Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
05PARIS4816
2005-07-11 11:37:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Paris
Cable title:  

MEDIA REACTION REPORT - INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM:

Tags:  OPRC KMDR FR 
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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PARIS 004816

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 - INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM:
AFTERMATH OF LONDON BOMBINGS G-8 AGREEMENTS ON CLIMATE AND
AFRICA IRAQ - RUMORS ABOUT BRITISH TROOP WITHDRAWAL
PARIS - MONDAY, JULY 11, 2005


(A) SUBJECTS COVERED IN TODAY'S REPORT:

INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM: AFTERMATH OF LONDON BOMBINGS
G-8 AGREEMENTS ON CLIMATE AND AFRICA
IRAQ - RUMORS ABOUT BRITISH TROOP WITHDRAWAL

B) SUMMARY OF COVERAGE:

HEADLINES, REPORTS AND COMMENTARIES CONTINUE TO FOCUS ON LAST
WEEK'S TERRORIST BOMBINGS IN LONDON. AS THE INVESTIGATION
PROGRESSES, MEDIA HEADLINES POINT TO A "MOROCCAN LEAD" (LE
JOURNAL DU DIMANCHE AND LE MONDE) WHILE OTHERS INCLUDE A
SYRIAN CONNECTION (LE FIGARO). EDITORIALISTS PRAISE THE
COURAGE OF LONDONERS, UNDERSCORE THE COOPERATION OF
INTELLIGENCE SERVICES IN EUROPE AND EMPHASIZE THE "BARBARIANS'
STRATEGY OF TERROR." (LE JOURNAL DU DIMANCHE.) IN AN OP-ED IN
LE FIGARO FRANCOIS GERE OF THE FRENCH INSTITUTE FOR STRATEGIC
ANALYSIS, WRITES ABOUT THE "STRATEGIC ERROR OF GOING TO WAR
AGAINST IRAQ" AND THE "TACTICAL ERRORS" OF NEGATIVE PROPAGANDA
PROVIDED BY "GUANTANAMO, ABU GHRAIB AND THE DEFILING OF THE
KORAN INCIDENT." (SEE PART C) IN RIGHT-OF-CENTER ECONOMIC LES
ECHOS, RICHARD HAASS SIGNS AN OP-ED TITLED: "THE FIGHT AGAINST
TERROR REQUIRES A GENERAL CONSENSUS." "FOR TOO LONG, THE
INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY HAS TOLERATED TERRORISM. BECAUSE THOSE
WHO SOME CALL TERRORISTS ARE SEEN BY OTHERS AS FREEDOM
FIGHTERS." SEVERAL OUTLETS REPORT ON THIS WEEKEND'S STORY IN
THE MAIL ON SUNDAY ABOUT A MEMO FROM DEFENSE MINISTER JOHN
REID WITH A SCENARIO OF TROOP PULLOUT FROM IRAQ. (SEE PART C)

THE CONCLUSIONS OF THE G8 ELICIT SEVERAL REPORTS, WITH THE
SAME TAKE AS LAST WEEK'S: A MINIMAL AGREEMENT ON CLIMATE AND
PROMISES TO FIGHT POVERTY IN AFRICA. LEFT-OF-CENTER LIBERATION
INTERVIEWS TOGOLESE ECONOMIST YVES EKOUE AMAIZO, OF THE UNITED
NATIONS INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT ORGANIZATION WHO IS RUNNING FOR
THE POST OF WTO DEPUTY DIRECTOR AND WHO CRITICIZES THE G8
ACTION PLAN FOR AFRICA: "AFRICA IS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE
PICTURE, BUT THERE IS NOTHING CONCRETE." ON THE CONTRARY LEFT-
OF-CENTER LE MONDE IS OPTIMISTIC ABOUT THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF THE
G8, ESPECIALLY REGARDING GLOBAL WARMING. (SEE PART C)


(C) SUPPORTING TEXT/BLOCK QUOTES:

INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM: AFTERMATH OF LONDON BOMBINGS

"A STRATEGY OF BARBARITY"
JEAN-CLAUDE MAURICE IN RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE JOURNAL DU DIMANCHE
(07/11): "THERE IS NO NEED TO EMPHASIZE THE COWARDICE OF THOSE
BEHIND SUCH CARNAGE. NO ONE CAN IGNORE THE `CAUSE' BEHIND
THESE ACTS: IT IS NEITHER THE WAR IN IRAQ, NOR THE ISRAELI-
PALESTINIAN CONFLICT, EVEN IF THESE FOSTER RANCOR AND
FRUSTRATION. THE OBJECTIVE IS TO ESTABLISH A GREAT CALIPHATE,
DESTROY THE WEST, ITS MISCREANTS AND THEIR LIFESTYLES. AS TONY
BLAIR SAID, THE TERRORISTS DID NOT TARGET GREAT BRITAIN ALONE,
BUT ALL DEMOCRACIES. OUR DEMOCRACIES MUST STOP TOLERATING, IN
THE NAME OF FREEDOM OF SPEECH, THOSE WHO PREACH HATE AND
MURDER. BUT WE MUST ALSO BE CAREFUL NOT TO FALL INTO THE TRAP
OF AMALGAMATION BETWEEN THE TERRORISTS AND THE RELIGION WHICH
INSPIRES THEM. TO MAKE ISLAM THE ENEMY IS TO FALL INTO THE
TERRORISTS' TRAP. OUR ANSWER MUST USE THE WEAPONS OF
DEMOCRACY."

"KILLING DEMOCRACY"
FRANCOIS ERNENWEIN IN CATHOLIC LA CROIX (07/11): "AL-QAEDA'S
TERRORISTS WANT TO MAKE US BELIEVE THEY ARE SERVING A CAUSE.
BUT TERRORISM IS BUT THE EXPRESSION OF A DESIRE FOR POWER
WHOSE PROJECT RELIES EXCLUSIVELY ON THE AMOUNTS OF BLOOD IT
CAN SPILL. TERROR, BY SPREADING DEATH AT RANDOM, WANTS TO
TRIGGER THE MORAL DEATH OF DEMOCRACY."

"FIRST LESSONS FROM LONDON"
FRANCOIS GERE IN RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE FIGARO (07/11): "THE
`SUCCESS' OF THE LONDON BOMBINGS MUST NOT HIDE THE RECENT
SUCCESSES BY EUROPEAN POLICE IN THE DISMANTLING OF MANY
THWARTED ATTEMPTS. COOPERATION BETWEEN POLICE AND JUSTICE
DEPARTMENTS ACROSS EUROPE HAS BEEN RE-ENFORCED. EUROPE IS NO
LONGER A LAND OF ASYLUM FOR TERRORISTS. AL-QAEDA IS NOT A
PHYSICAL ENTITY AS MUCH AS A SOURCE OF IDEOLOGICAL
INSPIRATION. AS SUCH, IT FEEDS ON THE STRATEGIC AND TACTICAL
ERRORS COMMITTED IN THE BATTLE AGAINST TERROR. THE STRATEGIC
ERROR WAS TO HAVE ATTACKED IRAQ, WHOSE GOVERNMENT NEVER HELPED
THE SALAFISTS. IRAQ SERVES TODAY AS A BASE FOR TRAINING
JIHADDISTS FROM THE ARAB PENINSULA, THE MAGHREB AND EUROPE,
AND WHO ONCE TRAINED, RETURN TO THEIR HOME BASE. TO THIS ONE
MUST ADD A NUMBER OF TACTICAL ERRORS. THE TREATMENT OF
DETAINEES IN GUANTANAMO AND ABU GHARAIB AND THE KORAN DEFILING
INCIDENT HAVE BEEN FEEDING PROPAGANDA ACROSS THE MIDDLE EAST.
IF WE WANT TO STOP THE RECRUITMENT OF SALAFISTS, WE MUST NOT
PROVIDE FODDER FOR THEIR ARGUMENTS. AT THE G8, BLAIR WAS ABLE
TO FIND THE RIGHT WORDS, WHEN HE SPOKE OF THE NEED TO REDUCE
INEQUALITIES AND SOCIAL INJUSTICE."

G-8 AGREEMENTS ON CLIMATE AND AFRICA

"A G-8 OF UNION"
LEFT-OF-CENTER LE MONDE IN ITS EDITORIAL (07/11): "THE PICTURE
THAT WILL REMAIN IS THAT OF THE SOLIDARITY EXPRESSED BY ALL
FOR GREAT BRITAIN AND THE ABSOLUTE REJECTION OF TERRORISM.
WHILE THE SUMMIT WAS NECESSARILY UPSET BY THE BOMBINGS, IT
NEVERTHELESS REACHED, IF NOT DECISIVE, AT LEAST FRUITFUL
ACHIEVEMENTS. AS IF WORLD LEADERS WERE EAGER TO PROVE THEY
COULD OVERCOME THEIR NATIONAL INTERESTS. COMPARED TO OTHER G8
SUMMITS, THIS ONE TURNED INTO A SOMEWHAT PARADOXICAL SUCCESS.
THE NUMBER ONE SUCCESS CONCERNS DEVELOPMENT AID FOR AFRICA.
WITH BLAIR GETTING WHAT HE WANTED. IT IS UP TO NGOS TO MAKE
SURE THE COMMITMENT TURNS INTO ACTIONS. THE SECOND AREA OF
SUCCESS CONCERNS GLOBAL WARMING. THE AMERICAN PRESIDENT
CONFIRMED THE POSITION HE ADVERTISED IN DENMARK ON JULY 6
ABOUT HUMAN ACTIVITY AFFECTING GLOBAL WARMING. EVEN IF
PRESIDENT BUSH DOES NOT RATIFY KYOTO, THE FACT THAT HE MADE
THIS DECLARATION OF PRINCIPLE SEEMS TO SIGNAL A NEW AWARENESS.
THIS EVOLUTION OF THE AMERICAN POSITION HAS FOR THE FIRST TIME
ALLOWED THE ADOPTION OF A `PLAN OF ACTION' IN FAVOR OF LESS
POLLUTING ENERGIES. BUT THE PLAN STILL LACKS CONCRETE
COMMITMENTS AND CONTAINS NO FINANCIAL PROMISE. IT IS THEREFORE
AT THE SYMBOLIC LEVEL THAT THIS COMPROMISE HAS IN FACT MARKED
THE EVOLUTION OF THE G8. IT IS A FIRST STEP, ALBEIT LIMITED
WHEN FACED WITH THE LEVEL OF URGENCY. WE COULD SEE IT AS ONLY
A `MARKETING' CAMPAIGN ORCHESTRATED BY THE AMERICAN PRESIDENT,
AS THE ECOLOGISTS SEEM TO SEE IT. WE CAN ALSO READ IT AS A
SIGN OF HOPE."

IRAQ - RUMORS ABOUT BRITISH TROOP WITHDRAWAL

"TOWARDS A WITHDRAWAL OF BRITISH TROOPS FROM IRAQ?"
THOMAS DE ROCHECHOUART IN RIGHT-OF-CENTER FRANCE SOIR (07/11):
"EVEN IF THE MEMO BY (U.K) DEFENSE MINISTER REID WAS ONLY ONE
SCENARIO AMONG MANY, IT IS THE FIRST TIME THAT BRITISH TROOP
WITHDRAWAL FROM IRAQ IS MENTIONED WITH SO MUCH CLARITY. ONE
THING IS CERTAIN: WHAT WAS SUPPOSED TO HAVE BEEN A SHORT
INTERVENTION HAS SLOWLY BEEN TRANSFORMED INTO A MISSION OF
OCCUPATION. AND AS THE SITUATION WORSENS ON THE GROUND, THE
TRAP SEEMS TO BE CLOSING IN OF THE COALITION SECURITY TROOPS.
THE IRAQI FORCES HAVE PROVEN THEIR INABILITY TO STAUNCH THE
SPREAD OF VIOLENCE. HENCE THE DILEMMA: LEAVE IRAQ AND LEAVE A
BATTLE GROUND WHERE THE WINNER WILL UNDOUBTEDLY BE ISLAMIC
ORGANIZATIONS; OR STAY AND BECOME THE HOSTAGE OF A CONFLICT
THAT IS EVERYDAY RE-ENFORCING TERRORISM AND FANNING FEELINGS
OF HATE AGAINST THE MEMBERS OF THE COALITION. WITH THE LONDON
BOMBINGS, IRAQ IS ONCE AGAIN A THORN FOR THE BLAIR
GOVERNMENT." STAPLETON