FRANCE WELCOMES IRAQI ELECTIONS AS VICTORY FOR

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 PARIS 000601

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/31/2015
TAGS: PREL IZ FR
SUBJECT: FRANCE WELCOMES IRAQI ELECTIONS AS VICTORY FOR
IRAQI PEOPLE, INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY

Classified By: Political Minister-Counselor Josiah Rosenblatt, reasons
1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (C) Summary: Senior French officials publicly welcomed
Iraq's election as a victory for the Iraqi people and the
international community, while voicing caution on future
necessary steps in Iraq's political transition, including an
eventual withdrawal of foreign troops. President Chirac told
visiting Codel Smith January 31 that he was happy and not
surprised by the successful elections, which marked a failure
for terrorists and a victory for the U.S. Chirac also
stressed the need for a greater UN role, a more broadly-based
government, and a way to ensure that the new constitution did
not lead to an Islamic republic. Chirac stressed GoF
willingness to help Iraq by any means short of sending
troops, reiterating the standing French offer to train Iraqi
police outside Iraq and stressing that the Iraq debt relief
compromise came at significant cost to France. Chirac's
spokesman later January 31 offered greater nuance on the
terrorism angle, noting that the successful elections meant
that terrorists' strategy had "partly failed." End summary.



POSITIVE PUBLIC STATEMENTS
--------------


2. (SBU) FM Barnier welcomed the January 30 Iraqi election as
a "first victory for the Iraqi people," and called the
electoral process a "defeat for terrorism," during a Europe-1
radio interview early January 31. Barnier cited further
necessary steps in Iraq's "fragile" political process, such
as the drafting of the constitution, which should provide for
"equitable representation of all communities in Iraq,"
elections for a permanent government, and the withdrawal of
foreign troops, without citing a precise date for the latter.
French government spokesman Jean-Francois Cope, in a
preliminary reaction January 30, described the Iraqi
elections as a "great victory" for the international
community and said the turnout rate, if confirmed, was good
news. The MFA Iraq desk stressed to us January 31 that the
GoF reaction to the elections was intended to be very
positive, and that election day violence had been less than
the GoF expected. French press reaction (ref a) to the
elections has been grudgingly positive, commending the
courage of the Iraqi people and the higher than expected
participation amid continued violence, while pointing out the
difficulties that remain ahead.

CHIRAC COMMENDS OUTCOME, CITES CHALLENGES AHEAD
--------------


3. (C) During a January 31 meeting with Codel Smith (septel),
President Chirac stressed his happiness with the
well-organized and successful election, which he did not find
surprising. The elections marked a failure for terrorist
groups and a victory for the U.S.; Chirac said he would tell
President Bush the same thing by phone later that day. The
elections were an encouraging sign for the future, though not
all problems were solved and difficulties remained ahead.
Chirac said the elections had accelerated Iraq's integration
into the international democratic community, and called for
giving the UN a greater role in the political transition,
opening the political process to all groups who reject
violence, and seeing to it that the drafting of the
constitution does not lead to establishment of an Islamic
republic. On the latter point, Chirac referred to a January
31 statement by Ayatollah SISTANI (NFI) which he found
"worrying." Chirac also cautioned that the drafters of
Iraq's constitution would have to ensure that all non-violent
groups were included and that Iraq's unity remained intact.
The Kurds, he added, were seeking autonomy, something which
would create problems for Turkey.


4. (C) Chirac also affirmed to Codel Smith GoF willingness to
contribute to Iraq's reconstruction and stability, asserting
that France had refused only to send troops to Iraq -- it
remained ready to contribute in other ways. He cited the
French decision, at U.S. request, to cancel "almost all" of
Iraq's debt, which he said cost the GoF some 4.5 billion
euros. The GoF had told PM Allawi nine months earlier (July
2004) of its willingness to train Iraqi gendarmes, with no
response despite repeated reminders. Chirac said he repeated
the training offer to IIG President Yawer earlier in January
in the form of a written proposal, clarifying that the GOF
would be willing to train some 1,500 Iraqi gendarmes over an
18-period in France or Qatar.


5. (U) President Chirac's spokesman Jerome Bonnafont,
commenting January 31 on Chirac's meeting with Codel Smith
and phone call earlier that day with President Bush, appeared
to offer more nuance on the terrorism issue and slightly less
enthusiastic language. Bonnafont described participation and
technical organization of the elections as "satisfactory,"
and added that, according to Chirac, "the strategy of
terrorist groups has partly failed."


6. (C) Comment: The positive French reaction to the Iraqi
election, combined with new momentum from the GoF in
implementing its long-standing police training offer, point
to a shift from France's "wait and see" attitude towards more
concrete support for Iraq's new government. The main
potential problem we see in the French approach is the degree
to which the GoF continues to call for a year-end withdrawal
date for foreign troops as the final step of the political
process outlined in UNSCR 1546; it will be important to keep
emphasizing to the GoF that building Iraq's security
capacity, not setting artificial deadlines, will make it
possible for Iraq to take full responsibility for its own
security. End comment.


7. (U) This cable was not cleared by Codel Smith. Baghdad
minimize considered.
Leach