Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
05PARIS1859
2005-03-21 11:57:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Paris
Cable title:  

MEDIA REACTION REPORT - WOLFOWITZ NOMINATION TO WORLD

Tags:  OPRC KMDR FR 
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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 001859 

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 - WOLFOWITZ NOMINATION TO WORLD
BANK - BOLTON NOMINATION TO UN - SECRETARY RICE IN ASIA

PARIS - MONDAY, MARCH 21, 2005

(A) SUBJECTS COVERED IN TODAY'S REPORT:

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PARIS 001859

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 - WOLFOWITZ NOMINATION TO WORLD
BANK - BOLTON NOMINATION TO UN - SECRETARY RICE IN ASIA

PARIS - MONDAY, MARCH 21, 2005

(A) SUBJECTS COVERED IN TODAY'S REPORT:


1. WOLFOWITZ NOMINATION TO WORLD BANK - BOLTON NOMINATION TO
UN

2. SECRETARY RICE IN ASIA

(B) SUMMARY OF COVERAGE:

THE INCREASING NUMBER OF "NO" VOTES ON THE EU CONSTITUTION
REFERENDUM SHARES FRONT PAGES ALONG WITH DEMONSTRATIONS
AGAINST THE BOLKESTEIN DIRECTIVE AND THE REPORT OF THE
NATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS CONSULTATIVE COMMITTEE ON RACISM IN
FRANCE -- WHICH DETERMINED THAT JEWS AND MUSLIMS IN FRANCE
WERE THE TARGET OF THE HIGHEST RECORDED NUMBER OF ATTACKS
SINCE 1994.

WHILE NOT A FRONT-PAGE STORY, THE CASE OF TERRY SCHIAVO
RECEIVES CONSIDERABLE ELECTRONIC AND PRINT COVERAGE. CATHOLIC
LA CROIX DEVOTES AN EDITORIAL TO THIS POLEMICAL SITUATION THAT
PROVES THAT: "NO LAW CAN GOVERN THE ETHICAL DEBATE THAT EXISTS
IN OUR SOCIETY ON EUTHANASIA."

IN LEFT-OF-CENTER LIBERATION, WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT PASCAL
RICHE PENS AN ANALYSIS ON THE TRANSATLANTIC RELATIONSHIP AND
THE MIXED SIGNALS THAT EUROPE FEELS IT IS GETTING FROM THE
U.S. FOLLOWING THE NOMINATIONS OF PAUL WOLFOWITZ AND JOHN
BOLTON. (SEE PART C)

THE FRONT PAGE OF SATURDAY'S RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE FIGARO LEADS:
"WOLFOWITZ DEFENDS HIS CANDIDACY FOR THE WORLD BANK"
ANNOUNCING THE INSIDE INTERVIEW CONDUCTED BY THE DAILY'S
WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT UNDER THE SUBTITLE: "NUMBER TWO AT
THE PENTAGON: WOLFOWITZ ANSWERS CRITICISM IN EUROPE OVER HIS
NOMINATION TO HEAD THE WORLD BANK."

THE SUNDAY-MONDAY EDITION OF LEFT-OF-CENTER LE MONDE DESCRIBES
THE NOMINATION OF PAUL WOLFOWITZ AS "AWKWARD FOR EUROPE" ON
ITS FRONT PAGE. THE SECOND PAGE OF THE DAILY IS ENTIRELY
DEVOTED TO THIS NOMINATION. NEW YORK CORRESPONDENT CORINNE
LESNES WRITES: "SINCE HIS NOMINATION, PAUL WOLFOWITZ HAS BEEN
ACTIVELY PROMOTING HIMSELF TO PUT FORWARD THAT HE IS NOT WHO
WE THINK HE IS."

COMMUNIST L'HUMANITE'S REPORT: "A WAR-MONGER AT THE HEAD OF
THE WORLD BANK," SEES THE WOLFOWITZ NOMINATION AS A "SURPRISE
FOR THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY. AND WITH THE NOMINATION OF
JOHN BOLTON AS AMBASSADOR TO THE UN, MARKS THE BEGINNING OF A

NEW ERA IN THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION'S HEGEMONIC AMBITIONS."
RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE FIGARO'S CORRESPONDENT IN BEIJING JEAN-
JACQUES MEVEL DESCRIBES SECRETARY RICE'S VISIT TO CHINA AS
EMBLEMATIC OF THE POSITION THE U.S. HAS DECIDED TO ADOPT VIS-A-
VIS CHINA: "THE U.S., AS OPPOSED TO EUROPE, IS OPENLY WARY OF
CHINA. IT IS PRUDENTLY DIPLOMATIC. BUT INCLINED TO CURB THE
CHINA'S POWER." (SEE PART C)

THE AIRBUS-BOEING FEUD BETWEEN THE U.S. AND FRANCE WAS
REFUELED THIS WEEKEND BREAKING THE 90-DAY TRUCE CONCERNING
AIRCRAFT SUBSIDIES. CENTRIST ECONOMIC LA TRIBUNE HEADLINES:
"THE END OF THE TRUCE BETWEEN AIRBUS AND BOEING," AND LE
FIGARO'S ECONOMIC SUPPLEMENT ASKS: "WHO HUNG UP ON WHOM LAST
FRIDAY? THE EU TRADE COMMISSIONER PETER MANDELSON CLAIMS THAT
IT WAS HIS AMERICAN COUNTERPART ROBERT ZOELLICK WHO SAYS IT IS
THE CONTRARY. BEHIND THIS SPAT. IS THE UNDERLYING FACT THAT
BOEING CANNOT TOLERATE SEEING AIRBUS CARVE OUT A SIGNIFICANT
SHARE OF THE MARKET FOR ITSELF. CONSIDERING THE TURN OF
EVENTS, THE AGREEMENT THAT WAS EXPECTED FOR APRIL 11 WILL
PROBABLY NEVER SEE THE LIGHT OF DAY."
EU TRANSPORTATION COMMISSIONER, JACQUES BARROT, IN WASHINGTON
TODAY AND TOMORROW GIVES AN INTERVIEW IN LA TRIBUNE ON "OPEN
SKIES" NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE U.S. "I WILL ASSESS U.S.
WILLINGNESS TO OPEN THE `TRANSATLANTIC SKIES' AND. I WILL BE
NEGOTIATING THE CURRENT 25 PERCENT CEILING FOR FOREIGN
OWNERSHIP OF AMERICAN AIRLINE COMPANIES."

(C) SUPPORTING TEXT/BLOCK QUOTES:

WOLFOWITZ NOMINATION TO WORLD BANK - BOLTON NOMINATION TO UN

"WHY WOLFOWITZ?"
THE UNSIGNED EDITORIAL IN THE SUNDAY/MONDAY EDITION OF LEFT-OF-
CENTER LE MONDE: "GEORGE W. BUSH'S SIGNS OF OPENING UP TO THE
WORLD IN GENERAL AND EUROPE IN PARTICULAR SINCE HIS RE-
ELECTION HAVE QUICKLY REACHED THEIR LIMIT. AND THE PRESIDENT
IS REVERTING TO THE UNILATERALISM THAT CHARACTERIZED HIS FIRST
TERM IN OFFICE. MR. WOLFOWITZ HAS STATED THAT HE WILL NOT BE
WASHINGTON'S MAN AT THE WORLD BANK. BUT IT WILL BE DIFFICULT
FOR HIM TO CONVINCE ANYONE OF THIS WITHIN THE INTERNATIONAL
COMMUNITY AS HIS PERSONALITY SUGGESTS ANYTHING BUT THE U.S.'S
OPENNESS OR HUMILITY. ON THE CONTRARY, THIS NOMINATION LOOKS
LIKE A NEW MANIFESTATION OF AMERICA'S ARROGANCE. INDIFFERENCE
OR EVEN CYNICISM TOWARDS POOR COUNTRIES. WHAT IF EUROPE,
SPURRED ON BY NUMEROUS NGOS, DECIDED TO VETO THIS NOMINATION?
IT WOULD HAVE TO TAKE ON THE RESPONSIBILITY OF YET ANOTHER
DIPLOMATIC CRISIS WITH THE U.S. IN SHORT, MR. BUSH'S DECISION
MAKES THE WARMING OF TRANSATLANTIC RELATIONS INCREASINGLY
DIFFICULT."


"THE REAL FALSE AMERICAN SPRINGTIME"
PASCAL RICHE IN LEFT-OF-CENTER LIBERATION (03/21): "WHERE IS
GEORGE W. BUSH GOING? AMERICAN FOREIGN POLICY HAS RARELY BEEN
SO CONTRADICTORY. ON THE ONE HAND THE PRESIDENT HAS BEEN
REPEATING THE IMPORTANCE OF RECONCILIATION WITH THE EUROPEANS.
AND ON SEVERAL ISSUES HIS NEW SECRETARY OF STATE HAS SHOWN
THAT SHE IS DISTANCING HERSELF FROM THE HARD LINE OF THE
ADMINISTRATION. ON THE OTHER HAND, WASHINGTON HAS SENT SIGNALS
THAT SEEM TO BELIE THIS "AMERICAN SPRINGTIME." NAMELY WITH THE
NOMINATION OF PAUL WOLFOWITZ AT THE HEAD OF THE WORLD BANK.
AND ANOTHER HAWK, JOHN BOLTON. AS AMBASSADOR TO THE UN, AN
INSTITUTION THAT HE OPENLY SCORNS. ACCORDING TO SOME EXPERTS
BUSH IS TRYING TO FACILITATE CONDOLEEZZA RICE'S WORK BY
RIDDING THE ADMINISTRATION OF ITS IDEOLOGUES. THESE TWO
NOMINATIONS WERE MET IN EUROPE WITH SADDENED ASTONISHMENT. IT
FEARS THAT BOLTON WILL UNDERTAKE A CRUSADE AGAINST THE UN. AND
THAT WOLFOWITZ, WHO HAS DEVOTED HIS CAREER TO SPREADING
WESTERN-STYLE DEMOCRACY IN THE WORLD. WILL BE TEMPTED TO USE
THE RESOURCES OF THE WORLD BANK TO PUNISH SOME AND REWARD
OTHERS. EUROPEANS HAVE AN EASY WAY TO STOP THIS: BY VETOING
HIS NOMINATION."

SECRETARY RICE IN ASIA

SIPDIS

"FRANCE OPEN YOUR EYES!"
LE FIGARO CARRIES AN OP-ED CO-SIGNED BY THREE CHINESE THINKERS
WHO OPPOSE THE LIFTING OF THE ARMS EMBARGO AGAINST
CHINA(03/21): "EUROPE AND FRANCE, FOUNDING COUNTRY OF HUMAN
RIGHTS, ARE ON THE VERGE OF ABANDONING THEIR PRINCIPLES AND
THEIR HUMANISM FOR COMMERCIAL PROFIT. FOR US CHINESE, THE REAL
DEFENDERS OF DEMOCRACY TODAY ARE ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE
ATLANTIC, IN THE U.S." LEACH