MEDIA REACTION REPORT - IRAQ - PRESIDENT BUSH SPEECH

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PARIS 005732

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 - IRAQ - PRESIDENT BUSH SPEECH
- IRAQ STRATEGY EAST ASIA: CHINA - U.S. RELATIONS
PARIS - THURSDAY, AUGUST 25, 2005

(A) SUBJECTS COVERED IN TODAY'S REPORT:

IRAQ - PRESIDENT BUSH SPEECH - IRAQ STRATEGY
EAST ASIA: CHINA - U.S. RELATIONS

B) SUMMARY OF COVERAGE:

LES ECHOS' OPINION PAGES TODAY FEATURE AMBASSADOR STAPLETON'S
OP-ED "EFFECTIVE U.S. ACTIONS TO COMBAT CLIMATE CHANGE."

THE GOVERNMENT'S POLITICAL RENTR IS TODAY'S MAJOR FRONT-PAGE
STORY WITH PM DE VILLEPIN SAID TO BE FACING "SEVERAL
CHALLENGES" (LE FIGARO,) FIRST AMONG THEM A "MOROSE ECONOMIC
CLIMATE" (LA CROIX.) LEFT-OF-CENTER LIBERATION CARRIES AN
OPINION POLL INDICATING THAT WHILE PRESIDENT CHIRAC HAS GAINED
TWO PERCENTAGE POINTS SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THE SUMMER WITH
32 PERCENT OF RESPONDENTS SUPPORTING THE PRESIDENT, PM DE
VILLEPIN'S ECONOMIC MEASURES REMAIN UNPOPULAR: DE VILLEPIN
LOSES TWO PERCENTAGE POINTS AND IS DOWN TO 42 PERCENT IN
POPULAR SUPPORT. SAYS FRANCOIS MIQUET-MARTY OF THE LOUIS-
HARRIS POLLING INSTITUTE: "WHAT IS UNUSUAL IS TO SEE A
PRESIDENT AND HIS PM WITH UNDER 50 PERCENT SUPPORT SO SOON
AFTER A GOVERNMENT RESHUFFLE."

PRESIDENT BUSH'S SEPTEMBER 7 MEETING WITH CHINA'S PRESIDENT HU
JINTAO SERVES AS BACKGROUND FOR TWO REPORTS ON CHINESE-
AMERICAN RELATIONS, IN LE FIGARO AND LE MONDE. BOTH EMPHASIZE
THAT THE "HONEYMOON" TRIGGERED BY 9/11 AND THE FIGHT AGAINST
TERRORISM IS COMING TO AN END. WHILE LE FIGARO INSISTS ON
ECONOMIC AND OIL-DOMINATED CONFLICTS, LE MONDE'S REPORT
FOCUSES ON CHINA'S MILITARY EXERCISES WITH MOSCOW AND ITS
MESSAGE TO WASHINGTON ABOUT TAIWAN. (SEE PART C)

PRESIDENT BUSH'S LATEST SPEECH ON IRAQ ELICITS AN ACERBIC
COMMENTARY FROM EDITORIALIST JACQUES AMALRIC IN LEFT-OF-CENTER
LIBERATION TITLED: "PRESIDENT BUSH'S DISTURBING OPTIMISM."
(SEE PART C)

SEVERAL DAILIES REPORT EXTENSIVELY ON THE U.S. REACTION TO
LANCE ARMSTRONG'S "FALL FROM GRACE." IN POPULAR RIGHT-OF-
CENTER LE PARISIEN THOMAS CANTALOUBE WRITES: "FOR THE
AMERICANS, ARMSTRONG IS MORE THAN A REMARKABLE CYCLIST, HE IS
AN ICON. FOR HIS FANS, `IT IS CLEAR THAT THE FRENCH ARE POOR
LOSERS.'"

FRANCE SOIR DEVOTES A TWO-PAGE REPORT TO THE THREAT OF AN
AVIAN FLU PANDEMIC IN EUROPE AND NOTES THAT FRANCE'S STOCK OF
VACCINES REMAINS INSUFFICIENT.

(C) SUPPORTING TEXT/BLOCK QUOTES:

IRAQ - PRESIDENT BUSH SPEECH - IRAQ STRATEGY

"BUSH'S DISTURBING OPTIMISM"
JACQUES AMALRIC IN LEFT-OF-CENTER LIBERATION (08/25):
"EXPERIENCE HAS TAUGHT US THAT PRESIDENT BUSH'S REMARKS ARE AN
EXCELLENT BAROMETER FOR MEASURING THE EVOLUTION OF THE
SITUATION IN IRAQ - THE MORE HE IS OPTIMISTIC, THE WORSE THE
SITUATION. THIS IS WHY WE SHOULD BE CONCERNED ABOUT HIS
OPTIMISTIC DECLARATIONS ON TUESDAY. REALITY OF COURSE IS
DIFFERENT: THE TEXT OF THE CONSTITUTION IS SAID TO BE GIVING
THE LION'S SHARE TO ISLAM AS THE `PRINCIPAL SOURCE' IN IRAQ'S
LEGISLATION. THE FACT THAT THE SUNNI COMMUNITY HAS NOT BEEN
INTEGRATED IN THE CONSTITUTIONAL PROJECT IS A MAJOR POLITICAL
FAILURE FOR THE U.S. AND A MARKED SUCCESS FOR THE `PRO-
SADDAMISTS' AND THEIR ISLAMIC ALLIES. THE U.S. REFUSED TO
ALLOW ENOUGH TIME FOR THE PROJECT BECAUSE OF ITS EAGERNESS TO
ACCELERATE IRAQ'S POLITICAL PROCESS. IF THE CONSTITUTION IS
REJECTED NEXT OCTOBER, THIS COULD INTENSIFY THE RAMPANT CIVIL
WAR AND PUSH THE KURDS AND THE SHIITES TO PROCLAIM THEIR
AUTONOMY. THIS WOULD BE ENOUGH TO DESTABILIZE AN ALREADY SHAKY
REGION WHICH HAS IRAN INCREASINGLY ENMESHED IN IRAQ'S AFFAIRS.
TIME IS PRESSING FOR BUSH THE OPTIMIST, WHOSE IRAQ POLICY IS
APPROVED BY A MERE 34 PERCENT IN THE U.S."
EAST ASIA: CHINA - U.S. RELATIONS

"HU JINTAO FOR THE FIRST TIME IN WASHINGTON"
JEAN-JACQUES MEVEL IN RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE FIGARO (08/25):
"AFTER FOUR YEARS AS PRESIDENT, GEORGE BUSH SEEMS TO HAVE
REVERTED TO HIS CAMPAIGNING STANCE ABOUT CHINA, SEEN MORE AS A
`STRATEGIC RIVAL' THAN A PARTNER. THE PARENTHESIS OPENED AFTER
9/11 AND THE IRAQ WAR APPEARS TO BE CLOSING. BECAUSE OF ITS
INCREDIBLE ECONOMIC, POLITICAL AND MILITARY BOOM, CHINA IS
BACK ON WASHINGTON'S WARNING RADARS. BUT CHINA'S NEWFOUND
CONFIDENCE IS DAMPENED BY A NEW PROTECTIONIST MOVEMENT IN THE
U.S. . AND THE CHINESE-RUSSIAN MILITARY MANEUVERS ARE NOT
HELPING. BUT IT IS CHINA'S RECENT `OIL DIPLOMACY' WITH
UNSAVORY ALLIES SUCH AS IRAN, VENEZUELA AND SUDAN, WHICH HAS
WASHINGTON WORRIED. WHEREVER THE U.S. TURNS FOR ITS OIL IT IS
SURE TO BE CROSSING CHINA'S PATH."

"CHINESE-RUSSIAN MILITARY EXERCISES: A CRUSADE AGAINST TAIWAN"
FREDERIC BOBIN IN LEFT-OF-CENTER LE MONDE (08/25): "ONE NEED
BE EXTREMELY NAIVE NOT TO READ THE MESSAGE SENT BY THE
CHINESE. THE SCENARIO OF THE CHINESE-RUSSIAN MILITARY
EXERCISES IS CLEARLY A SCENARIO FOR THE CONTAINMENT OF TAIWAN.
THE OFFICIAL COMMENTS OF THE CHINESE AND THE RUSSIANS ARE NOT
CREDIBLE, AND NEITHER ARE THE PACIFYING REMARKS MADE BY THE
SECRETARY OF DEFENSE, DONALD RUMSFELD WHOSE CALM FAADE

SIPDIS
ILLUSTRATES A DESIRE NOT TO COMPROMISE BUSH'S VISIT WITH THE
CHINESE IN SEPTEMBER. IT IS CLEAR THAT TAIWAN CONTINUES TO BE
BEIJING'S DREAD. GREATER THAN ANY SUPPOSED TERRORIST THREAT.
BUT THE MESSAGE GOES WELL BEYOND TAIWAN. IT IS ADDRESSED TO
WASHINGTON, WHICH THE CHINESE IS TRYING TO STEER AWAY FROM
HELPING TAIWAN. WILL THE MESSAGE BE HEARD? RELATIONS BETWEEN
BEIJING AND WASHINGTON HAVE RECENTLY IMPROVED, WITH BUSH
APPRECIATING CHINA'S OFFER TO HELP IN THE FIGHT AGAINST
TERRORISM AND ITS HELPFUL SILENCE ABOUT IRAQ. BUT IT APPEARS
THE HONEYMOON IS OVER. ON THE ONE HAND THERE IS THE MILITARY
ESCALATION OF BEIJING AND ON THE OTHER AN AMERICAN GAME WHICH
BEIJING READS AS A STRATEGY OF ANTI-CHINESE CONTAINMENT. BOTH
ARE FEEDING MUTUAL FEELINGS OF MISTRUST." HOFANN