MEDIA REACTION REPORT - MIDDLE EAST - LEBANON - SYRIA

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PARIS 001714

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 - MIDDLE EAST - LEBANON - SYRIA
KAREN HUGHES NOMINATION - U.S. IMAGE ABROAD CHINA - TAIWAN
RELATIONS
PARIS - TUESDAY, MARCH 15, 2005


(A) SUBJECTS COVERED IN TODAY'S REPORT:


1. MIDDLE EAST - LEBANON - SYRIA

2. KAREN HUGHES NOMINATION - U.S. IMAGE ABROAD

3. CHINA - TAIWAN RELATIONS

B) SUMMARY OF COVERAGE:

THE NOMINATION OF KAREN HUGHES AS UNDERSECRETARY FOR PUBLIC
DIPLOMACY IS PROMINENTLY ANNOUNCED ON THE FRONT PAGE OF LE
FIGARO, UNDER THE HEADING: "PRESIDENT BUSH WANTS TO IMPROVE
AMERICA'S IMAGE," A TITLE REPEATED ON PAGE TWO ABOVE THE
ARTICLE BY CORRESPONDENT PHILIPPE GELIE. (SEE PART C)
SEPARATELY, LEFT-OF-CENTER LIBERATION DEVOTES A REPORT TO THE
"HIDDEN PROPAGANDA" FOR THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION IN PAID-FOR
REPORTS, AS REVEALED BY THE NEW YORK TIMES LAST SUNDAY.

"IN BEIRUT, A TIDE OF ANTI-SYRIAN PROTEST" IS THE HEADLINE IN
RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE FIGARO, WHILE CATHOLIC LA CROIX TITLES ITS
FRONT-COVER: "RE-ENFORCED LEBANESE OPPOSITION IN THE STREETS."
LEFT-OF-CENTER LIBERATION REPORTS ON "BEIRUT, THE ANTI-
SYRIAN," AND IN HIS EDITORIAL GERARD DUPUY APPLAUDS THE
"FALLEN INTERNAL BARRIERS" WHICH HAVE BROUGHT TOGETHER ONE OUT
OF FOUR LEBANESE. BUT DUPUY ALSO WARNS THAT HEZBOLLAH CANNOT
BE EXCLUDED FROM LEBANON'S POLITICAL LIFE. IN HIS ANALYSIS,
WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT PASCAL RICHE SUGGESTS "A SOFTENING IN
WASHINGTON TOWARDS HEZBOLLAH." (SEE PART C)

IN AN INTERVIEW IN LE FIGARO, MOSTLY DEVOTED TO THE FRENCH
PHILOSOPHER RAYMOND ARON, NATIONAL ASSEMBLY REPRESENTATIVE
PIERRE LELLOUCHE MAKES THE FOLLOWING REMARK: "BEFORE 9/11, THE
BUSH ADMINISTRATION, LIKE OTHERS BEFORE, EASILY ACCEPTED THE
STATUS QUO IN THE MIDDLE EAST. SINCE 9/11, THE BUSH
ADMINISTRATION HAS CLEARLY GIVEN UP ON ITS ISOLATIONIST STANCE
AND OPTED FOR A STRATEGY OF `DEMOCRATIC EVANGELISM' AIMED AT
THIS SAME STATUS QUO IN THE MIDDLE EAST. THE ADOPTION OF
WAHHABISM IN WIDE REGIONS OF THE ARAB WORLD IS NOT SOMETHING
TO BE TAKEN LIGHTLY. ISLAMIC EXTREMISM CARRIES THE SAME
INTELLECTUAL AND POLITICAL DEVICES AS THOSE OF NAZI TERRORISM,
FOCUSING ITS ANIMOSITY ON THE WEST AND THE JEWS."

THE CHINESE PARLIAMENT'S VOTE ON AN ANTI-SECESSION LAW VIS-A-
VIS TAIWAN IS REPORTED IN LA CROIX, WHILE REGIONAL LES
DERNIERES NOUVELLES D'ALSACE DEVOTES ITS FRONT PAGE EDITORIAL
TO "ONE CHINA." (SEE PART C)

(C) SUPPORTING TEXT/BLOCK QUOTES:

MIDDLE EAST - LEBANON - SYRIA

"INTERNAL BORDERS"
GERARD DUPUY IN LEFT-OF-CENTER LIBERATION (03/15): "THE
IMMENSE CROWD IN BEIRUT BROUGHT TOGETHER ONE LEBANESE OUT OF
FOUR. THEY ALL ASPIRE TO BECOME LEBANESE. LAST WEEK'S COUNTER
DEMONSTRATION BY HEZBOLLAH HAS CHANGED NOTHING. IT IS CLEAR
TODAY WHERE THE HEARTS OF THE LEBANESE PEOPLE LIE. THIS NEW
MAJORITY SEEMS TO INDICATE THAT THE LEBANESE HAVE FINALLY
ACKNOWLEDGED THE FACT THAT TO PUSH THE OCCUPIER OUTSIDE ITS
BOUNDARIES, THEY ALSO NEEDED TO BRING DOWN THE INTERNAL
BORDERS SEPARATING THEM. IF SYRIA CANNOT DIVIDE, IT CANNOT
REIGN. BUT THE HEZBOLLAH DEMONSTRATION ALSO SHOWS THAT THIS
MINORITY MUST HAVE ITS PLACE IN LEBANESE SOCIETY. THE
OPPROBRIUM, WHICH THE U.S. HAS HEAPED ON HEZBOLLAH IN THE NAME
OF ITS FIGHT AGAINST TERRORISM, WILL NOT MAKE THIS EASY. BUT
HOW CAN LEBANON BE REBUILT WHILE EXCLUDING A FOURTH OR A THIRD
OF ITS POPULATION? A MOBILIZATION OF THIS MAGNITUDE ANYWHERE
ELSE WOULD BE A CAUSE FOR CONCERN. BUT IN LEBANON, THIS
PEACEFUL MOVEMENT GIVES ONE THE FEELING THAT A NEW FUTURE IS
POSSIBLE, WHICH IS NEITHER WAR NOR OCCUPATION."
KAREN HUGHES NOMINATION - U.S. IMAGE ABROAD

"BUSH WANTS TO IMPROVE AMERICA'S IMAGE"
PHILIPPE GELIE IN RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE FIGARO (03/15): "KAREN
HUGHES WILL HAVE TO TIGHTEN WASHINGTON'S MESSAGE . WITH THE
MAIN TARGET THE ARAB-MUSLIM WORLD. HER SECOND IN COMMAND,
DIANA POWELL. SPEAKS ARABIC. HUGHES LINE OF ATTACK WILL BE TO
FOLLOW THE NEW POLITICAL ORIENTATION GIVEN TO FOREIGN
DIPLOMACY IN THE BUSH II ADMINISTRATION. THE TIME HAS COME AND
GONE FOR WORDS LIKE `CRUSADE.' THE SIGNAL SENT FROM WASHINGTON
TODAY IS MORE ONE WHERE DIALOGUE AND COOPERATION ARE
SUGGESTED, AS WELL AS SELF-DETERMINATION AND PROMOTION OF
DEMOCRACY AND FREEDOM. AS HIS SECOND TERM BEGINS, IT SEEMS
THAT PRESIDENT BUSH IS ALIGNING HIS ACTIONS WITH HIS WORDS.
THE CHANGE OF METHOD WITH EUROPE IS SPECTACULAR. LAST MONTH,
PRESIDENT BUSH TRAVELED TO EUROPE TO STRENGTHEN THE ATLANTIC
ALLIANCE AND RENEW HIS TIES WITH THE LEADERS OF THE ANTI-WAR
CAMP. BUSH IS INVOLVED IN A TRULY JOINT POLICY WITH FRANCE ON
LEBANON AND SYRIA. EVEN WHEN IT COMES TO CHINA AND THE ARMS
EMBARGO, WHICH IS A MAJOR CONCERN FOR WASHINGTON, THE TONE IS
CONCILIATORY. WHAT IS MOST SURPRISING IS THAT THESE NEW
SIGNALS ARE COMING FROM PRACTICALLY THE SAME TEAM, THERE HAS
JUST BEEN A LITTLE GAME OF MUSICAL CHAIRS."

CHINA - TAIWAN RELATIONS

"ONE CHINA"
OLIVIER PICARD IN REGIONAL LES NOUVELLES D'ALSACE (03/15):
"THE EXPECTED OBJECTION FROM THE UNITED STATES MATTERS LITTLE:
IT WAS ANTICIPATED, AND THE AMERICAN SECRETARY OF STATE,
CONDOLEEZZA RICE, WHO ARRIVES SUNDAY IN THE CHINESE CAPITAL
KNOWS WHAT TO EXPECT. WITH THIS SPECTACULAR AND TRULY
THREATENING INITIATIVE, CHINA WANTS TO STRENGTHEN ITS POSITION
INTERNATIONALLY. GLARING AT TAIWAN IS ONE WAY TO TELL AMERICA
THAT (CHINA) HAS DECIDED SOON TO BECOME THE ONLY OTHER WORLD
POWER CAPABLE OF STANDING UP TO AMERICA. THE RISK OF IMMINENT
WAR IS CERTAINLY NOT HIGH, BECAUSE THE MOST POPULATED COUNTRY
IN THE WORLD CANNOT AFFORD TO WEAKEN ITS DOUBLE-DIGIT ECONOMIC
GROWTH, WHICH IT NEEDS FOR SEVERAL MORE YEARS TO REACH A LEVEL
OF DEVELOPMENT EQUAL TO ITS GLOBAL AMBITIONS. CHINA IS A
PATIENT STRATEGIST WHO HAS WAITED A LONG TIME TO TAKE REVENGE
AND SHOW HER TRUE STRENGTH, AND NEVER WILL SHE ALLOW HERSELF
TO LOSE FACE."

"CHINA ALLOWS ITSELF THE OPTION OF WAR"
DORIAN MALOVIC IN CATHOLIC LA CROIX (03/15): "BEIJING'S
BELLICOSE VERBAL THREATS ARE NOTHING NEW. BUT BY INCLUDING
THEM INTO A LAW, CHINA INCREASES ITS PRESSURE ON TAIWAN'S
INDEPENDENT MOVEMENT, WHICH WILL HAVE TO TONE DOWN, AT LEAST
PUBLICLY, ITS ASPIRATIONS FOR EMANCIPATION. BUT WE ARE STILL
VERY FAR FROM A SCENARIO OF WAR IN THE STRAIGHT OF TAIWAN."
LEACH