Cablegate: Media Reaction Report - Guantanamo Afghan Violence

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 004117

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.

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OPRC KMDR FR
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION REPORT - Guantanamo Afghan Violence
Somalia U.S. Midterm Electoral Campaign
PARIS - Friday, 16 June 2006

(A) SUBJECTS COVERED IN TODAY'S REPORT:

Guantanamo
Afghan Violence
Somalia
U.S. Midterm Electoral Campaign

B) SUMMARY OF COVERAGE:

Economic news dominate today's front pages and editorials: the woes
of EADS, Airbus's parent company leads Le Figaro Economie to
headline: "EADS in the Midst of an Industrial and Financial Storm."
Le Figaro's headline reads: "At EADS, It Is An Open Crisis." The
economic press reports that the disclosure on Tuesday that
production problems would cut A380 deliveries next year by
two-thirds, opening Airbus up to compensation claims running into
billions of euros and leading to a drop in EADS shares is compounded
with government investigations into EADS co-chief executive Noel
Forgeard selling shares in the company in the weeks before
Wednesday's crash in the share price.

The French wealth tax (ISF), which is eliciting increasing
criticism, leads Le Figaro to devote its editorial to what it calls
a "lying tax" because it "does not tax the wealthy but home owners
suffering from high real estate prices." Le Figaro makes the
following commentary: "In the U.S., even the Democrats, America's
left, know that one should never promise the poor that the wealthy
will be taxed. In a country where everyone believes they will one
day become wealthy, such talk is banned."

International news are dominated by the latest bombing in
Afghanistan, with Le Figaro echoing past commentaries about the
"iraqization" of Afghanistan, while Liberation reports that France's
special forces will be moving "to stay with the American troops" in
Afghanistan. (See Part C) Weekly right-of-center Le Point carries a
very harsh op-ed calling for the closing of Guantanamo (See Pat C)

Le Figaro devotes a full-page to the pre-election climate in the
U.S., and the Republicans' fear that the mid-term elections "could
turn into an anti-Bush referendum." (See Part C)
Somalia and the government's search for "Islamic support" is the
subject of a report by Tanguy Berthemet in Le Figaro, where he notes
EU support for the government, and "Washington's silence." (See Part
C)

(C) SUPPORTING TEXT/BLOCK QUOTES:

Guantanamo

"Postcards from Guantanmo"
Bernard-Henri Levy in right-of-center weekly Le Point (06/15/06):
"The truth is that Guantanamo must be closed. There is something
shocking in the existence itself of this out of law site, this legal
no-man's land, naturally propitious to every sort of illegal excess,
which is a source of despair for the detainees, ruinous for the
image of the U.S. and disgraceful for a great democratic nation...
We must convince the U.S. ... to put an end to a situation which is
not justified by the war against terrorism and which in fact
tarnishes the image of the war and the cause of anti-terrorists. For
the time being, the somber cretin who commands the base must be
sanctioned for his comment about the suicides, when he accused the
detainees of -sic- 'lacking respect' for human life and said their
deaths could not be assigned to a 'gesture of despair' but to an
'asymmetrical act of war' against the U.S.! More than anyone, those
who oppose fanaticism must be faithful to the values they defend. As
for us Europeans, we must admonish our friends and allies to act
according to the principles which we all share, reminding them that
we cannot defend the rule of law with the rule of exception."

Afghan Violence

"In Afghanistan, Paris in the Footsteps of its American Friend"
Jean-Dominique Merchet in left-of-center Liberation (06/16): "A
French military source says that France's special forces will be
moving to stay with the American forces, even if officially, nothing
has been announced... This move has not been motivated by the
worsening situation in Afghanistan; it is instead a political
decision taken directly by the Elysee. Seen from Paris, this is a
strong signal sent to the Americans to prove France's commitment to
fighting terrorism alongside the U.S. In a manner of speaking it is
a reconciliation to make up for the disagreement over Iraq."
"The Taliban's Attack on the 'Traitors'"
Adrien Jaulmes in right-of-center Le Figaro (06/16): "The latest
bombing of a minibus has everyone concerned over an 'iraqization' of
the situation in Afghanistan... It is the first attack taking
Afghans as targets and implies a change of tactics, according to the
spokesman of the coalition in southern Afghanistan, Major Quentin...
Since the fall of the Taliban regime, the coalition forces have
never really been able to take over control of the Pashtun provinces
in the south... To counter this new insurrection on the eve of a
transfer of command between the Americans and ISAF, the U.S. as
launched a large offensive in the mountains, said to be the most
important since 2001... But the Taliban have learned to evade
America's imposing fire power by dispersing and hiding in the
mountains."

Somalia

"Somali Government in Search of Islamic Support"
Tanguy Berthemet in right-of-center Le Figaro (06/16): "Nothing and
no one seems able to stop the Islamic Tribunals, their important
sources of financing or to stop the birth of an Islamic 'emirate' in
Somalia... The Alliance, an unnatural coalition of warlords formed
with the support of Washington, is finished... The Somali PM, aware
of his dwindling power, has decided to negotiate with the new
'masters...' Meanwhile, the EU has already announced its support to
the Somali government, while Washington, which accuses the Islamic
Tribunals of protecting members of Al-Qaeda, remains silent."

U.S. Midterm Electoral Campaign

"Republicans Fear an 'Anti-Bush Referendum'"
Philippe Gelie in right-of-center Le Figaro (06/16): "All indicators
show that President Bush's ratings are down... The Democrats are
hoping that the elections will turn into 'a referendum' on the White
House as they dream of a 'landslide...' But the fact is that the
legislative elections are really played at the local level... From
the war in Iraq, to immigration, abortion and gay marriages, the
topics for disagreements abound between 'blue' America and 'red'
America. But even within the conservatives, important differences
separate the camp defending 'values' and the camp defending
'business.' In this broken up electoral landscape national trends
are no guarantee for local victories." STAPLETON

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