Cablegate: Media Reaction Report - Gaza Disengagement, Gwot

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 005026

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 - GAZA DISENGAGEMENT, GWOT
PARIS - WEDNESDAY, JULY 20, 2005

(A) SUBJECTS COVERED IN TODAY'S REPORT:

1. GAZA DISENGAGEMENT
2. GWOT

(B) SUMMARY OF COVERAGE:

PLANS FOR A HOSTILE TAKEOVER OF THE FRENCH GROUP DANONE BY
PEPSICO IS ONE OF TODAY'S TOP STORIES AND DOMINATES THE
ECONOMIC DAILIES. DANONE IS PORTRAYED AS "PERFECT PREY" AND
ECONOMIC LA TRIBUNE POINTS OUT THAT "DANONE'S EMPLOYEES HAVE
CAUSE TO BE WORRIED BECAUSE AMERICAN EMPLOYMENT STANDARDS HAVE
LITTLE TO DO WITH WHAT IS APPLIED IN FRANCE."

OTHER HEADLINES ALSO DEAL WITH DOMESTIC ISSUES RANGING FROM
THE DROUGHT, WHICH IS A CAUSE FOR CONCERN ESPECIALLY IN THE
SOUTHERN PART OF EUROPE TO THE FRENCH PRIME MINISTER'S
DECISION TO REINSTATE THE WHIT MONDAY HOLIDAY.

THE VISIT TO PARIS OF ANGELA MERKEL, CANDIDATE FOR PRIME
MINISTER IN GERMANY, IS WIDELY REPORTED. HER MEETINGS WITH
PRESIDENT CHIRAC, PRIME MINISTER DE VILLEPIN AND INTERIOR
MINISTER SARKOZY ARE COMMENTED WITH COMMENTATORS NOTING THAT
HER OUTLOOK FOR THE FRANCO-GERMAN COUPLE WITH REGARD TO THE
REST OF THE EU IS MOST IN SYNC WITH SARKOZY AND "RUBS [CHIRAC]
THE WRONG WAY" ACCORDING TO RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE FIGARO.

THE PROTESTS AGAINST THE ISRAELI WITHDRAWAL FROM GAZA ARE
REPORTED IN PRINT AND ELECTRONIC MEDIA. (SEE PART C)

THE LONDON BOMBINGS CONTINUE TO BE ANALYZED IN THE FRENCH
PRESS AND LEFT-OF-CENTER LIBERATION NOTES THAT MUSLIM YOUTH IN
LONDON ARE WEARY OF BEING CASTIGATED. ONE MUSLIM YOUTH
INTERVIEWED IN LIBERATION STATES "THE WAR ON TERRORISM IS
TURNING INTO A WAR ON ISLAM."

IN LIGHT OF THE SIGNS THAT SEEM TO INDICATE THAT THE LONDON
BOMBINGS WERE PLANNED IN PAKISTAN, POPULAR RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE
PARISIEN INTERVIEWS BERNARD-HENRI LEVY AUTHOR OF A BOOK ON
DANIEL PEARL, WHO ARGUES THAT "PAKISTAN IS THE HEART OF THE
TERRORIST GALAXY. EVERY TIME, OVER THE LAST FOUR YEARS, THAT
PAKISTAN HAS TURNED OVER A MEMBER OF AL QAEDA TO THE AMERICANS
IT WAS BECAUSE IT WANTED SOMETHING (MONEY, F16S.), OR IT WAS
BECAUSE IT HAD SOMETHING TO MAKE UP FOR (A HOSTILE VOTE AT THE
UNSC.) PAKISTAN HANDS OVER ITS TERRORISTS A FEW AT A TIME. AND
WHEN THE TIME COMES IT WILL TURN BEN LADEN IN. AMERICA MAY BE
MASTER OF THE WORLD, BUT PAKISTAN IS THE MASTER OF THE GAME."

LEFT-OF-CENTER LE MONDE, FOR ITS PART, PUTS FORWARD THAT IN
THE GLOBAL WAR ON TERROR: "EUROPE IS DIVIDED WHEN IT COMES TO
FINDING THE RIGHT BALANCE BETWEEN INDIVIDUAL FREEDOM AND THE
FIGHT AGAINST TERROR." (SEE PART C)

COMMUNIST L'HUMANITE ANALYZES THE OUTCOME OF THE 4TH DONORS
CONFERENCE FOR IRAQ AND SUGGESTS THAT: "THE RECONSTRUCTION
EFFORT HAS BEEN HALTED DUE TO VIOLENCE AND CORRUPTION."

(C) SUPPORTING TEXT/BLOCK QUOTES:

GAZA DISENGAGEMENT

"FIGHTING RELIGIOUS EXTREMISM"
JULES CLAUMWAERT IN REGIONAL DAILY NORD LAIR (07/20) "THE
ONLY WAY TO FIGHT RELIGIOUS EXTREMISM IS TO BRING PEACE TO THE
MIDDLE EAST. WHAT CAN EUROPE DO? IT CANNOT STAND BY PROVIDING
ONLY MATERIAL ASSISTANCE, SECURING TRADE TIES AND LETTING THE
U.S. HAVE THE MONOPOLY OF POLITICAL INFLUENCE. BUT IN ORDER TO
DO THIS EUROPE WILL NEED TO FACE UP TO ITS RESPONSIBILITIES."

GWOT

"JUSTICE AND TERROR"
THE UNSIGNED EDITORIAL IN LEFT-OF-CENTER LE MONDE (07/20): "TO
WHAT EXTENT CAN WE CURB INDIVIDUAL FREEDOM IN ORDER TO MAKE
THE FIGHT AGAINST TERRORISM MORE EFFECTIVE?. NO COUNTRY SEEMS
TO HAVE FOUND THE SOLUTION TO DO AWAY WITH TERRORISM, BUT THE
PAINSTAKING CARE THAT DEMOCRATIC COUNTRIES TAKE TO PROTECT
INDIVIDUAL FREEDOM IS THE ONLY WAY TO WIN A WAR AGAINST THOSE
WHOSE ONLY LANGUAGE IS VIOLENCE AND MURDER."

"TERRORISM IN EUROPE"
BRUNO LOUSTALAN IN REGIONAL L'ECLAIR DES PYRENEES (07/20):
"TOMORROW BOMBS COULD EXPLODE IN THE SUBWAY IN FRANCE, IN
GERMANY, IN ITALY. NO BORDERS CAN PREVENT THIS FROM HAPPENING.
BUT THIS WAR, AND IT IS INDEED A WAR, HAS CERTAIN RULES THAT
ARE BASED ON A RESPECT FOR ONE OF THE FOUNDATIONS OF
DEMOCRACY: INDIVIDUAL FREEDOM. IN THE MONTHS TO COME IT IS
ESSENTIAL FOR EUROPE TO BE UNITED AND PRESENT A COMMON FRONT
IN THE FIGHT AGAINST TERRORISM NOTWITHSTANDING NATIONAL OR
PARTISAN INTERESTS. OTHERWISE WE CAN BE ASSURED THAT THE
MASTERMINDS BEHIND THE LONDON BOMBINGS WILL TAKE ADVANTAGE OF
THE SITUATION." STAPLETON

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