MEDIA REACTION REPORT - IRAQ LEBANON-SYRIA

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PARIS 001589

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 - IRAQ LEBANON-SYRIA
PARIS - THURSDAY, MARCH 10, 2005


(A) SUBJECTS COVERED IN TODAY'S REPORT:


1. IRAQ

2. LEBANON-SYRIA

B) SUMMARY OF COVERAGE:

FRONT PAGES AND EDITORIALS, DEVOTED TO TODAY'S DAY OF SOCIAL
PROTEST, SINGLE OUT SALARIES AND A DETERIORATING BUYING POWER
AS THE MAJOR REASON FOR THE PROTEST, AHEAD OF CONCERNS FOR
CHANGES TO THE 35-HOUR WORKWEEK.

LEBANON, SYRIA'S PULLOUT PLANS, AND DISARMING HEZBOLLAH ARE
PART OF TODAY'S INTERNATIONAL STORIES. IN RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE
FIGARO ALEXANDRINE BOUILHET REPORTS ON WALID JUMBLATT'S VISIT
TO THE EU, WHERE "HE IS PLAYING EUROPE AGAINST THE U.S." SHE
QUOTES A EUROPEAN DIPLOMAT: "THE U.S. WANTS TO IMPOSE A NEW
REGIME IN DAMASCUS. WE ONLY WANT LEBANON'S SOVEREIGNTY." A
SEPARATE REPORT IN LEFT-OF-CENTER WEEKLY LE NOUVEL OBSERVATEUR
REPORTS A SIMILAR STANCE ON BEHALF OF A FRENCH DIPLOMAT. (SEE
PART C) IN RIGHT-OF-CENTER WEEKLY LE POINT, GENERAL AOUN,
EXILED IN FRANCE, SAYS IN AN INTERVIEW: "WE CANNOT TRUST
SYRIA. IT DOES NOT WANT TO WITHDRAW FROM LEBANON AND PREFERS A
CONFRONTATION WITH THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY. SYRIA'S REGIME
IS INCAPABLE OF EITHER DIALOGUE OR NEGOTIATIONS."

THE QUESTIONS RAISED BY THE ATTACK ON THE CONVOY CARRYING
GIULIANA SGRENA IN IRAQ CONTINUE. IN POPULAR RIGHT-OF-CENTER
PARIS MATCH, EDITORIALIST ALAIN GENESTAR, WHO " LOVES
AMERICA," IS NEVERTHELESS CHAGRINED BY "THE FEAR THAT LEADS
AMERICAN SOLDIERS TO SHOOT WITHOUT REASON OR WARNING. SIMPLY
BY PRECAUTION. AMERICA'S WAR IN IRAQ, AND BEYOND THAT, HOW IT
CONDUCTS THAT WAR, TARNISHES AMERICA'S REPUTATION." (SEE PART
C)

THE ASSASSINATION OF ASLAN MASKHADOV AND THE SITUATION IN
CHECHNYA ARE THE SUBJECTS CHOSEN BY BRUNO FRAPPAT IN LA CROIX
FOR HIS EDITORIAL: "OF ALL THE BLACK HOLES ON THIS EARTH
HIDDEN FROM THE WORLD, . THE WORST IS CHECHNYA, WHERE FOR THE
PAST ELEVEN YEARS A HORRIBLE WAR HAS BEEN WAGED. RUSSIA IS NOT
LETTING GO OF ITS PREY. AND TODAY, RUSSIA IS PROCLAIMING ITS
VICTORY WITHOUT SHAME. MASKHAROV WAS NO LONGER IN CONTROL OF
MUCH. HIS RELATIVE MODERATION PUT HIM IN AN UNCOMFORTABLE
POSITION, BETWEEN TWO TYPES OF RADICALISM: RUSSIA'S AND THE
ISLAMISTS', LIKE BASSAIEV. THE KREMLIN HAS HUNTED HIM WITHOUT
MERCY, AND IS NOW STANDING PROUDLY BESIDES ITS TROPHY."

POPULAR RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE PARISIEN CARRIES A REPORT ON THE
RECENTLY RELEASED FRENCH GUANTANAMO DETAINEES. CHRISTOPHE
DUBOIS, WHO TITLES HIS STORY: "THE FRENCH SAID TO HAVE
SUFFERED ABUSE IN GUANTANAMO," REPORTS THAT ONE OF THE
DETAINEES, PATEL, HAS BEEN RELEASED BY THE FRENCH POLICE, AND
THAT BENCHALLALI, RELEASED LAST JULY FROM GUANTANAMO, CLAIMS
TO HAVE SUFFERED ABUSE WHILE DETAINED BY THE U.S.

(C) SUPPORTING TEXT/BLOCK QUOTES:

IRAQ

"WAR AND AMERICA'S REPUTATION"
ALAIN GENESTAR IN POPULAR WEEKLY PARIS MATCH (03/10):
"INVESTIGATIONS (INTO SHOOTING ACCIDENTS IN IRAQ) LEAD
NOWHERE. THEY EXONERATE THE SHOOTER OR TONE DOWN MILITARY
RESPONSIBILITY IN ORDER NOT TO AFFECT SOLDIER MORALE. THESE
REPEATED BLUNDERS REVEAL WHAT THIS WAR IS ALL ABOUT. IT IS A
BLIND DISORGANIZED WAR, WHOSE PURPOSE IS NOT TO HERALD THE
RIGHT OF THE PEOPLE TO SELF-DETERMINATION, BUT TO HERALD
`GOOD.' WE MUST NEVER FORGET THAT IN BUSH'S MIND, THIS IS A
`CRUSADE' IN THE NAME OF `GOOD' OVER `EVIL.' A SOLDIER WHO
BELIEVES HE IS INHABITED BY GOOD, WHOSE PRESIDENT SPEAKS OF
GOD TO JUSTIFY HIS WAR, DOES NOT ACT LIKE OTHER SOLDIERS. HE
ACTS LIKE A RIGHTER OF WRONGS ON A MISSION. WE CAN UNDERSTAND
THE SOLDIERS' FEAR. BEING TARGETS OF BLIND ATTACKS, THEY SHOOT
AT ANYTHING THAT MOVES. AMERICANS, WHETHER SHERIFFS OR THE
FBI, HAVE ALWAYS EXERCISED THEIR POWER WITH COLD EFFICIENCY.
THEY HAVE EVERY RIGHT, INCLUDING THAT OF SHOOTING WITHOUT
PRIOR WARNING. AND THE RIGHT TO KILL OUT OF PRECAUTION. I LOVE
AMERICA, ITS PEOPLE, ITS CREATIVITY, ITS LOVE OF FREEDOM.
AMERICA'S WAR IN IRAQ, AND BEYOND THAT, HOW IT CONDUCTS THAT
WAR, TARNISHES AMERICA'S REPUTATION. TO LOVE AMERICA IS ALSO
TELLING AMERICA, IN ANSWER TO ITS USE OF VIOLENCE, TO CONTROL
ITS FEAR."

LEBANON-SYRIA

"JUMBLATT PLAYING EUROPE AGAINST THE U.S."
ALEXANDRINE BOUIHLET IN RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE FIGARO (03/10):
"WALID JUMBLAT AND HIS DELEGATION ARE ASKING THE EU TO
SEPARATE ITSELF FROM AMERICA'S POLICY IN LEBANON. HE FAVORS
SYRIA'S PULLOUT, BUT NOT DISARMING HEZBOLLAH. THE LEBANESE
OPPOSITION IS ASKING EUROPE TO SHOW CLEMENCY TOWARDS
HEZBOLLAH. THE EU SEEMS TO HAVE UNDERSTOOD THE MESSAGE ABOUT
THE TAIEF AGREEMENT, WHICH GIVES DAMASCUS THE OPPORTUNITY TO
WITHDRAW FROM LEBANON WHILE SAVING FACE. AFTER SHARING
WASHINGTON'S STANCE ON THE LEBANESE QUESTION, EUROPE IS
BEGINNING TO TAKE ITS DISTANCE, INCLUDING ON THE
INTERPRETATION OF RESOLUTION 1559. SAYS A EU DIPLOMAT: `WE, AS
OPPOSED TO THE U.S., DO NOT WANT TO ISOLATE SYRIA. THE U.S.
WANTS TO IMPOSE A NEW REGIME IN DAMASCUS. WE JUST WANT LEBANON
TO REGAIN ITS SOVEREIGNTY, NOT A CRISIS WITH SYRIA.' JUMBLATT
HOPES TO BE ABLE TO INFLUENCE FRANCE'S ANTI-SYRIA AND PRO-U.S.
POSITION WHEN IN PARIS TOMORROW."

"SLOW PULLOUT"
FARID AICHOUNE IN LEFT-OF-CENTER WEEKLY LE NOUVEL OBSERVATEUR
(03/10): "WHAT REMAINS TO BE SEEN IS WHETHER THE AMERICANS AND
THE SYRIANS ARE SPEAKING ONLY ABOUT LEBANON. AND IF PARIS AND
WASHINGTON HAVE THE SAME REASONS FOR RE-ACTIVATING RESOLUTION

1559. A FRENCH DIPLOMAT BELIEVES THAT THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION
IS MORE CONCERNED WITH SECURING THE IRAQI-SYRIAN BORDER THAN
WITH GIVING LEBANON BACK ITS SOVEREIGNTY. WILL THE LEBANESE
ONCE AGAIN BE HOSTAGE TO THE MAJOR POWERS AND THE VICTIMS OF A
FOOL'S BARGAIN?" LEACH