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 005122
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 - WAR ON TERRORISM
PARIS - PARIS - MONDAY, JULY 25, 2005
(A) SUBJECTS COVERED IN TODAY'S REPORT:
1. WAR ON TERRORISM
B) SUMMARY OF COVERAGE:
THE ATTACKS IN EGYPT DOMINATE THE FRONT PAGES OF ALL THE
DAILIES IN FRANCE, WITH VARIOUS HEADLINES SUCH AS: "ENDLESS
TERROR" FOR CONSERVATIVE FRANCE-SOIR, "AL-QAEDA'S OFFENSIVE"
FOR LEFT-OF-CENTER LIB ATION, "AL-QAEDA'S DEADLY SUMMER" FOR
RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE FIGARO, "WORLD ECONOMY UNDER TERRORIST
PRESSURE" FOR ECONOMIC LA TRIBUNE, AND "ECONOMY IN THE SIGHTS
OF ISLAMIC TERRORISM" FOR ECONOMIC LES ECHOS. INTERVIEWED IN
CONSERVATIVE FRANCE SOIR, PASCAL BONIFACE, DIRECTOR OF THE
INSTITUTE FOR INTERNATIONAL AND STRATEGICAL RELATIONS, SAYS:
"IT IS AS IF THERE WERE A KIND OF COMMON INTEREST BETWEEN AL-
QAEDA AND GEORGE W. BUSH.THAT OF ELIMINATING MODERATE SPEECHES
BY MUSLIMS AND WESTERNERS." (SEE PART C)
FRENCH DEFENSE MINISTER MICHELE ALLIOT-MARIE, WHO WAS IN
AFGHANISTAN FOR THREE DAYS, IS VIEWED BY CONSERVATIVE LE
PARISIEN AS DETERMINED THAT THE OUTBURST OF TERRORIST ATTACKS
IN LONDON AND CHARM EL-SHEIKH WILL IN NO EVENT CHANGE FRANCE'S
POSITION IN AFGHANISTAN.
AFTER TWO WEEKS OF RUMORS, PEPSICO HAS STATED THAT IT IS NOT
PREPARING A TAKEOVER OF DANONE.
LANCE ARMSTRONG'S SEVENTH VICTORY IN THE TOUR DE FRANCE AND
HIS RETIREMENT ARE REPORTED IN ALL THE PAPERS. COMMUNIST
L'HUMANIT HEADLINES: "MYSTERY ARMSTRONG: ONE LOVES HIM OR
HATES HIM."
REGARDING THE LAUNCHING OF THE SPACE SHUTTLE DISCOVERY, FRENCH
ASTRONAUT PATRICK BAUDRY IS INTERVIEWED IN FRANCE SOIR AND
CRITICIZES NASA. ".NASA IS BECOMING WORTHLESS. DURING THE LAST
DECADE, IT MADE NO PROGRESS. IT PERSISTS WITH A VERY EXPENSIVE
PROGRAM THAT DOES NOT PRODUCE ANYTHING INSTEAD OF WORKING ON
REAL PROJECTS SUCH AS GOING BACK TO THE MOON."
AN OP-ED BY RICHARD N. HAASS IS PUBLISHED IN LES ECHOS
ENTITLED: "FOR AFRICA, TRADE RATHER THAN AID."
(C) SUPPORTING TEXT/BLOCK QUOTES:
WAR AGAINST TERRORISM
JEAN GUISNEL IN REGIONAL DAILY LA REPUBLIQUE DES PYR S
(07/25) "THE DEADLY WEAPON OF BIN LADEN'S HENCHMEN, THE MASTER
TRUMP OF GLOBAL JIHAD, IS THE KAMIKAZE. FAR FROM DECLINING,
THE PHENOMENON IS GROWING WHILE THE HELPLESSNESS OF SECURITY
MEASURES IS EVIDENT. AND THE REASON FOR THIS - ISN'T THIS
RIGHT MR. BUSH? - IS THAT THE ANSWER TO TERROR CANNOT BE
EXCLUSIVELY MILITARY. ONE WILL HAVE TO TALK ABOUT SHARING
WEALTH IN THE WORLD, RAISING THE LEVEL OF LIFE STANDARDS,
THOUGHTS ABOUT THE PREDATORY POLICY OF NORTHERN COUNTRIES.
BECAUSE IF THIS REVOLUTION DOES NOT BEGIN, WE ARE ON THE ROAD
FOR DECADES OF MASSACRES."
DOMINIQUE MOISI IN REGIONAL DAILY OUEST-FRANCE (07/25) "WE
CANNOT SAY ANYMORE, AS PRESIDENT BUSH AS DONE FOR TOO LONG,
THAT THE WORLD IS SAFER SINCE SADDAM HUSSEIN'S REGIME FELL IN
IRAQ. EVERY DAY BRINGS A TRAGIC DENIAL TO THIS OPTIMISTIC
VISION OF HISTORY. BUT WE CANNOT PRETEND, AS THE
FUNDAMENTALISTS WANT US TO THINK, THAT THEIR POLICY OF TERROR
IS AN ANSWER TO WAR IN IRAQ. THE TRUTH IS THAT WE ARE JUST
STARTING, STEP-BY-STEP, TO UNDERSTAND TO WHICH EXTENT WE
ENTERED A NEW WORLD ON SEPTEMBER 11, 2001. TERRORISM DID NOT
WAIT FOR IRAQ; TERROR IS A TECHNIQUE, A MEAN THAT DOES NOT
NEED CAUSES AND THAT WILL ALWAYS FIND PRETEXTS."
"SECOND OFFENSE"
G ARD DUPUY'S EDITORIAL IN LIB ATION (07/25) "SCOTLAND
YARD'S UNFORTUNATE MISTAKE MAY SEEM VERY SLIGHT IN FACE OF THE
NEW SLAUGHTER BY THE SOLDIERS OF ISLAMIC TERROR BUT THE LESSON
TO DRAW IS THE SAME ONE. NO MATTER HOW JUSTIFIABLE, ANGER IS A
BAD ADVISER WHEN IT COMES TO ACTION. THERE IS NO NEED AND IT
IS EVEN COUNTERPRODUCTIVE TO OVER-REACT IN ORDER TO ASSESS
ONE'S STRENGTH AND TOUGHNESS. THE WAVE OF ATTACKS OF THE LAST
DAYS CONFIRMS THAT FOR THE POLICE AND SECRET SERVICES OF
WESTERN COUNTRIES, ISLAMIC TERRORISM CONSTITUTES THE BIGGEST
CHALLENGE THAT THEY EVER HAVE HAD TO FACE, INCLUDING THE COLD
WAR. TERRORISTS ARE NOT FIGHTING THE WEST'S STRENGTH BUT ITS
WEAKNESS."
"ANSWER TO TERRORISM THROUGH ECONOMY AS WELL"
ERIK IZRAELEWICZ'S EDITORIAL IN ECONOMIC LES ECHOS (07/25)
". THE WAR AGAINST TERRORISM THAT WE ENTERED SIMULTANEOUSLY
WITH THE NEW CENTURY WILL BE LONG AND DIFFICULT. THE
`POLITICAL' NETWORKS AT THE CORE OF THESE ATTACKS HAVE BLINDLY
KILLED. HOWEVER, UNTIL TODAY, THEY HAVE NOT MANAGED TO
DESTABILIZE DEMOCRACIES NOR PUT INTO QUESTION THE RUNNING OF
THEIR ECONOMIES. EVERY TIME TERRORISTS TRIED TO WEAKEN SOME OF
THE BASIC LINKS OF THE WORLD ECONOMY. WITH NEW YORK AND THE
WORLD TRADE CENTER TOWERS, IT WAS ALSO WALL STREET, PREMIER
FINANCIAL PLACE IN THE WORLD, WHICH WAS TARGETED. WITH LONDON,
IT IS ALSO THE CITY, EUROPE'S FINANCIAL CENTER, THE CITY OF
THE 2012 OLYMPIC GAMES, THAT WAS CHOSEN. LAST FRIDAY, WITH
CHARM EL-SHEIKH, IT'S THE SYMBOL OF A RISING INDUSTRY IN THE
WORLD, ESPECIALLY THE ARAB WORLD, THAT WAS TARGETED. FOR THE
MOMENT, THESE ATTACKS HAVE NOT ACHIEVED THEIR GOALS. SECURITY
MEASURES HAVE BEEN REINFORCED IN THE DEMOCRACIES WITHOUT
PUTTING LIBERTY INTO QUESTION."
"THE WAR IS INTENSIFYING"
PIERRE ROUSSELIN IN RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE FIGARO (07/25) " WE'RE
UNDERGOING A CAMPAIGN OF TERROR WITH MULTIPLE TARGETS AROUND
THE WORLD AND A GENERAL CLIMATE OF APPREHENSION. WE'RE
CONFRONTED WITH TRULY A NEW TYPE OF WAR. IN LONDON, AS IN
EGYPT, THE ATTACK HAS MULTIPLIER EFFECTS - BEYOND THE COST IN
HUMAN LIFE. IN CHARM, IT IS THE IMAGES OF TOURISTS OF ALL
NATIONALITIES FLEEING THE BOMBINGS AND THE VACATION RESORT.
WE DON'T REALLY KNOW ANYMORE WHAT AL-QAEDA IS BECAUSE ITS
ACTIONS ARE SO EFFICIENT, WHETHER THE ATTACKS ARE INITIATED BY
AUTONOMOUS GROUPS OR COORDINATED. AND WHERE IS BIN LADEN? WE
DON'T KNOW FOR SURE, BUT THE TERRORISTS CAN ATTACK AT ANY
TIME, AND THIS IS WORRISOME.
"MULTIPLE HEADS"
GUILLAUME GOUBERT IN CATHOLIC LA CROIX (07/27) "THE TERRORIST
ATTACK AGAINST CHARM EL-SHEIKH WAS AIMING AT SEVERAL SYMBOLIC
TARGETS. AS A MISSILE WITH MULTIPLE HEADS, IT TRIED TO REACH
TOURISM, EGYPT AND ANY PROCESS OF DETENTE IN THE MIDDLE EAST.
SUCH HOLIDAY RESORTS ARE PLACES OF CONTACTS BETWEEN CULTURES
AND CIVILIZATIONS. THEY ALSO WANTED TO ECONOMICALLY WEAKEN
EGYPT WHOSE FINANCIAL BALANCE DEPENDS VERY MUCH ON TOURISM.
THE INTERNATIONAL ACTIONS OF EGYPT ARE ALSO RESPONSIBLE. CHARM
EL-SHEIKH IS A SYMBOL SINCE THIS CITY HAS BEEN THE HOST OF
SEVERAL HIGH LEVEL CONFERENCES FOR PEACE IN MIDDLE EAST. IS IT
A COINCIDENCE IF THE CHARM EL-SHEIKH ATTACKS TOOK PLACE A FEW
WEEKS BEFORE THE ARRANGED DATE FOR THE ISRAELI WITHDRAWAL FROM
GAZA? . THE ISRAELI WITHDRAWAL IS NOT PUT INTO QUESTION FOR
NOW. IN FACE OF TERRORISM, THE `PEACE CAMP' MUST STICK
TOGETHER."
"DEATH IS THEIR WORK"
PASCAL AUBERT IN LA TRIBUNE (07/25) ". WHEN, IN IRAQ, BIN
LADEN'S LOYAL SERVANTS MAKE COMMON CAUSE WITH LOST SOLDIERS OF
SADDAM HUSSEIN, IT IS NOT FAITH IN ALLAH THAT BRINGS THEM
TOGETHER BUT HATE OF THE WEST AND FOR THE UNITED STATES IN THE
FIRST PLACE."
STAPLETON