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 005376
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 - SAUDI ARABIA-IRAQ, HIROSHIMA
PARIS - PARIS - AUGUST 5, 2005
(A) SUBJECTS COVERED IN TODAY'S REPORT:
1) SAUDI ARABIA AND IRAQ
2) HIROSHIMA
B) SUMMARY OF COVERAGE:
WITH SUMMER IN FULL SWING, THE FRENCH PRESS HIGHLIGHTS LIGHT
TOPICS, FROM SECONDARY "VACATION" HOMES IN
POPULAR/CONSERVATIVE LE PARISIEN TO DETECTIVE TRAINING SCHOOLS
IN POPULAR/CONSERVATIVE FRANCE SOIR. AN EXCEPTION IS RIGHT-OF-
CENTER LE FIGARO WHOSE FRONT PAGE AND EDITORIAL FOCUS ON THE
"INFILTRATION" OF THE NATIONAL SCHOOL SYSTEM BY 12,000 MEMBERS
OF ATTAC, AN ANTI-GLOBALIZATION NETWORK. THE EDITORIAL
COMPARES ATTAC TO RELIGIOUS GROUPS IN THE UNITED STATES WHO
ARE "TRYING TO ERASE THE THEORY OF EVOLUTION" AND TO ARAB
GEOGRAPHY BOOKS WHICH DO NOT SHOW THE STATE OF ISRAEL. "EVERY
ATTEMPT TO TWIST REALITY TOWARDS A MILITANT GOAL IS CONTRARY
TO THE ELEMENTARY ETHICS OF TEACHING.ATTAC IS THE `ANTI-PARTY'
OF EVERYTHING: ANTI-GLOBALIZATION, ANTI-CAPITALISM, ANTI-
PROFIT, ANTI-GMO." LEFT-OF-CENTER LIBERATION EXAMINES
SURVEILLANCE CAMERAS AND THE GROWING USE OF THEM IN EUROPEAN
AND FRENCH PUBLIC SPACES, AS WELL AS THE ABILITY OF
GOVERNMENTS TO TRACK CELL PHONE CALLS. THE EDITORIAL WORRIES
ABOUT THE IMPLICATIONS FOR CIVIL LIBERTIES.
FAIRLY LIMITED INTERNATIONAL NEWS FOCUSES ON THE NEW VIDEO
BROADCAST BY AL-JAZEERA IN WHICH AL-ZAWAHRI, BIN LADEN'S
"DEPUTY," THREATENS THE UNITED STATES AND THE UNITED KINGDOM
FOR NOT HAVING PULLED THEIR TROOPS OUT OF IRAQ.
LEFT-OF-CENTER LIBERATION LOOKS AT THE COUP IN MAURITANIA AND
OBSERVES FRENCH LEADERS ARE SAYING VERY LITTLE ABOUT IT,
PERHAPS BECAUSE THE PREVIOUS MAURITANIAN LEADER WAS NOT A
FRANCOPHILE AND INSTEAD WAS ONE OF THE UNITED STATES' BEST
ALLIES IN THE REGION IN ITS ANTI-TERRORISM FIGHT. "IN
FEBRUARY, THE COUNTRY RAISED TENSIONS BETWEEN THE AMERICANS
AND THE FRENCH. THE FORMER WANTED TO ORGANIZE IN THIS COUNTRY
THE NEXT TRAINING SESSION FOR THE RAPID REACTION FORCE OF
NATO. BUT PARIS VETOED IT."
FOREIGN MINISTER DOUSTE-BLAZY GIVES AN INTERVIEW TO LEFT-OF-
CENTER LE MONDE IN WHICH HE SAYS THE EU-3 WILL MAKE NEW
PROPOSALS BEFORE AUGUST 7 THAT WILL OPEN A "NEW CHAPTER"
BETWEEN IRAN AND THE EU AND THE WORLD COMMUNITY. AS FOR
TURKEY AND CYPRUS, HE SAYS TURKEY CANNOT BECOME A MEMBER OF
THE EU WITHOUT RECOGNIZING ALL 25 MEMBERS OF THE UNION.
THE 60TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE ATOMIC BOMB ON HIROSHIMA IS ALSO
NOTED, ESPECIALLY BY CATHOLIC LA CROIX, WHICH DEVOTES 5-PAGES
TO THE ISSUE. JENNET CONANT, GRANDDAUGHTER OF JAMES CONANT,
FORMER PRESIDENT OF HARVARD AND AN ORGANIZER OF THE MANHATTAN
PROJECT, CONTRIBUTES A COMMENTARY TO LEFT-OF-CENTER LE MONDE.
"GUILT CAN TRANSMIT ITSELF IN A COUNTRY IN THE SAME MANNER AS
WITHIN A FAMILY, FROM GENERATION TO GENERATION. THUS, THE
BOMBING OF HIROSHIMA, 60 YEARS LATER, CONTINUES TO HAUNT US AS
A NATION, JUST HAS IT NEVER STOPPED TROUBLING THE CONSCIENCE
OF THE PEOPLE LINKED TO THE DEATH AND DESTRUCTION."
LEFT-OF-CENTER LE MONDE EXAMINES THE WORLDCOM VERDICT.
"TODAY, FINANCIAL CRIME IN THE UNITED STATES IS PUNISHABLE AS
HEAVILY AS BLOOD CRIMES IN FRANCE. THE CONDEMNATION, JULY 13,
OF BERNARD EBBERS.TO 25 YEARS IN PRISON.MARKS A TURNING POINT
IN THE JUDICIAL TREATMENT OF BUSINESS AFFAIRS IN THE UNITED
STATES."
(C) SUPPORTING TEXT/BLOCK QUOTES:
"THE MANY WORRIES OF OLD KING ABDALLAH"
ANTOINE BASBOUS, DIRECTOR OF THE OBSERVATORY OF ARAB
COUNTRIES, CONTRIBUTES A COMMENTARY TO RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE
FIGARO. "THE SAUDIS ARE NOT DOING ANYTHING TO ADAPT THEIR
STUDIES TO THE EMPLOYMENT MARKET. THEIR UNIVERSITIES PRODUCE
AND EXPORT A LOT OF GRADUATES IN THE RELIGIOUS SCIENCES,
PREACHERS OF JIHAD.. IN THIS SEALED UP ARABIA, THE SHOCK OF
GENERATIONS IS A REALITY: THE KING AND HIS BROTHERS WHO MANAGE
THE KINGDOM ARE OCTOGENARIANS. BUT THE COUNTRY IS VERY YOUNG
AND DOES NOT RECOGNIZE THESE OLD `DADDIES.' 60% OF THE
POPULATION IS UNDER 18 YEARS OF AGE.SAUDIS WANT CHANGE: SOME
WANT MORE ISLAMIZATION. OTHERS A CONSTRUCTIONAL MONARCH AND A
STATE OF LAW.ARABIA SUFFERS FROM AN ABSOLUTE MONARCHY, TOTALLY
BROKEN OFF FROM MODERNITY. IT IS A KINGDOM OF CORRUPTION AND
A GENERAL MESS. JUSTICE IS ARCHAIC AND DEPENDS ON THE
POWERS.SAUDI WAHIBBITES PROVIDE KAMIKAZES TO THE JIHAD IN
IRAQ, AS WELL AS GENEROUS FINANCING. THE FORESEEABLE BREAK-UP
OF THIS COUNTRY BETWEEN SHIITES, SUNNIS AND KURDS MAKES ARABIA
FEAR THE WORSE. BECAUSE THIS LOGIC RISKS TO CONTAMINATE AN
ARABIA UNIFIED BY THE SWORD IN 1932 AND WHICH HAS NO MORE
REASON TO REMAIN UNITED THAN THE DEFUNCT USSR AND THE FORMER
YUGOSLAVIA.ARABIA IS AT HIGH RISK TO REMAIN, ALONG WITH IRAQ
AND IRAN, AT THE HEART OF THE EPICENTER OF THE CRISIS ARC THAT
WILL CONTINUE TO TROUBLE THE INTERNATIONAL ORDER FOR DECADES
TO COME."
"THE NUCLEAR SYNDROME"
YVES PITETTE'S EDITORIAL IN CATHOLIC LA CROIX. "SOME
HISTORIANS ARE DEBATING TODAY THE IDEA, UP TO NOW COMMONLY
ACCEPTED, THAT THE BOMBS OF HIROSHIMA AND OF NAGASAKI
ACCELERATED THE END OF THE WAR WITH JAPAN.WHATEVER THE DEBATE
ON THE RESPECTIVE RESPONSIBILITY OF WHO UNLEASHED WAR WITHOUT
MERCY IN THE PACIFIC AND WHO WANTED TO END IT THE QUICKEST,
THE TRAGIC DEMONSTRATION MADE ON AUGUST 6, 1945 OF THE
TERRIFYING POWER OF THE ATOMIC BOMB CHANGED THE WORLD.TODAY,
WE REALIZE EVERY DAY THAT THE END OF THE EAST-WEST FACE-OFF IS
NOT RESOLVED, EVEN TO THE CONTRARY, AND THAT THE ARMS OF
NUCLEAR DISSUASION ARE POWERLESS AGAINST TERRORISM.NEVER,
SINCE AUGUST 1945, HAS THE RISK THAT THEY (NUCLEAR BOMBS)
COULD BE USED ON A LOCAL SCALE (KASHMIR, KOREA, IRAN TOMORROW
MAYBE) BEEN SO TRIVIALIZED. WILL THE HORROR OF THE ENDING OF
HIROSHIMA AND NAGASAKI'S VICTIMS NEVER SERVE AS A LESSON?"
STAPLETON