MEDIA REACTION REPORT - IRAQ - SECRETARY RUMSFELD TO

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PARIS 002489

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 - SECRETARY RUMSFELD TO
BAGHDAD LEBANON
PARIS - WEDNESDAY, APRIL 13, 2005


(A) SUBJECTS COVERED IN TODAY'S REPORT:


1. IRAQ - SECRETARY RUMSFELD TO BAGHDAD

2. LEBANON

B) SUMMARY OF COVERAGE:

AMBASSADOR LEACH'S DEPARTURE FROM PARIS IS ANNOUNCED IN LE
FIGARO AND POPULAR LE PARISIEN. PRESIDENT BUSH'S NOMINATION OF
CRAIG ROBERT STAPLETON TO REPLACE AMBASSADOR LEACH IS ALSO
NOTED.

DOMESTIC POLITICS AND SOCIAL ISSUES DOMINATE TODAY'S FRONT
PAGES AND EDITORIALS. THE MAIN INTERNATIONAL STORIES INCLUDE
SECRETARY RUMSFELD'S VISIT TO BAGHDAD, POLAND'S DECISION TO

SIPDIS
WITHDRAW FROM IRAQ AT THE END OF THE YEAR, WHICH LEADS POPULAR
RIGHT-OF-CENTER FRANCE SOIR TO TITLE: "THE AMERICANS
INCREASINGLY ALONE IN IRAQ," THE AMBIVALENT READINGS OF THE
MEETING BETWEEN SHARON AND PRESIDENT BUSH AND LEBANON'S
PRECARIOUS SITUATION. ON THE 30TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE OUTBREAK
OF LEBANON'S CIVIL WAR, LEFT-OF-CENTER LIBERATION DEVOTES A
COMMENTARY TO LEBANON'S "RENAISSANCE" IN WHICH PATRICK
SABATIER WRITES: "LET US HOPE THE NEW GENERATION OF LEBANESE
WILL NOT BE SWAYED BY SYRIA'S `DAMASCUS OR CHAOS' ATTITUDE."
(SEE PART C)

IN AN INTERVIEW IN LEFT-OF-CENTER LIBERATION, IRAQ'S PRESIDENT
JALAL TALABANI SAYS: "ISLAM WILL BE ONE SOURCE AMONG MANY
OTHERS FOR THE LEGISLATIVE CONSTITUTION IN IRAQ. WHEN OUR
FORCES ARE READY TO TAKE OVER IRAQ'S SECURITY, WE WILL ASK
FOREIGN TROOPS TO WITHDRAW. THAT WILL NOT HAPPEN BEFORE THE
END OF 2006."

RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE FIGARO INTERVIEWS DEFENSE MINISTER MICHELE
ALLIOT-MARIE ON THE SITUATION IN COTE D'IVOIRE. ASKED ABOUT
THE GROWING U.S. PRESENCE IN AFRICA, SHE COMMENTS: "AMERICA'S
PRESENCE IN AFRICA IS GROWING, PARTICULARLY IN DJIBOUTI, AS
PART OF THE FIGHT AGAINST TERRORISM. WHEN THE AMERICANS ARE
PRESENT SOMEWHERE, THEY DO NOT AFFECT THE HOST COUNTRY VERY
MUCH. CONTRARY TO FRENCH MILITARY BASES AND THEIR IMPACT ON
THE LOCAL POPULATION, AMERICAN MILITARY PERSONNEL LIVE IN
ALMOST COMPLETE SELF-SUFFICIENCY; THIS LIMITS THEIR
INFLUENCE."

IN A SEPARATE REPORT ON EU PRESENCE IN AFRICA, PIERRE AVRIL
WRITES IN LE FIGARO: "IN AFRICA, THE EU WANTS TO COMPETE WITH
THE U.S., WHOSE INFLUENCE ON THE CONTINENT IS GROWING. THE EU
CONSIDERS ITS PROPOSALS FOR AFRICA TO CARRY AN `ADDED VALUE,'
AS OPPOSED TO WASHINGTON'S. `WE DO NOT PURSUE A UTILITARIAN
VISION,' SAID EU COMMISSIONER LOUIS MICHEL. `WE ARE
MULTILATERALISTS, COMMITTED AND RESPONDING TO POVERTY WHEREVER
IT EXISTS.'"

RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE FIGARO ECONOMIE CARRIES A FRONT-PAGE
ARTICLE BY ISABELLE LASSERRE TITLED "EADS WILL NOT SELL
WEAPONS TO CHINA." LASSSERRE WRITES: "EUROPEAN ARMAMENT
EXECUTIVES WILL SOON HAVE TO DECIDE BETWEEN TWO PROMISING
MARKETS: CHINA AND THE U.S. EADS, THE LARGEST EUROPEAN
AEROSPACE AND DEFENSE GROUP HAS ALREADY MADE ITS CHOICE: EVEN
IF THE EU LIFTS THE ARMS EMBARGO WITH CHINA, IT WILL NOT SELL
MILITARY EQUIPMENT TO BEIJING."

(C) SUPPORTING TEXT/BLOCK QUOTES:

IRAQ - RUMSFELD TO BAGHDAD

"SECRETARY RUMSFELD WARNS AGAINST `HOUSECLEANING'"
GEORGES MALBRUNOT IN RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE FIGARO (04/13): "FOR
HIS NINTH VISIT TO BAGHDAD SINCE THE FALL OF SADDAM, SECRETARY
RUMSFELD WARNED THE SHIITES AGAINST CERTAIN PITFALLS. `MY
CONCERN IS THAT THEY MAY BE TEMPTED TO DO SOME HOUSECLEANING.'
THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THE MESSAGE HAS BEEN SENT WITH SUCH
CLARITY. FOR MONTHS NOW, OBSERVERS HAVE BEEN CONCERNED WITH
THE GROWING NUMBER OF RELIGIOUS-RELATED PERSONNEL PLACED IN
CERTAIN MINISTRIES. THE AMERICANS THEMSELVES HAVE REASON TO BE
CONCERNED. MEMBERS OF THE UNIFIED ALLIANCE HAVE CALLED FOR A
PURGE IN THE MINISTRY OF THE INTERIOR. THEY ARE SAYING, AND
NOT WITHOUT REASON, THAT THIS PARTICULAR MINISTRY HAS BEEN
INFILTRATED WITH FORMER BAATH MEMBERS, RECRUITED BY FORMER
PRIME MINISTER ALLAWI. THE AMERICANS ARE NOW BACKTRACKING IN
THE FACE OF GROWING SIGNS OF A WITCH HUNT."
"THE AMERICANS INCREASINGLY ALONE IN IRAQ"
THIERRY DE ROCHECHOUART IN RIGHT-OF-CENTER FRANCE SOIR
(04/13): "DURING HIS SURPRISE VISIT TO BAGHDAD, SECRETARY
RUMSFELD INDICATED THE AMERICANS HAD NO EXIT STRATEGY FROM
IRAQ. THIS REMARK CAME AS POLAND ANNOUNCED ITS DECISION TO
WITHDRAW ITS TROOPS AT THE END OF THE YEAR. THIS IS A SERIOUS
REVERSAL FOR THE U.S. OTHER ALLIES HAVE ALREADY DECIDED TO
LEAVE IRAQ, UKRAINE, THE NETHERLANDS, HUNGARY, BULGARIA; EVEN
ITALY IS THINKING ABOUT IT."

LEBANON

"RENAISSANCE"
PATRICK SABATIER IN LEFT-OF-CENTER LIBERATION (04/13): "THE
POST-CIVIL WAR GENERATION SURPRISES US BY ITS ARDOR, ITS UNITY
AND ITS PEACEFUL DETERMINATION. BUT IT SHOULD NOT IGNORE WHAT
ITS ELDERS EXPERIENCED. FOR THE PAST FIFTEEN YEARS LEBANON HAS
BEEN A LABORATORY FOR EVERY POSSIBLE HORROR. TODAY, THERE ARE
THOSE WHO IN THE SHADOWS ARE WORKING TO AWAKEN THE SPECTERS OF
CIVIL WAR. THE BOMBINGS, JUST LIKE THE POLITICAL STALEMATE,
SOUND LIKE SO MANY WARNING SIGNALS OF A SYRIA, WHICH, HAVING
BEEN FORCED TO LET GO, IS PLAYING A STRATEGY OF TENSION UNDER
THE BANNER OF `DAMASCUS OR CHAOS.' LET US HOPE THE LEBANESE
WILL NOT LISTEN." LEACH