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 005245
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 - TERRORISM, IRAN, FAMINE IN
SAHEL
PARIS - PARIS - AUGUST 1, 2005
(A) SUBJECTS COVERED IN TODAY'S REPORT:
1. TERRORISM
2. IRAN
3. FAMINE IN SAHEL
B) SUMMARY OF COVERAGE:
IN THE INTERNATIONAL NEWS, SCOTLAND YARD'S ARRESTS FOLLOWING
THE LONDON ATTACKS, IRAN'S NUCLEAR PROGRAM AND NIGER'S FAMINE
ARE THE MAIN SUBJECTS OF THE WEEKEND AND MONDAY MEDIA.
IRAN'S ANNOUNCEMENT THAT IT WILL RESUME TODAY SOME OF ITS
NUCLEAR PROGRAM ACTIVITIES IS REPORTED IN ALL NEWSPAPERS.
"NUCLEAR: THE IRANIAN BLACKMAIL" HEADLINES RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE
FIGARO WHICH ALSO DEVOTES ITS EDITORIAL TO THE ISSUE (SEE PART
C).
FORMER PRESIDENT GEORGE H.W. BUSH WAS EXTENSIVELY INTERVIEWED
ON FRANCE'S NUMBER ONE PRIVATE RADIO R.T.L. ON SATURDAY, JULY
30TH ON THE OCCASION OF THE PUBLICATION OF THE FRENCH VERSION
OF HIS MEMOIRS. SIGNIFICANT EXCERPTS WERE PUBLISHED IN RIGHT-
OF-CENTER JOURNAL DU DIMANCHE AS WELL AS IN AP AND AFP WIRES.
RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE FIGARO REPORTS ON THE FACT THAT BUSH MAY
MAKE A RECESS APPOINTMENT OF JOHN BOLTON AS US AMBASSADOR TO
THE UN: "THIS IS A RISKY BET, JUST AS GEORGE W. BUSH LIKES
THEM. THE PRESIDENT COULD IMPOSE (THE APPOINTMENT), BYPASS THE
SENATE AND NAME JOHN BOLTON, A HAWK, AS US AMBASSADOR TO THE
UNITED NATIONS."
IN AN EDITORIAL ENTITLED "GETTING OUT OF TERRORISM", YVES
PITETTE FROM CATHOLIC LA CROIX TREATS BOTH IRA AND ISLAMIC
TERRORISM. (SEE PART C)
FOREIGN AFFAIRS MINISTER DOUSTE-BLAZY VISIT TO AFRICA,
ESPECIALLY TO NIGER, IS REPORTED IN SEVERAL NEWSPAPERS.
CATHOLIC LA CROIX REPORTS: "PHILIPPE DOUSTE-BLAZY INSISTED ON
STRESSING THAT FRANCE WAS THE `FIRST CONTRIBUTOR' TO NIGER AND
HAD BEEN THE FIRST COUNTRY MOBILIZED TO HELP IT. HOWEVER, HE
DID NOT HIDE THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY'S BAD MANAGEMENT OF
THE NIGER CRISIS." IN AN OP-ED IN LEFT-OF-CENTER LIB ATION,
LOUIS MICHEL, EUROPEAN COMMISSIONER FOR RESEARCH, PENS THAT
FAMINE CAN BE OVERCOME. (SEE PART C).
BOTH ECONOMIC DAILIES REPORT ON THE US ECONOMY, WITH THE
FOLLOWING HEADLINES "THE AMERICAN ECONOMY REMAINS IN REALLY
GOOD SHAPE", "AMERICAN GROWTH STILL AS SOLID AS EVER" FOR
ECONOMIC LES ECHOS AND "AMERICAN GROWTH KEEPS UP A HIGH PACE",
"THE AMERICAN ECONOMY GIVES AN EXAMPLE" FOR ECONOMIC LA
TRIBUNE.
(C) SUPPORTING TEXT/BLOCK QUOTES:
"GETTING OUT OF TERRORISM"
YVES PITETTE IN CATHOLIC LA CROIX (08/01) "THE `GOOD NEWS', TO
USE BENEDICT XVI'S WORD, OF THE IRA'S RENUNCIATION OF ARMED
STRUGGLE TAKES PLACE AT THE BEST POSSIBLE TIME. . ONE MUST
REMAIN CAUTIOUS BUT A NEW WAY IS OPEN, EVEN IF TIME IS STILL
NEEDED TO INSTALL CONFIDENCE. SO THEN, IT IS POSSIBLE TO GET
OUT OF TERRORISM. . THE DIALOGUE AND COOPERATION PUT TOGETHER
WITH PATIENCE AND FINALLY SUCCESS ARE EXAMPLES TO FOLLOW. THE
PERSONAL PATH OF THE AUTHORS OF THE JULY ATTACKS IN LONDON .
SHOW THAT THIS CHOICE IS NOT INELUCTABLE. THEIR RADICALIZATION
OCCURS IN A PROCESS IN WHICH EXCLUSION AND LONELINESS MAKE
THEM RECEPTIVE TO ISLAMIC SERMONS. . OUR SOCIETIES HAVE THE
MEANS TO PREVENT THE DRIFT OF THESE OFTEN EDUCATED YOUNG
PEOPLE. BUT THIS REQUIRES DIALOGUE, INTEGRATION, AND, WHAT
MIGHT BE MORE DIFFICULT, REFLECTION ON ITSELF - THAT IS TO SAY
ON THE SOCIETY ITSELF AND THE VALUE THAT IT GIVES ITSELF.
WHEN ONE MEASURES THE TIME AND THE EFFORTS NEEDED TO SIMPLY
MAKE POSSIBLE THE RESOLUTION OF THE NORTHERN IRELAND CRISIS,
ONE CAN IMAGINE THE DIMENSION OF THE CHALLENGE LAID DOWN TO
OUR SOCIETIES THAT HAVE BECOME MULTI-CULTURAL."
"IRAN'S CHOICE"
PIERRE ROUSSELIN IN RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE FIGARO (08/01) "IN
FEBRUARY, PRESIDENT BUSH WAS OFFERING HIS SUPPORT TO THE
EUROPEANS AND WAS LIFTING THE FOLLOWING MONTH HIS OPPOSITION
TO IRAN'S ADHESION TO THE WTO. AT THAT TIME, EVERYBODY THOUGHT
THAT PRAGMATIC RAFSANDJANI WOULD TAKE OVER. AHMADINEJAD'S
ELECTION HAS COMFORTED THE NEO-CONSERVATIVES IN WASHINGTON,
LED BY VICE PRESIDENT DICK CHENEY AND SECRETARY OF DEFENSE
DONALD RUMSFELD, FOR WHOM THE NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE MULLAHS'
REGIME ARE A WASTE OF TIME. IRAN STANDS AT THE TIME FOR
DECISION. EUROPE STILL OFFERS IT THE POSSIBILITY OF OPENNESS
TO THE WORLD, POLITICALLY AND ECONOMICALLY, IN EXCHANGE FOR AN
UNEQUIVOCAL RENOUNCEMENT OF THE ATOMIC BOMB. IF IRAN REFUSES,
IT WILL HAVE TO FOLLOW IRAQ'S PRECEDENT: SECURITY COUNCIL
NEGOTIATIONS UNDER THE THREAT OF SANCTIONS AND MILITARY
INTERVENTION."
FRANK DE BONDT IN REGIONAL SUD-OUEST (08/01) "IF, AS IT SAID,
THE ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF IRAN WERE TO REOPEN ITS URANIUM
CONVERSION FACTORY THIS MORNING, THIS WOULD BE A SERIOUS
SETBACK FOR EUROPEAN DIPLOMACY . NOBODY DOUBTS THAT THE GOAL
OF THE ISLAMIC REPUBLIC IS TO BE ABLE, ONE DAY, TO MAKE AN
ATOMIC WEAPON IN ORDER TO STAND AS THE MASTER IN A STRATEGIC
BUT VERY EXPLOSIVE REGION. TODAY, TEHERAN'S DECISION PROVES
GEORGE W. BUSH RIGHT. IF IT WERE CARRIED OUT, THE IRANIAN FILE
WOULD GO IN FRONT OF THE UN SECURITY COUNCIL AND THE UNITED
STATES, WHO WILL NEVER TOLERATE THIS COUNTRY BECOMING A
NUCLEAR POWER, WOULD RESERVE THE RIGHT TO INTERVENE MILITARILY
TO PREVENT THE UNACCEPTABLE."
"FAMINE CAN BE DEFEATED"
LOUIS MICHEL IN LEFT-OF-CENTER LIB ATION (08/01) "HUNGER CAN
AND MUST BE ERADICATED . TODAY'S SITUATION IS SO SERIOUS THAT
WE NEED TO SUPPLY IMMEDIATE FOOD AND HUMANITARIAN AID TO HELP
THOSE POPULATION SURVIVE. BUT FOOD AID CANNOT AND MUST NOT
BECOME THE EASY RESPONSE THAT HIDES A SHORT TERM VISION OF THE
PROBLEM AND A GUILTY NEGLIGENCE FROM THE GOVERNMENTS AND THE
DONORS THEMSELVES . WITH GOOD GOVERNING, SUPPORTED BY AN
EFFICIENT AID TO DEVELOPMENT AND WITH SOLID STRATEGIES OF FOOD
SECURITY IN COUNTRIES MOST TOUCHED BY HUNGER, WE CAN MAKE A
DIFFERENCE IN THE LIVES OF MILLIONS OF PEOPLE AND, TO USE A
FASHIONABLE SLOGAN, MAKE POVERTY HISTORY."
STAPLETON#