MEDIA REACTION REPORT - LEBANON - SYRIA U.S.

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PARIS 001011

SIPDIS


DEPT FOR INR/R/MR; IIP/RW; IIP/RNY (FRANK); BBG/VOA; IIP/WEU;
AF/PA; EUR/WE (DEBORAH MENNUTI)/P/SP; D/C (MCCOO); EUR/PA
(BERBENA); INR/P; INR/EUC; PM; OSC ISA FOR ILN; NEA; WHITE
HOUSE FOR NSC/WEUROPE; DOC FOR ITA/EUR/FR AND PASS USTR/PA
(ANN LUZZATO); USINCEUR FOR PAO; NATO/PA; MOSCOW/PA; ROME/PA;
BRUSSELS/PA; USVIENNA FOR USDEL OSCE.

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OPRC KMDR FR
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION REPORT - LEBANON - SYRIA U.S.
DIPLOMACY
PARIS - THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2005


(A) SUBJECTS COVERED IN TODAY'S REPORT:


1. LEBANON - SYRIA

2. U.S. DIPLOMACY

B) SUMMARY OF COVERAGE:

FRONT PAGES ARE OVERWHELMINGLY DEVOTED TO THE LEBANESE
PEOPLE'S ANGER TOWARD SYRIA AFTER THE ASSASSINATION OF RAFIK
HARIRI: "ANTI-SYRIAN ANGER" (LE FIGARO); "ANTI-SYRIAN REVOLT"
(LIBERATION); "ANGER RISING IN BEIRUT AGAINST SYRIA" (LA
CROIX); "LEBANON REBELS AGAINST SYRIA" (FRANCE SOIR).

IN COMMENTARIES, EDITORS EMPHASIZE SYRIA'S AMBIGUOUS PAST, THE
DANGERS FOR THE MIDDLE EAST PEACE PROCESS AND THE NEW ALLIANCE
BETWEEN PARIS AND WASHINGTON OVER THE UN RESOLUTION ON SYRIA.
(SEE PART C)

IN POPULAR RIGHT-OF-CENTER FRANCE SOIR RESEARCHER BARAH MIKAIL
OF IRIS (INSTITUTE FOR INTERNATIONAL AND STRATEGIC RELATIONS)
SAYS: "MANY PLAYERS IN THE REGION CAN PROFIT FROM
DESTABILIZING LEBANON. OUT OF ALL OF THESE, SYRIA IS THE ONE
THAT HAS THE LEAST TO GAIN FROM THIS ASSASSINATION. IT IS VERY
INTERESTING TO SEE HOW PARIS AND WASHINGTON DEAL WITH SYRIA
AND WHY. WITH THE UN RESOLUTION, PARIS WANTS TO IMPOSE THE EU
AS A PLAYER IN THE MIDDLE EAST; THIS IS WHY IT IS TRYING TO
GET CLOSE TO THE U.S. IN THE REGION. FOR THEIR PART, THE
AMERICANS AREN'T VERY INTERESTED IN WHAT HAPPENS IN LEBANON.
BUT THEY ARE INCREASING THEIR PRESSURE ON DAMASCUS BECAUSE OF
SYRIA'S INFLUENCE OVER IRAQ. IRAQ IS THEIR PRIORITY. THE
CRISIS IN LEBANON GIVES THEM A PRETEXT TO BARE THEIR TEETH."
IN LEFT-OF-CENTER LIBERATION, LEBANON'S FORMER PRESIDENT,
AMINE GEMAYEL SAYS: "ONE CAN SIN THROUGH THOUGHT, ACTION OR
OMISSION. IF SYRIA DID NOT SIN BY ITS ACTIONS, IT CERTAINLY
HAS COMMITTED THE SIN OF OMISSION."

IN LEFT-OF-CENTER WEEKLY LE NOUVEL OBSERVATEUR EDITORIALIST
JEAN DANIEL COMMENTS ON SECRETARY RICE'S SPEECH IN PARIS AND
AMERICA'S DESIRE TO "CHANGE THE WORLD." (SEE PART C)

ALSO IN LE NOUVEL OBSERVATEUR CORRESPONDENT VINCENT JAUVERT
WRITES A REPORT ON THE BUSH-CHIRAC RELATIONSHIP, WHICH HE
CALLS: "CORDIAL MISTRUST." IN REGIONAL OUEST FRANCE, PIERRE DE
CHARENTENAY WRITES ABOUT THE FUNDAMENTAL DIFFERENCES BETWEEN
AMERICA AND EUROPE: "SINCE WE ARE ON SUCH DIFFERENT PATHS, HOW
CAN DIALOGUE BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES AND FRANCE BE SERENE?"
(SEE PART C)

(C) SUPPORTING TEXT/BLOCK QUOTES:

LEBANON - SYRIA

"SYRIA'S POWER PLAY"
GERARD DUPUY IN LEFT-OF-CENTER LIBERATION (02/17): "THE
SYRIANS KNOW EXACTLY WHAT THE LEBANESE THINK ABOUT THEM.
DAMASCUS'S INTENTION WAS PROBABLY TO PREVENT THE LEBANESE FROM
MAKING THEIR FEELINGS KNOWN IN THE COMING ELECTIONS. THE
LEBANESE GOVERNMENT'S REJECTION OF AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE
ASSASSINATION WILL NOT QUELL THE ALMOST UNANIMOUS ACCUSATIONS
AGAINST SYRIA. ALMOST UNANIMOUS, BECAUSE THE ANGER AND
INDIGNATION FELT ALL AROUND HAS NOT DETERRED THE RUSSIAN
DEFENSE MINISTER FROM CONFIRMING THE SALE OF CONTROVERSIAL
WEAPONS TO DAMASCUS, OR THE IRANIAN VICE-PRESIDENT TO EXPRESS
HIS SOLIDARITY WITH SYRIA. THIS IS JUST A REMINDER THAT THE
SYRIANS HAVE ALWAYS KNOWN HOW TO USE THE REGIONAL POLITICAL
PLAYERS TO THEIR OWN END. WITH THE IRAQI ELECTIONS OVER, THE
SHIITE MOVEMENT MAY WELL NOW HAVE AT ITS DISPOSAL TERRITORIAL
CONTINUITY STRETCHING FROM KHORASSAN TO THE BEKAA VALLEY. IT
IS CLEAR THAT THE ASSASSINATION OF HARIRI, FOR THE
PERPETRATORS THEMSELVES, HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH A LOCAL CRIME,
BUT IS RATHER A FORM OF REGIONAL BLACKMAIL IN THE MIDDLE EAST.
SYRIA CAN STILL PROVE ITS INNOCENCE BY COMPLYING WITH
RESOLUTION 1559. OTHERWISE THE WEST WILL HAVE TO PUT ITS MONEY
WHERE ITS MOUTH IS."
"RE-ACQUAINTANCE"
BRUNO FRAPPAT IN CATHOLIC LA CROIX (02/17): "IT IS MUCH TOO
SOON TO SAY WHETHER HARIRI'S FUNERAL WILL MARK THE BEGINNING
OF SYRIA'S WITHDRAWAL FROM LEBANON AND LEBANON'S RE-
ACQUAINTANCE WITH ITSELF. HARIRI'S DEATH HAS ALSO ALLOWED
FRANCE AND THE U.S. TO RE-AFFIRM THEIR ENTENTE OVER THE ONLY
POSSIBLE OUTCOME TO THE CRISIS: SYRIA'S DEPARTURE. BUT SYRIA
IS A HEREDITARY DICTATORSHIP, AND DICTATORSHIPS, ONCE THEY ARE
LOCKED IN THEIR BUNKERS, HAVE A HARD TIME LISTENING."

U.S. DIPLOMACY

"CHANGING THE WORLD"
JEAN DANIEL IN LEFT-OF-CENTER WEEKLY LE NOUVEL OBSERVATEUR
(02/17): "THE PHRASE I FOUND MOST REVEALING IN SECRETARY
RICE'S SPEECH IN PARIS WAS HER LYRICAL CALL `TO CHANGE THE
WORLD.' AT THAT POINT I BEGAN TO UNDERSTAND WHAT DONALD
RUMSFELD MEANT WHEN HE SPOKE ABOUT `OLD EUROPE.' IT IS TRUE
THAT EUROPEANS WANT TO PROTECT AND REFORM THE WORLD, NOT
CHANGE IT. SECRETARY RICE'S MESSIANIC FAITH IN DEMOCRACY AND
HER DETERMINATION TO SAVE THE WORLD BY EXPORTING DEMOCRACY
ILLUSTRATE HOW MUCH OF AN AMERICAN SHE IS. SHE DOES CONCEDE
THAT DEMOCRACY CANNOT BE `IMPOSED' FROM THE OUTSIDE. BUT THIS
IS JUST A TRICK., BECAUSE ONE CAN ALWAYS FIND A GROUP OF
OPPONENTS TO SUPPORT AND DECIDE THEY ARE A REPRESENTATIVE
GROUP. WHILE SECRETARY RICE IS RIGHT TO SHOW SATISFACTION FOR
THE FREE ELECTIONS IN AFGHANISTAN, PALESTINE AND IRAQ, SHE DID
NOT SAY WHETHER THE LOSS OF HUMAN LIVES AND THE TRAUMA MIGHT
HAVE BEEN LESSENED. MOSTLY SHE FORGOT TO SAY WHETHER THE
LEADERS OF A NATION WHO HAVE LIED. ARE THE BEST PLACED TO PUT
THEMSELVES FORWARD AS AN EXAMPLE TO CIVILIZATIONS DEEMED TO BE
INFERIOR."

"AMERICAN ASSERTION AND EUROPEAN DOUBTS"
PIERRE DE CHARENTENAY IN REGIONAL OUEST-FRANCE (02/17): "SINCE
WE ARE ON SUCH DIFFERENT PATHS, HOW CAN DIALOGUE BETWEEN THE
UNITED STATES AND FRANCE BE SERENE? IN FACT NOT ONLY ARE WE
SEPARATED BY DIFFERENT POLICIES, WE ARE ALSO SEPARATED BY
DIFFERENT CULTURES, ON ONE SIDE ACTION AND ON THE OTHER SIDE
INTROSPECTION AND DISCUSSION, WITH ALL THE HESITATIONS THAT
COME WITH THEM. THIS DOESN'T MEAN THAT AMERICAN CERTAINTY HAS
A BETTER FUTURE TO OFFER THAN EUROPEAN DOUBTS. THE ISOLATION
OF THE UNITED STATES WILL ONLY LEAD TO AN OVERLOAD OF
RESPONSIBILITIES. MANY BOOKS HAVE ALREADY PREDICTED, MAYBE A
BIT SOON, THE END OF AMERICA'S LEADERSHIP. CONVERSELY,
EUROPEAN UNCERTAINTIES ARE BUILT ON LAW AND EXPECTATIONS FOR A
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT WHICH ARE THE CORNERSTONES FOR
BUILDING THE FUTURE, AND ON A SENSE OF COMMUNITY THAT OFFERS A
LIFESTYLE THAT SO MANY STRIVE FOR. BY REFUSING THE PATH TO
POWER, THE EUROPEANS ARE PROBABLY CHOOSING THE ONE TO
ENDURANCE. BEFORE NEXT WEEK'S MEETING BETWEEN THE UNITED
STATES AND FRANCE, ONE CAN MAKE TWO PROPOSALS: THAT THE UNITED
STATES WONDER ABOUT ITS DREAM AND THAT EUROPE MAKE NO SECRET
OF ITS WILLINGNESS TO ACT WITH MORE DETERMINATION." LEACH