MEDIA REACTION REPORT - SECRETARY RICE VISIT TO

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 PARIS 000749

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DEPT FOR INR/R/MR; IIP/RW; IIP/RNY (FRANK); BBG/VOA; IIP/WEU;
AF/PA; EUR/WE (DEBORAH MENNUTI)/P/SP; D/C (MCCOO); EUR/PA
(BERBENA); INR/P; INR/EUC; PM; OSC ISA FOR ILN; NEA; WHITE
HOUSE FOR NSC/WEUROPE; DOC FOR ITA/EUR/FR AND PASS USTR/PA
(ANN LUZZATO); 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 - SECRETARY RICE VISIT TO
FRANCE - IRAQI ELECTION RESULTS
PARIS - MONDAY, FEBRUARY 07, 2005

(A) SUBJECTS COVERED IN TODAY'S REPORT:


1. SECRETARY RICE VISIT TO FRANCE

2. IRAQI ELECTION RESULTS

(B) SUMMARY OF COVERAGE:

WHILE DOMESTIC SOCIAL ISSUES DOMINATE THE FRONT PAGES OF
TODAY'S PRESS, LEFT-OF-CENTER LIBERATION'S FRONT PAGE CARRIES
THE HEADLINE "PARIS AND WASHINGTON MAKE UP" ON THE EVE OF
SECRETARY RICE'S VISIT TO PARIS.

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COMMENTATORS NOTE THAT THE CHOICE OF PARIS FOR THE SECRETARY'S
SPEECH MARKS A DESIRE TO RENEW TRANS-ATLANTIC RELATIONS AND
THAT HER VISIT TO EUROPE REPRESENTS PRESIDENT BUSH'S OVERTURE
TO "OLD EUROPE." (SEE PART C)

LEFT-OF-CENTER LIBERATION CARRIES AN INTERVIEW OF FRENCH
FOREIGN MINISTER MICHEL BARNIER IN WHICH HE CALLS FOR A
RENEWED DIALOGUE WITH THE U.S.: "JUST ONE MONTH AFTER BEING RE-
ELECTED PRESIDENT BUSH WILL BE IN EUROPE WHERE CONDOLEEZZA
RICE IS ALSO TOURING. THESE ARE CLEAR SIGNS. THE QUESTION IS
NOT WHAT CAN THE U.S. DO FOR EUROPE OR WHAT CAN EUROPE DO FOR
THE U.S., THE QUESTION IS WHAT CAN WE DO TOGETHER."

LEFT-OF-CENTER LIBERATION'S WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT PASCAL
RICHE HIGHLIGHTS THAT WHILE THE "EU WAS IGNORED DURING BUSH 1,
IT IS BEGINNING TO BE RECOGNIZED AS A POLITICAL FORCE DURING
BUSH 2" IN A REPORT ENTITLED: "THE EU HAILED AS A PARTNER."
"THERE IS NO LONGER TALK OF PUNISHING FRANCE, IGNORING GERMANY
AND FORGIVING RUSSIA. TODAY CONDOLEEZZA RICE PROMISES A
RENEWED DIALOGUE AND AT THE WHITE HOUSE BRAINSTORMING SESSIONS
ARE NOW REGULARLY ORGANIZED WITH THE AMBASSADORS OF ALLIED
COUNTRIES. THE EUROPEANS REMAIN SKEPTICAL AND WONDER IF THESE
SESSIONS WILL BE SPENT BEING ABLE TO GIVE THEIR ADVICE OR
HAVING U.S. POLICY EXPLAINED TO THEM."

THE HUDSON INSTITUTE'S LAURENT MURAWIEC CONSIDERS THE SECOND
BUSH ADMINISTRATION IN RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE FIGARO: "THE FIRST
BUSH ADMINISTRATION ADVANCED CRAB-LIKE TOWARDS OBJECTIVES THAT
BECAME CLEARER OVER TIME. THE SECOND ADMINISTRATION WILL
DOUBTLESS PROCEED IN THE SAME ZIGZAG WAY. BUT TOWARDS WHAT?
THAT REMAINS TO BE SEEN."

ANTOINE BASBOUS, DIRECTOR OF THE OBSERVATORY FOR ARAB
COUNTRIES, PENS AN OP-ED IN RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE FIGARO IN WHICH
HE ANALYZES SOME OF THE CONSEQUENCES OF THE ELECTIONS IN IRAQ
AND THE PROJECT TO DEMOCRATIZE THE MIDDLE EAST. "THE
TEMPERANCE OF THE SHIITE LEADERS SHOULD BE ENCOURAGED BY
WASHINGTON WHICH HAS NO INTEREST IN SEEING A COPY OF THE
MULLAH-STYLE GOVERNMENT THAT EXISTS IN IRAN APPLIED TO IRAQ.
THE SUNNIS NEED TO BE GIVEN THE FEELING THAT THEY ARE NOT
BEING EXCLUDED FROM THE POLITICAL SCENE. UP TO NOW, THE
SHIITES WERE ABLE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE FACT THAT THERE WAS
A CERTAIN CONVERGENCE IN THE POLICIES FORMULATED BY THE U.S.
AND BY IRAN. TODAY, HOWEVER, THESE TWO COUNTRIES' INTERESTS
DIVERGE AND EACH WILL DEFEND `ITS' SHIITES." (SEE PART C)

THE ISRAELI AMBASSADOR TO FRANCE, NISSIM ZVILI, SIGNS AN OP-ED
IN LEFT-OF-CENTER LIBERATION TODAY ON THE CONFERENCE IN SHARM
EL SHEIK. "IT WILL TAKE A GREAT DEAL OF WILLPOWER AND COURAGE
ON THE PART OF THE ISRAELI AND PALESTINIAN LEADERS TO MOVE
TOWARDS POSITIVE CHANGE AND TO AVOID A SITUATION OF CHAOS."

(C) SUPPORTING TEXT/BLOCK QUOTES:

SECRETARY RICE VISIT TO FRANCE

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"FAMILY FEUD"
GERARD DUPUY IN LEFT-OF-CENTER LIBERATION (02/07): "REALITY,
AS SAD AS IT HAS OFTEN BEEN OF LATE, HAS HAD A GREAT PART TO
PLAY IN PUTTING THE PIECES OF THE TRANS-ATLANTIC RELATIONSHIP
BACK TOGETHER. THE INTERVENTION IN IRAQ MAY NOT HAVE TURNED
OUT EXACTLY AS THE AMERICANS HAD HOPED. BUT THE SUCCESS OF THE
ELECTIONS HAS SERVED TO CONVINCE THE STAUNCHEST ANTI-BUSH
EUROPEANS, STARTING WITH THE FRENCH, THAT THEIR BOYCOTT OF THE
PROCESS WAS IN VAIN. BUT EVEN IF THE FAMILY FEUD ENDS, WE
SHOULD GUARD OURSELVES FROM SENTIMENTALITY AFTER HAVING BEEN
OVER-DRAMATIC FOR SO LONG. A SMILING MISS RICE WILL BE IN
PARIS LIKE A DOVE OF PEACE. BUT WAS THERE EVER REALLY A WAR
BETWEEN US?"

"FEBRUARY 8"
BERNARD GUETTA TOLD LISTENERS THIS MORNING ON STATE-RUN FRANCE
INTER RADIO: "TOMORROW WILL BE AN IMPORTANT DAY. WHILE THE
ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN CONFERENCE WILL BE TAKING PLACE IN SHARM
EL SHEIK, CONDOLEEZZA RICE WILL BE IN FRANCE. SHE WILL GIVE A
SPEECH THAT WE ALREADY KNOW WILL FOCUS ON RENEWING TRANS-
ATLANTIC RELATIONS. THE VERY FACT THAT SHE CHOSE PARIS FOR
THIS SPEECH MARKS A DESIRE TO RENEW WITH "OLD EUROPE" AND THE
FACT THAT THESE TWO EVENTS WILL TAKE PLACE THE SAME DAY
HIGHLIGHTS THAT IT IS NOT JUST IN THE MIDDLE EAST THAT
RELATIONS ARE CHANGING. INDEED, THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN
EUROPE AND THE U.S. IS ALSO EVOLVING. EVEN IF THE U.S. HAS NOT
ADOPTED THE IDEA OF MULTILATERLAISM, IT HAS COME TO THE
REALIZATION THAT IT HAS NEVER BEEN SO UNPOPULAR AS TODAY. AND
NOT JUST IN THE ARAB WORLD. AMERICA'S IMAGE HAS SUFFERED AND
ITS IMAGE IS AS IMPORTANT AS ITS MILITARY MIGHT. GEORGE W.
BUSH HAS DECIDED TO SOFTEN THE EDGES AND HOLD OUT A
CONCILIATORY HAND."

"ITS YOUR TURN AT BAT MS. RICE"
GILLES DELAFON IN HIS WEEKLY EDITORIAL IN THE SUNDAY PAPER LE
JOURNAL DU DIMANCHE (02/6): "TUESDAY, CONDOLEEZZA RICE WILL BE
IN FRANCE AND SHE HAS CHOSEN PARIS TO GIVE THE KEY SPEECH OF
HER TRIP. WE CAN BUT PRAISE THIS DESIRE TO COMMUNICATE, EVEN
IF FUNDAMENTALLY, THERE ARE STILL A NUMBER OF ISSUES TO
SETTLE. FRANCE AND EUROPE NOW HAVE TO SEIZE THE HAND THAT IS
BEING HELD OUT TO THEM. THE HAND OF GEORGE BUSH, WHO AFTER THE
ELECTIONS IN IRAQ PERSONALLY CALLED JACQUES CHIRAC TO THANK
HIM FOR HIS SUPPORT AND WORDS OF ENCOURAGEMENT. UNFORTUNATELY,
OLD HABITS DIE HARD. SHE HAD BARELY LANDED IN EUROPE WHEN
CONDOLEEZZA RICE LAUNCHED INTO A VIOLENT DIATRIBE AGAINST IRAN
JUST AT A TIME WHEN LONDON, PARIS AND BERLIN ARE ATTEMPTING TO
NEGOTIATE WITH TEHERAN TO PUT A STOP TO ITS NUCLEAR PROGRAM.
MS. RICE WILL HAVE TO CHOOSE BETWEEN THE EFFICIENCY OF
REALPOLITIK AND HAPHAZARD IDEOLOGY. BECAUSE OF HER PRIVILEGED
RELATIONSHIP WITH GEORGE BUSH, SHE HAS ALL OF THE CARDS IN HER
HAND."

"THE PIANIST OF BUSH 2"
JEAN-CLAUDE KIEFER EDITORIALIZES IN REGIONAL DAILY DERNIERES
NOUVELLES D'ALSACE (02/07): "HENCEFORTH, THE DEPARTMENT OF
STATE HAS GONE BACK TO ITS REAL PURPOSE. NOT TO EXPLAIN THE
REASONS FOR A WAR, BUT TO RESOLVE CRISES, PREFERABLY BEFORE
THEY DEGENERATE. AN EXAMPLE OF THIS IS WASHINGTON'S RENEWED
INVOLVEMENT IN THE ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN CONFLICT. AS FOR THE
RELATIONSHIP WITH "OLD EUROPE," THE EU IS NOT IN A POSITION TO
CHALLENGE AMERICAN LEADERSHIP BUT WOULD SIMPLY APPRECIATE IT
BEING MORE DISCREET, MORE RESPECTFUL AND. FRIENDLIER. THIS IS
THE NOT SO SUBLIMINAL MESSAGE THAT BERLIN, PARIS AND EVEN
ANKARA ARE TRYING TO PASS ON TO CONDOLEEZZA RICE, AND BY
EXTENSION TO GEORGE W. BUSH."

IRAQI ELECTION RESULTS

"IRAQ: MASTERING THE SHIITE VICTORY, PREVENTING A BREAK-UP"
ANTOINE BASBOUS IN RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE FIGARO (02/07): THE
ELECTIONS IN IRAQ CAN GIVE THE IMPRESSION THAT THE
DEMOCRATIZATION OF THE GREATER MIDDLE EAST IS IN MOTION AND
THAT MILITARY FORCE CAN SERVE TO ACCELERATE A PROCESS THAT
TOOK CENTURIES TO DEVELOP IN THE WEST. IN THE EVENT THAT THE
SHIITES EXERCISE AN ALL-OUT HEGEMONY IN BAGHDAD DUE TO THEIR
MAJORITY IN NUMBERS, THE `DEMOCRATIC MODEL' THAT IRAQ WAS
INTENDED TO BE WOULD TURN INTO AN ANTI-MODEL THAT SHOULD BE
AVOIDED AT ALL COSTS. UNCLE SAM'S FORAY INTO THE REGION WILL
CONTINUE TO HAVE REPERCUSSIONS THAT WE CANNOT BEGIN TO
ANTICIPATE." LEACH