Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
05PARIS1828
2005-03-18 11:28:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Paris
Cable title:  

MEDIA REACTION REPORT - IRAQ ALASKA OIL DRILLING

Tags:  OPRC KMDR FR 
pdf how-to read a cable
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 001828 

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; BRUSSELS/PA; USVIENNA FOR USDEL OSCE.

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OPRC KMDR FR
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION REPORT - IRAQ ALASKA OIL DRILLING
PUTIN TO FRANCE
PARIS - FRIDAY, MARCH 18, 2005

(A) SUBJECTS COVERED IN TODAY'S REPORT:

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PARIS 001828

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; BRUSSELS/PA; USVIENNA FOR USDEL OSCE.

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OPRC KMDR FR
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION REPORT - IRAQ ALASKA OIL DRILLING
PUTIN TO FRANCE
PARIS - FRIDAY, MARCH 18, 2005

(A) SUBJECTS COVERED IN TODAY'S REPORT:


1. IRAQ

2. ALASKA OIL DRILLING

3. PUTIN TO FRANCE

B) SUMMARY OF COVERAGE:

TODAY'S FRONT PAGES CARRY A VARIETY OF STORIES, WHICH INCLUDE
PUTIN'S VISIT TO PARIS, WITH LEFT-OF-CENTER LIBERATION
HEADLINING "PUTIN, THE COLD-SHOULDER FRIEND," AND POPULAR
RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE PARISIEN'S POLL ON THE EU CONSTITUTION
REFERENDUM, WHICH INDICATES THAT FOR THE FIRST TIME THE `NOS'
LEAD, WITH 51% OF THE PEOPLE POLLED SAYING THEY WOULD VOTE
`NO' TO THE REFERENDUM.

TWO LEFT-OF-CENTER DAILIES, LE MONDE AND LIBERATION, CRITICIZE
IN THEIR EDITORIALS PRESIDENT BUSH'S DECISION TO DRILL IN
ALASKA. (SEE PART C)

IVAN RIOUFOL CREDITS PRESIDENT BUSH FOR "THE ARAB SPRING" IN
HIS WEEKLY WRAP-UP COLUMN IN RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE FIGARO. (SEE
PART C)

LEFT-OF-CENTER LE MONDE STAGES A FULL-PAGE DEBATE BETWEEN
FRANCOIS HEISBOURG OF THE FOUNDATION FOR STRATEGIC RESEARCH,
AND BRITISH HISTORIAN TIMOTHY GARTON ASH ON THE FUTURE OF EU -
AMERICAN RELATIONS. HEISBOURG: "WE ARE IN ONE OF THOSE PERIODS
WHERE THE DECK OF CARDS IS BEING RESHUFFLED VERY RAPIDLY. THE
PARTNERSHIP WITH THE AMERICANS WILL BE AN `A LA CARTE'
PARTNERSHIP, NOT A FIXED MENU. IF WE DO NOT AGREE WITH THE
AMERICANS ON SUCH AND SUCH SUBJECT, IT WILL NOT BE THE END OF
THE WORLD. IT WOULD BE BETTER IF THE AMERICANS AGREED WITH US,
BUT I DON'T SEE WHY I SHOULD THROW MYSELF INTO THE SEA JUST TO
PLEASE JOHN BOLTON, THE NEW U.S. AMBASSADOR TO THE UN, WHO IS
THERE TO DESTROY THE UN. THE NEW QUESTION AT HAND IS: CAN THE
EUROPEAN UNION HAVE, ON CERTAIN ISSUES, A FOREIGN POLICY TAKE
DIFFERENT FROM THAT OF THE U.S.?"

CATHOLIC LA CROIX DEVOTES ITS FRONT PAGE TO AN INTERVIEW WITH
EXILED LEBANESE GENERAL AOUN: "I WORKED HARD TO CONVINCE THE
EUROPEANS THAT THE AMERICANS WERE ADOPTING A NEW POLITICAL
STRATEGY. MY EXPECTATIONS HAVE BEEN MET."

(C) SUPPORTING TEXT/BLOCK QUOTES:

IRAQ

"IRAQ, TWO YEARS LATER"
IVAN RIOUFOL IN RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE FIGARO (03/18): "ONE MORE
WORD ABOUT THE STATUS QUO, THIS POLICY OF WAITING WHICH
CHARACTERIZES FRANCE'S POLICY. IT IS THIS SAME CAUTIOUS STANCE
WHICH HAS INSPIRED FRANCE'S POLICY IN THE MIDDLE EAST. SO MUCH
SO THAT IT HAS MADE FRANCE APPEAR AS AN ALLY OF DESPOTS LIKE
SADDAM HUSSEIN AND YASSER ARAFAT. THE IRAQIS, WITH THEIR VOTE,
HAVE ALREADY ANSWERED CHIRAC'S BELIEF THAT `DEMOCRACY CANNOT
BE IMPORTED.' THE `ARAB SPRING,' WHICH HAS REACHED PALESTINE
AND LEBANON SO SPECTACULARLY. IS DUE TO GEORGE BUSH, AND THE
PEOPLE OF THE REGION KNOW IT. FRANCE CAN NO LONGER DECENTLY
CONTINUE TO PICK THE WRONG ADVERSARY. ITS PLACE IS ALONGSIDE
THOSE WHO IN THE MIDDLE EAST REJECT ISLAMIC IDEOLOGY AND ITS
IMPERIALISM. THE FIRST SIGNS THAT FRANCE MAY BE REVISING ITS
TOO `INDULGENT' ARAB POLICY COULD BE READ IN FM BARNIER'S AND
PM RAFFARIN'S LATEST REMARKS ABOUT LEBANON AND ISRAEL. THIS
MAY BE THE BEGINNING OF A NEW REVELATION."

ALASKA OIL DRILLING

"`W' IN ALASKA"
LEFT-OF-CENTER LE MONDE IN ITS EDITORIAL (03/18): "CAN THE
ENVIRONMENT CONTINUE TO BE SACRIFICED IN THE NAME OF
ECONOMICS? . EVEN IF PRESIDENT BUSH'S VICTORY IS NOT
DEFINITIVE. IT IS RAISING THE HACKLES OF ENVIRONMENTALISTS. WE
ALREADY KNEW, BECAUSE OF WASHINGTON'S OBSTINATE REJECTION OF
THE KYOTO PROTOCOL, THAT THE U.S. WAS SET ON PURSUING ITS OWN
LOGIC. THIS SAME U.S. POSITION WAS REITERATED ON WEDNESDAY AT
THE G20. FOR HOW LONG WILL THE U.S. BE ABLE TO CONTINUE ON THE
ROAD OF `ALWAYS MORE,' ENERGY AND POLLUTION? EUROPE, WHICH IS
TRYING TO IMPLEMENT MORE ECONOMICAL POLICIES, CANNOT LET THE
U.S. DO AS IT WISHES IN THIS SECTOR."

"DOUBLY NEFARIOUS"
GERARD DUPUY IN LEFT-OF-CENTER LIBERATION (03/18): "THE
QUESTION OF OIL DEPENDENCY. IS TAKING THE APPEARANCE IN
WASHINGTON OF A PRIORITY SECURITY ISSUE. RATHER THAN TRYING TO
REDUCE ENERGY CONSUMPTION, PRESIDENT BUSH HAS DECIDED TO DO
AWAY WITH THE BARRIERS PROTECTING OIL DRILLING. THIS IS
EXACTLY THE OPPOSITE OF WHAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN DONE. THE
AMERICAN DECISION IS DOUBLY NEFARIOUS FOR THE ALASKAN BEARS:
THEY WILL BE DIRECTLY AFFECTED BY THE OIL DRILLING AND BY THE
HOUSEWARMING EFFECTS. AND THE TRUTH IS THAT WE ARE ALL BEARS."
PUTIN TO FRANCE

"SPEAKING OPENLY"
PATRICK SABATIER IN LEFT-OF-CENTER LIBERATION (03/18): "A
STABLE, DEMOCRATIC AND PROSPEROUS RUSSIA, IS OBVIOUSLY A
STRATEGIC GOAL FOR THE EUROPEAN UNION. BUT IS PUTIN ON THAT
ROAD? WE CAN WONDER ABOUT THE EFFECTIVENESS OF CHIRAC'S OPEN
HAND TO HIS RUSSIAN FRIEND, IF HE MUST, AS HE EXTENDS HIS
HAND, ALSO CLOSE HIS NOSE AND EARS AND TURN HIS FACE AWAY.
CHIRAC CAN NO LONGER PRETEND THAT THE STATE OF DEMOCRACY IN
RUSSIA AND THE IMAGE PUTIN HAS OF DEMOCRACY ARE NOT A SOURCE
OF `CONCERN,' AS PRESIDENT BUSH HAS VERY APTLY SAID. IS NOT
SPEAKING OPENLY THE BEST GUARANTEE OF A TRUE FRIENDSHIP?"
LEACH