THE DEADLINE FOR BIOMETRIC PASSPORTS TO OCTOBER
2006.
(C) SUPPORTING TEXT/BLOCK QUOTES:
IRAN ELECTIONS
"BUSH'S AMERICA AT THE HEART OF IRANIAN CAMPAIGN"
GEORGES MALBRUNOT IN RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE FIGARO 906/17): "THE
`GREAT SATAN' HAS MANAGED TO IMPOSE ITSELF IN IRANAN'S
ELECTORAL CAMPAIGN. THREE THIRDS OF IRANIANS, ACCORDING TO
VARIOUS POLLS, ARE FAVORABLE TO A DIALOGUE WITH THE U.S. AND
IN THEIR EYES THE BEST CANDIDATE TO RE-ESTABLISH THOSE TIES IS
RAFSANDJANI. IN THE NEGOTIATIONS ON NUCLEAR ISSUES, WHICH WILL
DETERMINE THE NATURE OF RELATIONS BETWEEN IRAN AND THE WEST,
RAFSANDJANI WAS FINALLY ABLE TO CONVINCE KHAMENEI OF THE NEED
TO TALK WITH THE EUROPEANS. AND IF HE IS ELECTED HE CAN
CONTINUE TO INFLUENCE HIM ON IRANIAN-AMERICAN RELATIONS. IN
THEIR NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE EUROPEANS, THE IRANIANS ARE TRYING
TO NEGOTIATE WITH THE AMERICANS. SAYS A DIPLOMAT: `WHAT THEY
WANT IS U.S. TECHNOLOGY. THE PROBLEM IS THAT THE EUROPEANS
CANNOT DELIVER AND THAT IRAN REJECTS THE SLIGHTEST GESTURE IN
FAVOR OF A DIALOGUE WITH THE AMERICANS.' BUT MANY EXPERTS FEEL
THAT RAPPROCHEMENT WITH THE U.S. CAN ONLY BE OF A `TACTICAL'
NATURE. `FOR BUSH, THE PRIORITY IS FOR IRAN TO EXERCISE ITS
MODERATING INFLUENCE ON IRAQ.'"
"NUANCES"
PATRICK SABATIER IN LEFT-OF-CENTER LIBERATION (06/17): "IT IS
NOT EASY TO GO FROM `MOLLAH-CRACY' TO DEMOCRACY. MANY WILL
BOYCOTT THE ELECTION. BUT THE ELECTION CAN STILL MARK A
TURNING POINT. THE RETURN TO MODERN METHODS OF CAMPAIGNING. IS
ONE SIGN AMONG OTHERS THAT A DEEP AND IRREVERSIBLE MUTATION IS
OCCURRING IN IRANIAN SOCIETY. THIS SPECTACULAR MUTATION OF
IRAN IS DUE TO ONE REASON ONLY: ITS YOUNG PEOPLE. WHICH HAS
EYES ONLY FOR THE WEST. IF THE MULLAHS WANT TO SAVE THEIR
TURBANS, THEY WILL HAVE TO OPEN THEMSELVES TO THE WORLD,
INCLUDING TO THE GREAT AMERICAN SATAN AND ITS LITTLE EUROPEAN
IMPS. IN IRAN, IT MAY BE ONLY A MATTER OF NUANCE BETWEEN
`REFORMERS' AND `CONSERVATIVES,' BUT THE NUANCE CAN MAKE A BIG
DIFFERENCE."
INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM - GUANTANAMO - IRAQ HOSTAGES
"THE FORGOTTEN JAILERS"
IVAN RIOUFOL IN RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE FIGARO (06/17): "THE
MEDIA'S REFUSAL TO CARRY JUDGMENT OVER THE HOSTAGE TAKERS (IN
IRAQ) IS NOT WITHOUT MEANING. THE SAME MEDIA WAS QUICK TO
DENOUNCE THE AMERICAN HUMILIATIONS IMPOSED AT ABU GHARAIB. DID
HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS CRITICIZE THE CONDITIONS OF DETENTION
OF AUBENAS AND HANOUN? THIS SILENCE GOES HAND IN HAND WITH
FRANCE'S RETICENCE TO TAKE THE REAL MEASURE OF ISLAMIC
TERRORISM, WHICH IS TRYING TO STOP THE TIMID PROGRESS OF
DEMOCRATIZATION IN THE MIDDLE EAST. THE RECENT CARNAGE OF
IRAQI CIVILIANS HAS AWAKENED NO EMOTION IN OUR MORALISTS. THEY
PREFER TO CALL THESE ACTS `ACTS OF RESISTANCE.' THIS TYPE OF
ATTITUDE IS ALREADY A FORM OF CAPITULATION IN THE FACE OF THIS
NEW TOTALITARIANISM AND ITS JIHAD LAUNCHED SINCE 9/11. WITH
THE PRETEXT OF NOT WANTING TO HURT THE SENSIBILITY OF THE
JAILERS, THE MEDIA IS GIVING THE IMPRESSION IT IS EXCUSING
THEIR IDEOLOGY AND THEIR PRACTICES OR AT LEAST GRANTING THEM
EXTENUATING CIRCUMSTANCES IN THE NAME OF THEIR FIGHT AGAINST
`THE AMERICAN OCCUPIER.' THIS SURRENDER IS ALREADY A FORM OF
VICTORY FOR ISLAMIC FUNDAMENTALISM."
"ATTORNEY GENERAL DOES NOT PRECLUDE CLOSING GUANTANAMO"
JEAN-PIERRE STOOBANTS IN LEFT-OF-CENTER LE MONDE (06/17): "'WE
WANT TO LISTEN TO OUR FRIENDS AND OUR ALLIES' SAID ALBERTO
GONZALEZ IN BRUSSELS. `WE CONTINUE TO EXAMINE THE SITUATION'
(IN GUANTANAMO) HE ADDED, AND DID NOT EXCLUDE THE POSSIBILITY
OF CLOSING THE CAMP `ONE DAY.' EVERYONE IN BRUSSELS PRAISED
THE POSITIVE BALANCE SHEET OF EU-U.S. COOPERATION SINCE 9/11,
EVEN IF EVERYONE NOTED THAT GUANTANAMO WAS ONE OF THE MAIN
OBSTACLES TO A FULL ANTI-TERRORIST COOPERATION. THE GENERAL
TONE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL, WHO PRAISED THE `EXCELLENT
COOPERATION' BETWEEN THE EU-25 AND THE U.S., WAS CONCILIATORY.
ABOUT FRANCE, HE ALSO PRAISED THE `REMARKABLE LEVEL OF
COOPERATION, IN SPITE OF WHAT SOME MAY THINK.'"
EU ISSUES - EU ENLARGEMENT - TURKEY
"TURKEY: CHIRAC'S CHANGE OF COURSE"
PHILIPPE GOUILLAUD IN RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE FIGARO (06/17):
"YESTERDAY PRESIDENT CHIRAC PUT IN QUESTION EUROPE'S CONTINUED
EXPANSION `WITHOUT THE PROPER INSTITUTIONS TO ALLOW AN
EXPANDED EU TO FUNCTION PROPERLY.' WITHOUT HAVING MENTIONED
TURKEY, THE FRENCH PRESIDENT INSISTED THAT THE `EU
CONSTITUTION WAS ORIGINALLY THOUGHT AS BEING INDISPENSABLE TO
ALLOW THE EXPANDED EU TO FUNCTION PROPERLY.' YET CHIRAC WAS
ONE OF THE PRINCIPAL SUPPORTERS OF TURKEY'S EU MEMBERSHIP,
BRAVING HIS OWN PARTY AND HIS PUBLIC OPINION. CHIRAC AND HIS
PM HAVE DRAWN THE LESSON FROM THE MAY 29 REFERENDUM AND THE
MESSAGE THAT THEIR VOTERS ARE ADAMANTLY OPPOSED TO TURKEY'S
MEMBERSHIP." WOLFF