MEDIA REACTION REPORT - BUSH-PUTIN MEETING IN

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PARIS 001168

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 - BUSH-PUTIN MEETING IN
BRATISLAVA - CHINA ARMS EMBARGO
PARIS - THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2005


(A) SUBJECTS COVERED IN TODAY'S REPORT:


1. BUSH-PUTIN MEETING IN BRATISLAVA

2. CHINA ARMS EMBARGO

(B) SUMMARY OF COVERAGE:

WITH NEWS OF ANOTHER HOUSING SCANDAL CONCERNING FINANCE
MINISTER HERVE GAYMARD RECENTLY BREAKING, HEADLINES TODAY
AFFIRM THAT "GAYMARD IS IN A STORM" (RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE
FIGARO) AND "THE GAYMARD CASE PUTS RAFFARIN IN A BIND" (LEFT-
OF-CENTER LE MONDE) WITH REPORTS QUESTIONING THE POSSIBILITY
OF HIS PRESENTING HIS RESIGNATION.

INTERNATIONAL STORIES FOCUS ON THE MEETING BETWEEN PRESIDENTS
BUSH AND PUTIN. LEFT-OF-CENTER LE MONDE HEADLINES: "BUSH -
PUTIN: THE COOLING" AND RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE FIGARO LEADS: "BUSH
GIVES PUTIN A LESSON IN DEMOCRACY." POPULAR RIGHT-OF-CENTER
FRANCE SOIR'S HEADLINE: "THORNY SUBJECTS AHEAD DURING THE BUSH-
PUTIN MEETING." (SEE PART C)

WITH THE ON-GOING DEBATE BETWEEN EUROPE AND THE U.S. OVER THE
LIFTING OF THE ARMS EMBARGO TO CHINA, LEFT-OF-CENTER
LIBERATION'S DIPLOMATIC EDITORIALIST JACQUES AMALRIC ASKS:
"CHINA, RIVAL OR PARTNER?" (SEE PART C)

WEEKLY NEWS MAGAZINE LE NOUVEL OBSERVATEUR CARRIES A SPECIAL
INVESTIGATIVE REPORT ON TERRORIST ABOU MOUSSAB AL-ZARQAOUI'S
ORGANIZATION. "FOR MANY EUROPEAN ANTI-TERRORISM SPECIALISTS,
THE PERSONALITY, MOTIVATIONS, EVEN THE EXISTENCE OF AL-
ZARQUAOUI REMAIN A MYSTERY."

THE WEEKLY NEWS MAGAZINES ANALYZE PRESIDENT BUSH'S VISIT TO
EUROPE TO REINVIGORATE TRANSATLANTIC TIES. LE POINT TITLES ITS
REPORT: "CHIRAC-BUSH: A RE-MARRIAGE OF CONVENIENCE" WITH
FOREIGN EDITOR PIERRE BEYLAU NOTING THAT: "THE STRONG LINES OF
AMERICAN FOREIGN POLICY HAVE NOT CHANGED BUT THE METHODS HAVE
EVOLVED." EDITORIALIST JEAN DANIEL IN LE NOUVEL OBSERVATEUR
OPINES: "NOTHING HAS CHANGED IN THE CONCEPT OF AMERICAN
FOREIGN POLICY EXEMPLIFIED BY THE NOTION OF PRE-EMPTION,
DESPITE CONDOLEEZZA RICE'S SPEECH IN PARIS AND GEORGE W.
BUSH'S FINE WORDS IN BRUSSELS. THE U.S. STILL INTENDS TO
DECIDE ALONE WHO THE ENEMIES ARE AND HOW BEST TO DESTROY
THEM."

(C) SUPPORTING TEXT/BLOCK QUOTES:

BUSH-PUTIN MEETING IN BRATISLAVA

"BUSH DEMANDS DEMOCRACY FROM PUTIN"
LAURE MANDEVILLE IN RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE FIGARO (02/24): "THE
RUSSIAN-AMERICAN RELATIONSHIP IS LIGHT YEARS FROM WHAT IT WAS
IN 2001 WHEN THE TWO HEADS OF STATE MET IN SLOVENIA. THE
ALLIANCE THAT WAS CREATED TO FIGHT TERRORISM AFTER SEPTEMBER
11 IS HAVING MORE AND MORE TROUBLE RESISTING RUSSIA'S
REVERSALS IN DEMOCRACY AND FREEDOM. THE RECENT ATTEMPT BY THE
KREMLIN TO TRY AND THWART THE ELECTIONS IN UKRAINE HAS PUT A
SERIOUS STRAIN ON THE FRIENDSHIP BETWEEN THE TWO PRESIDENTS.
GEORGE W. BUSH IS ATTACHED TO A PRAGMATIC DIALOGUE WITH MOSCOW
BUT WANTS TO GIVE IT A LESSON IN DEMOCRACY AT THE SAME TIME,
TWO OBJECTIVES THAT APPEAR TO BE IRRECONCILABLE."

"CRISIS ON THE HORIZON"
SACHA BALIT VANDEBROUCK IN POPULAR RIGHT-OF-CENTER FRANCE SOIR
(02/24): "GEORGE BUSH IS THE ETERNAL `LESSON GIVER' AND SINCE
YESTERDAY THIS ROLE HAS BEEN REINFORCED BY THE EUROPEAN
COMMISSION WHEN IT SANCTIONED THE PRESIDENT'S INTENTION TO
REMIND VALDIMIR PUTIN OF THE BASICS OF DEMOCRACY."

"BUSH AND PUTIN: TROUBLE BREWING"
PAUL FALZON IN COMMUNIST L'HUMANITE (02/24): "THE AMERICAN
PRESIDENT EMBARKED ON A SENSITIVE MISSION TO WIN OVER EUROPE.
EVEN IF HIS VISIT DID NOT PRODUCE MUCH IN THE WAY OF RESULTS.
IT DID SUCCEED IN PART IN IMPROVING THE TRANSATLANTIC
RELATIONSHIP. TODAY THE AMERICAN PRESIDENT WILL MEET HIS
RUSSIAN COUNTERPART IN BRATISLAVA FOR A SUMMIT THAT WILL NO
DOUBT BE TENSE. INDEED, OVER THE LAST FEW MONTHS WASHINGTON
HAS NOT MINCED WORDS WITH REGARD TO MEASURES TAKEN BY MOSCOW
IN THE MEDIA OR ENERGY SECTORS. MOSCOW, FOR ITS PART HAS TAKEN
PAINS NOT TO RESPOND TOO HARSHLY. AND TODAY VERY FEW SUBJECTS
BIND THESE TWO FORMER COLD WAR ADVERSARIES."
CHINA ARMS EMBARGO

"CHINA, RIVAL OR PARTNER?"
JACQUES AMLARIC IN LEFT-OF-CENTER LIBERATION (02/24): "THE
DISAGREEMENT BETWEEN EUROPE AND THE U.S. OVER THE LIFTING OF
THE ARMS EMBARGO TO CHINA WAS NOT RESOLVED DURING GEORGE W.
BUSH'S VISIT TO BRUSSELS AND IS NOT ABOUT TO BE. THE U.S. SEES
CHINA AS A RIVAL MILITARY POWER WHICH IS COMPLETELY THE
OPPOSITE VIEW OF THE TWO EUROPEAN LEADERS MOST IN FAVOR OF THE
LIFTING OF THE EMBARGO: JACQUES CHIRAC AND GERHARD SCHRODER.
FOR THEM, CHINA IS THE SECOND MOST IMPORTANT TRADE PARTNER IN
EUROPE AND A STRATEGIC PARTNER THAT SHOULD NO LONGER BE
HUMILIATED."

"CHIRAC-BUSH: A RE-MARRIAGE OF CONVENIENCE"
PIERRE BEYLAU IN WEEKLY NEWS MAGAZINE LE POINT (02/24): "CHINA
MAY BECOME THE NEXT BIG APPLE OF DISCORD BETWEEN EUROPE AND
THE U.S. AMERICA CONTINUES TO VIEW CHINA AS A STRATEGIC AND
ECONOMIC RIVAL WHILE EUROPE HAS NO INTENTION OF LETTING ITSELF
BE EMBARKED ON AN ANTI-CHINESE CRUSADE." LEACH