Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
05PARIS3231
2005-05-12 10:41:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Paris
Cable title:  

MEDIA REACTION REPORT - PRESIDENT BUSH - FOREIGN

Tags:  OPRC KMDR FR 
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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PARIS 003231

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; USVIENNA FOR USDEL OSCE.

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OPRC KMDR FR
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION REPORT - PRESIDENT BUSH - FOREIGN
POLICY
PARIS - THURSDAY, MAY 12, 2005


(A) SUBJECTS COVERED IN TODAY'S REPORT:

PRESIDENT BUSH - FOREIGN POLICY

B) SUMMARY OF COVERAGE:

A VARIETY OF DOMESTIC AND EUROPEAN STORIES MAKE TODAY'S
HEADLINES, INCLUDING INTERIOR MINISTER DE VILLEPIN'S PLAN TO
REDUCE ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION (LIBERATION); THE CANNES FILM
FESTIVAL (LE FIGARO); PARIS AND THE OLYMPIC GAMES OF 2012
(FRANCE SOIR). FINANCIAL LA TRIBUNE DEVOTES ITS LEAD TO THE
CONTINUING BATTLE AT THE HELM OF EADS AND AIRBUS WHILE
ECONOMIC LES ECHOS LEADS WITH FRANCE'S DROP IN INDUSTRIAL
OUTPUT FOR THE FIRST QUARTER OF 2005. BUT BOTH DAILIES DEVOTE
THEIR EDITORIALS TO THE EXECUTIVE LIFE TRIAL: THE
"IRRATIONALITY" OF AMERICAN COURTS (LA TRIBUNE) AS WELL AS THE
OUTCOME OF A "BALANCED VERDICT AFTER THE CRIMINAL TRIAL'S
MIXED JUSTICE OF REVENGE AND FOREIGN POLICY - AN ANTI-FRENCH
CAMPAIGN ON THE EVE OF THE IRAQ CONFLICT." (LES ECHOS)

WITH GERMANY'S RATIFICATION OF THE EU CONSTITUTION TODAY,
REPORTS ON FRANCE'S TUG-OF-WAR ON THE REFERENDUM CONTINUE. ONE
ARTICLE IN LE FIGARO REPORTS ON FORMER MINISTER AND FORMER
PRESIDENT OF THE EU PARLIAMENT SIMONE VEIL, WHO IS PRO THE
CONSTITUTION BUT AGAINST TURKEY'S MEMBERSHIP IN THE UNION. THE
ARTICLE TITLED: "SIMONE SAYS NO TO ANKARA" ADDS: "THE ONLY
ISSUE OVER WHICH THE `EURO-SKEPTICS' AND THE `EUROPHILES'
AGREE IS THEIR OPPOSITION TO TURKEY'S EU MEMBERSHIP."

PRESIDENT BUSH'S POLICY IN FAVOR OF DEMOCRATIZATION IS PRAISED
IN LE FIGARO'S EDITORIAL (SEE PART C) WHILE LE MONDE CARRIES A
FRONT-PAGE ARTICLE TITLED "AMERICAN `HAWKS' STEP BACK."
CORRESPONDENT CORINE LESNES WRITES: "THE TENORS OF NEO-
CONSERVATISM HAVE LEFT THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION. WHILE AT THE
SENATE THE DEMOCRATS ARE DELIVERING A HARSH BATTLE TO STOP
BOLTON FROM BEING CONFIRMED. WASHINGTON'S HAWKS HAVE LOST SOME
OF THEIR COMBATIVENESS, PARTICULARLY CONSIDERING THAT IN IRAQ,
THERE ARE FEW OCCASIONS TO CROW."

YESTERDAY'S TERRORIST ATTACKS IN IRAQ ARE WIDELY REPORTED,
WITH TITLES SUCH AS: "NEW CARNAGE IN IRAQ: 84 DEAD" (LE
FIGARO); "ANOTHER DEADLY DAY IN IRAQ" (LIBERATION); FRANCE
SOIR HEADLINES "BLOOD BATH IN IRAQ." CATHOLIC LA CROIX TITLES

ITS PIECE "NUMEROUS ATTACKS CAUSE 400 CASUALTIES IN 8 DAYS."
THE `MATADOR' OFFENSIVE AGAINST THE GUERRILLAS IS REPORTED IN
LE MONDE AS BEING THE "PENTAGON'S NEW STRATEGY" TO SQUASH THE
UPRISING. LE MONDE ALSO REPORTS: "IN THE SPAN OF TWO YEARS THE
`COALITION OF THE WILLING' HAS LOST HALF OF ITS MEMBERS." LEFT-
OF-CENTER WEEKLY LE NOUVEL ONBSERVATEUR INTERVIEWS PASCAL
BONIFACE, DIRECTOR OF IRIS (INSTITUTE FOR INTERNATIONAL
STRATEGIC RELATIONS) ON THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION'S APPROACH TO
INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM AND THE IMPACT OF THE MIDDLE EAST
CONFLICT ON THE "SHOCK BETWEEN CIVILIZATIONS." IN THE
INTERVIEW, TITLED "MIDDLE EAST: IF BUSH ONLY WANTED." BONIFACE
STATES: "THE FIGHT AGAINST INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM IS NOT,
LIKE THE U.S. IS SAYING, THE FOURTH WORLD WAR. IN FACT TO SAY
THIS IS INTELLECTUAL FRAUD. THE POINT IS TO CONVINCE THE WORLD
WE ARE IN GREAT DANGER. LET'S BE CLEAR ABOUT ONE THING:
RESOLUTION OF THE MIDDLE EAST CONFLICT WOULD NOT SOLVE
EVERYTHING. TERRORISM WOULD NOT BE ERADICATED AS IF BY
MIRACLE. BUT WHILE WE APPLAUD THE UN RESOLUTION FORCING SYRIA
TO WITHDRAW FROM LEBANON. WE ALSO WONDER WHY THE 1967
RESOLUTION ON THE ISRAELI PULL OUT FROM THE OCCUPIED
TERRITORIES IS NOT BEING IMPLEMENTED? IT IS CLEAR THAT THE
AMERICANS HAVE GIVEN THEIR UNCONDITIONAL SUPPORT TO ISRAEL AT
THE UN. BUSH HOLDS ALL THE CARDS IN FAVOR OF A RESOLUTION OF
THE CONFLICT. BUT IS HE READY TO PLAY HIS HAND?"

(C) SUPPORTING TEXT/BLOCK QUOTES:

PRESIDENT BUSH - FOREIGN POLICY

"A NEW BUSH"
PIERRE ROUSSELIN IN RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE FIGARO (05/12): "IT IS
A NEW BUSH WE DISCOVERED DURING HIS RECENT TRIP TO THE FORMER
SOVIET UNION WHICH ENDED IN TRIUMPH IN GEORGIA. PRESIDENT
BUSH, LIKE KENNEDY AND REAGAN, HAS ADOPTED DEMOCRATIZING THE
WORLD AS HIS LINE OF ACTION. A STRONG ACTION WHICH IS
REGISTERING UNDENIABLE SUCCESSES. HIS FIRST TERM WAS
CHARACTERIZED BY THE FIGHT AGAINST TERRORISM, WITH THE TERM
`CRUSADE' AS A MISNOMER. WHILE THE FIGHT CONTINUES IN
AFGHANISTAN AND IRAQ, THE WHITE HOUSE IS NO LONGER OBSESSED
WITH THIS MONO-MANIA. THIS IS IN ITSELF A SUCCESS. PRESIDENT
BUSH'S RE-ELECTION HAS CHANGED ALL THAT. PUTTING AN END TO
TYRANNY AROUND THE WORLD IS HIS NEW CREDO. AND DEMOCRATIZATION
HAS INDEED SCORED SOME POINTS. THE U.S. ADMINISTRATION, WHICH
IS BY NATURE INTERVENTIONIST, HAS BEEN INSTRUMENTAL IN THESE
CHANGES. WHILE IT IS DIFFICULT TO SEE SUCH ADVANCES IN THE
MIDDLE EAST, PRESIDENT BUSH VERY CLEVERLY MANAGED TO BE
PROCLAIMED THE WORLD'S `DEMOCRATIZOR' DURING HIS VISIT IN
GEORGIA AND THE BALTIC NATIONS. THIS IS WHERE HE HOLDS THE
STRONGEST SUIT. IT IS TIME TO TAKE THE MEASURE OF THE NOBLE
AMBITION THAT GEORGE W. BUSH HAS GIVEN HIMSELF FOR HIS SECOND
TERM. LET'S STOP SEEING HIM ONLY AS THE MAN WHO LET LOOSE WAR
IN IRAQ. THE STRUGGLE AGAINST TYRANNY IS NOT JUST A SLOGAN
PULLED FROM THE NEO-CONSERVATIVE CATECHISM. IT'S ALSO A REAL
LINE OF ACTION. IT WOULD BE GOOD TO JOIN IN, WITHOUT SECOND
THOUGHTS, AN UNDERTAKING THAT FASCINATES ALL THE COUNTRIES
RECENTLY LIBERATED FROM THE YOKE OF DICTATORSHIPS. BECAUSE,
WHEN IT COMES TO DEMOCRACY, EUROPE AND FRANCE SHOULD NOT
ACCEPT TO BE OUTDISTANCED BY THE UNITED STATES. BE IT IN
UKRAINE OR IN GEORGIA OR EVEN IN TOGO." WOLFF