Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
05PARIS2051
2005-03-29 10:41:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Paris
Cable title:  

MEDIA REACTION REPORT - KYRGYZSTAN REVOLUTION - U.S.

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 002051 

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 - KYRGYZSTAN REVOLUTION - U.S.
- RUSSIAN INFLUENCE AFGHANISTAN - TALIBAN REGIME
PARIS - TUESDAY, MARCH 29, 2005

(A) SUBJECTS COVERED IN TODAY'S REPORT:

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PARIS 002051

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 - KYRGYZSTAN REVOLUTION - U.S.
- RUSSIAN INFLUENCE AFGHANISTAN - TALIBAN REGIME
PARIS - TUESDAY, MARCH 29, 2005

(A) SUBJECTS COVERED IN TODAY'S REPORT:


1. KYRGYZSTAN REVOLUTION - U.S. - RUSSIAN INFLUENCE

2. AFGHANISTAN - TALIBAN REGIME

B) SUMMARY OF COVERAGE:

DOMESTIC POLITICS DOMINATE TODAY'S FRONT PAGES AND
COMMENTARIES, WITH RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE FIGARO LEADING WITH THE
RESULTS OF ITS LATEST IPSOS-EUROPE ONE POLL ON THE EUROPEAN
CONSTITUTION. THE RESULTS SHOW THAT 54 PERCENT OF THE FRENCH
WOULD VOTE `NO' TO THE CONSTITUTION; 46 PERCENT ARE SAID TO
VOTE IN FAVOR. THE POLL ALSO SHOWS THAT A MAJORITY OF
SOCIALISTS (53%) WILL VOTE `NO.' THE FIGARO COMMENTS: "IN THE
PAST TEN DAYS THIS IS THE FOURTH CONSECUTIVE POLL SHOWING A
VICTORY OF THE `NO.'"

POLITICAL CHANGE IN KYRGYSZTAN IS ALSO DEBATED. IN LE FIGARO,
GERARD CHALIAND, A SPECIALIST IN GEO-STRATEGY WHO HAS RECENTLY
PENNED A BOOK ENTITLED "FROM ONE IRAQ WAR TO THE NEXT,"
COMMENTS ON THE CHANGES IN RUSSIA'S PERIPHERY, AND ALSO ON
U.S. INFLUENCE IN THE MIDDLE EAST. (SEE PART C)

LEFT-OF-CENTER LIBERATION DEVOTES A TWO-PAGE REPORT TO THE
"END OF THE TALEBAN." IN HIS EDITORIAL, PATRICK SABATIER WARNS
AGAINST CRYING VICTORY IN AFGHANISTAN TOO SOON. AS PART OF THE
SAME REPORT, OLIVIER ROY, AN EXPERT ON THE MIDDLE EAST,
COMMENTS ON THE "SUCCESS OF HAMID KARZAI. HE MANAGED THINGS
WELL AND THE AMERICANS ACTED WITH MORE TALENT IN AFGHANISTAN
THAN IN IRAQ." (SEE PART C)

RIGHT-OF-CENTER WEEKLY L'EXPRESS CARRIES A REPORT ON TWO OF
PRESIDENT BUSH'S NOMINATIONS, BOLTON AND WOLFOWITZ. PHILIPPE
COSTE WRITES: "ARE THESE TWO UNILATERALIST HAWKS THE
INSTRUMENTS OF AN AMERICAN PLOT AGAINST INTERNATIONAL
INSTITUTIONS? NOT SO FAST! BOTH MEN WILL DO WELL. BOLTON, WHO
CANNOT BE ACCUSED OF COMPLACENCY TOWARDS THE UN. COULD WELL
HELP TO IMPROVE THE INSTITUTION'S CREDIBILITY. AS FOR
WOLFOWITZ, HIS EXCELLENCE AS FORMER AMBASSADOR TO INDONESIA
AND HIS ATTRACTION TO NATION BUILDING LEAD US TO THINK HE WILL
PAY SPECIAL ATTENTION TO GOOD GOVERNANCE AND TO THE FIGHT
AGAINST CORRUPTION."

LEFT-OF-CENTER LIBERATION BEGINS A FOUR-PART CARTOON ON IRAQ
BY JOE SACCO, COMMISSIONED BY THE GUARDIAN, WHILE SACCO WAS

EMBEDDED WITH A U.S. MARINE DETACHMENT. SACCO IS INTERVIEWED
ABOUT EMBEDDED JOURNALISTS: "IT IS LESS DANGEROUS WHEN IN IRAQ
TO BE EMBEDDED THAN TO MOVE AROUND AMONG CIVILIANS. BUT WHEN
YOU ARE WITH THE MARINES, YOU BEGIN TO SHARE THEIR PARANOIA
AND THEIR FEAR. I WANTED TO SHOW THAT, FROM THEIR POINT OF
VIEW, ANYONE CAN BECOME A POTENTIAL THREAT, AND OF COURSE THIS
IS NOT THE BEST WAY TO WIN OVER HEARTS. IT JUST DOES NOT WORK.
AS AN EMBED, A JOURNALIST LOSES HIS DISTANCE. EMBEDDING
JOURNALISTS IS NOT A GOOD THING. YOU BECOME TOO CLOSE TO THE
SOLDIERS. JOURNALISTS MUST THEN ATTEMPT TO SEPARATE THEIR
FEELINGS FROM THEIR PERCEPTION OF REALITY."

(C) SUPPORTING TEXT/BLOCK QUOTES:

KYRGYZSTAN REVOLUTION - U.S. - RUSSIAN INFLUENCE

"RUSSIA'S LOSS OF INFLUENCE"
GERARD CHALIAND IN RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE FIGARO (03/29): "FOR
YEARS NOW WASHINGTON HAS BEEN HELPING IN THE ROLLBACK OF
RUSSIA'S INFLUENCE IN COUNTRIES FROM THE WARSAW PACT. THREE
BALTIC NATIONS HAVE BECOME NATO AND EU MEMBERS. NATO HAS
BECOME, IN ADDITION TO A MILITARY PACT, A DIPLOMATIC
INSTRUMENT. AMERICA'S POPULARITY IN THESE NATIONS CLOSE TO
RUSSIA IS CONSIDERABLE. THIS IS NOT THE CASE, EXCEPT FOR A FEW
EXCEPTIONS, IN PUBLIC OPINION IN THE MIDDLE EAST. ONE MIGHT
EVEN SAY THAT IN THE GREATER MIDDLE EAST, THE MORE A REGIME IS
PRO-AMERICAN, THE LESS THE POPULATION FAVORS THE U.S. NOTHING
OF THE KIND IS HAPPENING ON RUSSIA'S DOORSTEP. EVERYTHING IS
POINTING TO RUSSIA BEING UNABLE TO BE MORE THAN A REGIONAL
POWER IN THE FUTURE. UNDER WASHINGTON'S INFLUENCE, AMERICA'S
ALLIES ARE STICKING TOGETHER IN THAT REGION. WASHINGTON'S
FOREIGN POLICY SEEMS TO HAVE GARNERED MORE SUCCESS IN RUSSIA'S
PERIPHERY THAN IN THE MIDDLE EAST. IRAQ IS A HUGE MESS, SYRIA
HAS FOR A LONG TIME BEEN THE WEAK LINK AND LEBANON IS STILL A
NATION WHERE RELIGIOUS GROUPS PUT THEIR PARTISAN INTERESTS
ABOVE THE NATIONAL INTEREST."

AFGHANISTAN - TALIBAN REGIME

"THE TALIBAN, A SPECIES ON THE WANE"
PATRICK SABATIER IN LEFT-OF-CENTER LIBERATION (03/29): "IF THE
TALIBAN ARE TODAY A DYING SPECIES, IT IS BECAUSE PAKISTAN HAS
DECIDED TO SACRIFICE THEM TO AVOID BEING CHECKMATED BY
PRESIDENT BUSH. THE END OF THIS OBSCURANTIST GROUP IS GOOD
NEWS. BUT THE COROLLARY IS THE SALE OF F-16 AIRCRAFT TO
PAKISTAN. PRESIDENT BUSH'S ABSOLUTION OF MUSHARRAF IS A WAY OF
THANKING HIM FOR HIS SUPPORT IN THE WAR AGAINST TERRORISM. BUT
WE SHOULD NOT UNDERESTIMATE THE IMPORTANCE OF PAKISTAN IN THE
FIGHT AGAINST NUCLEAR PROLIFERATION, JUST BECAUSE WE HAVE
SUCCESSFULLY COME TO TERMS WITH AFGHANISTAN'S ISLAMIC GROUPS.
NEITHER SHOULD WE CRY VICTORY TOO SOON IN AFGHANISTAN, A
COUNTRY WHICH IS CONVALESCING BUT IS STILL THREATENED WITH THE
GANGRENE OF DRUG TRAFFIC."

"KARZAI HAS MANAGED WELL"
OLIVIER ROY IN LEFT-OF-CENTER LIBERATION (03/29): "PRESIDENT
KARZAI HAS MANAGED PRETTY WELL AND THE AMERICANS HAVE DONE
BETTER IN AFGHANISTAN THAN IN IRAQ, PARADOXICALLY, BECAUSE
AFGHANISTAN DOES NOT REALLY INTEREST THEM. THEIR PRESENCE IN
AFGHANISTAN HAS BEEN LESS INTRUSIVE THAN IN IRAQ. AND THEIR
AMBASSADOR, WHO IS OF AFGHAN ANCESTRY, KNOWS THE COUNTRY WELL.
HE KNOWS HOW TO SPEAK TO THE PEOPLE. BUT MOSTLY THE AMERICANS
BROUGHT TO POWER HAMID KARZAI, WHO EMBODIES NATIONAL
SOVEREIGNTY. IN IRAQ, TWO YEARS AFTER THE START OF THE WAR,
IRAQI SOVEREIGNTY IS NOT FULLY RESTORED." LEACH