Cablegate: Media Reaction Report - Withdrawal From Iraq,

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 005202

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 - WITHDRAWAL FROM IRAQ,
ALTERNATIVE TO KYOTO PROTOCOL

PARIS - JULY 28, 2005

(A) SUBJECTS COVERED IN TODAY'S REPORT:

1. WITHDRAWAL FROM IRAQ
2. ALTERNATIVE TO KYOTO PROTOCOL

B) SUMMARY OF COVERAGE:

DOMESTIC STORIES MAKE THE FRONT PAGE OF MOST DAILIES TODAY:
PRIME MINISTER DE VILLEPIN'S PRESS CONFERENCE AND THE VERDICTS
IN BOTH THE LONG-RUNNING ANGERS TRIAL ON CHILD MOLESTATION AND
RAPE AND THE MONT BLANC FIRE TRIAL. INTERNATIONAL STORIES
FOCUS ON THE FIRST ARREST OF A SUSPECT IN THE BOTCHED LONDON
BOMBINGS, ARIEL SHARON'S VISIT TO FRANCE AND IRAQ.

PRIME MINISTER DE VILLEPIN'S SECOND MONTHLY PRESS CONFERENCE
IS REPORTED IN ALL NEWSPAPERS. MOST OF THEM NOTE THE TWO MAIN
SUBJECTS: TERRORISM AND A CALL FOR `ECONOMIC PATRIOTISM'.

GOOD COVERAGE OF SHARON'S VISIT TO PARIS HIGHLIGHTS SHARON'S
INVITATION TO PRESIDENT CHIRAC TO VISIT HIM IN ISRAEL. IN AN
INTERVIEW IN CATHOLIC LA CROIX, ROGER CUKIERMAN, PRESIDENT OF
THE REPRESENTATIVE COUNCIL FOR JEWISH INSTITUTIONS OF FRANCE
SAYS, "WE CAN CLEARLY SAY THAT FRANCE IS NOT ANTI-SEMITIC."

LEFT-OF-CENTER LIBERATION AND CATHOLIC LA CROIX BOTH DEVOTE
THEIR EDITORIALS AND REPORTS ABOUT THE US WITHDRAWAL FROM
IRAQ. "G.I.S AIM AT LEAVING IRAQ" HEADLINES LEFT-OF-CENTER
LIBERATION WHILE LA CROIX READS "POLITICAL URGENCY IN IRAQ".
EDWARD LUTTWAK, SENIOR FELLOW AT THE CENTER FOR STRATEGIC AND
INTERNATIONAL STUDIES, IS INTERVIEWED IN LEFT-OF-CENTER
LIBERATION AND SAYS: "THE US ARMY IS INCAPABLE OF CONTROLLING
THE SITUATION."(SEE PART C)

BOTH ECONOMIC DAILIES REPORT ON THE "COUNTER PROPOSAL" TO
KYOTO MADE BY THE U.S. AND AUSTRALIA. ECONOMIC LA TRIBUNE
HEADLINES "THE UNITED STATES AND AUSTRALIA ARE PREPARING AN
ALTERNATIVE TO KYOTO" WHILE LES ECHOS SAYS "GREENHOUSE GAS: A
COMPETING PROJECT OF THE KYOTO PROTOCOL IN ELABORATION". (SEE
PART C)

THE ARREST OF ONE OF THE PRESUMED AUTHORS OF THE BOTCHED
ATTACKS IN LONDON, YACINE HASSAN OMAR, ON JULY 21ST IS
FACTUALLY REPORTED IN SEVERAL NEWSPAPERS.

IN AN INTERVIEW TO CONSERVATIVE FRANCE SOIR, MAMADOU
KOULIBALY, PRESIDENT OF THE IVORY COAST ASSEMBLY, DENOUNCES
THE TERRORIST ATTACKS: `EUROPEANS THINK. THEY ARE THE ONLY
VICTIMS OF TERRORISM. IVORY COAST IS CONFRONTED WITH THE SAME
PHENOMENON WHOSE ACTORS HAVE THE SAME OBJECTIVES: TO TERRORIZE
THE POPULATIONS BY WEAKENING THE INSTITUTIONAL AUTHORITIES.

(C) SUPPORTING TEXT/BLOCK QUOTES:

WITHDRAWAL FROM IRAQ

"THE JOB"
PATRICK SABATIER IN LEFT-OF-CENTER LIBERATION (07/28)
"AMERICAN FORCES WILL LEAVE IRAQ ONLY `WHEN THEIR JOB IS DONE'
SWEARS PRESIDENT BUSH . THE TABOO WORD `WITHDRAWAL' IS ON
EVERYONE'S LIPS. IN FACT, THE WHITE HOUSE HAS NEVER STOPPED
GETTING READY FOR IT . A MAJORITY OF AMERICANS HAVE
UNDERSTOOD THAT THE BOYS WILL NEVER BE ABLE TO `WIN' THE WAR.
THIS IS NOT YET A MAJOR POLITICAL RISK FOR BUSH. BUT HE WANTS
TO GET OUT, AND QUICKLY, OF WHAT HIS GENERALS CALL `MUCK-UP'
AS LONG AS IT DOES NOT LOOK LIKE AN AMERICAN DEFEAT. HE KNOWS
THAT A HEAVY ATTACK AGAINST HIS TROOPS, AN INTERNATIONAL
CRISIS OR THE UPRISING OF CIVIL WAR IN IRAQ COULD REQUIRE HIM
TO CALL FOR A HASTY RETREAT INSTEAD OF A PROGRESSIVE AND
ORGANIZED WITHDRAWAL. TODAY, THE `JOB' IS ONLY TO MAKE THIS
WITHDRAWAL FEASIBLE."

"THE DEBATE ON THE WITHDRAWAL IS STUCK IN THE UNITED STATES"
PHILIPPE GRANGEREAU IN LEFT-OF-CENTER LIBERATION WRITES "THE
GOOD SOLDIERS FROM AMERICA ARE STARTING TO GIVE UP. A FORMER
C.I.A. CHIEF, JOHN DEUTCH, ADVOCATES GETTING OUT OF THE IRAQI
TRAP AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. PUBLIC OPINION STILL SUPPORTS THE
WAR (AT 49%) WHILE 52% OF AMERICANS WOULD LIKE THEIR ARMY TO
STAY IN IRAQ UNTIL THE COUNTRY IS `STABILIZED' ACCORDING TO A
PEW POLL . IF AMERICA IS STILL NOT READY TO WITHDRAW FROM
IRAQ, IT IS ESSENTIALLY BECAUSE THIS IDEA IS CONSIDERED ANTI-
PATRIOTIC, EVEN WITHIN THE DEMOCRATIC OPPOSITION."

"POLITICAL URGENCY IN IRAQ"
YVES PITETTE IN CATHOLIC LA CROIX (07/28) `. WE FEEL THAT
WASHINGTON IS IMPATIENT TO CONCRETIZE THE NEW IRAQI POLITICAL
INSTITUTIONS, TO BE ADVANCED BY WAY OF THE REFERENDUM IN THE
FALL, WOULD BE A REAL VICTORY IN THE RACE THE AGAINST THE
CLOCK THAT THE AMERICANS AND THE INTERIM GOVERNMENT ARE
LEADING AGAINST THE GUERILLA. . IN WASHINGTON, ONE WOULD LIKE
TO CONVINCE (THE PUBLIC) OF THE PERSPECTIVE OF THE RETURN OF
THE `BOYS' WHEN THE FALL 2006 ELECTIONS ARE ALREADY LOOMING IN
THE BACKGROUND. AND IN BAGHDAD, ONE HOPES TO GIVE THE IRAQIS
THE FEELING THAT THE ADOPTION OF THE NEW INSTITUTIONS WILL
HASTEN THE AMERICANS' DEPARTURE . IRAQ IS A TOTALLY
DISORGANIZED COUNTRY WHERE THE INHABITANTS FIRST OF ALL LONG
FOR HAVING WATER AND ELECTRICITY. THESE OBJECTIVES REQUIRE A
POLITICAL CONSENSUS, EVEN MINOR, WITHOUT WHICH NO PUBLIC
SERVICE CAN WORK. THIS IS INDEED THE POINT THAT DONALD
RUMSFELD CAME TO STRESS IN BAGHDAD."

KYOTO'S ALTERNATIVE

"THE UNITED STATES AND AUSTRALIA ARE PREPARING AN ALTERNATIVE
TO THE KYOTO PROTOCOL" HEADLINES LAURENT CHEMINEAU IN ECONOMIC
LA TRIBUNE. "MULTILATERALISM WILL BE DEMOLISHED AGAIN ON THE
CLIMATE FRONT. AUSTRALIA AND THE UNITED STATES MAY REVEAL IN
THE COMING DAYS THE CONTENT OF AN INTERNATIONAL AGREEMENT ON
GREENHOUSE GAS, CONSIDERED AS RESPONSIBLE FOR GLOBAL WARMING,
THAT THEY HAVE BEEN DISCREETLY NEGOTIATING FOR A FEW MONTHS.
AFTER THE G8 INITIATIVE AND ITS CLIMATE ACTION PLAN WITH
UNCLEAR OUTLINES, THIS PROJECT IS EVEN MORE DISTURBING FOR THE
KYOTO PROTOCOL'S FUTURE. EVEN THOUGH THIS PARTNERSHIP CANNOT
BE PUT ON AN EQUAL FOOTING."
STAPLETON

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